Hydrogeochemical modeling (KIRMAT) of spring and deep borehole water compositions in the small granitic Ringelbach catchment (Vosges Mountains, France)

Lucas, Yann; Chabaux, François; Schaffhauser, T.; Fritz, Bertrand; Ambroise, Bruno; Ackerer, Julien; Clément, Alain

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.10.005

Cited by 16 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Hydrogeochemical simulations were performed with the 1D thermo-kinetic code KIRMAT (KInectic of Reaction and MAss Transport; Gérard et al, 1998;Ngo et al, 2014;Lucas et al, 2017;Ackerer et al, 2018). KIRMAT is based on the Transition State Theory (TST) and solves the equations describing geochemical reactions and transport mass balance in a porous medium.…”

Section: The Kirmat Reactive-transport Codementioning

confidence: 99%

Determining How Critical Zone Structure Constrains Hydrogeochemical Behavior of Watersheds: Learning From an Elevation Gradient in California's Sierra Nevada

et al. 2020

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Concentration-discharge (C-Q) relations can provide insight into the dynamic behavior of the Critical Zone (CZ), as C-Q relations integrate the spatial distribution and timing of watershed hydrogeochemical processes. This study blends geomorphologic analysis, C-Q relations and reactive-transport modeling using a rich dataset from an elevation gradient of eight watersheds in the Southern Sierra Nevada, California. We found that the CZ structure exerts a strong control on the C-Q relations, and on the hydrogeochemical behavior of headwater watersheds. Watersheds with thin regolith, a large stream network, and limited water storage have fast mean transit times along subsurface flow lines, and show limited seasonal variability in ionic concentrations in streamflow (i.e., chemostatic behavior). In contrast, watersheds with thicker regolith, a small stream network and more water storage have longer transit times along subsurface flow lines, and exhibit greater chemical variability (i.e., chemodynamic behavior). Independent estimates of mean transit times and water storage from other isotopic, hydrologic and geophysical studies were consistent with results from modeling C-Q relations. The stream chemistry and its variability were controlled by lateral flow within the regolith, and no mixing with deep groundwater was needed to explain the observed chemical variability. This study opens the possibility to estimate water-storage capacity and mean transit times, and thus drought resistance in watersheds, by using quantitative modeling of C-Q relations.

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Section: The Kirmat Reactive-transport Codementioning

confidence: 99%

Determining How Critical Zone Structure Constrains Hydrogeochemical Behavior of Watersheds: Learning From an Elevation Gradient in California's Sierra Nevada

et al. 2020

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“…These developments allow a variety of processes to be considered, such as flow and transport processes, ion exchanges, biogeochemical reactions, and the interplay between primary mineral dissolution and secondary mineral precipitation (Moore et al, 2012;Lebedeva and Brantley, 2013;Ackerer et al, 2018). Reactive transport models have been used to explore a wide variety of scientific issues, including the study of global atmospheric CO 2 consumption by weathering reactions (Goddéris et al, 2013;Li et al, 2014), the formation and evolution of soil and regolith profiles (Maher et al, 2009;Navarre-Sitchler et al, 2009;Lebedeva and Brantley, 2013), and the variability of water quality and chemistry in the environment (Lucas et al, 2010(Lucas et al, , 2017Ackerer et al, 2018). However, these approaches usually rely on a simple 1D flow path through a regolith column or along a hill slope to model flow in the system (e.g., Maher, 2011;Moore et al, 2012;Lucas et al, 2017;Ackerer et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crossing hydrological and geochemical modeling to understand the spatiotemporal variability of water chemistry in a headwater catchment (Strengbach, France)

Ackerer

Jeannot

Delay

et al. 2020

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Understanding the variability of the chemical composition of surface waters is a major issue for the scientific community. To date, the study of concentration–discharge relations has been intensively used to assess the spatiotemporal variability of the water chemistry at watershed scales. However, the lack of independent estimations of the water transit times within catchments limits the ability to model and predict the water chemistry with only geochemical approaches. In this study, a dimensionally reduced hydrological model coupling surface flow with subsurface flow (i.e., the Normally Integrated Hydrological Model, NIHM) has been used to constrain the distribution of the flow lines in a headwater catchment (Strengbach watershed, France). Then, hydrogeochemical simulations with the code KIRMAT (i.e., KInectic Reaction and MAss Transport) are performed to calculate the evolution of the water chemistry along the flow lines. Concentrations of dissolved silica (H4SiO4) and in basic cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) in the spring and piezometer waters are correctly reproduced with a simple integration along the flow lines. The seasonal variability of hydraulic conductivities along the slopes is a key process to understand the dynamics of flow lines and the changes of water transit times in the watershed. The covariation between flow velocities and active lengths of flow lines under changing hydrological conditions reduces the variability of water transit times and explains why transit times span much narrower variation ranges than the water discharges in the Strengbach catchment. These findings demonstrate that the general chemostatic behavior of the water chemistry is a direct consequence of the strong hydrological control of the water transit times within the catchment. Our results also show that a better knowledge of the relations between concentration and mean transit time (C–MTT relations) is an interesting new step to understand the diversity of C–Q shapes for chemical elements. The good match between the measured and modeled concentrations while respecting the water–rock interaction times provided by the hydrological simulations also shows that it is possible to capture the chemical composition of waters using simply determined reactive surfaces and experimental kinetic constants. The results of our simulations also strengthen the idea that the low surfaces calculated from the geometrical shapes of primary minerals are a good estimate of the reactive surfaces within the environment.

