Groundwater is undoubtedly important for water supplies and eco-environment protection, especially for arid and semi-arid regions. Analyzing the characteristics and evolution of groundwater is significant for the rational management of groundwater resources. This study investigated the hydrogeochemical characteristics and evolutions of groundwater in the Delingha area, northeast of the Qaidam Basin, northwest China, with a total of 123 water samples, including 105 unconfined groundwater samples, 12 confined groundwater samples, and 6 surface water samples. Hydrochemical results showed that the unconfined and confined groundwater presented diversity in ion concentration. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of the unconfined groundwater increased from 146.5 to 8954 mg/L along the groundwater flow direction. The groundwater hydrochemical types were HCO3-Ca·Mg and HCO3·SO4-Ca·Mg in the mountain front area, SO4·HCO3-Ca·Mg and SO4·Cl-Ca·Mg types in the alluvial-lacustrine plain, and Cl·SO4-Na and Cl-Na types in the lacustrine plain. The saturation index showed that parts of the groundwater samples were supersaturated with carbonate minerals (calcite and dolomite); however, all the samples were undersaturated with evaporite minerals (halite and gypsum). Groundwater chemical evolution is mainly controlled by evaporite and carbonate mineral dissolutions, aluminosilicates weathering, and cation exchange.
Groundwater is a critical water resource for human survival and economic development in arid and semi-arid areas. It is crucial to understand the groundwater circulation and hydrochemical evolution for sustainable management and utilization of groundwater resources in those areas. To this end, an investigation of the hydrochemical characteristics of surface water and groundwater was conducted in Nomhon, an arid area located in the Qaidam Basin, northwest China, by using hydrochemical (major and trace elements) and stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) approaches. Stable isotopes and ion ratios were analyzed to determine the recharge sources, hydrochemistry characteristics, and major hydrogeochemical processes. Meanwhile, inverse geochemistry modeling was applied to quantitatively determine the mass transfer of hydrogeochemical processes. The results showed that groundwater in the study area is mainly recharged by atmospheric precipitation in mountainous areas, and the groundwater in the center of basin might originate from ancient water in cold and humid environments. Along the groundwater flow path, the TDS of groundwater increased gradually from fresh to salty (ranging from 462.50 to 19,604.40 mg/L), and the hydrochemical type changed from Cl·HCO3–Na·Mg·Ca to Cl–Na. Groundwater chemical composition and mass balance modeling results indicated that from alluvial fan to lacustrine plain, the main hydrogeochemical processes changed from the dissolution of halite and albite and the precipitation of dolomite and kaolinite to the dissolution of halite and gypsum, precipitation of calcite, redox (SO42− reduction), and cation exchange. This study would be helpful for water resources management in this area and other similar areas.
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