New insights into the deposition of natural gas hydrate on pipeline surfaces:A molecular dynamics simulation study

Natural gas hydrate(NGH)can cause pipeline blockages during the transportation of oil and gas under high pressures and low temperatures.Reducing hydrate adhesion on pipelines is viewed as an efficient way to prevent NGH blockages.Previous studies suggested the water film can greatly increase hydrate adhesion in gas-dominant system.Herein,by performing the molecular dynamics simulations,we find in water-dominant system,the water film plays different roles in hydrate deposition on Fe and its corrosion surfaces.Specifically,due to the strong affinity of water on Fe surface,the deposited hydrate cannot convert the adsorbed water into hydrate,thus,a water film exists.As water affinities decrease(Fe>Fe_(2)O_(3)>FeO>Fe_(3)O_(4)),adsorbed water would convert to amorphous hydrate on Fe_(2)O_(3)and form the ordered hydrate on FeO and Fe_(3)O_(4)after hydrate deposition.While absorbed water film converts to amorphous or to hydrate,the adhesion strength of hydrate continuously increases(Fe<Fe_(2)O_(3)<FeO<Fe_(3)O_(4)).This is because the detachment of deposited hydrate prefers to occur at soft region of liquid layer,the process of which becomes harder as liquid layer vanishes.As a result,contrary to gas-dominant system,the water film plays the weakening roles on hydrate adhesion in water-dominant system.Overall,our results can help to better understand the hydrate deposition mechanisms on Fe and its corrosion surfaces and suggest hydrate deposition can be adjusted by changing water affinities on pipeline surfaces.

A comparison between high temperature catalytic and persulfate oxidation for the determination of total dissolved nitrogen in natural waters

Total dissolved nitrogen(TDN) is an important parameter for assessing the nutrient cycling and status of natural waters.The accurate determination of TDN in natural waters is essential for assessing its contents and distinguishing different forms of nitrogen in the water.The TDN in various systems has been largely documented,and the concentrations of TDN are usually obtained using high-temperature catalytic(HTC) or persulfate oxidation(PO).However,the accuracy of these methods and their suitability for all types of natural waters are still unclear.To explore both methods in-depth,assorted samples were tested,including eight solutions composed of nitrogen-containing compounds(3 dissolved inorganic nitrogen fractions:NO_(3)^(-),NO_(2)^(-)and NH_(4)^(+);5 organic compounds:EDTA-2Na,vitamin B1,vitamin B12,amino acids,and urea) and 105 natural waters which were collected from an open ocean(Northwest Pacific Ocean,28),a marginal sea(Yellow Sea,34),an estuary(Huanghe River mouth,31),rivers(Huanghe River,4;Licun River,4),and precipitations(4 samples).The results showed that heterocycles and molecular dimensions had certain effects on the oxidation efficiency of the PO method but had little effect on HTC.There was no significant difference between the two methods for natural waters,but HTC was more suitable for deep-sea samples with low TDN concentrations(less than 10 μmol/L) and low organic activity.Overall,HTC has a relatively simple measurement process,a high degree of automation,and low error.Therefore,HTC can be recommended to determine the TDN of samples in freshwater and seawater.

Ecological water demand of natural vegetation in the lower Tarim River

We have appraised the relationships between soil moisture, groundwater depth, and plant species diversity in the lower reaches of the Tarim River in western China, by analyzing field data from 25 monitoring wells across eight study sites and 25 permanent vegetation survey plots. It is noted that groundwater depth, soil moisture and plant species diversity are closely related. It has been proven that the critical phreatic water depth is five meters in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. We acquired the mean phreatic evaporation of different groundwater levels every month by averaging the two results of phreatic evaporation using the Qunk and Averyanov formulas. Based on different vegetation types and acreage with different groundwater depth, the total ecological water demand （EWD） of natural vegetation in 2005 was 2.4×10^8 m^3 in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. Analyzing the monthly EWD, we found that the EWD in the growth season （from April to September） is 81% of the year＇s total EWD. The EWD in May, June and July was 47% of the year＇s total EWD, which indicates the best time for dispensing artificial water. This research aims at realizing the sustainable development of water resources and provides a scientific basis for water resource management and sound collocation of the Tarim River Basin.

Changes in groundwater levels and the response of natural vegetation to transfer of water to the lower reaches of the Tarim River

Restoration and reconstruction of the degraded Tarim River ecosystem is an important challenge. A goal of an ecological water conveyance project is to protect and restore the natural vegetation in the lower reaches of Tadm River by transferring water from Bosten Lake, through the river channel, to the lower reaches. This study describes the changes in groundwater depth during the water transfer and the respondence of riparian vegetation to alterations in groundwater levels. The results indicate that groundwater depth along the Tarim River channel has a significant spatial-temporal component. Groundwater levels closest to the river channel show the most immediate and pronounced changes as a response to water transfer while those further away respond more slowly, although the observed change appears to be longer in duration. With a rise in the groundwater level, natural vegetation responded with higher growth rates, biomass and biodiversity. These favorable changes show that it is feasible to protect and restore the degraded natural vegetation by raising the groundwater depth. Plant communities are likely to reflect the hysteresis phenomenon, requiting higher water levels to initiate and stimulate desired growth than what may be needed to maintain the plant community. Because different species have different ecologies, including different root depths and densities and water needs, their response to increasing water availability will be spatially and temporally heterogenous. The response of vegetation is also influenced by microtopography and watering style. This paper discusses strategies for the protection and restoration of the degraded vegetation in the lower reaches of the Tarim River and provides information to complement ongoing theoretical research into ecological restoration in add or semi-arid ecosystems.

