共查询到20条相似文献，搜索用时 46 毫秒
1.
Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is the most important carbon component in karst aquatic system where fluid is highly transmissive, but has rarely been examined in the subtropical karst critical zone (K-CZ). In this study, concentrations of dissolved solutes and isotopic compositions of DIC (δ13CDIC) at 11 sites of a 73.4 km2 karstic catchment in Southwestern China were analysed monthly in order to uncover the spatiotemporal variations of both DIC and its dominant sources, and to identify relevant controlling factors. Both DIC concentrations and δ13CDIC were highly variable, ranging from 2.52 to 5.85 mmol l−1 and from −15.7 to −4.5‰, respectively. DIC in underground water (UGW) was higher in concentration and more depleted in 13C compared to surface water (SFS). DIC concentrations showed an inconsistent seasonal trend with other solutes, with higher values in the wet season at some sites. δ13CDIC values were lower in the wet season than in the dry season. The results of mixing model IsoSource revealed spatiotemporal patterns of DIC sources. During the dry season, carbonate weathering was the primary contributor to DIC in UGW (excluding in the middle reaches). However, during the wet season, soil CO2 was the dominant source of DIC in both UGW and SFS, and it was higher than in the dry season. Overall, there are significant spatiotemporal disparities and highly transmissive characteristics of both DIC and its sources in the K-CZ, which are controlled by multiple factors. This study also highlights that rainfall may play a crucial role in accelerating carbon dynamics in the K-CZ. High-frequency sampling campaigns in high-flow periods and deep analyses are needed in future work to elucidate the related processes and mechanisms. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 相似文献
2.
《Acta Geochimica》2017,(4)
While it is critical to accurately understand the sources and transformation of sulfate based on time-series analysis, there are limited studies on temporal variation of sulfate in rivers and on rock weathering by sulfuric acids.We conducted a monthly sampling campaign in the Beipan, Nanpan, and Hongshui Rivers over the course of one hydrological year. This study examined seasonal variations in riverine sulfate impacted by the monsoon climate in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin. In general, the SO_4~(2-) contents in these rivers dropped from relatively high levels to low values during the high-flow season, in response to increasing discharge. The sulfate was generally enriched in heavy isotopes during the low-flow season compared to the high-flow season. The calculated results indicate that the riverine sulfate was mainly derived from sulfide oxidation, but that evaporite dissolution could be an important source during the low-flow season, based on isotopic evidence. Mine drainage is likely an important source of sulfate to these rivers during the high-flow season due to contributions from fast surface flow, which responds to frequent heavy rain in monsoonal climate regions. Arelatively high proportion of HCO_3~- was found to be derived from rock weathering by sulfuric acid during the high-flow season when compared to that observed during the low-flow season. The results suggest that approximately one quarter of the HCO_3~- in the Hongshui River originated from carbonate weathering by sulfuric acid derived from the oxidation of sulfide. Such information on the specific dual isotopic characteristics of riverine sulfate throughout a hydrological year can provide unique evidence for understanding the temporal variability of sulfate concentrations and weathering processes in rivers. 相似文献
3.
To better understand the mechanisms relating to hydrological regulations of chemical weathering processes and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) behaviours, high-frequency sampling campaigns and associated analyses were conducted in the Yu River, South China. Hydrological variability modifies the biogeochemical processes of dissolved solutes, so major ions display different behaviours in response to discharge change. Most ions become diluted with increasing discharge because of the shortened reactive time between rock and water under high-flow conditions. Carbonate weathering is the main source of major ions, which shows strong chemostatic behaviour in response to changes in discharge. Ions from silicate weathering exhibit a significant dilution effect relative to the carbonate-sourced ions. Under high temperatures, the increased soil CO2 influx from the mineralisation of organic material shifts the negative carbon isotope ratios of DIC (δ13CDIC) during the high-flow season. The δ13CDIC values show a higher sensitivity than DIC contents in response to various hydrological conditions. Results from a modified isotope-mixing model (IsoSource) demonstrate that biological carbon is a dominant source of DIC and plays an important role in temporal carbon dynamics. Furthermore, this study provides insights into chemical weathering processes and carbon dynamics, highlighting the significant influence of hydrological variability to aid understanding of the global carbon cycle. 相似文献
4.
