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Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology IanD. Clark and Peter Fritz www.science.uottawa.ca/~eih CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an inform a business Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clark, Ian D. (Ian Douglas), 1954- Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology / Ian D, Clark and Peter Fritz p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56670-249-6 (alk. paper) 1. Radioactive tracers in hydrogeology. I. Fritz, P. (Peter), 1937- II. Title. GB1001.72.R34C57 551.49'028—dc21 97-21889 CIP This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution, for promotion, for creating new works, or for resale. Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC Press LLC for such copying. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation, without intent to infringe. Visit the CRC Press Web site at www.crcpress.com © 1997 by CRC Press No claim to original U.S. Government works International Standard Book Number 1-56670-249-6 Library of Congress Card Number 97-21889 Printed in the United States of America 8 9 0 Printed on acid-free paper DEDICATIONS For Jordan, Ilya and TLH IDC To my family, friends and students who helped me learn what we describe in this book PF THE AUTHORS Ian D. Clark Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada [email protected] <www.science.uottawa.ca/~geology> Ian Clark holds a B.Sc. Co-op degree in Earth Sciences and an M.Sc. in Hydrogeology from the University of Waterloo, and received his doctorate degree from the Universite de Paris-Sud, Orsay. Dr. Clark’s interest in isotope hydrogeology began with his M.Sc. research on the hydrogeology of a geothermal prospect in western Canada. There, the potential for tracing the origin of the thermal waters with environmental isotopes began a long and fruitful collaboration with Peter Fritz, then a professor at Waterloo. Following five years as a hydrogeological consultant, their paths rejoined in Oman, where they undertook an isotope investigation of groundwaters throughout the Sultanate. This program formed the basis of his doctoral research, leading him to Orsay to work with Jean Charles Fontes on a paleo-hydrogeological reconstruction in Oman. His interest in the isotope hydrogeology of arid regions continues with Hani Khoury and Elias Salameh at the University of Jordan. In 1988, Ian joined the Department of Geology at the University of Ottawa to teach and supervise graduate research in isotope hydrogeology. Through collaboration with Bernard Lauriol at the University of Ottawa, he developed a keen interest in permafrost hydrogeology and paleoclimatology in the Canadian Arctic. Other current research activities include studies of hydrogeological analogues for nuclear waste repositories, contaminant hydrogeochemistry and C02 in ice cores. Dr. Clark remains in the Department of Geology as Associate Professor and Chair. Peter Fritz UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle [email protected] Peter Fritz completed his undergraduate, Haupt-Diplom (M.Sc.) and doctorate degrees in geology at the University of Stuttgart. Much of his doctoral research was undertaken in 1962 at the University of Pisa where Professor E. Tongiorgi and Dr. R. Gonfiantini had established one of the world’s first environmental isotope laboratories focussing on isotope hydrology. Following a NATO Research Fellowship with Jean Charles Fontes at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), Dr. Fritz spent five years at the University of Alberta in Edmonton as a Research Associate in the Department of Geology. In 1971 he was invited to join the hydrogeological research group being established at the University of Waterloo, and there built up an internationally recognized laboratory and graduate program in environmental isotope research. Dr. Fritz left Waterloo in 1987 to become director of the GSF Institute for Hydrology in Neuherberg, and then moved to Leipzig-Halle to establish the UFZ Centre for Environmental Research. He remains at the UFZ today as Scientific Director. Contributions to research in environmental isotopes include studies on isotope hydrology, work on brines and gases in crystalline rocks, paleoclimatology, methodological developments for radiocarbon dating of groundwaters with dissolved organic carbon, as well as other studies on the sulphur cycle in terrestrial systems. Former students of Dr. Fritz now lead research and teaching careers in over 15 universities worldwide. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology Preface to the 2nd Printing Since the first printing of this text, some additional books have been published, including Isotope Tracers in Catchment Hydrology (Kendall and McDonnell, Eds.), that contribute to the recent expansion of isotope methods in the hydrological sciences. The Hydrology Section of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) <www.iaea.org> and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) <www.usgs.org> continue to provide leadership in research and training in our discipline. In this book we aim to provide students and researchers with a synthesis of the methods now used in isotope hydrogeology. The text includes fundamental equations and approaches to interpreting data sets and solving problems, and draws upon past and current research in the subject to present the theory behind isotope systematics. Case studies are used throughout to emphasize and reinforce the material presented. Problems with solutions (on web) provide additional training for students. Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology begins with an introduction to the environmental isotopes, some history and early developments, and the basics of isotope fractionation. For ease of reference, we have compiled the important temperature-fractionation equations in a table on the inside front cover. The book then explores the partitioning of lsO and 2H through the hydrological cycle, and how they serve as tracers for precipitation and groundwater. We then move on to tracing biogeochemical cycles and the origin of solutes in both natural and contaminated landscapes. The methods of dating modern and paleogroundwaters are presented in considerable detail, with case studies that show the conjunctive use of various methods. The final chapter is a reference document for field sampling, including summaries or synopses of the various methods. The supporting website found at <www.science.uottawa.ca/~eih> was established to give access to the fully solved problems given with each chapter. These are found by following the links through the Table of Contents. Tables of data used in the problems and the table of temperature-dependent equations for fractionation factors can be downloaded in speadsheet format. Finally, we are most encouraged by the isotope community’s response to this textbook and its selection by Choice Magazine for their Outstanding Academic Book Award. We are also grateful to several instructors who took the time to notify us of some errors and omissions, now corrected in this 2nd printing. Ian Clark and Peter Fritz Ottawa and Leipzig December, 1999 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book has been constructed from the research and applications of many workers, from Urey, Dansgaard, Craig and Gonfiantini to the latest generation of isotope hydrogeologists. Their efforts and developments are the foundation of the subject. In particular, we wish to acknowledge the contributions of Jean Charles Fontes, who died tragically in 1995 while on a mission for the U.N. in Mali, and John Andrews, who passed away later that year at his home in Reading, U.K.. Their tremendous contributions are evident in the pages of this book. To have known them and learned from them has been immeasurably rewarding. The data from Oman used in this book are the product of 18 months of groundwater sampling in the wadis and deserts of this country. For this opportunity we thank his Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the people of Oman. Textbooks such as this are written for students. We are grateful to those who have contributed to it through their thesis research. We thank our many students over the years, who struggled with earlier versions of these chapters, brought errors and omissions to our attention, worked through the problem sets, and whose enthusiasm for the subject rallied our effort to finally publish it. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPES......................................................... 1 Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology.................................................................... 2 Elements, nuclides, and isotopes................................................................... 2 Nucleosynthesis and the birth of the solar system........................................3
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