Browsing by Author "Post, VEA"
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- ItemCarbon dynamics in a Late Quaternary-age coastal limestone aquifer system undergoing saltwater intrusion(Elsevier, 2017-12-31) Bryan, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Andersen, MS; Post, VEAThis study investigates the inorganic and organic aspects of the carbon cycle in groundwaters throughout the freshwater lens and transition zone of a carbonate island aquifer and identifies the transformation of carbon throughout the system. We determined 14C and 13C carbon isotope values for both DIC and DOC in groundwaters, and investigated the composition of DOC throughout the aquifer. In combination with hydrochemical and 3H measurements, the chemical evolution of groundwaters was then traced from the unsaturated zone to the deeper saline zone. The data revealed three distinct water types: Fresh (F), Transition zone 1 (T1) and Transition zone 2 (T2) groundwaters. The 3H values in F and T1 samples indicate that these groundwaters are mostly modern. 14CDOC values are higher than 14CDIC values and are well correlated with 3H values. F and T1 groundwater geochemistry is dominated by carbonate mineral recrystallisation reactions that add dead carbon to the groundwater. T2 groundwaters are deeper, saline and characterised by an absence of 3H, lower 14CDOC values and a different DOC composition, namely a higher proportion of Humic Substances relative to total DOC. The T2 groundwaters are suggested to result from either the slow circulation of water within the seawater wedge, or from old remnant seawater caused by past sea level highstands. While further investigations are required to identify the origin of the T2 groundwaters, this study has identified their occurrence and shown that they did not evolve along the same pathway as fresh groundwaters. This study has also shown that a combined approach using 14C and 13C carbon isotope values for both DIC and DOC and the composition of DOC, as well as hydrochemical and 3H measurements, can provide invaluable information regarding the transformation of carbon in a groundwater system and the evolution of fresh groundwater recharge. © 2017 Elsevier B.V
- ItemCarbon source and sink investigations in a Late Quaternary-age coastal limestone aquifer using radiocarbon of dissolved inorganic and organic carbon(National Centre for Groundwater Research And Training, 2017-07-11) Bryan, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Andersen, MS; Post, VEAThis study aims to investigate the inorganic and organic aspects of the carbon cycle in groundwaters throughout a freshwater lens and mixing zone of a carbonate island aquifer and identify the sources of carbon that dissolve in the groundwater. Groundwater samples were collected from shallow (5-20 m) groundwater wells on a carbonate island in Western Australia and analysed for inorganic ions, stable water isotopes (δ18O, δ2H), 3H, 14C and 13C carbon isotope values of DIC and DOC. The composition of groundwater DOC was investigated by Liquid Chromatography-Organic Carbon Detection (LC-OCD) analysis. The presence of 3H (0.12 to 1.35 TU) in most samples indicates that groundwaters on the island are modern, however the measured 14CDIC values (8.4 to 97.2 pmc) would suggest that the carbon in most samples is older due to carbonate dissolution and recrystallisation reactions. 14CDOC values (46.6 to 105.6 pMC) were higher than 14CDIC values and were well correlated with 3H values. Deeper, saline groundwaters were characterised by an absence of 3H, and lower 14CDOC values. The DOC composition of these groundwaters was found to be different to fresher groundwaters, with higher proportions of humic substances. The 3H free, saline waters are hypothesised to be old, remnant sea water resulting from a sea level highstand that occurred between ~4.5 and 4.3 ka ago. This study shows that a combined approach utilising both DIC and DOC tracers, as well as 3H, is required to identify the sources and evolution of carbon in groundwater, and the processes that effect the application of 14C dating to groundwaters. This is important for understanding the evolution of groundwater resources and is essential for residence time calculations.
