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Isotopic and hydrochemical evidence of groundwater recharge in the Hopq Desert, NW China

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Abstract

Artesian wells and lakes are found in the hinterland of the Hopq Desert, China. Analysis of soil profiles has revealed that the local vadose zone is always in a state of water deficit because of strong evaporation, and precipitation cannot infiltrate into the groundwater. This research indicated that soil water and surface water are recharged by groundwater and that the groundwater is recharged via an external source. Analyses of the stable isotopes in precipitation and of the water budget suggested that surface water in the Qiangtang Basin on the Tibetan Plateau might correspond to the groundwater in the Hopq Desert.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB417005), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51578212), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2014B17514, 2015B24614). The authors thank Tan Hongbing, Zhan Lucheng, and Huang Dewen for their support and considerate discussions. Special thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their critical reviews and supportive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, Jiangsu Province, China

    Jian Ge, Jiansheng Chen, Tao Wang & Yafei Chen

  2. School of Earth Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, Jiangsu Province, China

    Jiansheng Chen, Lu Ge & Chao Wang

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  1. Jian Ge
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  2. Jiansheng Chen
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Correspondence to Jiansheng Chen.

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Ge, J., Chen, J., Ge, L. et al. Isotopic and hydrochemical evidence of groundwater recharge in the Hopq Desert, NW China. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 310, 761–775 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4856-8

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