Abstract
Hormuz salt breaches the surface in 122 diapirs in southern Iran that source brines that generally degrade the groundwater quality in adjacent aquifers. The Karmustadj salt diapir (Larestan, Iran) is surrounded by one karstic and two alluvial aquifers. We use hydrochemical and hydrogeological measurements of brine springs and exploitation wells to investigate the impact of the Karmustadj salt diapir on water quality in its surrounding aquifers. Our study indicates that the Karmustadj salt diapir does not degrade the quality of the adjacent karstic aquifer because impermeable geological formations interrupt the potential hydraulic connectivity between them. By contrast, the diapir does significantly degrade water quality in part of the western alluvial aquifer and all of the eastern alluvial aquifer. Infiltration of surface brines draining from the diapir and discharge from perennial brine springs account for the high salinity of groundwater in the surrounding aquifers.
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Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by Fars Regional Water Authority and the Center of Excellency for Environmental Geohazards, Department of Earth Sciences, Shiraz University. Chris Talbot helped improve the English of the final version of this work.
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Nekouei, E., Zarei, M. & Raeisi, E. The influence of diapir brine on groundwater quality of surrounding aquifers, Larestan, Iran. Environ Earth Sci 75, 571 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5237-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5237-2