Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T11:53:12.394Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

13C Variation in Limestone On An Aquifer-Wide Scale and Its Effects On Groundwater 14C Dating Models

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

A B Muller
Affiliation:
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Paris, France
A L Mayo
Affiliation:
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In modeling the initial 14C activity of ground waters, the δ13C of marine limestone is taken conventionally to vary little about 0‰ PDB. This variation was found to be 6.28‰ in samples taken over intervals from 10-2 to 105m in the Mooney Falls Member of the Redwall Limestone in northern Arizona. Such a variation will cause appreciable variability in the results of all four initial activity models tested. The variability, due primarily to a numerical instability in the models dependent on this parameter, can introduce significant uncertainty into groundwater “age” calculations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

Craig, H, 1953, The geochemistry of stable carbon isotopes: Geochim et Cosmochim Acta, v 3, p 5392.Google Scholar
Craig, H, 1957, Isotopic standards for carbon and oxygen and correction factors for mass-spectrometric analysis of carbon dioxide: Geochim et Cosmochim Acta, v 12, p 113149.Google Scholar
Evans, GV, Florkowski, T, Fontes, J-Ch, Fritz, P, Fröhlich, K, Ivanovick, M, Loosli, HH, Mather, J, Moser, H, Muller, AB, Neretnieks, I, Przewlocki, K and Schwarcz, HP, 1983, Isotope techniques in the hydrogeological assessment of potential sites for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes: Tech rept ser no. 228, Vienna, IAEA, 151 p.Google Scholar
Fontes, J-Ch, 1983, Dating of groundwater, in Guidebook on nuclear techniques in hydrology: Tech rept ser no. 91, Vienna, IAEA, p 285317.Google Scholar
Fontes, J-Ch and Garnier, JM, 1979, Determination of the initial 14C activity of the total dissolved carbon: A review of the existing models and a new approach: Water Resources Research, v 15, no. 2, p 399413.Google Scholar
Gilbert, GK, 1875, Resumé and field notes: US Pacific RR Explor, Geol rept, v 3, pt 4, p 121164.Google Scholar
Gonfiantini, R, 1972, Notes on isotope hydrology, internal publication: Vienna, IAEA.Google Scholar
Harned, HS and Davis, R Jr, 1943, The ionization constant of carbonic acid in water and the solubility of carbon dioxide in water and aqueous salt solutions from 0 to 50°C: Jour Am Chem Soc, v 54, p 20302037.Google Scholar
Harned, HS and Scholes, SR, 1941, The ionization constant of HCO3 - from 0 to 50°C: Jour Am Chem Soc, v 63, p 17061709.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingerson, E and Pearson, F J Jr, 1964, Estimation of age and rate of motion of groundwater by the 14C method, in Recent advances in the field of hydrosphere, atmosphere and nuclear geochemistry: Tokyo, Maruzen Co, p 263283.Google Scholar
Marcou, J, 1856, Resumé and field notes: US Pacific RR Explor, Geol rept, v 3, pt 4, p 121164.Google Scholar
McKee, ED and Gutschick, RC, 1969, History of the Redwall Limestone of Northern Arizona: Geol Soc America Mem, v 114, 726 p.Google Scholar
Mook, WG, 1976, The dissolution-exchange model for dating groundwater with 14C, in Interpretation of environment isotope and hydrochemical data in groundwater hydrology, Proc: Vienna, IAEA, p 213225.Google Scholar
Mook, WG, 1980, Carbon-14 in hydrogeological studies, in Fritz, P and Fontes, J-Ch, eds, Handbook of environmental isotope geochemistry, vol 1, The terrestrial environment, A: Amsterdam, Elsevier, p 4974.Google Scholar
Mook, WG, Bommerson, JC and Staverman, WH, 1974, Carbon isotope fractionation between dissolved bicarbonate and gaseous dioxides: Earth Planetary Sci Letters, v 22, p 169176.Google Scholar
Muller, AB (ms) 1977, Essai d'application des variations de teneur en radiocarbons dessous à l'étude des aquifères libres: Dissert, Univ Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Paris, 160 p.Google Scholar
Pearson, FJ Jr and Hanshaw, BB, 1970, Sources of dissolved carbonate species in groundwater and their effects on carbon-14 dating, in Isotope Hydrology 1970, Proc: Vienna, IAEA, p 271286.Google Scholar
Tamers, M, 1967, Radiocarbon ages of groundwater in an arid zone unconfined aquifer, in Isotope techniques in the hydrologic cycle: Geophys mono no. 11, Washington, DC, Am Geophys Union, p 143152.Google Scholar
Vogel, JC, Grootes, PM, and Mook, WG, 1970, Isotopic fractionation between gaseous and dissolved carbon dioxide: Zeitschr Phys, v 230, p 225238.Google Scholar
Wigley, TML, Plummer, LN and Pearson, FJ Jr, 1978, Mass transfer and carbon isotope evolution in natural water systems: Geochim et Cosmochim Acta, v 42, p 11171139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar