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Numerical Simulation of Groundwater Flow Using Stable Isotopes of Oxygen and Hydrogen as Natural Tracers

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Groundwater as a Key for Adaptation to Changing Climate and Society

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Abstract

Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen have the potential to serve as tracers for both source and flow paths in a groundwater system. The ratios of stable isotopes of oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) can be used as natural tracer parameters to separate multiflow groundwater paths by applying a simple inversion analysis method to determine the differences between observed and calculated δ18O and δD data in a simple mixing model. The model presented here assumes that the distribution of natural tracers in the steady state is governed by simple mixing between flow paths with a normal distribution of flow rate. When the inversion analysis and simple mixing model were applied to the multiflow system of the Matsumoto Basin, which is surrounded by Japanese alpine ranges, the end-members of the relationship between observed δ18O and δD could be separated spatially into specific groundwater flow paths in the multiflow system of shallow and deep groundwater flow paths.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Kenji Uesugi, Yusuke Motodate, Isao Ohmiya, Hiroyuki Komiya, Harue Masuda, and Minoru Kusakabe for collaboration. This research was supported by a Grant-in-aid for Science Research, number 14550542, from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture. We thank Dr. M. Kusakabe and Ms. T. Nogi for their assistance with the isotope analysis, as well as the Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior, Okayama University, for the use of their isotope mass spectrometer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan

    Shinji Nakaya

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  1. Shinji Nakaya
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Correspondence to Shinji Nakaya .

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  1. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

    Makoto Taniguchi

  2. Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center (HyARC), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

    Tetsuya Hiyama

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Nakaya, S. (2014). Numerical Simulation of Groundwater Flow Using Stable Isotopes of Oxygen and Hydrogen as Natural Tracers. In: Taniguchi, M., Hiyama, T. (eds) Groundwater as a Key for Adaptation to Changing Climate and Society. Global Environmental Studies. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54968-0_6

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