Identifying sources of salinization using hydroche

Authors: Mehdi Zarei Ezzat Raeisi Broder J Merkel NicolaiAlexeji Kummer

Publish Date: 2012/12/19

Volume: 70, Issue: 2, Pages: 587-604

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Abstract

Konarsiah salt diapir is situated in the Simply Folded Zone of the Zagros Mountain south Iran Eight small permanent brine springs emerge from the Konarsiah salt body with average total dissolved solids of 3267 g/L There are numerous brackish to saline springs emerging from the alluvial and karst aquifers adjacent to the diapir Concerning emergence of Konarsiah diapir in the study area halite dissolution is the most probable source of salinity in the adjacent aquifers However other sources including evaporation and deep brines through deep Mangerak Fault are possible The water samples of the study area were classified based on their watertype salinity and the trend of the ions concentration curves The result of this classification is in agreement with the hydrogeological setting of the study area The hydrochemical and isotopic evaluations show that the groundwater samples are the result of mixing of four end members Gachsaran sulfate water Sarvak and Asmari carbonate fresh waters and diapir brine The molar ratios of Na/Cl Li/Cl Br/Cl and SO4/Cl and isotopic signature of the mixed samples justify a groundwater mixing model for the aquifers adjacent to the salt diapir The share of brine in each adjacent aquifer was calculated using Cl mass balance In addition concentrations of 34 trace elements were determined to characterize the diapir brine and to identify the possible tracers of salinity sources in the mixed water samples B Mn Rb Sr Cs Tl and Te were identified as trace elements evidencing contact of groundwater with the salt diapirWe would like to express our grateful thanks to HansJoachim Peter from TU Bergakademie Freiberg and Miss Bahadori from Shiraz University for their assistance with chemical analyses of water samples MZ and ER were financed by the Center of Excellency for Environmental Geohazards Department of Earth Sciences Shiraz University

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