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Age Structure of Groundwaters Determined by Isotope Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

H.H. Loosli
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Switzerland
B.E. Lehmann
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Switzerland
N. Mattle
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Switzerland
A. Scholtis
Affiliation:
Nagra, Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle, Wettingen, Switzerland
M. Heidinger
Affiliation:
Hydroisotop, Schweitenkirchen, Germany
L. Eichinger
Affiliation:
Hydroisotop, Schweitenkirchen, Germany
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Abstract

For the calibration of flow models, isotope methods play an important role. It is possible to deduce time information from radionuclides and therefore information about groundwater ages or flow velocities. Usually a flow system has not one single age (which is also called piston flow age) but an age distribution. In addition, groundwater may be a mixture of different components. For waste disposal investigations it is especially important to know if a small fast flowing water component is admixed. Therefore, one isotope method alone does not allow to answer all questions and a combination of isotope methods is advantageous. The results of such isotope combinations are presented. Possible isotopes are 3H, 85Kr (in combination also with Freon measurements) for a young component; 39Ar allows dating up to about 1000 years and 14C (together with δ13C and carbonate chemistry) reaches back to about 35‘000 years. Qualitative time indicators for very old waters are 4He, 40Ar/36Ar ratios, stable isotopes δ2H and δ8O and special chemical concentrations. In the first part of the poster the input functions of some isotope methods are given for the last decades. A combination is especially successful if the input functions have a totally different shape and therefore the isotope ratio a strong time dependence. In the second part, two to four examples of a successful combination of isotope methods are given. Main area is the Wellenberg site of the NAGRA investigations. Various combinations are demonstrated with time ranges from a few decades to palaeowaters. The conclusions illustrate the possibilities and limits of isotope combinations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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