Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T03:43:34.742Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Evolution of Radiocarbon in a Sandy Aquifer Across Large Temporal and Spatial Scales: Case Study from Southern Poland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

M Dulinski ,
K Rozanski ,
T Kuc ,
Z Gorczyca ,
J Kania  and
M Kapusta
M Dulinski*
Affiliation:
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
K Rozanski
Affiliation:
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
T Kuc
Affiliation:
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Z Gorczyca
Affiliation:
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
J Kania
Affiliation:
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
M Kapusta
Affiliation:
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
*
2Corresponding author. Email: Marek.Dulinski@fis.agh.edu.pl.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We present the results of a comprehensive study aimed at tracing the evolution of carbon isotopic composition of the TDIC (total dissolved inorganic carbon) reservoir from the unsaturated zone down to the discharge area, in a sandy aquifer near Kraków, southern Poland. A multilevel well penetrating the unsaturated zone in the study area was equipped with horizontally mounted lysimeters with ceramic suction cups to collect samples of pore water and metal probes to collect soil air. Strong seasonal fluctuations were observed of soil pCO2 extending down to the water table, coupled with distinct, well-defined depth profiles of δ13CTDIC reaching approximately −10′ at 8 m depth and almost constant radiocarbon content in the TDIC pool, comparable to 14CO2 levels in the local atmosphere. Simple models (closed/open system) do not account for the observed depth variations of carbon isotopic composition of the TDIC pool. This suggests that the TDIC reservoir of pore waters is evolving under conditions gradually changing from an open towards a closed system. In order to explain 13C and 14C content of dissolved carbonates in groundwater in the recharge area of the studied aquifer, additional sources of carbon in the system are considered, such as organic matter decomposition accompanied by reduction of dissolved nitrates and sulfates. The piston-flow l4C ages of groundwater in the confined part of the studied system were calculated using 2 approaches: 1) the correction model proposed by Fontes and Garnier (1979) was used to calculate groundwater ages, utilizing the chemical and carbon isotopic data available for the sampled wells; and 2) inverse geochemical modeling was performed for selected pairs of wells using NETHPATH code. The calculated 14C ages of groundwater range from approximately 0.6 to 37.5 ka BP. Although both methods appeared to be in a broad agreement, NETHPATH calculations revealed that isotopic exchange processes between TDIC pool and solid carbonates present in relatively small amounts in the aquifer matrix play an important role in controlling the 13C and 14C signatures of the dissolved carbonate species in groundwater and should be taken into account when 14C ages are calculated.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 55 , Issue 2: Proceedings of the 21st International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 1 of 2) , 2013 , pp. 905 - 919
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amundson, R, Stern, L, Baisden, T, Wang, Y. 1998. The isotopic composition of soil and soil-respired CO2 . Geoderma 82:83–114.Google Scholar
Atekwana, EA, Krishnamurthy, RV. 1998. Seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic carbon and δ13C of surface waters: application of a modified gas evolution technique. Journal of Hydrology 205:265–78.Google Scholar
Blaser, PC, Coetsiers, M, Aeschbach-Hertig, W, Kipfer, R, van Camp, M, Loosli, HH, Walraevens, K. 2010. A new groundwater radiocarbon correction approach accounting for palaeoclimate conditions during recharge and hydrochemical evolution: the Ledo-Paniselian Aquifer, Belgium. Applied Geochemistry 25(3):437–55.Google Scholar
Carmi, I, Kronfeld, J, Yechieli, Y, Yakir, D, Boaretto, E, Stiller, M. 2009. Carbon isotopes in pore water of the unsaturated zone and their relevance for initial 14C activity in groundwater in the coastal aquifer of Israel. Chemical Geology 268(3–4):189–96.Google Scholar
Cartwright, I. 2010. Using groundwater geochemistry and environmental isotopes to assess the correction of 14C ages in a silicate-dominated aquifer system. Journal of Hydrology 382:174–87.Google Scholar
Chmura, L, Rozanski, K, Necki, JM, Zimnoch, M, Korus, A, Pycia, M. 2008. Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in southern Poland: comparison of mountain and urban environments. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 17:859–67.Google Scholar
