Submarine groundwater discharge and associated nutrient fluxes in the Greater Bay Area, China revealed by radium and stable isotopes

The estuary-bay system is a common and complex coastal environment.However,quantifying submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)and associated nutrient fluxes in the complex coastal environment is challenging due to more dynamic and complicated riverine discharge,ocean processes and human activities.In this study,SGD and SFGD(submarine fresh groundwater discharge)fluxes were evaluated by combining stable and radium isotopes in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(GBA),a typical estuary-bay system.We first built a spatially distributed radium mass balance model to quantify SGD fluxes in coastal areas of GBA integrating the Pearl River Estuary(PRE),bays and shelf.We then used the stable water isotope(d2 H and d18O)end-member mixing model to distinguish submarine fresh groundwater discharge(SFGD)from SGD.Based on the 228Ra mass balance,the estimated SGD fluxes in the PRE,adjacent bay,and shelf areas were(6.14±2.74)×10^(8) m^(3) d^(-1),(3.00±1.11)×10^(7) m^(3) d^(-1),and(5.00±5.64)×10^(8) m^(3) d^(-1),respectively.Results showed that the largest area-averaged SGD was in the PRE,followed by that in the adjacent shelf and the bay.These differences may be mainly influenced by ocean forces,urbanization and benthic topographies controlling the variability of groundwater pathways.Further,the three end-member mixing model of ^(228)Ra and salinity was developed to confirm the validity of the estimated SGD using the Ra mass balance model.In the two models,groundwater endmember and water apparent age estimation were the main sources of uncertainty in SGD.The estimated SFGD flux was(1.39±0.76)108 m^(3) d^(-1),which accounted for approximately 12%of the total SGD.Combining stable and radium isotopes was a useful method to estimate groundwater discharge.Moreover,the estimated SGD associated dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)flux was one order of magnitude higher than other DIN sources.SGD was considered to be a significant contributor to the DIN loading to the GBA.The findings of this study are expected to provide valuable information on coastal groundwater management and environmental protection of the GBA and similar coastal areas elsewhere.

Advances in the study of submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)in China

Submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)is a critical land-ocean process in coastal areas and an essential component of the global hydrological cycle.Thus,hydrologists and oceanographers are paying more attention to SGD.SGD transports large amounts of materials into the ocean,including nutrients,carbon,and metals,and thus plays a vital role in the cycling of marine materials and affects the ecological environments of nearshore areas.This study examined the research status of SGD and its environmental effects in China,including a systematic analysis of radium activities and nutrient contents in groundwater,SGD rates,and the contribution of SGD to nutrients in various coastal ecosystems(bays,estuaries,continental shelves,and lagoons).The results showed the median concentrations of groundwater nutrients(dissolved inorganic nitrogen DIN,dissolved inorganic phosphorus DIP,and dissolved inorganic silicon DSi),SGD rates,and SGD-derived DIN and DIP in estuarine areas far exceeded those in the other three ecosystems studied.This result could be attributed to the complex hydrodynamic conditions of estuary areas as well as the considerable influence of human activities.Conversely,the lowest SGD rates and three inorganic nutrient species via SGD were observed in large scale continental shelves.SGD-derived nutrient fluxes were comparable to riverine inputs along the entire coast of China,which significantly affected the nutrient budget,nutrient composition,and primary productivity of coastal waters.Finally,this review suggests further research of SGD in three aspects:(1)accurate assessment,(2)its environmental effects,and(3)its regulatory strategies.