The distribution and origins of extremely acidic saline groundwaters in the south of Western Australia – Groundwater and digital mapping datasets provide new insights

Microbial Community Structure Is Most Strongly Associated With Geographical Distance and pH in Salt Lake Sediments

“…The age of this bedrock combined with the stability of the south-western Australian landscape and lack of export of weathering products has generated a geochemically unique environment characterized by the presence of saline lakes and groundwater bodies at extremes of pH ( Bowen and Benison, 2009 ). In short, uplift of the western and southern margins of the Yilgarn Craton during the early Cenozoic reconfigured regional drainage networks, which previously exported weathering products to the western and southern Australian coasts, such that they became internally draining ( Mulcahy et al, 1972 ; Lillicrap and George, 2010 ). Subsequent inland accumulation of sediments and salts, coupled with drying of the continental climate as Australia shifted north during the breakup of Gondwana, gave rise to the numerous salt lakes and saline river systems present today ( Salama et al, 1992 , 1993 ; Commander et al, 2001 ; George et al, 2008 ).…”

“…This organization of drainage has been in place for around the past 5 million years ( Beard, 1999 ; Commander et al, 2001 ), creating a highly geologically stable system in which to investigate associations between microbial community diversity and functional capacity. Despite the relative similarity of underlying geology, climate, and landscape history among the Yilgarn lakes, geochemical properties vary widely ( Shand and Degens, 2008 ; Lillicrap and George, 2010 ). The exceptional local variability in pH of the saline lakes across the Craton, with pH as low as 2 and as high as 10 (often in proximity to each other), is a key feature of the Yilgarn salt lake systems.…”

Strength Characteristics and Mechanism of CMK Cement Soil in a Na₂SO₄ Solution Environment

“…Because of its low price, wide material availability, simple construction process, and excellent performance, cement soil is widely used in foundation treatments and roadbed engineering [5,6]. In practical engineering, groundwater is often polluted by acidic and alkaline pollutants, the pH of which can have a significant impact on the strength characteristics of cement soil [7,8]. Additionally, the erosion of cement soil in a sulfate environment is also significant [9,10].…”