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Relationships between geomorphological features and groundwater geochemistry in the upper and middle basin of Las Peñas stream, Pampean Mountains, Córdoba. Argentina

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Abstract

Las Peñas stream basin, located in the Pampean Mountains of Cordoba (Argentina), has specific groundwater features which are of great interest for the local socioeconomic activities. The objective of this work is to define the geomorphological characteristics of the basin and interpret their influence on hydrogeological processes, emphasizing hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemical aspects. Groundwater flow in the unconfined aquifer has developed in both sediments and fractured rocks. The groundwater is fresh with electrical conductivities between 586 µS/cm and 2000 µS/cm, although there are localized samples in the piedmont of brackish type (up to 3900 µS/cm). Sampled groundwaters are almost entirely of calcium and sodium bicarbonate geochemical type, with local occurrence of mixed type (sodium-calcium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate-sulfate) waters. Taking into account geomorphological and lithological features, both groundwater flow and hydrochemical aspects are linked with the main geomorphological environments: a relict paleosurface with a sedimentary cover, a rocky dissected paleosurface with filled valleys and the sedimentary piedmont. It was interpreted that groundwater geochemistry is mainly linked to input from precipitation and weathering of silicates. Dissolution of carbonates and cation exchange processes contribute to the observed groundwater chemistry especially in the relict paleosurface and piedmont.

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank the Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica (National University of Rio Cuarto), Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCYT Argentina—PICT 2015-0474) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) that supported this research.

Funding

The research was supported by Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica (Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto) and Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCYT Argentina - PICT 2015-0474).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geología, FCEFQyN, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta Nacional Nº 36, Km 601, X5804BYA, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    S. Pramparo, M. Blarasin, S. Degiovanni, F. Bécher Quinodóz, V. Lutri, C. Eric, D. Giacobone & A. Cabrera

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Río Cuarto, Argentina

    S. Pramparo, F. Bécher Quinodóz, V. Lutri & D. Giacobone

  3. School of Engineering, RMIT University, City of Melbourne, Australia

    M. Currell

Authors
  1. S. Pramparo
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  2. M. Blarasin
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  3. M. Currell
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  4. S. Degiovanni
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  5. F. Bécher Quinodóz
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  6. V. Lutri
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  7. C. Eric
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  8. D. Giacobone
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  9. A. Cabrera
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by SP, MB, SD, VL, CE, FBQ, DG and AC. The first draft of the manuscript was written by SP, MB and MC and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to S. Pramparo.

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Pramparo, S., Blarasin, M., Currell, M. et al. Relationships between geomorphological features and groundwater geochemistry in the upper and middle basin of Las Peñas stream, Pampean Mountains, Córdoba. Argentina. Environ Earth Sci 81, 339 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10456-z

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