Publication Date:
2015-09-29
Description:
Publication date: September 2015 Source: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, Volume 4, Part B Author(s): Brioch Hemmings, Daren Gooddy, Fiona Whitaker, W. George Darling, Alia Jasim, Joachim Gottsmann Study region Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean. Study focus Analysis of δ 2 H and δ 18 O isotopes, and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) anthropogenic tracers in Montserrat groundwater provides insights into the age and provenance of the spring waters. New hydrological insights δ 2 H and δ 18 O analysis indicates uniform recharge elevations for groundwaters on Montserrat. CFC-11 and CFC-12 analysis reveals age differences between isotopically similar, high elevation springs and low elevation aquifer waters. Low CFC concentrations within a confined low elevation aquifer suggest water ages of ∼45 years. High CFC concentrations in the northern and western springs are explained by rapid infiltration of cool (high CFC concentration) rainfall into saturated compartments, with flow through the vadose zone to the phreatic zone dominated by compartment flow. Lower CFC concentrations in a number of aligned warmer springs suggest a contribution from older, warmer waters from depth. Temperatures and CFC concentrations indicate older component supply rates of up to 8 L/s to the highest yielding spring on Centre Hills, with contributions of up to 75% in the warmest spring waters.
Print ISSN:
2214-5818
Topics:
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying
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Geography
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Geosciences
