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Ra and Rn isotopes as natural tracers of submarine groundwater discharge in the patagonian coastal zone (Argentina): an initial assessment

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Abstract

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is herein recognized as a significant pathway of material transport from land to the coastal SW Atlantic Ocean and thus, it can be a relevant factor affecting the marine biogeochemical cycles in the region. This paper focuses on the initial measurements of 226Ra, 228Ra and 222Rn made in Patagonia’s coastal zone of Chubut and Santa Cruz provinces (42°S–48°S, Argentina). 226Ra activity ranged from 2.9 to 73.5 dpm 100 L−1, and 228Ra activity ranged from 11.9 to 311.0 dpm 100 L−1 in groundwater wells. The radium activities found in Patagonia’s marine coastal regions and adjacent shelf indicate significant enrichment throughout the coastal waters. Groundwater samples presented the largest 222Rn activity and ranged from 2.66 to 1083 dpm L−1. Conversely, in the coastal marine environment, the 222Rn activity ranged from 1.03 to 6.23 dpm L−1. The Patagonian coastal aquifer showed a larger enrichment in 228Ra than in 226Ra, which is a typical feature for sites where SGD is dominant, probably playing a significant role in the biogeochemistry of these coastal waters.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the staff of the Chemical Oceanography and Environmental Pollution Laboratory of CESIMAR - CONICET - CCT CENPAT (Argentina), and FURG’s Hydrochemistry Laboratory (Brazil) and CNPq (303672/2013-7). This study was funded by the Bilateral Cooperation Project between Argentina’s MINCyT and Brazil’s CAPES (Project BR/09/05) and also was partially supported by the Bilateral Cooperation Project between MINCyT-CAPES (Project BR/RED-1302). Authors are thankful for the constructive comments made by the anonymous reviewers of the manuscript and helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Oceanography and Water Pollution Laboratory, CESIMAR, CCT- CONICET- CENPAT, Boulevard Brown 2915, 9120, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Américo I. Torres & Mauricio Faleschini

  2. Department of Chemistry, Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil

    Carlos F. Andrade & Luis F. H. Niencheski

  3. Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Willard S. Moore

  4. Fundación Patagonia Natural, Marcos A. Zar 760, 9120, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    José L. Esteves

  5. Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 229-249, X5000WAA, Córdoba, Argentina

    Pedro J. Depetris

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  1. Américo I. Torres
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Correspondence to Américo I. Torres.

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This article is a part of Topical Collection in Environmental Earth Sciences on IV RAGSU—Advances in Geochemistry of the Surface in Argentina, edited by Dr. Americo Iadran Torres and Dr. Pablo Jose Bouza.

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Torres, A.I., Andrade, C.F., Moore, W.S. et al. Ra and Rn isotopes as natural tracers of submarine groundwater discharge in the patagonian coastal zone (Argentina): an initial assessment. Environ Earth Sci 77, 145 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7308-7

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