Sources of Ground Water Salinization in Parts of West Texas |
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| Abstract: | Abstract
Determination of chemical constituent ratios allows distinction between two salinization mechanisms responsible for shallow saline ground water and vegetative-kill areas in parts of west Texas. Mixing of deep-basin (high Cl) salt water and shallow (low Cl) ground water results in saline waters with relatively low Ca/Cl, Mg/Cl, SO44/ Cl, Br/Cl, and NO3/Cl ratios. In scattergrams of major chemical constituents vs. chloride, plots of these waters indicate trends with deep-basin brines as high Cl end members. Evaporation of ground water from a shallow water table, in contrast, results in saline water that has relatively high Ca/Cl, Mg/Cl, SO4/Cl, and Br/CL ratios. Trends indicated by plots of this water type do not coincide with trends indicated by plots of sampled brines. Leaching of soil nitrate in areas with a shallow water table accounts for high NO3 concentrations in shallow ground water. |
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