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Isotope distribution of dissolved carbonate species in southeastern coastal aquifers of Sicily (Italy)
Author(s) -
Schiavo M. A.,
Hauser S.,
Povinec P. P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.6498
Subject(s) - carbonate , submarine groundwater discharge , groundwater , aquifer , dissolved organic carbon , carbonate minerals , geology , isotopes of carbon , seawater , environmental chemistry , dissolution , carbonate rock , geochemistry , dolomite , total organic carbon , chemistry , sedimentary rock , oceanography , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Concentrations of major ions and the δ 13 C composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in groundwater and submarine groundwater discharges in the area between Siracusa and Ragusa provinces, southeastern Sicily, representing coastal carbonate aquifers, are presented and discussed. Most of groundwater analysed belongs to calcium bicarbonate type, in agreement with the geological nature of carbonate host rocks. Carbonate groundwater acquires, besides the dissolution of carbonate minerals, dissolved carbon (and the relative isotopic composition) from the atmosphere and from soil biological activity. In fact, δ 13 C values and total dissolved inorganic carbon contents show that both these sources contribute to carbon dissolved species in the waters studied. Finally, mixing with seawater in the second main factor of groundwater mineralization Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.