5.
河流及水库等水生态系统中的溶解性无机碳(DIC)是全球碳循环与大气、陆地和海洋之间碳相互作用的重要组成部分.以澜沧江云南段上游天然河段及下游梯级水库群形成的连续体为研究对象,分析了河库连续体表层水体中水化学特征、溶解性无机碳浓度及其碳同位素时空分布特征.研究结果表明:河库连续体水体中溶解无机碳(DIC)及其同位素(δ13 C DIC)组成特征总体表现为:DIC浓度丰水期较低,枯水期较高,平均值分别为2.59±0.44和3.30±0.37 mmol/L;δ13 C DIC值丰水期偏负、枯水期偏正,平均值分别为-8.52‰±0.38‰和-6.95‰±0.53‰,与自然河流的季节变化特征相似.水体DIC来源主要包括土壤及水体有机质分解生成的CO 2、碳酸盐风化和水气界面CO 2的交换过程.澜沧江河库连续体中DIC浓度及δ13 C DIC组成的时空异质性特征与流域岩性、土壤生物地球化学过程以及微生物活动强度等均有较大关系.当前,澜沧江梯级水库群建库时间短,梯级联合运行下调度复杂,水文条件多变,梯级水库对河流重要生源要素——碳累积影响方面的“水库效应”还不明显. 相似文献
6.
The Nyangqu River, the largest right bank tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, was representative of an alpine riverine carbon cycle experiencing climate change. In this study, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) spatial and seasonal variations, as well as their carbon isotopic compositions (δ13CDIC) in river water and groundwater were systematically investigated to provide constraints on DIC sources, recharge and cycling. Significant changes in the δ13CDIC values (from −2.9‰ to −23.4‰) of the water samples were considered to be the result of different contributions of two dominant DIC origins: soil CO2 dissolution and carbonate weathering. Three types of rock weathering (dissolution of carbonate minerals by H2CO3 and H2SO4, and silicate dissolution by H2CO3) were found to control the DIC input into the riverine system. In DIC cycling, groundwater played a significant role in delivering DIC to the surface water, and DIC supply from tributaries to the main stream increased from the dry season to the wet season. Notably, the depleted δ13CDIC ‘peak’ around the 88.9° longitude, especially in the September groundwater samples, indicated the presence of ‘special’ DIC, which was attributed to the oxidation of methane from the Jiangsa wetland located nearby. This wetland could provide large amounts of soil organic matter available for bacterial degradation, producing 13C-depleted methane. Our study provided insights regarding the role of wetlands in riverine carbon cycles and highlighted the contribution of groundwater to alpine riverine DIC cycles. 相似文献
7.
Sarah Tweed Marc Leblanc Adrian Bass Glenn A. Harrington Niels Munksgaard Michael I. Bird 《水文研究》2016,30(6):873-887
Globally, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) accounts for more than half the annual flux of carbon exported from terrestrial ecosystems via rivers. Here, we assess the relative influences of biogeochemical and hydrological processes on DIC fluxes exported from a tropical river catchment characterized by distinct land cover, climate and geology transition from the wet tropical mountains to the low‐lying savanna plains. Processes controlling changes in river DIC were investigated using dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon and DIC concentrations and stable isotope ratios of DIC (δ13CDIC) at two time scales: seasonal and diel. The recently developed Isotopic Continuous Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Analyser was used to measure diel DIC concentration and δ13CDIC changes at a 15‐min temporal resolution. Results highlight the predominance of biologically mediated processes (photosynthesis and respiration) controlling diel changes in DIC. These resulted in DIC concentrations varying between 3.55 and 3.82 mg/l and δ13CDIC values ranging from ?19.7 ± 0.31‰ to ?17.1 ± 0.08‰. In contrast, at the seasonal scale, we observed wet season DIC variations predominantly from mixing processes and dry season DIC variations due to both mixing processes and biological processes. The observed wet season increases in DIC concentrations (by 6.81 mg/l) and δ13CDIC values of river water (by 5.4‰) largely result from proportional increases in subsurface inflows from the savanna plains (C4 vegetation) region relative to inflows from the rainforest (C3 vegetation) highlands. The high DIC river load during the wet season resulted in the transfer of 97% of the annual river carbon load. Therefore, in this gaining river, there are significant seasonal variations in both the hydrological and carbon cycles, and there is evidence of substantial coupling between the carbon cycles of the terrestrial and the fluvial environments. Recent identification of a substantial carbon sink in the savannas of northern Australia during wetter years in the recent past does not take into account the possibility of a substantial, rapid, lateral flux of carbon to rivers and back to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 相似文献
8.
