Application of Sr isotope geochemistry to groundwater

issues

Case Study: Bénin, Africa

Collaboration with Dr. Steve Silliman

BACKGROUND

•  Chemical composition of water present on the continents is determined largely by: –  the congruent and incongruent dissolution of

rock-forming minerals; – sorption of ions to the surfaces of suspended

particles; – Uptake of nutrients by plants and animals;

BACKGROUND •  Water (and sediment) also contain elements that

have radiogenic isotopes that formed by the decay of their long-lived radioactive parent nuclides in the rocks of the continental crust.

•  Thus, the isotopic composition of these elements (e.g., Sr) in water depend on the age and parent-daughter ratios of the bedrock exposed to weathering in the drainage basins of the continents.

Sr isotope compositions – crustal surface waters

•  Depends upon: –  the 87Sr/86Sr ratios and Sr concentrations of each

rock type present in drainage basin;

–  the area of surface exposure of the different rock types;

–  the susceptibility to chemical weathering of the minerals contained within the rocks;

–  mixing of water derived from different rock types within streams entering the basin

87Sr/86Sr compositions - Advantages

•  Unlike chemical compositions, Sr isotope ratios are NOT fractionated/varied by:

– Changes in temperature, pH, etc;

– Biological activity

– However, Sr isotopes can monitor effectively mixing between different components

Bénin, Africa

Godomey Well Field

History of Pumping and Water Quality

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 20080

50

100

150

200

250

300

Year

Chlo

ride

mg/

l

300

Chl

orid

e –

mg/

l 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Year

Mea

n Ra

te o

f Dis

char

ge -

MG

D

Year

Year

Pum

ping

- M

GD

14

Coastal Near Surface Geology

6.63 km ATLANTIC OCEAN

Godomey Well Field

Coastal Near Surface Geology

6.63 km ATLANTIC OCEAN

Godomey Well Field

X

X

CONCLUSIONS

•  Elemental abundances and Sr isotope compositions for samples from Lake Nokoue are consistent with binary mixing between crustal-derived surface waters and seawater;

•  The results reported here suggest that seawater is not a major component of subsurface water within the Godomey Well Field;

•  The combined elemental and Sr isotope data require the presence of a third component- marine-derived evaporites/brines?