Study on the Sources of Salinity of Groundwater in Holocene and Late Pleistocene Sediments Based on Hydrochemical and Isotopic Methods in Southern Laizhou Bay

Abstract

A survey of the hydrochemistry and isotopes of the Quaternary aquifer on the southern coast of Laizhou Bay provides new insights into the hydrodynamic and geochemical relationships between freshwater, seawater, and brine at different depths in coastal sediments. This study used a combination of groundwater level analysis, hydrochemistry, and isotopic methods to study the chemical characteristics of groundwater and the origin of groundwater recharge and salinity. Because the sedimentary structure of the area and the formation background of saltwater were important factors controlling the distribution of groundwater, we analyzed the distribution of groundwater in Holocene and Late Pleistocene sediments. The variation of groundwater levels in the Holocene and Late Pleistocene sediments in the saline–freshwater transition zone over time showed that the Holocene and Late Pleistocene groundwater flow directions differed in the saltwater–freshwater transition zone. From south to north in the study area, the hydrochemical types of groundwater in the Holocene and Late Pleistocene sediments were as follows: HCO3-Ca (freshwater), SO4-Mg and HCO3-Ca (brackish water), Cl-Na·Mg (saltwater), and Cl-Na (brine). The results of the hydrochemical and isotopic studies indicated that the saltwater in the Holocene and Late Pleistocene sediments and the brine in the Late Pleistocene sediments were the result of evaporation. The salinity of freshwater in the Holocene sediments was produced by rock weathering, while the salinity of freshwater in the Late Pleistocene sediments was not only derived from rock weathering, but was also affected by evaporation and precipitation. The salinity of brackish water in the Holocene and Late Pleistocene sediments was derived from evaporation and precipitation. Ultimately, the origin of groundwater recharge in the Holocene and Late Pleistocene sediments was atmospheric precipitation.