Ground water in deep confined aquifers is one of the major water resources for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses in the North China Plain. Detailed information on ground water age and recharge is vital for the proper management of these water resources, and to this end, we used carbon 14 of dissolved inorganic carbon and tritium in water to measure the age and determine the recharge areas of ground water in the North China Plain. These isotopic data suggest that most ground water in the piedmont part of the North China Plain is <40 years old and is recharged locally. In contrast, ground water in the central and littoral portions of the North China Plain is 10,000 to 25,000 years old. The delta18O (deltaD) values of this ground water are 1.7 per thousand (11 per thousand) less than that in the piedmont plain ground water and possibly reflect water recharged during a cooler climate during the last glaciation. The temperature of this recharge, based on delta18O values, ranges from 3.7 degrees C to 8.4 degrees C, compared to 12 degrees C to 13 degrees C of modern recharge water. The isotopic data set combined indicates that ground water in the central and littoral part of the North China Plain is being mined under non-steady state conditions. 相似文献
9.
浮游生物是湖泊食物网的重要组成,其碳、氮稳定同位素能够反映元素地球化学循环和食物来源的波动,是了解水域生态系统结构变化的重要手段之一.本文选取云南4个不同类型湖泊,开展浮游生物碳、氮稳定同位素组成(δ13C、δ15N)的季节变化与湖泊对比研究.大型深水湖泊(抚仙湖和阳宗海)中,浮游植物δ13C值在夏、秋季(-20.34‰±1.98‰)显著高于冬、春季(-28.00‰±2.51‰),反映夏秋季藻类生长速率较高、HCO3-无机碳源利用增多等的影响.而小型浅水湖泊(长桥海和大屯海)中浮游植物δ13C值在夏季最高(-21.24‰±0.88‰),可能与雨季流域输入增强、陆源有机质占比增加有关.4个湖泊浮游生物δ15N值具有一致的变化特征,春季显著高于其他季节.分析表明,云南地区雨季以面源污染为主向旱季以点源污染为主的转变,导致氮素营养盐季节性来源差异,并通过生物吸收作用影响了浮游生物δ15N值的季节变化.在浮游动物与浮游植物的稳定同位素差值(即富集度)方面,营养水平高的小型浅水湖泊中δ13C富集度为1.61‰±0.90‰、δ15N富集度为2.71‰±1.22‰,显著小于营养水平低的大型深水湖泊(分别为2.60‰±0.98‰和4.19‰±1.25‰),表明随着湖泊营养水平的增加,浮游动物更多地以浮游植物为食,导致有机碳在不同营养级之间的传输过程中具有更强的耦合作用,且相邻营养级之间具有更低的δ15N富集度特征. 相似文献
10.
Factors controlling carbon isotope ratios of dissolved inorganic carbon in two major tributaries of the Han River,Korea 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
Understanding the carbon cycle of the Han River system in Korea is of prime interest in managing and preserving this valuable water resource for more than 20 million residents in the area. As a part of a comprehensive carbon cycling study for the Han River system, this report focuses on the carbon isotope compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in its two major tributaries, the North and the South Han Rivers. The major difference in carbonate chemistry of the tributaries originates primarily from the lithology of the catchment areas. The South Han River, draining a carbonate‐dominant terrain, has much higher alkalinities and DIC concentrations, whereas the lower concentrations in the North Han River indicate little influence of carbonate weathering. Likewise, δ13CDIC values in the South Han River indicate that the DIC input from the carbonate rocks is important in controlling carbon isotope ratios of DIC. For the North Han River, the oxidation of organic material influences the amount of riverine DIC and δ13CDIC values to a greater extent. Overall, remarkable seasonal and spatial variations of river chemistry and carbon isotope compositions of DIC reflect the variability in geo‐hydrologic characteristics, in the water regime, and in metabolic activities in the river water and/or the drainage areas. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 相似文献
11.
