Abstract
Flow modeling and hydrogeochemical inversion calculations were performed on the aquifer systems of the Crato-Juazeiro Graben in the Araripe Sedimentary Basin of the Cariri Valley, Northeast Brazil, in order to assess aquifer interconnections through an aquitard of the Araripe Plateau. Steady state hydraulic head numeric calculations with the finite difference method used Modflow software with hydrologically based boundary conditions and a piezometric surface as initial condition. Hydrogeochemical inversion with PHREEQC was performed for two water samples representing typical initial and final waters along the flow path. Flow simulation shows that approximately 20% of all recharge water from the superior aquifer system passes through the Santana aquitard reaching the middle aquifer system. Quantification of mineral dissolution/precipitation processes, ion exchange and microbiological redox reactions taking place in the aquifer systems also indicates hydraulic interconnection of the superior and middle aquifer systems through the Santana aquitard.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank COGERH (Companhia de Gestão dos Recursos Hídricos do Estado do Ceará) and FUNCAP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Ceará) for logistic and financial support, CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Ministério da Educação—Brazil) for a fellowship of one of the authors (Machado) during postgraduate studies. We thank Dr. A. Donegan for a critical reading of the manuscript and Aquatic Geochemistry reviewers for suggestions for improving it.
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Machado, C.J.F., Santiago, M.M.F., Mendonça, L.A.R. et al. Hydrogeochemical and Flow Modeling of Aquitard Percolation in the Cariri Valley-Northeast Brazil. Aquat Geochem 13, 187–196 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-007-9015-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-007-9015-y