scholarly journals Geochemical inverse modeling of chemical and isotopic data from groundwaters in Sahara (Ouargla basin, Algeria)

Author(s):  
R. Slimani ◽  
A. Guendouz ◽  
F. Trolard ◽  
A.-S. Moulla ◽  
B. Hamdi-Aissa ◽  
...  

Abstract. New samples were collected in the three major Saharan aquifers namely, the “Continental Intercalaire” (CI), the “Complexe Terminal” (CT) and the Phreatic aquifer (Phr) and completed with unpublished more ancient chemical and isotopic data. Instead of classical Debye-Hückel extended law, Specific Interaction Theory (SIT) model, recently incorporated in Phreeqc 3.0 was used. Inverse modeling of hydro chemical data constrained by isotopic data was used here to quantitatively assess the influence of geochemical processes: at depth, the dissolution of salts from the geological formations during upward leakage without evaporation explains the tran sitions from CI to CT and to a first pole of Phr (pole I); near the surface, the dissolution of salts from sebkhas by rainwater explains another pole of Phr (pole II). In every case, secondary precipitation of calcite occurs during dissolution. All Phr waters result from the mixing of these two poles together with calcite precipitation and ion exchange processes. These processes are quantitatively assessed by Phreeqc model. Globally, gypsum dissolution and calcite precipitation were found to act as a carbon sink.

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1669-1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabia Slimani ◽  
Abdelhamid Guendouz ◽  
Fabienne Trolard ◽  
Adnane Souffi Moulla ◽  
Belhadj Hamdi-Aïssa ◽  
...  

Abstract. Unpublished chemical and isotopic data taken in November 1992 from the three major Saharan aquifers, namely the Continental Intercalaire (CI), the Complexe Terminal (CT) and the phreatic aquifer (Phr), were integrated with original samples in order to chemically and isotopically characterize the largest Saharan aquifer system and investigate the processes through which groundwaters acquire their mineralization. Instead of classical Debye–Hückel extended law, a specific interaction theory (SIT) model, recently incorporated in PHREEQC 3.0, was used. Inverse modeling of hydrochemical data constrained by isotopic data was used here to quantitatively assess the influence of geochemical processes: at depth, the dissolution of salts from the geological formations during upward leakage without evaporation explains the transitions from CI to CT and to a first end member, a cluster of Phr (cluster I); near the surface, the dissolution of salts from sabkhas by rainwater explains another cluster of Phr (cluster II). In every case, secondary precipitation of calcite occurs during dissolution. All Phr waters result from the mixing of these two clusters together with calcite precipitation and ion exchange processes. These processes are quantitatively assessed by the PHREEQC model. Globally, gypsum dissolution and calcite precipitation were found to act as a carbon sink.


2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 1261-1276
Author(s):  
Jamil A. Sader ◽  
Anna L. Harrison ◽  
M. Beth McClenaghan ◽  
Stewart M. Hamilton ◽  
Ian D. Clark ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We report new isotopic data for H2 and CH4 gases and Sr for groundwater collected from Jurassic Kirkland Lake kimberlites in northern Ontario, Canada. Groundwaters interacting with kimberlites have elevated pH (up to 12.4), are reducing (Eh as low as the H2-H2O couple), are dominated by OH− alkalinity, and have non-radiogenic (mantle) 87Sr/86Sr values (∼0.706–0.707). Most significantly, the highest pH groundwaters have low Mg, high K/Mg, and are associated with abundant reduced gases (H2 ± CH4). Open system conditions favor higher dissolved inorganic carbon and CH4 production, whereas under closed system conditions low DIC, elevated OH− alkalinity, and H2 production are enhanced. Hydrogen gas is isotopically depleted (δ2HH2 = −771 to −801‰), which, combined with δ2HH2O, yields geothermometry temperatures of serpentinization of 5–25 °C. Deviation of H2-rich groundwaters (by up to 10‰) from the meteoric water line is consistent with Rayleigh fractionation during reduction of water to H2. Methane is characterized by δ13CCH4 = −35.8 to −68‰ and δ2HCH4 = −434‰. The origin of CH4 is inconclusive and there is evidence to support both biogenic and abiogenic origins. The modeled groundwater–kimberlite reactions and production of elevated concentrations of H2 gas suggest uses for diamond-production tailings, as a source of H2 for fuel cells and as a carbon sink.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 6607-6622 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Peylin ◽  
S. Houweling ◽  
M. C. Krol ◽  
U. Karstens ◽  
C. Rödenbeck ◽  
...  