- ItemFresh groundwater lens dynamics of a small bedrock island in the tropics, Northern Australia(Elsevier, 2021-04) Banks, EW; Post, VEA; Meredith, KT; Ellis, J; Cahill, K; Noorduijn, S; Batelaan, OFresh groundwater lens dynamics and transition zone geometries on small tropical islands have been investigated in a wide range of geological environments. However, the understanding of multi-aquifer fractured bedrock systems and how they respond to episodic wet season rainfall recharge is still limited. This study used a comprehensive suite of isotopic tracers, hydrogeological and near-surface geophysical methods to characterise the multi-layer aquifer system on Milingimbi, a small bedrock island located in the tropics of the Arafura Sea, Northern Australia. Near-surface geophysics was used to determine the subsurface structure of the aquifer, including the spatial extent and thickness of the fresh groundwater lens and the shape of the transition zone. Pore water chloride profiles, hydrochemistry, and δ18O and δ2H data supported the geophysics results. The lens was found to be 40 m thick on average, with an up to 70 m thick transition zone underneath. Water level time series data over 4 years showed that there was a strong tidal signal observed in the groundwater wells screened in the deeper aquifer and that the aquifer system showed a dynamic response to the wet season rainfall. Time series chloride and δ18O and δ2H rainfall and production bore data suggest that there was a freshening (i.e. lower salinity input) of the lens as a result of recharge during the wet season, which occurs up to 6 months after the event. Groundwater residence time indicators showed that the mean residence time in the lens was at least 25 years and the rate of recharge to the system was up to 200 mm y−1. The comprehensive data set, which is rather unique in its wide range of methods that were applied, resulted in a hydrogeological conceptual model of the multi-layer bedrock aquifer system of the island that also provides insight into the fresh groundwater lens and the transition zone geometry of similar island aquifer systems. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
- ItemHow water isotopes (18O, 2H, 3H) within an island freshwater lens respond to changes in rainfall(Elsevier, 2020-03-01) Bryan, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Andersen, MS; Post, VEA; Treble, PCCoastal aquifers provide an important source of water globally. Understanding how groundwater responds to changes in rainfall recharge is important for sustainable development. To this end, we investigate how water isotopes (18O, 2H, 3H) and chloride (Cl) concentrations within an island freshwater lens respond under varying rainfall conditions in a region experiencing climate change. Uniquely, this study presents a three year dataset of groundwater collected seasonally between May 2013 and August 2016 from ten wells. Variation in all tracers was observed. The Cl and tritium (3H) show opposing seasonal variation in some sections of the lens, with higher Cl observed in the austral summer when less rainfall occurs and evapotranspiration is highest. The opposite occurs in the austral winter months when 3H increases from atmospheric input via rainfall recharge, and Cl is diluted. An overall decline in 3H values and enrichment in stable water isotopes over the study period was also observed. This study shows that understanding groundwater of freshwater lenses should not rely on a single sampling campaign because seasonal variability is large. The identification of a dual recharge regime, with contributions from both winter rainfall and episodic events, has important implications for understanding the future fate of the freshwater lens on Rottnest Island. The finding that episodic rainfall is a major contributor to groundwater recharge is important and can only be assessed with a multi-year isotope dataset for groundwater and rainfall. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
- ItemHydrochemical assessment of a freshwater resource on Rottnest Island, Western Australia(National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, 2015-11-03) Wells, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Post, VEA; Andersen, MSThis project investigated the groundwater hydrochemical processes within an Island aquifer system on Rottnest Island, located ~18 km west of Perth, WA. A freshwater lens on the Island supplies around 25% of the Island’s potable water requirements, however there is limited information regarding the dynamics of the lens and its resilience to ongoing abstraction and reduced recharge. Understanding the hydrochemical processes and residence times of the groundwater is essential for making use of the system sustainable. Groundwater samples were collected quarterly from 12 production bores to obtain seasonal information and from 15 monitoring bores biannually to monitor the mixing zone. Rainfall samples were collected on a weekly basis. The chemical composition of water samples were analysed by ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, while and stable water isotopes (SWIs) were analysed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Tritium was analysed by liquid scintillation after being distilled and electrolytically enriched. hydrochemical analysis shows varied water types and suggests a mixing trend between a fresh and saline end-member. Samples range in composition from fresh Ca-Na-Mg-3-Cl to saline Na-Cl groundwaters with increasing electrical conductivity (EC). The mixing trend is also observed in the SWIs results, with the values becoming more enriched with increasing EC. Fresh water within the lens was found to be ‘young’ and recharged within the last 10 to 30 years. While the fresh groundwater beneath Rottnest Island was found to be recently recharged and is arguably a sustainable resource, the hydrochemical results highlight the importance of a long-term management strategy to ensure that the mixing zone below thefreshwater lens does not increase to a point where the freshwater source is no longer viable. The declining winter rainfall in the Perth region, resulting in reduced recharge to the lens, makes the management of this resource even more essential. ©The Authors.
