Offshore fresh groundwater reserves as a global phenomenon.

The flow of terrestrial groundwater to the sea is an important natural component of the hydrological cycle. This process, however, does not explain the large volumes of low-salinity groundwater that are found below continental shelves. There is mounting evidence for the global occurrence of offshore fresh and brackish groundwater reserves. The potential use of these non-renewable reserves as a freshwater resource provides a clear incentive for future research. But the scope for continental shelf hydrogeology is broader and we envisage that it can contribute to the advancement of other scientific disciplines, in particular sedimentology and marine geochemistry.

Simulation of the migration and transformation of petroleum pollutants in the soils of the Loess plateau: a case study in the Maling oil field of northwestern China.

We developed a coupled water-oil simulation model to simulate the migration and transformation of petroleum-derived contaminants in the soil of the Xifeng oil field. To do so, we used the HYDRUS-2D model, which simulates the diffusion, adsorption or desorption, and microbial degradation of petroleum-derived hydrocarbons in the soil-water system. The saturated soil hydraulic conductivity of petroleum-derived pollutants was 0.05 cm day(-1), which is about 1 to 2 % of the soil moisture permeability coefficient. Our numerical simulation results show that spilled crude oil was mainly concentrated in the surface horizons of the soil. The organic pollutant concentration tended to be highest nearest to the pollution source. The pollutant migration was generally concentrated within the top 20 to 30 cm of the soil, with the maximum concentration in the top 5 cm of the soil. With passing time, the pollutant accumulation increased and the adsorption and degradation functions reached a dynamic balance with the input rate at depths greater than 30 cm below the soil surface. The oil-derived pollutants totaled 50 to 100 mg kg(-1) under the dynamic balance condition, which occurred after 20 to 30 years. The petroleum-derived pollutant concentration in the loess soil was inversely correlated with the horizontal distance from the oil well, and the concentration decreased greatly at a distance greater than 40 m from the well.

Ecohydrological factors affecting nitrate concentrations in a phreatic desert aquifer in northwestern China.

Aerobic conditions in desert aquifers commonly allow high nitrate (NO3-) concentrations in recharge to persist for long periods of time, an important consideration for N-cycling and water quality. In this study, stable isotopes of NO3- (delta15N(NO3) and delta18O(NO3)) were used to trace NO3- cycling processes which affect concentrations in groundwater and unsaturated zone moisture in the arid Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China. Most groundwater NO3- appears to be depleted relative to Cl- in rainfall concentrated by evapotranspiration, indicating net N losses. Unsaturated zone NO3- is generally higher than groundwater NO3- in terms of both concentration (up to 15 476 microM, corresponding to 3.6 mg NO3(-)-N per kg sediment) and ratios with Cl-. Isotopic data indicate that the NO3- derives primarily from nitrification, with a minor direct contribution of atmospheric NO3- inferred for some samples, particularly in the unsaturated zone. Localized denitrification in the saturated zone is suggested by isotopic and geochemical indicators in some areas. Anthropogenic inputs appear to be minimal, and variability is attributed to environmental factors. In comparison to other arid regions, the sparseness of vegetation in the study area appears to play an important role in moderating unsaturated zone NO3- accumulation by allowing solute flushing and deterring extensive N2 fixation.

Redox patterns and trace-element behavior in the East Midlands Triassic Sandstone Aquifer, U.K.

Redox conditions exercise important controls on water chemistry in the red-bed Sherwood Sandstone Aquifer of the English East Midlands. A distinct redox boundary exists some 3 to 5 km downgradient of the onset of confined conditions, defined by a 300 mV drop in Eh and complete reaction of dissolved oxygen. The aerobic aquifer contains polluted water with high nitrate concentrations and organic carbon significantly above background concentrations (> 0.2 mg/L). Concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Mo are highest in reducing ground water. As, Sb, Se, and U show a residence-time-dependent increase in aerobic ground water, but are much lower under reducing conditions. Iron oxides are believed to play a key role in determining the spatial patterns in many of these trace elements as a result of Eh- and pH-controlled sorption/desorption reactions, as well as some reductive dissolution in the confined aquifer. Fresh ground water persists in the confined aquifer to approximately 30 km downgradient of the redox boundary. However, SO4 concentrations increase progressively along the flowline as a result of the dissolution of gypsum or anhydrite. Concentrations of available organic carbon are low in ground water (1 mg/L or less) and are also likely to be limited in the sediments; conditions are insufficiently reducing for significant sulphate reduction to have taken place. Only in the extreme down-gradient (eastern) part of the aquifer do conditions become sufficiently reducing with some evidence of sulphate reduction. In this part of the aquifer, ground water is more saline (TDS values up to 10 g/L) and is believed to be composed substantially of older formation water. This has distinctive concentrations of several redox-influenced trace elements, with relatively high Fe, Mn, As, and Sb, occasional high Cr, and low Mo relative to the confined fresh ground water upgradient.