The origin and the chemical and isotopic evolution of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in groundwater of the Okavango Delta in semi-arid Botswana were investigated using DIC and major ion concentrations and stable oxygen, hydrogen and carbon isotopes (δD, δ18O and δ13CDIC). The δD and δ18O indicated that groundwater was recharged by evaporated river water and unevaporated rain. The river water and shallow (<10 m) groundwater are Ca–Na–HCO3 type and the deep (≥10 m) groundwater is Na–K–HCO3 to HCO3–Cl–SO4 to Cl–SO4–HCO3. Compared to river water, the mean DIC concentrations were 2 times higher in shallow groundwater, 7 times higher in deep groundwater and 24 times higher in island groundwater. The δ13CDIC indicate that DIC production in groundwater is from organic matter oxidation and in island groundwater from organic matter oxidation and dissolution of sodium carbonate salts. The ionic and isotopic evolution of the groundwater relative to evaporated river water indicates two independent pools of DIC. 相似文献
12.
As vegetation usually excludes salt during water uptake, transpiration will increase the salinity of the residual water. If the source water is sea water, then the residual water may become highly saline. In the unconfined coastal aquifer of the tropical Burdekin River delta, northeastern Australia, areas of highly saline ground water with chloride concentrations up to almost three times that of sea water occur up to 15 km from the present coastline, and are attributed to transpiration by mangrove vegetation during periods of high sea level. Radiogenic ((14)C) carbon isotope analyses indicate that ground water with chloride concentrations between 15,000 and 35,000 mg/L is mostly between 4000 and 6000 years old, at which time sea level was 2 to 3 m higher than present. Stable isotope analyses of oxygen-18 and deuterium show no evidence for evaporative enrichment of this water. Oxygen-18, deuterium, and stable (delta(13)C) carbon isotope analyses of ground water and soil water point to a recharge environment beneath the mangrove forests during this postglacial sea level high stand. During that period, transpiration of the mangrove forests would have led to high chloride concentrations in the residual ground water, without inducing isotopic fractionation. Due to the higher density, this hypersaline water moved downward through the aquifer by gravity and has formed lenses of highly saline ground water at the bottom of the unconfined aquifer. 相似文献
13.
The significance of the various biogeochemical pathways that drive carbon cycling and the relative fractions of dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC) produced by these reactions within the sulfate-methane transition zone(SMTZ) are still being debated. Unraveling these processes is important to our understanding of the benthic DIC sources and their contributions to the global carbon cycle. Here, we measure pore water geochemistry(chlorine, sulfate, methane, Ca~(2+), Mg~(2+), DIC and δ~(13)C-DIC) as well as solid geochemistry(sedimentary organic carbon(SOC) and δ~(13)C of SOC) in nearshore sediments from Qi'ao Island in the Pearl River Estuary of the Southern China Sea. Our analysis indicates that SOC originates from the mixing of carbon from terrestrial and marine sources, and that terrestrial materials dominate the net loss of SOC during the degradation of organic matter, especially at sites located near the river outlets. Sulfate reduction via SOC degradation is not appreciable in the upper sediment layer due to conservative mixing-dilution by freshwater. However, below this layer, the anaerobic oxidation of methane(AOM) and methanogenesis occur. Within the SMTZ, the δ~(13)C mass balance shows that the proportions of DIC derived from organoclastic SO_4~(2-) reduction(OSR) and AOM are 50.3% to 66.7% and 0.1% to 17.9%, respectively, whereas methanogenesis contributes 17.0% to 43.9%. This study reveals that the upward diffusion of DIC from ongoing methanogenesis significantly influences carbon cycling within the SMTZ in these estuarine sediments. As a result, we suggest that the plots of the ratio of change in sulfate to change in DIC in pore water should be used with caution when discriminating between sulfate reduction pathways in methane-rich sediments. 相似文献
14.
