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Comparison of 85 Kr and 3 H Apparent Ground‐Water Ages for Source Water Vulnerability in the Collyer River Catchment, Maine 1
Author(s) -
Sidle William C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2007.00129.x
Subject(s) - drainage basin , hydrology (agriculture) , groundwater , environmental science , isotope , wellhead , stable isotope ratio , geology , geography , physics , cartography , geotechnical engineering , quantum mechanics , petroleum engineering
Apparent ground‐water ages as determined by the noble gas isotope 85 Kr and the water isotope 3 H are compared. Refined gas extraction methodology at the wellhead permits efficient collection of Kr for 85 Kr isotope enrichment. 85 Kr isochrones elucidate areas of much younger ground‐water ages than 3 H. Declining 3 H activities in the catchment prevent its correlation with the youngest measured 85 Kr ages. Source water for most drinking water supplies in the Collyer River catchment is recharged within 40 years BP (2004). Mean‐age ( τ ) transport modeling suggests uncertainty of ground‐water ages is greatest in the central basin area.