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Geostatistical analysis of hydrochemical variations and nitrate pollution causes of groundwater in an alluvial fan plain

  • Research Article - Hydrology
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Abstract

Geostatistics was used in a typical alluvial fan to reveal its applicability to spatial distribution analysis and controlling mechanisms of groundwater chemistry. Normal distribution test and optimal geostatistical interpolation models for various groundwater quality indicators were discussed in this study. The optimal variogram model of each indicator was determined using prediction error analysis. The influences of human activities and structural factors on the groundwater chemistry were also determined by variability intensity and the sill ratio. The results showed that nitrate content can be served as groundwater quality indicator, which was most sensitive to human activities. The nitrate concentration of both shallow and deep groundwater showed a decreasing trend from the northwest to the southeast. In addition, the spatial distribution of groundwater nitrate was associated with the land-use type and the lithological properties of aquifer. Rapid urbanization in the northwestern part intensified groundwater extraction and aggravated the pollutant input. The central area showed little increase in nitrate content in the shallow and deep groundwater, and the effect of lateral recharge from the upstream water on the deep groundwater in the central area was greater than that of the vertical recharge from shallow groundwater. The present study suggests that geostatistics is helpful for analyzing the spatial distribution and distinguishing the influences of anthropogenic and natural factors on groundwater chemistry.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019MS028; 2682019CX14), the National Basic Resources Survey Program of China (2017FY100405) and China Geological Survey (DD20160238).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Renewable Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China

    Shiyang Yin

  2. Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, China

    Yong Xiao & Qiuming Pei

  3. School of Geographic Science, Nantong University, Nantong, 226000, China

    Xiaomin Gu

  4. Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Science, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China

    Qichen Hao

  5. Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute, Beijing, 100048, China

    Honglu Liu, Zhongyong Hao & Xingyao Pan

  6. Beijing Daxing Water Resources Bureau, Beijing, 102600, China

    Geping Meng

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  1. Shiyang Yin
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  2. Yong Xiao
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  3. Xiaomin Gu
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Correspondence to Yong Xiao.

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Yin, S., Xiao, Y., Gu, X. et al. Geostatistical analysis of hydrochemical variations and nitrate pollution causes of groundwater in an alluvial fan plain. Acta Geophys. 67, 1191–1203 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-019-00302-5

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