1st Edition

Groundwater Geochemistry and Isotopes

By Ian Clark Copyright 2015
    456 Pages 211 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Understand the Environmental Processes That Control Groundwater Quality

    The integration of environmental isotopes with geochemical studies is now recognized as a routine approach to solving problems of natural and contaminated groundwater quality. Advanced sampling and analytical methods are readily accessible and affordable, providing abundant geochemical and isotope data for high spatial resolution and high frequency time series. Groundwater Geochemistry and Isotopes provides the theoretical understanding and interpretive methods and contains a useful chapter presenting the basics of sampling and analysis.

    This text teaches the thermodynamic basis and principal reactions involving the major ions, gases and isotopes during groundwater recharge, weathering and redox evolution. Subsequent chapters apply these principles in hands-on training for dating young groundwaters with tritium and helium and ancient systems with radiocarbon, radiohalides and noble gases, and for tracing reactions of the major contaminants of concern in groundwaters.

    • Covers the basics of solutes, gases and isotopes in water, and concentration-activity relationships and reactions
    • Describes tracing the water cycle, weathering, and the geochemical evolution of water quality
    • Explores dating groundwater as young as a few years to over hundreds of millions of years
    • Uses case studies to demonstrate the application of geochemistry and isotopes for contaminated groundwaters

    Accessible to consultants and practitioners as well as undergraduates, Groundwater Geochemistry and Isotopes presents the basics of environmental isotopes and geochemistry, and provides you with a full understanding of their use in natural and contaminated groundwater.

    Groundwater Geochemistry and Isotopes

    Introduction

    Water, Rocks, and Solutes

    The Nature of Water

    Solutes in Water

    From Elements to Aquifers

    Problems

    Thermodynamics of Aqueous Systems

    Introduction

    Mass Action

    Ion Activity and Equilibrium Constants

    Electron Activity and Redox

    Speciation and Mineral Solubility Codes

    Mass Transfer Models

    Problems

    Geochemical Reactions

    Introduction

    Dissociation Reactions

    Redox Reactions

    Gases in Groundwater

    CO2 and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

    Problems

    Isotope Reactions

    Introduction

    Stable Isotope Fractionation and Distillation

    Radioisotopes

    Problems

    Tracing the Water Cycle

    Introduction

    Temperature–δ18O Correlation in Precipitation

    Meteoric Water Line for δ18O and δD

    Temperature Effects in Precipitation

    Groundwater Recharge

    Isotope Effects of Evaporation

    Multicomponent Groundwater Mixing

    Rock–Water–Gas Interaction

    Problems

    CO2 and Weathering

    Introduction

    CO2 and the Carbon Cycle

    Soil CO2 and Weathering

    Carbonate Weathering

    Weathering in Silicate Terrains

    Weathering and 13C of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

    Weathering and Alkalinity

    Advanced Chemical Weathering: Saprolites and Laterites

    Problems

    Geochemical Evolution

    Introduction

    Ion Exchange Surfaces in Aquifers

    Cation Exchange

    Sorption

    Redox Evolution in Groundwaters

    Salinity in Groundwater

    Graphical Presentation of Geochemical Evolution

    Problems

    Groundwater Dating

    Introduction

    Groundwater Age and Mean Residence Time

    Anthropogenic Tracers of Modern Groundwater

    Tritium–3He Dating

    Dating Submodern Groundwaters

    Radiocarbon Dating Old Groundwater

    Stable Isotopes and Noble Gases in Paleogroundwaters

    Dating Very Old Groundwater

    Problems

    Contaminant Geochemistry and Isotopes

    Introduction

    Nitrogen Species and Groundwater Contamination

    Organic Carbon Compounds

    Degradation of Fuel Oxygenates: MTBE and Ethanol

    Biodegradation of Organohalogens

    Abiotic Degradation of Organochlorine Compounds in Permeable Reactive Barriers

    Fugitive Gases

    Landfill Leachate

    Acid Mine Drainage

    Remediation

    Base Metals in Groundwater

    Salinity in Groundwater

    Arsenic

    Nuclear Waste

    Sampling and Analysis

    Introduction

    Field Measurements

    Temperature

    Electrical Conductivity

    pH

    Redox Potential

    Field Filtering

    Alkalinity Titrations

    Major Ion Geochemistry

    Major Anions (Cl–, F–, SO4–, NO3–, Br –)

    Major Cations, Minor and Trace Metals

    Nutrients

    Sulfate and Hydrogen Sulfid

    Isotopes in Water

    δ 18O and δD in Water

    Tritium

    Dissolved Carbon

    DOC and DOC Concentration and 13C

    Radiocarbon

    Nitrogen Species Isotopes

    NO315N and 18O

    NH4+15N

    Sulfur Species Isotopes

    SO4 2– 34S and 18O

    H2S – 34S

    Isotopes of the Halides

    37Cl

    36Cl

    81Br

    129I

    Isotopes of Minor Elements

    Gases

    Effervescing Gases

    Dissolved Gases

    Analysis

    Noble Gases

    Water Samples

    Passive Gas Diffusion Samplers

    Analysis

    References

    Index

    Biography

    Ian Clark is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Ottawa. He completed a bachelor of science in earth sciences and a master of science in hydrogeology at the University of Waterloo followed by his doctoral degree at the Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay) in isotope hydrogeology and paleoclimatology. Since his earliest work on geothermal systems in western Canada, Dr. Clark’s research has focused on the integration of geochemistry and isotopes to address questions on the origin, age, and geochemical history of groundwater and solutes in natural and contaminated settings. He and his colleagues recently established the Advanced Research Complex for geosciences at the University of Ottawa hosting labs for accelerator mass spectrometry, stable isotopes, noble gases and geochemistry.

    "The book is very clearly written, and each chapter provides students and long-time practitioners with practical examples and essential information needed for understanding and applying isotopic and geochemical principles to their research. Groundwater Geochemistry and Isotopes will be an essential resource for all students of isotopes and aqueous geochemistry."
    –Dr. Leonard Wassenaar, International Atomic Energy Agency

    "The author combines geochemistry and environmental isotopes quite nicely. He uses short and rather simple explanations (not an easy task) with many practical examples. …I am sure this new book will become a standard reference on groundwater geochemistry and isotopes as a basis for solving problems of groundwater quality, and will meet expectations for use by graduate students and scientists on groundwater conditions."
    —Alfonso Rivera, Geological Survey of Canada

    "Throughout the text Clark provides many problems and examples. I especially found the real-world examples interesting and illuminating. If you have any interest in geochemical applications of isotopes, this is the book for you."
    Groundwater, December 2015

    "Language use is relatively simple and accessible. Included in each chapter, in addition to theoretical knowledge, are examples of calculations and interpretation of research results, as well as sets of tasks and questions. This approach facilitates its use as a manual and makes it especially useful for students. The book is a compendium of current knowledge of isotopes and geochemistry, and I can recommend it to all students and researchers who are interested in isotopes and aqueous geochemistry."
    Geologos Vol. 23, No. 1, 2017