Geochemical and isotopic mass balances of kettle lakes in southern Quebec (Canada) as tools to document variations in groundwater quantity and quality

Self Cite

Interactions between lakes and groundwater are of increasing concern for freshwater environmental management but are often poorly characterized. Groundwater inflow to lakes, even at low rates, has proven to be a key in both lake nutrient balances and in determining lake vulnerability to pollution. Although difficult to measure using standard hydrometric methods, significant insight into groundwater–lake interactions has been acquired by studies applying geochemical tracers. However, the use of simple steady‐state, well‐mixed models, and the lack of characterization of lake spatiotemporal variability remain important sources of uncertainty, preventing the characterization of the entire lake hydrological cycle, particularly during ice‐covered periods. In this study, a small groundwater‐connected lake was monitored to determine the annual dynamics of the natural tracers, water stable isotopes and radon‐222, through the implementation of a comprehensive sampling strategy. A multilayer mass balance model was found outperform a well‐mixed, one‐layer model in terms of quantifying groundwater fluxes and their temporal evolution, as well as characterizing vertical differences. Water stable isotopes and radon‐222 were found to provide complementary information on the lake water budget. Radon‐222 has a short response time, and highlights rapid and transient increases in groundwater inflow, but requires a thorough characterization of groundwater radon‐222 activity. Water stable isotopes follow the hydrological cycle of the lake closely and highlight periods when the lake budget is dominated by evaporation versus groundwater inflow, but continuous monitoring of local meteorological parameters is required. Careful compilation of tracer evolution throughout the water column and over the entire year is also very informative. The developed models, which are suitable for detailed, site‐specific studies, allow the quantification of groundwater inflow and internal dynamics during both ice‐free and ice‐covered periods, providing an improved tool for understanding the annual water cycle of lakes.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Interactions between groundwater and seasonally ice‐covered lakes: Using water stable isotopes and radon‐222 multilayer mass balance models

Arnoux

Gibert-Brunet

Barbecot

et al. 2017

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“…This tremendous offset cannot be readily explained by spatial or temporal variability. The differences also highlight the inherent sensitivity of the approach to the definition of the endmember concentrations, an issue also raised by Arnoux, Barbecot, et al () and Arnoux, Gibert‐Brunet, et al (). We considered the actual measurement of Rn in groundwater as more representative for the Rn groundwater endmember because the thickness of the lake bottom sediment layer is only a few centimetres in the littoral zone (Schmidt et al, ) where the majority of LGD is expected to occur.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Stable isotopes of water (J. J. Gibson, Birks, & Yi, ; J. J. Gibson, Birks, Yi, Moncur, & McEachern, ; Hofmann, Knöller, & Lessmann, ; Knöller et al, ; Knöller & Strauch, ; Krabbenhoft, Anderson, & Bowser, ) and the radioisotope radon (Corbett, Burnett, Cable, & Clark, ; Dimova & Burnett, ; Schmidt, Stringer, Haferkorn, & Schubert, ) or a combination of both (Arnoux, Barbecot, et al, ; Arnoux, Gibert‐Brunet, et al, ; Schmidt, Gibson, Santos, Schubert, & Tattrie, ) are well‐established in groundwater–lake interaction studies. For instance, Luo, Jiao, Wang, and Liu () and Dimova and Burnett () reported on significant temporal variation of LGD on a multi‐day timescale based on radon for a Chinese desert lakes and small lakes in central Florida (United States), respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kluge et al () and Dimova, Burnett, Chanton, and Corbett () demonstrated LGD variability also on a seasonal timescale. Arnoux, Barbecot, et al () applied both radon and stable isotopes to determine intra‐annual LGD variability into a small glacial lake in Quebec (Canada).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stable isotope‐based LGD estimates are highly dependent on the relative air humidity and the isotopic composition of the atmospheric vapour and the evaporate (Arnoux, Barbecot, et al, ; Hofmann et al ., ; Knöller & Strauch, ). Radon‐based estimates depend mainly on the radon concentration of the groundwater endmember and on the quantification of atmospheric radon losses and diffusive radon inputs (Arnoux, Barbecot, et al, ; Dimova & Burnett, ). All of these parameters are prone to error.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Determination of groundwater discharge rates and water residence time of groundwater‐fed lakes by stable isotopes of water (¹⁸O, ²H) and radon (²²²Rn) mass balances

Petermann

Gibson

Knöller

et al. 2018

Lacustrine groundwater discharge (LGD) and the related water residence time are crucial parameters for quantifying lake matter budgets and assessing its vulnerability to contaminant input. Our approach utilizes the stable isotopes of water (δ18O, δ2H) and the radioisotope radon (222Rn) for determining long‐term average and short‐term snapshots in LGD. We conducted isotope balances for the 0.5‐km2 Lake Ammelshainer See (Germany) based on measurements of lake isotope inventories and groundwater composition accompanied by good quality and comprehensive long‐term meteorological and isotopic data (precipitation) from nearby monitoring stations. The results from the steady‐state annual isotope balances that rely on only two sampling campaigns are consistent for both δ18O and δ2H and suggested an overall long‐term average LGD rate that was used to infer the water residence time of the lake. These findings were supported by the good agreement of the simulated LGD‐driven annual cycles of δ18O and δ2H lake inventories with the observed lake isotope inventories. However, radon mass balances revealed lower values that might be the result of seasonal LGD variability. For obtaining further insights into possible seasonal variability of groundwater–lake interaction, stable water isotope and radon mass balances could be conducted more frequently (e.g., monthly) in order to use the derived groundwater discharge rates as input for time‐variant isotope balances.

Isotopic signature of a glacial influenced hydrological system in northern Patagonia, Argentina

Sepúlveda

Echegoyen

Martín

et al. 2022

High glacial mountain environments around the world are important water reservoirs and are extremely sensitive to the effects of climate change. Considering that climate change affects snow accumulation and glacial melting, it is essential to understand the runoff generation and hydrological dynamics in these type of systems. Andean glaciers have shown a retreating and thinning pattern since the start of the 21st century. Regarding this, the stable isotopic composition of waters is useful to assess the contributions from different sources (i.e., glaciers, precipitation, and tributaries' inputs) to rivers. Several Patagonian mountain rivers have Andean glaciers in their headwaters, one of which is the Manso River. In this basin, over the last 30 years, the Ventisquero Negro Glacier (Manso Glacier's regenerated tongue) experienced a rapid thinning and recession that generated a proglacial lake, called Manso proglacial Lake. In this study, topographic effects upon the stable isotopic composition of river waters (δ2H and δ18O) are recognized, particularly, the altitude effect. The stable isotope composition of the Manso River varies downstream, evolving to a composition more enriched in heavy isotopes in the lower basin, likely due to altitude effects and the progressive evaporation that mainly occurs in the lakes' surfaces that the river crosses. Results show that glacial meltwater is the major water contributor in the upper basin during early fall. In the rest of the basin the stable isotopic composition of the Manso River is mainly controlled by the lakes' isotopic signatures and is highly influenced by two tributary rivers. The concordance between isotopic models and hydrological data demonstrates that stable isotopes constitute a valuable tool to quantify the contribution of different water sources. This has the potential to be particularly useful in areas where discharge data is unavailable.