Hydrogeochemical and Isotopic Constraints on the Pattern of a Deep Circulation Groundwater Flow System

Xiting Long, Keneng Zhang, Ruiqiang Yuan, Liang Zhang and Zhenling Liu
Additional contact information
Xiting Long: Key Laboratory of Metallogenic Prediction of Nonferrous Metals and Geological Environment Monitoring Ministry of Education, School of Geoscience and Infophysics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Keneng Zhang: Key Laboratory of Metallogenic Prediction of Nonferrous Metals and Geological Environment Monitoring Ministry of Education, School of Geoscience and Infophysics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Ruiqiang Yuan: School of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Liang Zhang: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
Zhenling Liu: Well Testing Sub-Company, BHDC, Langfang 065007, China

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: Characterization of a deep circulation groundwater flow system is a big challenge, because the flow field and aqueous chemistry of deep circulation groundwater is significantly influenced by the geothermal reservoir. In this field study, we employed a geochemical approach to recognize a deep circulation groundwater pattern by combined the geochemistry analysis with isotopic measurements. The water samples were collected from the outlet of the Reshui River Basin which has a hot spring with a temperature of 88 °C. Experimental results reveal a fault-controlled deep circulation geothermal groundwater flow system. The weathering crust of the granitic mountains on the south of the basin collects precipitation infiltration, which is the recharge area of the deep circulation groundwater system. Water infiltrates from the land surface to a depth of about 3.8–4.3 km where the groundwater is heated up to around 170 °C in the geothermal reservoir. A regional active normal fault acts as a pathway of groundwater. The geothermal groundwater is then obstructed by a thrust fault and recharged by the hot spring, which is forced by the water pressure of convection derived from the 800 m altitude difference between the recharge and the discharge areas. Some part of groundwater flow within a geothermal reservoir is mixed with cold shallow groundwater. The isotopic fraction is positively correlated with the seasonal water table depth of shallow groundwater. Basic mineral dissolutions at thermoneutral conditions, hydrolysis with the aid of carbonic acid produced by the reaction of carbon dioxide with the water, and hydrothermal alteration in the geothermal reservoir add some extra chemical components into the geothermal water. The alkaline deep circulation groundwater is chemically featured by high contents of sodium, sulfate, chloride, fluorine, silicate, and some trace elements, such as lithium, strontium, cesium, and rubidium. Our results suggest that groundwater deep circulation convection exists in mountain regions where water-conducting fault and water-blocking fault combined properly. A significant elevation difference of topography is the other key.

Keywords: deep circulation groundwater; groundwater flow; geothermal water; faults; isotopes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/3/404/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/3/404/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:3:p:404-:d:201308

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().