Recovery of hydrocarbons commonly is associated with coproduction of water. This water may be put to beneficial use or may be reinjected into subsurface aquifers. In either case, it would be helpful to establish a fingerprint for that coproduced water so that it may be tracked following discharge on the surface or reintroduction to geologic reservoirs. This study explores the potential of using δ13 C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of coalbed natural gas (CBNG)–coproduced water as a fingerprint of its origin and to trace its fate once it is disposed on the surface. Our initial results for water samples coproduced with CBNG from the Powder River Basin show that this water has strongly positive δ13 CDIC (12‰ to 22‰) that is readily distinguished from the negative δ13 C of most surface and ground water (−8‰ to −11‰). Furthermore, the DIC concentrations in coproduced water samples are also high (more than 100 mg C/L) compared to the 20 to 50 mg C/L in ambient surface and ground water of the region. The distinctively high δ13 C and DIC concentrations allow us to identify surface and ground water that have incorporated CBNG-coproduced water. Accordingly, we suggest that the δ13 CDIC and DIC concentrations of water can be used for long-term monitoring of infiltration of CBNG-coproduced water into ground water and streams. Our results also show that the δ13 CDIC of CBNG-coproduced water from two different coal zones are distinct leading to the possibility of using δ13 CDIC to distinguish water produced from different coal zones. 相似文献
15.
Stream water chemistry is routinely measured over time at fixed and sparse sites, which provides a coarse image of spatial variability. Here, we measured nitrate, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and several chemical proxies for water flowpaths, catchment residence time and biogeochemical transformations, every 50–100 m along 13 km of streams in six agricultural headwater catchments (1.1–3.5km2). The objective was to examine controls on longitudinal nitrate profiles at a high spatial resolution during four seasons: rewetting of the catchments in autumn, winter high-flow, spring recession and summer low-flow. Our results showed monotonic trends in longitudinal profiles for nitrate and DOC, which were opposite for the two solutes. Spatial trends in water-chemistry profiles persisted across seasons, which suggests time-invariant controls on the spatial variations in concentrations. Four catchments exhibited decreasing nitrate and increasing DOC from upstream to downstream, while two catchments exhibited increasing nitrate and decreasing DOC. These smooth gradients did not reflect a longitudinal land-use gradient, but rather an increase in the proportion of groundwater inflows when moving downstream, as suggested by the chemical proxies and punctual discharge measurements. Water chemistry also changed abruptly at confluences, at a farm point source and at a localized groundwater inflow zone. 相似文献
16.
17.
Harvey FE 《Ground water》2001,39(3):380-390
Stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes have been used in ground water studies to investigate recharge, mixing, ground water/surface water interaction, advective-diffusive transport, paleohydrogeologic interactions and to estimate ground water ages. Such studies require that the isotopic composition of precipitation be known, as precipitation is a major input to ground water and surface water systems. As oxygen-18 and deuterium data for precipitation are lacking across much of the United States, there is need to establish additional local meteoric water lines as isotope input functions across the region, as well as to develop better understanding of the isotopic climate linkages that control oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios in precipitation. In the absence of long-term monitoring stations, one possible solution to this problem is to determine the delta 18O and delta 2H values of precipitation using archive samples collected at monitoring stations managed by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP). This study describes and interprets the seasonal delta 18O and delta 2H composition of archived precipitation samples collected in eastern Nebraska near the town of Mead during the years 1992-1994. Values for delta 18O range from -23.6 to -0.7@1000. Values for delta 2H range from -172 to 0@1000. Yearly arithmetic mean delta 18O and delta 2H values for the Mead station are -8.1@1000 and -53@1000, respectively. Weighted yearly means for delta 18O and delta 2H were -7.4@1000 and -48@1000, respectively. Mead values show a strong isotopic enrichment between winter and summer precipitation, and a strong delta 18O-T correlation (r2 = 0.91) for mean monthly values of about 0.5@1000 per degree Celsius. The local meteoric water line for the Mead site is delta 2H = 7.40 delta 18O + 7.32. Deuterium excess values suggest that most of the moisture across the region is derived primarily from a Gulf of Mexico source. The results of this study demonstrate that in the absence of long-term monitoring stations such as those operated globally by the International Atomic Energy Association, NADP archive samples can be used to determine the isotopic composition of precipitation, to characterize the local meteoric water line and establish the various climatic relationships, and define the meteoric input function for use in ground water studies. 相似文献
18.