- ItemIsland groundwater resources, impacts of abstraction and a drying climate: Rottnest Island, Western Australia(Elsevier, 2016-11) Bryan, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Post, VEA; Andersen, MSCoastal aquifers provide a source of water for more than one billion people, with island freshwater lenses being some of the most vulnerable coastal groundwater systems due to their susceptibility to saltwater intrusion. Basic hydrogeological and hydrochemical knowledge regarding the recharge and salinisation processes of freshwater lenses is important to ensure sustainable utilisation, especially considering possible climate change effects. This paper makes an assessment of the fate of a freshwater lens in a drying climate through a comparison of current and historic hydrochemical data, which to the author’s knowledge is unique to this study. Fresh groundwater stable isotope signatures (δ18O, δ2H) reflect local amount weighted rainfall signatures (δ18O: −3.8‰; δ2H: −15.1‰), and confirm rainfall as the origin of fresh groundwater (δ18O: −4.47 to −3.82‰; δ2H: −20.0 to −16.6‰). Mixing with seawater was identified through enriched groundwater δ18O and δ2H signatures (maximum values of −0.36‰ and −1.4‰ respectively) compared to local rainfall and higher salinity (maximum 29,267 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)) in a number of monitoring wells around the freshwater lens. Enhanced seawater intrusion detected in the northern section of the lens area was identified through significantly increased TDS values over the last 20–40 years, with increases of up to 3000% observed between 1990 and 2014. A reduction in the extent of freshwater by approximately 1 km2 was identified since 1977, which was found to be primarily caused by a reduction in recharge to the freshwater lens due to a ∼20% decline in winter rainfall in the south-west Western Australian region since the mid 1960s. Groundwater abstraction was found to equate to between 5% and 9% of the estimated recharge for the island, and is not a significant factor in the reduction of the lens extent compared to the observed decline in rainfall recharge. Interestingly, seawater intrusion into the fresh water lens was found to occur by older seawater (0.03–0.09 TU) in regions of the lens that were previously fresh or slightly brackish, while one sample (0.67 TU) suggests either modern seawater intrusion or mixing of older saline groundwaters (>60 years) with rainfall recharge. The use of tritium dating in this island aquifer was essential in identifying ‘older’ seawater that was previously unidentified until now. The isotopic and hydrochemical tools used in this paper quantify the effects of groundwater abstraction and climate variability on the freshwater lens and have implications for the sustainable management of the groundwater resource on Rottnest Island, and elsewhere. © 2016 Elsevier B.V
- ItemSeasonal change in the groundwater isotopic composition of a freshwater lens, Rottnest Island, Western Australia(University of New South Wales and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2015-07-09) Wells, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Andersen, MS; Post, VEANot provided to ANSTO Library.
