Groundwater "fast paths" in the Snake River Plain aquifer: Radiogenic isotope ratios as natural groundwater tracers

Citation
Tm. Johnson et al., Groundwater "fast paths" in the Snake River Plain aquifer: Radiogenic isotope ratios as natural groundwater tracers, GEOLOGY, 28(10), 2000, pp. 871-874
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Earth Sciences
Journal title
GEOLOGY
ISSN journal
00917613 → ACNP
Volume
28
Issue
10
Year of publication
2000
Pages
871 - 874
Database
ISI
SICI code
0091-7613(200010)28:10<871:G"PITS>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
Preferential flow paths are expected in many groundwater systems and must b e located because they can greatly affect contaminant transport. The fundam ental characteristics of radiogenic isotope ratios in chemically evolving w aters make them highly effective as preferential now path indicators. These ratios tend to be more easily interpreted than solute-concentration data b ecause their response to,vater-rock interaction is less complex. We demonst rate this approach with ground,vater Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios in the Snake River Plain aquifer within and near the Idaho National Engineering and Environmen tal Laboratory. These data reveal slow-flow zones as lower Sr-87/Sr-86 area s created by prolonged interaction with the host basalts and a relatively f ast flowing zone as a high Sr-87/Sr-86 area.