Clark, ID, Fritz, P. 1997. Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology. New York: Lewis Publishers.Google Scholar
Coplen, T. 1996. New guidelines for reporting stable hydrogen, carbon and oxygen isotope-ratio data. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 60(17):3359–60.Google Scholar
Dörr, H, Münnich, KO. 1980. Carbon-14 and carbon-13 in soil CO2 . Radiocarbon 22(3):909–18.Google Scholar
Dudziak, A, Halas, S. 1996. Diurnal cycle of carbon isotope ratio in soil CO2 in various ecosystems. Plant and Soil 183(2):291–9.Google Scholar
Florkowski, T, Grabczak, J, Kuc, T, Rozanski, K. 1975. Determination of radiocarbon in water by gas or liquid scintillation counting. Nukleonika 20:1053–62.Google Scholar
Fontes, JC, Garnier, JM. 1979. Determination of the initial 14C activity of total dissolved carbon: a review of existing models and a new approach. Water Resources Research 15(2):399–413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gorczyca, Z. 2003. Variability of the isotope composition of the soil CO2 flux to the atmosphere in the Southern Poland , raków: AGH University of Science and Technology. 169 p. In Polish.Google Scholar
Gorczyca, Z, Kuc, T, Rozanski, K. 2013. Concentration of radiocarbon in soil-respired CO2 flux: data-model comparison for three different ecosystems in southern Poland. Radiocarbon, these proceedings, doi: 10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16321.Google Scholar
Kapusta, M. 2012. Radiocarbon dating of groundwater—methodology and applications , raków: AGH University of Science and Technology. 87 p. In Polish.Google Scholar
Karpinska-Rzepa, A, Różański, K, Witczak, SL, Wójcik, R. 2005. Transport of anthropogenic pollutants through the unsaturated zone, traced by isotope chemical indicators: a case study from southern Poland. Presented at EGU General Assembly 2005, Vienna, Austria, 24–29 April 2005.Google Scholar
Kleczkowski, AS, editor. 1990. The Map of the Critical Protection Areas (CPA) of the Major Groundwater Basins (MGWB) in Poland. Kraków: AGH.Google Scholar
Kuc, T, Rozanski, K, Zimnoch, M, Necki, J, Chmura, L, Jelen, D. 2007. Two decades of regular observations of 14CO2 and 13CO2 content in atmospheric carbon dioxide in central Europe: long-term changes of regional anthropogenic fossil CO2 emissions. Radiocarbon 49(2):807–16.Google Scholar
Kulma, R, Haładus, A, Kania, J. 2001. Hydrodynamic modelling of MGWB 451–Bogucice Sands Aquifer. Internal Report of the Department of Hydrogeology and Water Protection. Kraków: University of Science and Technology. 56 p. In Polish.Google Scholar
Małoszewski, P, Zuber, A. 1991. Influence of matrix diffusion and exchange reactions on radiocarbon ages in fissured carbonate rocks. Water Resources Research 27:1937–45.Google Scholar
Mook, WG, van der Plicht, J. 1999. Reporting 14C activities and concentrations. Radiocarbon 41(3):227–39.Google Scholar
Operacz, A. 2009. Role of soil and vadose zone in self-purification processes existed in groundwater environment degraded by industrial emission near the Arcelor Mittal Steelworks , raków: AGH University of Science and Technology. 187 p. In Polish.Google Scholar
Parkhurst, DL, Appelo, CAJ. 1999. User's Guide to PHREEQC (Version 2)—A Computer Program for Speciation, Batch-Reaction, One-Dimensional Transport, and Inverse Geochemical Calculations. USGS, Water-Resources Investigations Report 99–4259.Google Scholar
Plummer, LN, Prestemon, EC, Parkhurst, DL. 1994. An interactive code (NETPATH) for modeling NET geochemical reactions along a flow PATH. Version 2.0. USGS, Water-Resources Investigations Report 94–4169.Google Scholar
Porębski, S, Oszczypko, N. 1999. Lithofacies and origin of the Bogucice Sands (Upper Badenian), Carpathian Foredeep Proceedings of Polish Geological Institute CLXVIII:57–82. In Polish.Google Scholar
Sanford, WE. 1997. Correcting for diffusion in carbon-14 dating of groundwater. Ground Water 35:357–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M, Polach, H. 1977. Discussion: reporting of 14C data. Radiocarbon 19(3):355–63.Google Scholar
Witczak, S, Zuber, A, Kmiecik, E, Kania, J, Szczepańska, J, Różański, K. 2008. Tracer based study of the Badenian Bogucice Sands aquifer, Poland. In: Edmunds, WM, Shand, P, editors. Natural Groundwater Quality. Malden: Blackwell Publishing. p 335 52.Google Scholar
Zuber, A, Witczak, S, Różański, K, Śliwka, I, Opoka, M, Mochalski, P, Kuc, T, Karlikowska, J, Kania, J, Jackowicz-Korczyński, M, Duliński, M. 2005. Groundwater dating with 3H and SF6 in relation to mixing pattern, transport modelling and hydrochemistry. Hydrological Processes 19(11):2247–75.Google Scholar