Web of Science: 22 citations, Scopus: 24 citations, Google Scholar: citations
Hydrogeochemical characterization of an evaporite karst area affected by sinkholes (Ebro Valley, NE Spain)
Acero Salazar, Patricia (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Gutiérrez, Francisco (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Galve Arnedo, Jorge Pedro (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Auque, Luis Francisco (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Carbonel, D. (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Gimeno Serrano, María José (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Gómez, J. B. (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Asta Andrés, María Pilar (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Espanya). Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera)
Yechieli, Y. (Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein)
Universidad de Granada
Geological Survey of Israel
Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Department of Environmental Hydrology & Microbiology
Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Institutes for Desert Studies

Date: 2013
Abstract: The main processes controlling the hydrochemistry of an alluvium-covered evaporite karst area with high sinkhole risk (Ebro Valley, NE Spain) are examined by means of multivariate analyses (Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis), ion correlations and geochemical speciation-solubility calculations. The hydrogeochemistry of the studied system seems to be governed by the interaction between the groundwater from the salt-bearing evaporitic karst aquifer and from the overlying Ebro River alluvial aquifer. The observed hydrochemical features in the alluvial-karst aquifer system are mainly determined by the relative contribution of gypsum/anhydrite and halite dissolution, showing a wide spectrum from relatively fresh recharge waters (mainly irrigation waters) to highly evolved groundwater from the evaporitic aquifer. The variability of these contributions is especially evident at sinkhole ponds which, in some cases, seem to be associated with discharge areas of the karst aquifer in the valley bottom alluvium. Calculated saturation indexes suggest that, in contrast to gypsum, the amounts of halite in the sampled portions of evaporitic aquifer are not large enough to attain equilibrium, which is consistent with the predominance of gypsum/anhydrite reported for these materials. Furthermore, the observed Na:Cl and Ca:SO4 correlations and stoichiometries suggest that other possible processes, such as glauberite dissolution or Na/Ca-exchange, generally play a minor role (compared to halite and gypsum dissolution) in this system. Another important process in the system is the dissolution of carbonate minerals (dolomite and, possibly, calcite) fostered by the input of CO2(g), which is probably produced by pedogenic processes. Dolomite dissolution seems to be particularly relevant in the evaporitic materials probably due to dedolomitisation triggered by gypsum/anhydrite dissolution.
Rights: Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre i quan aquestes es distribueixin sota la mateixa llicència que regula l'obra original i es reconegui l'autoria. Creative Commons
Language: Anglès
Document: Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject: Salt karst ; Alluvial aquifer ; Geochemical modeling ; Hydrochemistry
Published in: Geologica acta, Vol. 11, Núm. 4 (December 2013) , p. 389-407, ISSN 1696-5728

Adreça alternativa: https://raco.cat/index.php/GeologicaActa/article/view/271207
Adreça alternativa: https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/105.000002052
DOI: 10.1344/105.000002052


19 p, 3.0 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Articles > Published articles > Geologica acta
Articles > Research articles

 Record created 2014-02-05, last modified 2024-02-21



   Favorit i Compartir