Hydrogeochemical and isotopic assessment of the origin of NO_(3)^(−)and N-NH_(3)contents in the aquifer located in a closed lacustrine volcano-sedimentary basin in the metropolitan area of Mexico City

To explain the presence and spatial distribution of NO_(3)^(−)and N-NH_(3)in the Aquifer of the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City(AMAMC),a hydrogeochemical and isotopic analysis using^(13)C DIC(as well as the stable isotopes^(18)O and^(2)H)in groundwater was conducted.This aquifer is located in an old closed lacustrine volcano-sedimentary basin;some wells hosted in the semi-confined zone contain high N-NH_(3)concentrations,while others present NO_(3)^(−)contents in the recharge zones(hosted in an oxidizing environment).In this study,a change in the isotopic signature(primarily in^(18)O and^(2)H)was observed from the recharge zones to the basin center in some of the wells with high NO_(3)^(−)concentrations,this behavior can be attributed to evaporation during the incorporation of recently infiltrated water.In addition,the results for^(13)C(along with ^(2) H)in wells with the highest N-NH_(3)concentrations exhibited an atypically broad range of values.Results indicated the occurrence of hydrogeochemical and/or biochemical processes in the aquifer(in an oxidizing or reducing environment),such as organic degradation,bacterial decomposition(primarily in the ancient Lake Texcoco and which acts as a natural sink for carbon,nitrogen,sulfur,and phosphorus),besides rock weathering and dissolution,which may be responsible for a very marked isotopic modification of the^(13)C(and,to a lesser extent,2 H).Methanotrophic bacterial activity and methanogenic activity may be related to N-NH_(3)removal processes by oxidation and residual water incorporation respectively,whereas the increase in the NO_(3)^(−)content in some wells is due to the recent contribution of poor-quality water due to contamination.

Power-law patterns in the Phanerozoic sedimentary records of carbon, oxygen, sulfur,and strontium isotopes

Power-law patterns appear in a variety of natural systems on the modern Earth;nevertheless,whether such behaviors appeared in the deep-time environment has rarely been studied. Isotopic records in sedimentary rocks, which are widely used to reconstruct the geological/geochemical conditions in paleoenvironments and the evolutionary trajectories of biogeochemical cycles, offer an opportunity to investigate power laws in ancient geological systems. In this study, I focus on the Phanerozoic sedimentary records of carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and strontium isotopes, which have well documented and extraordinarily comprehensive datasets. I perform statistical analyses on these datasets and show that the variations in the sedimentary records of the four isotopes exhibit power-law behaviors. The exponents of these power laws range between 2.2 and 2.9;this narrow interval indicates that the variations in carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and strontium isotopes likely belong to the same universality class, suggesting that these systematic power-law patterns are governed by universal, scale-free mechanisms. I then derive a general form for these power laws from a minimalistic model based on basic physical principles and geosystem-specific assumptions, which provides an interpretation for the power-law patterns from the perspective of thermodynamics. The fundamental mechanisms regulating such patterns might have been ubiquitous in paleoenvironments, implying that similar power-law behaviors may exist in the sedimentary records of other isotopes.

Origin of Paleofluids in Dabashan Foreland Thrust Belt:Geochemicai Evidence of ^(13)C,^(18)O and ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr in Veins and Host Rocks

In the last ten years, with important discoveries from oil and gas exploration in the Dabashan foreland depression belt in the borderland between Shanxi and Sichuan provinces, the relationship between the formation and evolution of, and hydrocarbon accumulation in, this foreland thrust belt from the viewpoint of basin and oil and gas exploration has been studied. At the same time, there has been little research on the origin of fluids within the belt. Based on geochemical system analysis including Z values denoting salinity and research on δ13C, δ18O and S7Sr/S6Sr isotopes in the host rocks and veins, the origin of paleofluids in the foreland thrust belt is considered. There are four principal kinds of paleofluid, including deep mantle-derived, sedimentary, mixed and meteoric. For the deep mantle-derived fluid, the δ13C is generally less than -5.0‰PDB, δ18O less than -10.0‰PDB, Z value less than 110 and 87Sr/86Sr less than 0.70600; the sedimentary fluid is mainly marine carbonate- derived, with the δ13C generally more than -2.0‰PDB, 18δO less than -10.0‰PDB, Z value more than 120 and STSr/S6Sr ranging from 0.70800 to 0.71000; the mixed fluid consists mainly of marine carbonate fluid （including possibly a little mantle-derived fluid or meteoric water）, with the j13C generally ranging from -2.0‰ to -8.0‰PDB, δ18O from -10.0‰ to -18.0‰ PDB, Z value from 105 to 120 and 87Sr/86Sr from 0.70800 to 0.71000; the atmospheric fluid consists mainly of meteoric water, with the δ13C generally ranging from 0.0‰ to -10.0‰PDB, δ18O less than -8.0%rPDB, Z value less than 110 and 87Sr/86Sr more than 0.71000. The Chengkou fault belt encompasses the most complex origins, including all four types of paleofluid; the Zhenba and Pingba fault belts and stable areas contain a simple paleofluid mainly of sedimentary type; the Jimingsi fault belt contains mainly sedimentary and mixed fluids, both consisting of sedimentary fluid and meteoric water. Jurassic rocks of the foreland depression belt contain mainly meteoric fluid.

Use of δ^(18)O, δ^(13)C and NO_(3)^(-) to identify hydrogeochemical processes related to contamination in an aquifer located in central Mexico

In this work,an isotopic analysis of δ^(18)O,δ^(13)C,and NO_(3)^(-) concentrations was carried out to identify the origin and the processes related to the contamination of an aquifer located in the state of Guanajuato,Mexico.The research identified the possible sources of δ^(13)C in groundwater.During groundwater flow,CO_(2) participates in different hydrogeochemical reactions in which the dissolution of carbonates or biochemical processes related to biodegradation stand out.Isotopic data of δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O,and the hydrogeochemical behavior of NO_(3)^(-) and HCO_(3)^(-) in water,in addition to isotopic data and the chemical composition of limestones in the study area,were determined to establish the isotopic signature and the processes undergone by the rocks.The isotopic signature of rock and water samples indicated that metamorphic limestones contributed with carbon dioxide to deep groundwater,while in the upper aquifer,bacterial metabolic reactions during nitrification–denitrification could modify the isotopic signature of δ^(13)C in some wells,although atmospheric contribution also plays a role.The modification of the carbon isotopic component is related to the precipitation of calcite in specific regions of the study area,input of atmospheric CO_(2),and soil(e.g.the possible participation of C4-type plants in the assimilation-release of carbon).This process is not confirmed or completely ruled out in this study since agriculture is excessively developed throughout the region.The joint interpretation of isotopic values and the hydrogeochemical behavior of major and conservative elements help in identifying possible pollution processes in which different carbon sources are related.