Abstract. Inverse modeling techniques used to quantify surface carbon fluxes commonly assume that the uncertainty of fossil fuel CO2 (FFCO2) emissions is negligible and that intra-annual variations can be neglected. To investigate these assumptions, we analyzed the differences between four fossil fuel emission inventories with spatial and temporal differences over Europe and their impact on the model simulated CO2 concentration. Large temporal flux variations characterize the hourly fields (~40 % and ~80 % for the seasonal and diurnal cycles, peak-to-peak) and annual country totals differ by 10 % on average and up to 40 % for some countries (i.e., the Netherlands). These emissions have been prescribed to seven different transport models, resulting in 28 different FFCO2 concentrations fields. The modeled FFCO2 concentration time series at surface sites using time-varying emissions show larger seasonal cycles (+2 ppm at the Hungarian tall tower (HUN)) and smaller diurnal cycles in summer (−1 ppm at HUN) than when using constant emissions. The concentration range spanned by all simulations varies between stations, and is generally larger in winter (up to ~10 ppm peak-to-peak at HUN) than in summer (~5 ppm). The contribution of transport model differences to the simulated concentration std-dev is 2–3 times larger than the contribution of emission differences only, at typical European sites used in global inversions. These contributions to the hourly (monthly) std-dev's amount to ~1.2 (0.8) ppm and ~0.4 (0.3) ppm for transport and emissions, respectively. First comparisons of the modeled concentrations with 14C-based fossil fuel CO2 observations show that the large transport differences still hamper a quantitative evaluation/validation of the emission inventories. Changes in the estimated monthly biosphere flux (Fbio) over Europe, using two inverse modeling approaches, are relatively small (less that 5 %) while changes in annual Fbio (up to ~0.15 % GtC yr−1) are only slightly smaller than the differences in annual emission totals and around 30 % of the mean European ecosystem carbon sink. These results point to an urgent need to improve not only the transport models but also the assumed spatial and temporal distribution of fossil fuel emission inventories.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7457-7503 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Peylin ◽  
S. Houweling ◽  
M. C. Krol ◽  
U. Karstens ◽  
C. Rödenbeck ◽  
...  

Abstract. Inverse modeling techniques used to quantify surface carbon fluxes commonly assume that the uncertainty of fossil fuel CO2 (FFCO2) emissions is negligible and that intra-annual variations can be neglected. To investigate these assumptions, we analyzed the differences between four fossil fuel emission maps with spatial and temporal differences over Europe and their impact on the model simulated CO2 concentration. Large temporal flux variations characterize the hourly fields (~40% and ~80% for the seasonal and diurnal cycles, peak-to-peak) and annual country totals differ by 10% on average and up to 40% for some countries (i.e., The Netherlands). These emissions have been prescribed to seven different transport models, resulting in 28 different FFCO2 concentrations fields. The modeled FFCO2 concentration time series at surface sites using time-varying emissions show larger seasonal cycles (+2 ppm at the Hungarian tall tower (HUN)) and smaller diurnal cycles in summer (−1 ppm at HUN) than when using constant emissions. The concentration range spanned by all simulations varies between stations, and is generally larger in winter (up to ~10 ppm peak-to-peak at HUN) than in summer (~5 ppm). The contribution of transport model differences to the simulated concentration std-dev is 2–3 times larger than the contribution of emission differences only, at typical European sites used in global inversions. These contributions to the hourly (monthly) std-dev's amount to ~1.2 (0.8) ppm and ~0.4 (0.3) ppm for transport and emissions, respectively. First comparisons of the modeled concentrations with 14C-based fossil fuel CO2 observations show that the large transport differences still hamper a quantitative evaluation/validation of the emission inventories. Changes in the estimated monthly biosphere flux (Fbio) over Europe, using two inverse modeling approaches, are relatively small (less that 5%) while changes in annual Fbio (up to ~0.15 Gt C/yr) are only slightly smaller than the differences in annual emission totals and around 30% of the mean European ecosystem carbon sink. These results point to an urgent need to improve not only the transport models but also the assumed spatial and temporal distribution of fossil fuel emission maps.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Skiba ◽  
Jens Fohlmeister