The impact on groundwater imparted by the infiltration of high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leachate from capped, unlined landfills can be attenuated by biogeochemical reactions beyond the waste source, although such reactive loss in the aquifer is difficult to distinguish from conservative advective dispersion. Compound-specific measurement of δ(13)C in carbon species, including CH(4), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and the major DOC compounds (acetate, humic acid, and fulvic acid) provides a constraint in this assessment that can assist in exercises of modeling and prediction of leachate transport. The Trail Road municipal landfill near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, hosts an unlined sector which produces a highly enriched leachate (DOC >4500 mg/L) that provides a good site to examine reactive attenuation within the receptor aquifer. Acetate, a sentinel component of leachate DOC (~1000 mg C/L), is absent in impacted groundwater. Mass balance calculations together with reaction modeling suggest continued acetate fermentation with calcite control on DIC and δ(13)C(DIC) evolution. In groundwater within 50 m of the landfill, methane concentrations are elevated (~10 mg/L), consistent with acetate fermentation, whereas δ(13)C(CH4) measurements in deeper groundwater range down to -51‰ compared with -60‰ in the landfill demonstrating oxidative loss. DOC in the deep aquifer is remarkably depleted to values less than -40‰ suggesting methanotrophic bacteria selectively consume isotopically light CH(4) to fix carbon. Continued reaction of leachate DOC in groundwater is demonstrated by evolution away from conservative mixing lines on diagrams of δ(13)C vs. concentrations of DIC and DOC. 相似文献
19.
We measured the concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and major ions and the stable carbon isotope ratios of DIC (δ13CDIC) in two creeks discharging from carbonate‐rich sulphide‐containing mine tailings piles. Our aim was to assess downstream carbon evolution of the tailings discharge as it interacted with the atmosphere. The discharge had pH of 6.5–8.1 and was saturated with respect to carbonates. Over the reach of one creek, the DIC concentrations decreased by 1.1 mmol C/l and δ13CDIC increased by ~4.0‰ 200 m from the seep source. The decrease in the DIC concentrations was concomitant with decreases in the partial pressure of CO2(aq) because of the loss of excess CO2(aq) from the discharge. The corresponding enrichment in the δ13CDIC is because of kinetic isotope fractionation accompanying the loss of CO2(g). Over the reach of the other creek, there was no significant decrease in the DIC concentrations or notable changes in the δ13CDIC. The insignificant change in the DIC concentrations and the δ13CDIC is because the first water sample was collected 160 m away from the discharge seep, not accessible during this research. In this case, most of the excess CO2(aq) was lost before our first sampling station. Our results indicate that neutral discharges from tailings piles quickly lose excess CO2(aq) to the atmosphere and the DIC becomes enrich in 13C. We suggest that a significant amount of carbon cycling in neutral discharges from tailings piles occur close to the locations where the discharge seeps to the surface. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 相似文献
20.
Dong‐Chan Koh Ho‐Wan Chang Kwang‐Sik Lee Kyung‐Seok Ko Yongje Kim Won‐Bae Park 《水文研究》2005,19(11):2225-2245
Ground water from springs and public supply wells was investigated for hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes of 3H, 18O and D in Jeju volcanic island, Korea. The wells are completed in a basaltic aquifer and the upper part of hydrovolcanic sedimentary formation. Nitrate contamination is conspicuous in the coastal area where most of the samples have nitrate concentrations well above 1 mg NO3 N/l. Agricultural land use seems to have a strong influence on the distribution of nitrate in ground water. Comparison of stable isotopic compositions of precipitation and ground water show that ground water mostly originates from rainy season precipitation without significant secondary modification and that local recharge is dominant. 3H concentration of ground water ranged from nearly zero to 5 TU and is poorly correlated with vertical location of well screens. The occurrence of the 3H‐free, old ground water is due to the presence of low permeability layers near the boundary of the basaltic aquifer and the hydrovolcanic sedimentary formation, which significantly limits ground water flow from the upper basaltic aquifer. The old ground water exhibited background‐level nitrate concentrations despite high nitrate loadings, whereas young ground water had considerably higher nitrate concentrations. This correlation of 3H and nitrate concentration may be ascribed to the history of fertilizer use that has increased dramatically since the early 1960s in the island. This suggests that 3H can be used as a qualitative indicator for aquifer vulnerability to nitrate contamination. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 相似文献