Abstract
Determination and collection of major ion chemistry for Victorian groundwater was initiated by the Geological Survey in about 1855. The Survey collection is the major source of groundwater information, although in the last two decades water authorities and industry bodies have gathered large amounts of information. The data set compiled for examination of the occurrence of the bicarbonate ion is a synthesis of data from mainly government sources and represents samples mainly from farm bores, government investigation holes and petroleum exploration drilling. Overall bicarbonate is the second most abundant anion in Victorian groundwater with a salinity above 300 mg/L Total Dissolved Salts (TDS). A concentration of 800 mg/L bicarbonate was selected to define the class of high bicarbonate alkalinity groundwater. The occurrence of high bicarbonate groundwater in Victoria has been examined in relation to hydrogeological setting. The chemical evolution to a high bicarbonate groundwater type is observed in a number of different geological systems. Different facies may be identified based on the pH and the predominance of anions and cations including iron. Within each aquifer type, high bicarbonate groundwater can occur within the flow system: in mixing and flushing zones, in hypersaline environments, and spectacularly associated with waste disposal plumes. Geological associations include: fluviatile and alluvial aquifers, extensive aquifers of the coastal sedimentary basins, and the low flow fissure networks in bedrock of the gently undulating ranges of Central Victoria. In the sedimentary coastal basins a common association is with aquifers containing accessory concentrations of carbonate, carbonaceous matter and pyrite. The facies in these aquifers can develop over a short distance and may occur in strata enveloped within other strata containing significantly different water quality. In Central Victoria, Lower Palaeozoic rocks frequently exhibit an association between the occurrence of high bicarbonate groundwater and labile interbedded, lithic and arkosic sandstones with pyritic carbonaceous shales that exhibit deep kaolinised weathering profiles. In deep bedrock mining activities of nineteenth century in Central Victoria dewatering of large volumes of the rock mass took place. Gradually this resulted in a freshening of the groundwater extracted and suggested a localized increase in flow and recharge to the bedrock. A century later and more than 70 years after the dewatering operations stopped, mineral exploration bores encountered groundwater on the same gold fields with increased sulphate and bicarbonate concentrations. The high bicarbonate concentrations had been re-established as a consequence of reaction with sulphide and carbonate minerals.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Appelo CAJ (1994) Cation and proton exchange, pH variations and carbonate reactions in a freshening aquifer. Water Resour Res 30(10):2793–2805
Blake R (1980) Geology and hydrogeology of the early Tertiary sediments of the Otway Basin. M.Sc. thesis, Latrobe University
Blake R (1989) The origin of the high sodium bicarbonate waters in the Otway Basin, Victoria, Australia. In: Miles DL (ed) Water-rock interaction. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 83–85
Chae G-T, Yun S-T, Kim K, Mayer B (2006) Hydrogeology of sodium—bicarbonate type bedrock groundwater in the Pocheon spa area, South Korea: water rock interaction and hydrologic mixing. J Hydrol 321:326–343
Champ DR, Gulens J, Jackson ER (1978) Oxidation reduction sequences in groundwater flow systems. Can J Earth Sci 16:12–23
Chebotarev II (1955) Metamorphism of natural waters in the crust of weathering. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta 8:22–48, 137–170, 198–211
Forbes CF, Showers JAF (1988) Mine dewatering and water disposal Bendigo goldfield. In: The third international mine water conference, Melbourne, Australia, Oct 1988, pp 415–424
Foster MD (1950) The origin of high sodium bicarbonate in the Atlantic Gulf Coastal Plain. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 27:205–214
Garrels RM, McKenzie FT (1967) Origin of the chemical composition of some springs and lakes. Am Chem Soc Adv Chem Ser 67:222–242
Johns MW (1968) Geochemistry of groundwater from upper Cretaceous—lower Tertiary sand aquifers in South Western Victoria, Australia. J Hydrol 6(4):337–531
Johns MW (1971) Geochemistry of groundwater in the Otway Basin of South Western in Victoria. In: Wopfner H, Douglas JG (eds) The Otway Basin of South Eastern Australia (Spec. Bull., geological surveys of South Australia and Victoria), pp 363–375
Maund J (1855) On the mineral waters of Victoria. Trans Proc Victorian Inst (Philosophical) 70–74 (referred to by Taylor 1894, Geol Surv Prog Rep 8:19)
Merrick NP, Ross JB, Williams RM (1986) Groundwater in the lower Namoi Valley, New South Wales. In: Proceedings of the international conference on groundwater systems under stress. Australian Water Resources Council Conference Series, vol 13, pp 461–471
Merz SK (2000) PAV determination for the Curlip Gravel and Jarrahmond formation aquifers. Report to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment
Newbery JC (1867) Mineral waters of Victoria. Trans R Soc Vict 8:278–283
Shugg A (1996) Hydrogeology of the Dandenong Ranges fractured rock aquifers and the comparison with similar aquifers in Victoria. National Centre for Groundwater Management, University of Technology Sydney, 850 p (M.Sc. thesis)
Shugg A (1998) Whey disposal Allansford Western Victoria. In: Weaver TR, Lawrence CR (eds) Proceedings of the IAH international groundwater conference. Groundwater: sustainable solutions, Melbourne, Australia, 8–13 Feb 1998, pp 563–568
Shugg A, Knight M (1994) Hydrogeology of the mineral springs of Central Victoria. In: Proceedings of the water down under conference, 21–25 Nov 1994. International Association of Hydrogeologists and the Institute of Engineers, Adelaide, Australia
Whitelaw HS, Baragwanath W (1923) The Daylesford Goldfield. Geological survey of Victoria. Bulletin 42
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Shugg, A. (2014). Occurrence of High Bicarbonate Groundwater in Victoria, Australia. In: Balderer, W., Porowski, A., Idris, H., LaMoreaux, J. (eds) Thermal and Mineral Waters. Environmental Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28824-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28824-1_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28823-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28824-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)