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Geoquimica De Aguas En Cuencas Cerradas: I, Ii Y Iii Regiones - Chile

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Geoquimica De Aguas En Cuencas Cerradas: I, Ii Y Iii Regiones - Chile MINISTERIO DE OBRAS PUBLICAS UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL NORTE INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DIRECCION GENERAL DE AGUAS (ex ORSTOM) CONVENIO DE COOPERACION DGA – UCN – IRD GEOQUIMICA DE AGUAS EN CUENCAS CERRADAS: I, II Y III REGIONES - CHILE VOLUMEN I I I ESTUDIO DE CUENCAS DE LA I I REGION REALIZADO POR: François Risacher Hugo Alonso Carlos Salazar S.I.T. N° 51 Santiago, Enero de 1999 INDICE SEGUNDA REGION Salar de Alconcha ........................................................................... 1 - 13 [ALC] Salar de Carcote .............................................................................. 15 - 31 [CAR] Salar de Ascotan ............................................................................. 33 - 55 [ASC] Salar de Atacama ............................................................................ 57 - 75 [ATA] Salar de Tara ................................................................................... 77 - 87 [TAR] Laguna Helada ................................................................................ 89 - 97 [HEL] Salar de Aguas Calientes 1 ............................................................. 99 - 109 [AC1] Salar de Pujsa .................................................................................. 111 - 119 [PSA] Salar de Loyoques ...........................................................................121 - 133 [LOY] Lag. Trinchera / Chivato Muerto .................................................... 135 - 143 [TRI/MUE] Salar de Aguas Calientes 2 ............................................................. 145 - 153 [AC2] Laguna Lejia ................................................................................... 155 - 165 [LEJ] Laguna Miscanti ............................................................................. 167 - 175 [MIS] Laguna Miñiques ............................................................................ 177 - 185 [MIN] Salar del Laco.................................................................................. 187 - 195 [LAC] Laguna Tuyajto ............................................................................... 197 - 205 [TUY] Salar de Aguas Calientes 3 ............................................................. 207 - 219 [AC3] Salar de Capur .................................................................................221 - 229 [CPR] Salar de Imilac ................................................................................ 231 - 241 [IMI] Salar de Punta Negra ...................................................................... 243 - 261 [PUN] Salar de Aguas Calientes 4 ............................................................. 263 - 273 [AC4] Laguna de la Azufrera .................................................................... 275 - 283 [LAZ] Salar de Pajonales ........................................................................... 285 - 295 [PAJ] Cada estudio de cuenca está presentado de manera independiente. Los estudios están organizados de la siguiente manera : 1. El texto que describe e interpreta la geoquímica de aguas de la cuenca, del salar o de la laguna 2. A continuación del texto siguen varios anexos: - el mapa de la cuenca con la ubicación de los puntos de muestreo. - la lista de los puntos de muestreo con las coordenadas UTM y el tipo de muestra. - el cuadro de análisis. - los diagramas circulares que representan graficamente la composición química de las aguas de aporte (en meq/l). - los diagramas de barras que muestran graficamente la calidad de las aguas de aporte en función de las normas de potabilidad y de riego. En caso de pocas muestras, los diagramas de barras están agrupados con los circulares. - el mapa geológico con las vías evolutivas de las aguas de aporte. Los métodos de representación y de interpretación están descritos detalladamente en la parte SINTESIS del estudio. El informe completo está disponible en CD-ROM. Advertencia: Las figuras de este trabajo que se refieren o relacionen con los límites y fronteras de Chile, no comprometen, en modo alguno, al Estado de Chile, de acuerdo con el Art. 2º letra g) del D.F.L. Nº 83, del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. SALAR DE ALCONCHA Introducción La cuenca del salar de Alconcha se encuentra en la Cordillera de los Andes al extremo norte de la II Región. Colinda al este con la cuenca de Michincha y al sur con la cuenca del río Loa. Aunque su hidrogeología ha sido investigada por empresas mineras, no se explota las napas de la cuenca. Sus principales características morfométricas y climatológicas son: - altura: 4250 m - superficie de la cuenca: 128 km2 - superficie del salar: 3,8 km2 - superficie de la laguna 0,5 - 1 km2 - precipitaciones: 200 mm/año - evaporación potencial: 1620 mm/año - temperatura media: 3,5°C El salar está parcialmente recubierto por una laguna salada poco profunda y de superficie variable. Varios manantiales surgen en las laderas. Sus aguas se infiltran alimentando las napas alrededor del salar. La orilla sur-oeste es un gran bofedal con vertientes fluyentes y difusas y numerosas pozas de evaporación. Es la unica alimentación visible de la laguna. Aguas de aporte Representamos en la figura 1 la composición química de todas las aguas, diluidas y saladas, de Michincha. Las varias aguas de aporte tienen una composición relativamente homogénea. Fig.1. Composición de las aguas de aporte y de las salmueras del salar de Alconcha. II - 1 [ALC] Hemos muestredo 6 aguas de vertiente (5 fluyentes y una difusa) y el agua termal de un pozo surgente (ALC-1). Las aguas de vertiente tienen una composición relativamente homogénea y son de tipo catiónico Na - Ca - Mg. Se ubican casi al centro del triangulo Na-Ca-Mg. Su tipo aniónico se extiende en un estrecho huso desde un polo SO4 (4) hasta un polo HCO3 (3), con una concentración porcentual de Cl baja y casi constante. Este contenido relativo en SO4 y HCO3 es el punto relevante que diferencia y caracteriza cada agua de vertiente. Por otra parte, las aguas de vertientes fluyentes son muy diluidas: desde 120 mg/l hasta 230 mg/l. El agua de la vertiente difusa es mucho más salada : 1165 mg/l, pero no se distingue de las aguas muy diluidas en lo que se refiere a sus concentraciones porcentuales. Esas aguas de vertientes se parecen mucho a las aguas de aporte del vecino salar de Michincha. El agua termal de la napa surgente (ALC-1) es distinta. Es de tipo Ca-Na / SO4, con muy poco magnesio. Notamos, al paso, que se observa la misma deficiencia en Mg en las aguas termales de la cuenca de Pintados. La figura 2 presenta las relaciones Na versus Cl y Ca versus SO4 para todas las aguas y salmueras. No se observa concentraciones equimolares entre Na y Cl, pero sí entre Ca y SO4. Fig.2. Relación entre Na - Cl y Ca - SO4 en las aguas del salar de Alconcha Podría ocurrir alguna disolución de sulfato de calcio (yeso) para las dos aguas de aporte más concentradas (7 y 10). Para las aguas más diluidas, a pesar de agruparse cerca de la recta de equimolaridad Ca = SO4, es poco probable un aporte sustencial de Ca y SO4 por disolución de yeso. Estas aguas son demasiado diluidas para ser aguas de lixiviación de sales. Es más probable que los componentes disueltos en las aguas de vertientes provengan de la alteración de rocas volcánicas con presencia de azufre o sulfuros. Al oxidarse, el azufre acidifica las aguas, reduciendo su contenido en bicarbonatos, sin modificar el contenido relativo de cloruros. Composición de la laguna La laguna principal del salar (6) es salada (100 g/l STD). En el bofedal circumdande, las pozas de evaporación (8 y 9) presentan soluciones menos concentradas : 3 - 15 g/l STD. Sus composiciones químicas, de tipo Na-Mg / SO4, son distintas de la composición de la laguna de tipo Na / Cl-SO4 (ver Fig.1). II - 2 [ALC] Vías evolutivas Todas las aguas de aporte evolucionan por evaporación hacia salmueras sulfatadas, sea por la vía neutra sulfatada (1, 5, 10) sea por la vía alcalina sulfatada (2, 3, 4, 7). Esta uniformidad refleja la similitud de los aportes. A pesar de su composición distinta, el agua de napa ALC-1 sigue también una vía sufatada. La vía sulfatada corresponde bien a aguas de terrenos volcanicos con azufre. La vía neutra sulfatada podría reflejar la presencia de rocas volcano-sedimentarias o un contenido más elevado de azufre en las rocas lixiviadas. Sin embargo, la baja salinidad de las vertientes caracteriza más los terrenos volcánicos o cristalinos que los sedimentarios. La geología de la cuenca es esencialmente volcánica con ocurrencias de azufre, en particular en el volcán Aucanquillcha (6100 m) al sur del salar. Se puede asumir entonces una buena correlación entre la litología de la cuenca y las vías evolutivas de las aguas. Evolución cuantitativa de aguas Veamos ahora la evolución cuantitativa de las aguas de aporte cuando se evaporan. La tabla 1 presenta la composición calculada de todas las aguas de aporte evaporadas por simulación computacional hasta la salinidad de la poza en bofedal (ALC-9) y también hasta la concentración de la salmuera de la laguna (ALC-6). Las soluciones reales estan muy sobresaturadas en calcita y la salmuera (6) en yeso. Por eso hemos recalculado la composición de estas soluciones una vez llevadas al equilibrio después de precipitar la calcita y el yeso Los valores de la columna "desviación" son los coeficientes del chi-cuadrado adaptado que miden el grado de semejanza entre las soluciones de aporte evaporadas (ALC-xxE) y la solución real equilibrada (ALC- xx.EQL). NUMERO PH ALC NA K LI CA MG CL SO4 B SI DESV. ALC-9.EQL
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