See more from this Division: Topical Sessions
See more from this Session: Isotopic Tracers in Deep Groundwater Basins
Abstract:
Bromine stable isotopes in conjunction with the available geochemical and isotopic data were used to examine the three formation models; the seawater flooding model, the evaporative-pumping model and the brine-ascending model in order to determine the origin of the solutes of the sabkha and investigate the solute transport mechanisms.
In this study waters from the sabkha and potential end members (seawater, fresh water, tertiary brines) were analyzed for bromine stable isotopes. The δ81Br values ranged over 2 and showed that the different waters are isotopically distinct. The isotopic results obtained from the sabkha brines suggested that the solutes mainly originate from the continental brines ascending from the deep underlying Tertiary carbonate formations. The results also favor the ascending-brine mechanism over the classical processes (seawater flooding and evaporative-pumping).
The evaluation of these processes is an important issue not only to understand the origin of the solutes and the formation model; but also to study some of the proposed processes used in explaining the loss of major ions.
See more from this Division: Topical Sessions
See more from this Session: Isotopic Tracers in Deep Groundwater Basins