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Isometric log ratio (ILR) diagrams (Engle and Rowan, 2012) illustrating halite dissolution in southern Mesilla Valley groundwaters. Northern Mesilla Valley groundwaters are less influenced by halite than southern Mesilla Valley groundwaters, shown by lower ILR balance values on the X-axis.
Source publication
A significantly elevated groundwater salinity zone was identified in the southern part of the Mesilla Valley. This investigation characterized the occurrence, spatial extent, and source of the plume of elevated groundwater salinity using a wide range of geochemical and geophysical data and methods.
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... the precipitation of calcite. Saturation indices presented later in the paper, support the common ion effect. The saturation indices calculated for most groundwaters throughout the Mesilla Valley are oversaturated with respect to calcite (Table 2) and undersaturated with gypsum.An ILR plot of the molar compositions of Ca 2+ , Cl -, Na + , and Br (Fig. 4) shows similar results as Figure 3. Southern Mesilla Valley groundwaters are enriched in Na + and Cl -relative to Br shown by a positive ILR balance on the X-axis (Fig. 4). Substantial enrichments in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br indicate contribution from halite dissolution (Engle and Rowan, 2012; Figure 4.). Northern Mesilla Valley ...
Context 2
... the Mesilla Valley are oversaturated with respect to calcite (Table 2) and undersaturated with gypsum.An ILR plot of the molar compositions of Ca 2+ , Cl -, Na + , and Br (Fig. 4) shows similar results as Figure 3. Southern Mesilla Valley groundwaters are enriched in Na + and Cl -relative to Br shown by a positive ILR balance on the X-axis (Fig. 4). Substantial enrichments in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br indicate contribution from halite dissolution (Engle and Rowan, 2012; Figure 4.). Northern Mesilla Valley waters are less enriched in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br in comparison to southern wells, indicating less influence from evaporite mineral dissolution (Fig. 4). As noted ...
Context 3
... Mesilla Valley groundwaters are enriched in Na + and Cl -relative to Br shown by a positive ILR balance on the X-axis (Fig. 4). Substantial enrichments in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br indicate contribution from halite dissolution (Engle and Rowan, 2012; Figure 4.). Northern Mesilla Valley waters are less enriched in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br in comparison to southern wells, indicating less influence from evaporite mineral dissolution (Fig. 4). ...
Context 4
... balance on the X-axis (Fig. 4). Substantial enrichments in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br indicate contribution from halite dissolution (Engle and Rowan, 2012; Figure 4.). Northern Mesilla Valley waters are less enriched in Na + and Cl -in relation to Br in comparison to southern wells, indicating less influence from evaporite mineral dissolution (Fig. 4). As noted by Davis and others (1998), Br ions are too large to fit within the crystal lattice of halite; consequently, dissolution of halite will not contribute Br into solution ( Davis et al., 1998). anions in the Piper diagram are more ambiguous, although there appears to be a general shift from HCO3 -waters in the northern Mesilla ...
Similar publications
The Rio Grande/Río Bravo del Norte (hereinafter referred to as the “Rio Grande”) is the primary source of recharge to the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos aquifer system in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico and Texas. The Mesilla Basin aquifer system is the U.S. part of the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos aquifer system and is the primary source of water...
Citations
... Faults throughout the Basin may allow upward leakage of saline water from older Mesozoic units into the Santa Fe Group and downward or lateral leakage of fresher water from the Rio Grande valley fill into the Santa Fe Group [34,42]. Cross faults, not mapped in the Texas portion of the Basin, have been interpreted from geophysical investigations and may produce sharp divides between deep and shallow basin structures in addition to the upflow zones [43]. ...
... The Rio Grande has been shown to have experienced substantial increases in salinity as it flows from north to south, in particular at the terminuses of the rift basins [60][61][62][63][64][65][66]. In the Basin, salinity increases in the Rio Grande have been documented by numerous researchers, and the source of the salinity has been the subject of multiple works [5,6,13,42,59,63,64,67]. Major salinity sources have been attributed to irrigation [68], evaporite mineral dissolution [67], and shallow evaporite brines [65,66]. ...
... This suggestion is supported by the presence of extensive fractures associated with fault zones and observed dissolution features in outcrops. Higher salinity in shallow groundwater and the Rio Grande near Paso del Norte is also reported to be caused by structurally forced upwelling of brackish and saline water from deep groundwater and by the upflow of geothermal water from shallow bedrock structures and bedrock boundaries [13,42]. Teeple (2017) reported lower resistivity at depth, indicating saline water upwelling though fractures in the bedrock [5]. ...
Synthesizing binational data to characterize shared water resources is critical to informing binational management. This work uses binational hydrogeology and water resource data in the Mesilla/Conejos-Médanos Basin (Basin) to describe the hydrologic conceptual model and identify potential research that could help inform sustainable management. The Basin aquifer is primarily composed of continuous basin-fill Santa Fe Group sediments, allowing for transboundary throughflow. Groundwater flow, however, may be partially or fully restricted by intrabasin uplifts and limited recharge. The shallow groundwater in the Rio Grande alluvium receives recharge from the Rio Grande and responds to changes in water supply and demand. About 11% of Rio Grande alluvial groundwater volume is recharged annually, an amount that is less than recent withdrawals. Potentially recoverable fresh to slightly brackish groundwater was estimated at 82,600 cubic hectometers in the U.S. portion of the Basin and 69,100 cubic hectometers in the Mexican portion. Alluvial groundwater geochemistry is governed by the evaporative concentration of the Rio Grande and agricultural diversions, whereas deeper groundwater geochemistry is governed by mixing and geochemical processes. Continued refinements to storage estimates, the water budget, and deep groundwater extent and geochemistry can improve estimates of sustainable use and inform alternative water sources.