- ItemUnderstanding the carbon cycle in a Late Quaternary-age limestone aquifer system using radiocarbon of dissolved inorganic and organic carbon(European Geosciences Union, 2017-04-26) Bryan, E; Meredith, KT; Baker, AA; Andersen, MS; Post, VEAEstimating groundwater residence time is critical for our understanding of hydrogeological systems, for groundwater resource assessments and for the sustainable management of groundwater resources. Due to its capacity to date groundwater up to 30 thousand years old, as well as the ubiquitous nature of dissolved carbon (as organic and inorganic forms) in groundwater, 14C is the most widely used radiogenic dating technique in regional aquifers. However, the geochemistry of carbon in groundwater systems includes interaction with the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, which results in multiple sources and sinks of carbon that vary in time and space. Identifying these sources of carbon and processes relating to its release or removal is important for understanding the evolution of the groundwater and essential for residence time calculations. This study investigates both the inorganic and organic facets of the carbon cycle in groundwaters throughout a freshwater lens and mixing zone of a carbonate island aquifer and identifies the sources of carbon that contribute to the groundwater system. Groundwater samples were collected from shallow (5-20 m) groundwater wells on a small carbonate Island in Western Australia in September 2014 and analysed for major and minor ions, stable water isotopes (SWIs: δ18O, δ2H), 3H, 14C and 13C carbon isotope values of both DIC and DOC, and 3H. The composition of groundwater DOC was investigated by Liquid Chromatography-Organic Carbon Detection (LC-OCD) analysis. The presence of 3H (0.12 to 1.35 TU) in most samples indicates that groundwaters on the Island are modern, however the measured 14CDIC values (8.4 to 97.2 pmc) suggest that most samples are significantly older due to carbonate dissolution and recrystallisation reactions that are identified and quantified in this work. 14CDOC values (46.6 to 105.6 pMC) were higher than 14CDIC values and were well correlated with 3H values, however deeper groundwaters had lower 14CDOC values than expected. LC-OCD chromatography of these groundwaters were found to contain higher concentrations of humic substances, that are most likely attributed to the presence of paleosol horizons at depth in the limestone, which are a common feature in aeolianite deposits along the Western coast of Australia and are related to Quaternary sea level change. The paleosols likely contribute old organic matter to the deeper groundwaters, which may explain the lower 14CDOC values. This study has shown that a combined approach that utilises both DIC and DOC tracers, as well as 3H, is required to identify the sources and evolution of carbon in a groundwater system, as well as the processes that effect the application of 14C dating to groundwaters within a carbonate aquifer. © 2017 Author(s). CC Attribution 3.0 License.
- ItemUse of U-isotopes in exploring groundwater flow and inter-aquifer leakage in the south-western margin of the Great Artesian Basin and Arckaringa Basin, central Australia(Elsevier, 2018-11) Priestley, SC; Payne, TE; Harrison, JJ; Post, VEA; Shand, P; Love, AJ; Wohling, DLThe distribution of uranium isotopes (238U and 234U) in groundwaters of the south-western margin of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), Australia, and underlying Arckaringa Basin were examined using groundwater samples and a sequential extraction of aquifer sediments. Rock weathering, the geochemical environment and α-recoil of daughter products control the 238U and 234U isotope distributions giving rise to large spatial variations. Generally, the shallowest aquifer (J aquifer) contains groundwater with higher 238U activity concentrations and 234U/238U activity ratios close to secular equilibrium. However, the source input of uranium is spatially variable as intermittent recharge from ephemeral rivers passes through rocks that have already undergone extensive weathering and contain low 238U activity concentrations. Other locations in the J aquifer that receive little or no recharge contain higher 238U activity concentrations because uranium from localised uranium-rich rocks have been leached into solution and the geochemical environment allows the uranium to be kept in solution. The geochemical conditions of the deeper aquifers generally result in lower 238U activity concentrations in the groundwater accompanied by higher 234U/238U activity ratios. The sequential extraction of aquifer sediments showed that α-recoil of 234U from the solid mineral phases into the groundwater, rather than dissolution of, or exchange with the groundwater accessible minerals in the aquifer, caused enrichment of groundwater 234U/238U activity ratios in the Boorthanna Formation. Decay of 238U in uranium-rich coatings on J aquifer sediments caused resistant phase 234U/238U activity ratio enrichment. The groundwater 234U/238U activity ratio is dependent on groundwater residence time or flow rate, depending on the flow path trajectory. Thus, uranium isotope variations confirmed earlier groundwater flow interpretations based on other tracers; however, spatial heterogeneity, and the lack of clear regional correlations, made it difficult to identify recharge and inter-aquifer leakage. Crown Copyright © 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd