2010, Volume 13, Issue 1
Hydrogen Isotopes, Oxigen-18 and Carbon-14 Used to Estimate Aquifer Recharge Conditions
1 National Institute for Research and Development for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies - ICIT Rm. Valcea, Uzinei Street no. 4, P.O. Box Raureni 7, 240050, Ramnicu Valcea, Romania
2 National Company of Mineral Waters, Bucharest, Romania
3 National Institute of Research-Developement for Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
4 Faculty of Environmental Science, “Babes-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
*Corresponding author: Ionut Faurescu, E-mail: ifaurescu@icsi.ro
Published: May 2010Abstract
This paper combines radiocarbon age and other environmental isotopes to estimate recharge conditions to a local groundwater aquifer. Estimation was carried out using 14C and other environmental isotopes, such as tritium, deuterium and Oxygen-18. Three types of samples were used: rainfall, surface water and underground water. Radiocarbon and tritium measurements were carried out using liquid scintillation counting. Deuterium and oxygen-18 isotopic composition was determined by mass spectrometry. Mean transit velocities in upper part of aquifer located in volcanic-sedimentary formations was in a range between 0.2 and 1.3 m/year with mean value of 0.9 m/year. Mean transit velocity, specific to aquifers ensemble located in stratovolcanic andesite formations and volcanic-sedimentary formations, is about 2.3 m/year. Results obtained together with similar data from nearby areas, are sufficient to estimate recharge conditions of studied aquifer.
Keywords
Radiocarbon, environmental isotopes, groundwater, aquifer.
Tag search Radiocarbon environmental isotopes groundwater aquifer
