Strontium isotopes in the atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere: Developing a systematic "fingerprinting" framework of rocks and water in sedimentary basins in eastern Australia.

Autor: Raiber M; CSIRO Environment, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Science & Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), Australia. Electronic address: Matthias.Raiber@csiro.au., Feitz AJ; Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia., Flook S; Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA), Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia., Cendón DI; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia., Suckow A; CSIRO Environment, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia., Schöning G; Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA), Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia., Hofmann H; CSIRO Environment, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia., Martinez J; CSIRO Environment, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Eco Logical Australia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia., Maas R; School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (SGEAS), University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia., Kelly BFJ; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Nov 15; Vol. 951, pp. 175522. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 14.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175522
Abstrakt: Understanding the connection between aquifers, aquitards, and groundwater-dependant ecosystems remains a key challenge when developing a conceptual hydrogeological model. The aim of this study was to develop a systematic strontium isotope ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) fingerprinting framework of rocks and water within the sedimentary Surat and Clarence-Moreton basins (SCM basins) in eastern Australia - an area of extensive coal seam gas development and high potential for aquifer and groundwater-surface water connectivity. To do this, new groundwater samples (n = 298) were collected, analyzed and integrated with published data (n = 154) from the basins' major sedimentary, volcanic and alluvial aquifers, including the major coal seam gas target, the Walloon Coal Measures. Samples were also analyzed from rainfall (n = 2) and surface water (n = 40). In addition, rock core samples (n = 39) from exploration and stratigraphic wells were analyzed to determine the range of Sr isotope composition from host rocks. The analyses of cores demonstrate a distinct and systematic contrast in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr between different hydrogeological units. This confirms that all major hydrogeological units have a narrow range with unique 87 Sr/ 86 Sr population characteristics that are useful for guiding conceptual model development. Comparison with selected hydrochemical and groundwater age tracers ( 14 C and 36 Cl) suggests only limited changes of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr from recharge beds to the deeper parts of the basins or with a decrease in natural 14 C and 36 Cl tracer content along flow paths. Stream sampling during baseflow conditions confirms that 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in surface waters are similar to those of the underlying bedrock formations. We demonstrated that 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analyses of rocks and water provide a powerful hydrostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic fingerprinting framework in the SCM basins, enabling reliable assessments of plausible aquifer and groundwater-surface water interconnectivity pathways. Applied in other complex multi-aquifer sedimentary basins in Australia, and globally, a similar approach can help to constrain conceptual hydrogeological models and facilitate improved water resource management.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known financial interest or personal relationship that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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