<p>Speleothems have been developed to be valuable climate archives. Albeit much progress has been made to understand speleothem proxies, it remains difficult to differentiate between a direct climate signal and variations, which occurred due to in-cave processes like prior calcite precipitation, CO<sub>2</sub> degassing or C exchange between dissolved inorganic C-species and cave air CO<sub>2</sub>. Here, we analyse palaeoclimate proxies of contemporaneously growing speleothems, which were extracted from the SISALv2 database (Comas-Bru et al., 2020). We argue that differences in their stable O and C isotopic composition as well as in their growth rate can only arise by differences of drip site specific conditions as climate conditions for pairs of contemporaneously growing speleothems are similar. To better understand differences in the isotopic composition and growth rate of contemporaneously growing speleothems, we investigate the in-cave processes by applying a speleothem isotope and growth model. The model is based on a Rayleigh process, which includes CO<sub>2</sub> degassing and CaCO<sub>3</sub> precipitation, HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> <—> H<sub>2</sub>O buffering as well as CO<sub>2</sub> exchange and is able to calculate growth rates. The model accounts for CaCO<sub>3</sub> deposition as prior calcite precipitation as well as CaCO<sub>3</sub> deposition at the speleothem. We find that C-exchange processes are necessary to explain the linked isotopic and growth rate differences in speleothems.</p><p> </p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>Comas-Bru, L., Atsawawaranunt, K., Harrison, S., SISAL working group members (2020): SISAL (Speleothem Isotopes Synthesis and AnaLysis Working Group) database version 2.0. University Of Reading.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berry Lyons ◽  
Kelly Foley ◽  
Anne Carey ◽  
Melisa Diaz ◽  
Gabriel Bowen ◽  
...  

Calcium carbonate (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) encrustations occur in most desert soils, including polar ones, and such encrustations preserve records of geochemical, hydrological, and atmosphere processes affecting these soils. We have collected a series of CaCO3 encrustations found underneath surface rocks in the soils and tills of Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys (~78°S lat.), Antarctica. These encrustations were analyzed for 87Sr/86S and δ18O and δ13C to determine what relation they have with the underlying soils, and the material in which they are in contact, and to identify the processes that control their formation. In all but one case, the isotopic data indicate that the source of Sr to these encrustations is not from the rock on which it is associated. The primary source of Sr (and by analogy Ca) is either from dust that has been deposited through aeolian processes or from the aggregate of till material within the soils. The δ13C values for Taylor Valley encrustations ranged from 5.7 to 11.0‰, and are consistent with a carbon source from atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub>. The δ18O values range from –8.1 to –11.2‰ and are heavier than expected for equilibrium calcite precipitation from Taylor Valley meteoric water. Taken together these results indicate that the CaCO<sub>3</sub> was formed by rapid evaporation of films beneath clasts that had become supersaturated with respect to CaCO<sub>3</sub>.


2015 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 2473-2492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhou ◽  
Peijun Shi ◽  
Gensuo Jia ◽  
Yongjiu Dai ◽  
Xiang Zhao ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-134
Author(s):  
Urte Scholz ◽  
Rainer Hornung

Abstract. The main research areas of the Social and Health Psychology group at the Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, are introduced. Exemplarily, three currently ongoing projects are described. The project ”Dyadic exchange processes in couples facing dementia” examines social exchanges in couples with the husband suffering from dementia and is based on Equity Theory. This project applies a multi-method approach by combining self-report with observational data. The ”Swiss Tobacco Monitoring System” (TMS) is a representative survey on smoking behaviour in Switzerland. Besides its survey character, the Swiss TMS also allows for testing psychological research questions on smoking with a representative sample. The project, ”Theory-based planning interventions for changing nutrition behaviour in overweight individuals”, elaborates on the concept of planning. More specifically, it is tested whether there is a critical amount of repetitions of a planning intervention (e.g., three or nine times) in order to ensure long-term effects.


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