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“…The Ringelbach catchment is located at Soultzeren (Haut-Rhin) on the eastern side of the Vosges Mountains (NE France). It is a 0.36 km 2 research catchment, in which interdisciplinary studies on water cycle dynamics have been conducted since 1976 (Mercier, 1982;Ambroise, 1995Ambroise, , 2016Baltassat et al, 2005;Schaffhauser et al, 2014;Lucas et al, 2017). It lies on a large south-facing versant, with elevation ranging from 1000 to 750 m and rather steep slopes (mean: 20°, maximum: 35°) ( Fig.…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, in very low flow conditions, the regression lines of stream and granitic springs do not pass through the two borehole clusters, far from each other. Especially for the very little transmissive FHUR, borehole waters, which are much more concentrated than spring waters and whose chemistry results from very long interaction times with bedrock (Lucas et al, 2017), appear to be about disconnected from the more superficial and mobile waters supplying springs. Rather than being limited by a not yet identified "concentrated end-member", the higher spring concentrations probably depend mainly on actual residence times under the constraint of following the regression line expressing local water-rock interactions.…”

Section: Origin Of the Elements And Role Of Hydrology On Chemical Fluxesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disturbance and resilience of a granitic critical zone submitted to acid atmospheric influence (the Ringelbach catchment, Vosges Mountains, France): Lessons from a hydrogeochemical survey in the nineties

Probst

Ambroise

2019

Journal of Hydrology

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The chemistry of precipitations and stream waters in the critical zone of a small granitic catchment mainly covered by grassland has been investigated backward (period 1990-1997). Major elements concentrations, fluxes and budgets at annual and seasonal scales allowed evaluating the catchment response to variation trends in atmospheric deposition and hydrological patterns. Acid precipitation was efficiently buffered by soil cations exchange and mineral weathering processes, as attested by the dominance of Ca and HCO 3 in stream waters. A decrease of sulfate acidity in precipitation following clean air measures was accompanied by an increase of alkalinity and a decrease of sulfate in stream waters. Waters of short residence time from water-saturated areas in the valley bottom and rapid shallow circulations within slopes were a very effective diluted weathering endmember contributing to stream outlet in high flow conditions, whereas evapotranspiration from saturated areas and/or deep waters with long residence time influenced the stream water concentration pattern in low flow conditions. Water discharge controlled the variations of the annual and seasonal budgets of major elements, except for nitrate and sulfate, mainly stored during summer. Soil legacy sulfate was mainly released during the first autumn stormflows, with high peak concentrations decreasing rapidly from 1990 to 1992 and disappearing afterwards. The output water flux was the main driver of the weathering rate in the acidification recovery period 1993-97, contrary to the first period 1990-92 when acidification was still under way, as attested by the weathering plateau (constant Si/ΣBC ratio). At that time, the intense weathering testifies the disturbance caused by acidification process. However, this critical zone was resilient enough to allow rapid and significant recovery over a few years following sulfur atmospheric abatement. For the future, the atmospheric nitrogen deposition pressure remains still challenging in a global change context, which argues for the necessity of long-term observatories.

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Hydrogeochemical modeling (KIRMAT) of spring and deep borehole water compositions in the small granitic Ringelbach catchment (Vosges Mountains, France)

Cited by 16 publications

References 41 publications

Determining How Critical Zone Structure Constrains Hydrogeochemical Behavior of Watersheds: Learning From an Elevation Gradient in California's Sierra Nevada

Determining How Critical Zone Structure Constrains Hydrogeochemical Behavior of Watersheds: Learning From an Elevation Gradient in California's Sierra Nevada

Crossing hydrological and geochemical modeling to understand the spatiotemporal variability of water chemistry in a headwater catchment (Strengbach, France)

Disturbance and resilience of a granitic critical zone submitted to acid atmospheric influence (the Ringelbach catchment, Vosges Mountains, France): Lessons from a hydrogeochemical survey in the nineties

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