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An assessment of karstic submarine groundwater and associated nutrient discharge to a Mediterranean coastal area (Balearic Islands, Spain) using radium isotopes

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Abstract

Short and long-lived radium isotopes (223Ra, 224Ra, 226Ra, 228Ra) were used to quantify submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and its associated input of inorganic nitrogen (NO3 −), phosphorus (PO4 3−) and silica (SiO4 4−) into the karstic Alcalfar Cove, a coastal region of Minorca Island (Western Mediterranean Sea). Cove water, seawater and groundwater (wells and karstic springs) samples were collected in May 2005 and February 2006 for radium isotopes and in November 2007 for dissolved inorganic nutrients. Salinity profiles in cove waters suggested that SGD is derived from shallow brackish springs that formed a buoyant surface fresh layer of only 0.3 m depth. A binary mixing model that considers the distribution of radium activities was used to determine the cove water composition. Results showed that cove waters contained 20% brackish groundwater; of which 6% was recirculated seawater and 14% corresponded to freshwater discharge. Using a radium-derived residence time of 2.4 days, a total SGD flux of 150,000 m3 year−1 was calculated, consisting of 45,000 m3 year−1 recirculated seawater and 105,000 m3 year−1 fresh groundwater. Fresh SGD fluxes of NO3 −, SiO4 4− and PO4 3− were estimated to be on the order of 18,000, 1,140 and 4 μmol m−2 day−1, respectively, and presumably sustain the high phytoplankton biomass observed in the cove during summer. The total amount of NO3 − and SiO4 4− supplied by SGD was higher than the measured inventories in the cove, while the reverse was true for PO4 3−. These discrepancies are likely due to non-conservative biogeochemical processes that occur within the subterranean estuary and Alcalfar Cove waters.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge F. Garcia-Olives, C. Hanfland, C. Sintes-Gomila, P. Monjo, and D. Sintes (Aigües de Sant Lluís) for their help and assistance during field work. The authors specially thank the Laboratori de Radioactivitat Ambiental staff for expert and fun collaboration. We also want to acknowledge R. Ventosa for her assistance with nutrient analyses. The authors are indebted to Claudia Benitez-Nelson for her valuable suggestions and her help in improving the manuscript. This project has been partially supported by the Institut Menorquí d’Estudis (IME) and the Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació of the Generalitat de Catalunya (PICS program no. 2434). Support from the Spanish Government and the Fulbright Commission for a post-doctoral fellowship to J.G.-O. (ref 2007-0516) is gratefully acknowledged. Support for the research of PM was received through the prize “ICREA Academia”, funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Física, Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain

    E. Garcia-Solsona, J. Garcia-Orellana & P. Masqué

  2. School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5000, USA

    J. Garcia-Orellana

  3. Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar-CMIMA, CSIC, P. Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-43, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    E. Garcés

  4. CEREGE-Université Paul Cézanne Aix Marseille III, Europole de l’Arbois, BP 80, 13545, Aix en Provence, France

    O. Radakovitch & A. Mayer

  5. Institut Menorquí d’Estudis (IME-OBSAM), Camí des Castell 28, 07002, Mahon, Minorca, Spain

    S. Estradé

  6. Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA), Consell Superior d’Investigacions Cientifigues (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marques 21, 97190, Esporles, Majorca, Spain

    G. Basterretxea

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  1. E. Garcia-Solsona
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  2. J. Garcia-Orellana
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  3. P. Masqué
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  4. E. Garcés
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  5. O. Radakovitch
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  6. A. Mayer
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  7. S. Estradé
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  8. G. Basterretxea
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Correspondence to E. Garcia-Solsona.

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Garcia-Solsona, E., Garcia-Orellana, J., Masqué, P. et al. An assessment of karstic submarine groundwater and associated nutrient discharge to a Mediterranean coastal area (Balearic Islands, Spain) using radium isotopes. Biogeochemistry 97, 211–229 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9368-y

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