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Allogenic water recharge of groundwater in the Erenhot wasteland of northern China

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Abstract

To establish the recharge source of groundwater in the Erenhot wasteland, samples were taken from local precipitation, pumping wells, artesian wells, springs, ponds, and soil profiles in 2015 and analyzed for hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes. Isotopic results indicate that spring water and soil water in the Erenhot wasteland are recharged by groundwater, which does not originate primarily from local precipitation. Based on isotopic signatures and geological evidences, it is hypothesized that deep circulation of surface water from the northern Tibetan Plateau is the primary source of groundwater within the study area.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51578212) and the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB417005). We gratefully acknowledge the funding from the China Scholarship Council. We also appreciate the assistance of the Erenhot Meteorological Department for collecting rainfall samples and providing meteorological data.

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Correspondence to Jiansheng Chen.

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Zhan, L., Chen, J., Xu, Y. et al. Allogenic water recharge of groundwater in the Erenhot wasteland of northern China. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 311, 2015–2028 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5175-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5175-4

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