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The hydrochemical, radiochemical, stable isotope, 14C and dissolved noble gas composition of groundwaters has been determined along two profiles across the confined, fissured Chalk aquifer of the London Basin of southern England, and for selected sites in the adjacent Berkshire Basin. During downgradient flow in the London Basin aquifer, the groundwater chemistry is modified by waterrock interactions: congruent and incongruent reaction of the carbonate lithology resulting in enhanced Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios and 13C contents with increased residence times; redox and ion exchange reactions; and towards the centre of the Basin, mixing with a residual saline connate water stored in the Chalk matrix. There is evidence from anomalous water chemistries for a component of vertical leakage from overlying Tertiary beds into the confined aquifer as a result of historical dewatering of the aquifer. Dissolved noble gas contents indicate the climate was up to 4.5°C cooler than at present during recharge of the waters now found in the centres of both Basins; stable isotope (2H and 18O) depletions correspond to this recharge temperature change. For evolved waters having δ13C > −8‰ PDB a negative linear correlation is demonstrated between derived recharge temperatures and δ13C values, which is interpreted as mixing between relatively warm, light isotopic, fracture-borne waters and cooler stored waters of the matrix having a 13C signature more or less equilibrated with the Chalk. From geochemical (14C, 4He) age estimates, the abstracted water is interpreted as being either of wholly Holocene/post-Devensian glacial origin, or an admixture of Holocene and Late Pleistocene pre-glacial (cold stage interstadial) recharge. Devensian pleniglacial stage waters of the Last Glacial Maximum are not represented.

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ABSTRACT. The Carnmenellis granite and its aureole contain the only recorded thermal groundwaters (up to 52 ~ in British granites. They occur as springs in tin mines at depths between 200 and 700 m and most are saline (maximum mineralization 19 310 mg 1-1). Mining activity has disturbed the groundwater circulation pattern developed over a geological time-scale and levels of bomb-produced tritium (> 4 TU) indicate that a significant component (up to 65 %) of the most saline waters are of recent origin. All components of all the mine waters are of meteoric origin. Radiogenic 4He contents, 4~ ratios, and uranium series geochemistry suggest that the thermal component has a likely residence time of at least 5 x 104 years and probably of order 10 6 years.The thermal waters have molar Na+/C1 -ratios considerably less than i but they are enriched relative to sea water in all major cations except Mg.

This paper discusses the hydrochemical evolution of groundwaters in the multilayer artesian aquifer of the Continental Intercalaire (the mainly Jurassic Agadez-Dabla sandstones) aquifer of northern Niger. Isotopic and chemical changes in relation to the geological setting suggest that the increasing HCO• alkalinity of the groundwaters is caused by interaction of deep CO2 with the aquifer matrix. Alteration of feldspars by CO2 with a •3C value of -3.0700 accounts for the observed alkalinity and isotopic and trends. Carbon 14 ages have been estimated for recent and Holocene groundwaters which have a distinct stable isotopic (2H and •80) signature compared with 14C dead groundwaters from further west on the Irhazer Plain. Recharge temperatures, estimated by analysis of noble gas contents, show that the 14C dead waters were recharged under conditions cooler than present averages in the region, possibly at the beginning of deglaciation (•. 16 ka B.P.) or during the period 23-30 ka B.P. Trends in the hydrochemistry of U are related to the deep CO2 alteration process. Radiogenic He contents increase along the flow direction and extremely high values occur in the proximity of U ores. Denitrification in the palcowaters of the Irhazer was assessed by measurements of nitrogen/argon ratios.