Hydrogeochemical and isotopic evidence of groundwater evolution and recharge in indus basin ladakh jandk india

Abstract

newline In arid and semi-arid climatic regions with less ambient temperature like upper Indus newlineriver basin (UIRB), Ladakh domestic and other recreational purposes largely depends newlineupon the amount of groundwater. The suitability of groundwater for drinking and newlineother purposes depends upon the water-aquifer matrix interaction, atmospheric and newlineanthropogenic inputs. The sustainable management of groundwater resources with newlineadequate understanding of the groundwater condition is therefore required. In the newlinepresent study water samples were collected from Precipitation (n = 110), groundwater newline(n = 167), stream water (n = 123), glacier melt (n = 84) and snowmelt (n = 56) for newlinehydrochemistry and stable water isotopic (and#948;18O and and#948;2H) analysis. To assess the newlinehydrogeochemistry of groundwater, to identify the sources of solute and sources of newlineheavy metals, potential recharge areas and sources of recharge and to understand the newlinegroundwater evolution in UIRB, Ladakh. The groundwater sampling sites in the newlinepresent study have been classified according to surface geology/geomorphology using newlinegeospatial techniques. Four major geological/geomorphological terrains were newlineidentified in the region: The Mesozoic-Cenozoic (comprised of Dras Volcanics, newlineLadakh Plutonic Complex, Shergol, Nidar and Zildat Ophiolitic Melange and Kargil newlineMolasse); recent alluvium (consist of river deposits and active floodplain deposits of newlinethe Indus, Suru, Shyok, Nubra and other tributary systems); older alluvium (the older newlinefloodplains, lacustrine deposits and interfluvial plains) and Piedmont deposits. The newlinestudy suggested that in MC terrain, most of the samples are Ca-Mg-HCO3 type while newlineas, rest are hybrid type however, in YA and OA 13% samples are Ca-Na-HCO3 to NaHCO3. The groundwater samples from other geomorphological units do not fall in any newlinedominate category/water type. Based on the lithological settings it was observed the newlinegroundwater samples from Dras volcanic and Ladakh batholiths are predominantly newlineExtended Abstract newlinexvii newlineCa-Mg-HCO3. However, in All..........