Adsorption of Pb, Cd to Fe, Mn oxides in natural freshwater surface coatings developed in different seasons

Metal oxides(Fe, Mn oxides) in natural surface coatings(biofilms and associated minerals) are believed to play a significant role in the fate and transport of trace metal in aquatic environments. Seasonal variation of Fe, Mn oxides and organic materials in surface coatings, which were developed periodically on glass slides in Nanhu Lake, Jilin Province, China over the time frame of three seasons, was investigated in order to understand the influence of metal oxides on Pb and Cd adsorption to heterogeneous surface coating materials(biofilm). Pb and Cd adsorption was measured under controlled laboratory conditions(mineral salts solution with defined speciation, ionic strength 0 05 mol/L, 25℃ and pH 6 0). The classical Langmuir adsorption isotherm was applied to estimate equilibrium coefficients of Pb and Cd adsorption to the surface coatings. In general, components in the surface coatings varied greatly with seasons altering and obtained higher concentrations in summer while the content of iron oxides always exceeded that of manganese oxides. Correlation analyses between the maximum adsorption of Pb and Cd and components in the surface coatings developed periodically indicated that Pb phase association with Mn oxides and Cd phase association with Fe oxides as well as Mn oxides were statistically significant. Effect of Mn oxides on Cd adsorption was confirmed in view of its higher content in the surface coatings. The importance of ferromanganese oxides for Pb and Cd adsorption to the natural surface coatings developed in different seasons was evidenced.

An Effective Method of UV-Oxidation of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Natural Waters for Radiocarbon Analysis by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

Radiocarbon(14C) measurement of dissolved organic carbon(DOC) is a very powerful tool to study the sources, transformation and cycling of carbon in the ocean. The technique, however, remains great challenges for complete and successful oxidation of sufficient DOC with low blanks for high precision carbon isotopic ratio analysis, largely due to the overwhelming proportion of salts and low DOC concentrations in the ocean. In this paper, we report an effective UV-Oxidation method for oxidizing DOC in natural waters for radiocarbon analysis by accelerator mass spectrometry(AMS). The UV-oxidation system and method show 95%± 4% oxidation efficiency and high reproducibility for DOC in both river and seawater samples. The blanks associated with the method was also low(about 3 μg C) that is critical for 14 C analysis. As a great advantage of the method, multiple water samples can be oxidized at the same time so it reduces the sample processing time substantially compared with other UV-oxidation method currently being used in other laboratories. We have used the system and method for 14 C studies of DOC in rivers, estuaries, and oceanic environments and have received promise results.

Thermochemical Sulfate Reduction in the Tazhong District,Tarim Basin,Northeast China:Evidence from Formation Water and Natural Gas Geochemistry

Systematic analyses of the formation water and natural gas geochemistry in the Central Uplift of the Tarim Basin （CUTB） show that gas invasion at the late stage is accompanied by an increase of the contents of HeS and CO2 in natural gas, by the forming of the high total dissolved solids formation water, by an increase of the content of HCO3^-, relative to Cl^-, by an increase of the 2nd family ions （Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, Sr^2＋ and Ba^2＋） and by a decrease of the content of SO4^2-, relative to Cl^-. The above phenomena can be explained only by way of thermochemicai sulfate reduction （TSR）. TSR often occurs in the transition zone of oil and water and is often described in the following reaction formula： ∑CH＋CaSO4＋H-2O→H2S＋CO2＋CaCO3. （1） Dissolved SO4^2- in the formation water is consumed in the above reaction, when HeS and CO2 are generated, resulting in a decrease of SO4^2- in the formation water and an increase of both HeS and CO2 in the natural gas. If formation water exists, the generated CO2 will go on reacting with the carbonate to form bicarbonate, which can be dissolved in the formation water, thus resulting in the enrichment of Ca^2＋ and HCO3^-. The above reaction can be described by the following equation： CO2＋HeO＋CaCO3→Ca^2＋＋2HCO3^-. The stratigraphic temperatures of the Cambrian and lower Ordovician in CUTB exceeded 120℃, which is the minimum for TSR to occur. At the same time, dolomitization, which might be a direct result of TSR, has been found in both the Cambrian and the lower Ordovician. The above evidence indicates that TSR is in an active reaction, providing a novel way to reevaluate the exploration potentials of natural gas in this district.

Experimental determination and prediction of the compressibility factor of high CO_2 content natural gas with and without water vapor

In order to study the effect of different CO2 contents on gas compressibility factor（Z-factor）,the JEFRI-PVT apparatus has been used to measure the Z-factor of dry natural gas with CO2 content range from 10.74 to 70.42 mol%at the temperature range from 301.2 to 407.3 K and pressure range from 7 to 44 MPa.The results show that Z-factor decreases with increasing CO2 content in natural gas at constant temperature and increases with increasing temperature for natural gas with the same CO2 content.In addition,the Z-factor of water-saturated natural gas with high CO2 content has been measured.A comparison of the Z-factor between natural gas with and without saturated water vapor indicates that the former shows a higher Z-factor than the latter.Furthermore,Peng-Robinson,Hall-Yarborough,and Soave-Benedict-Webb- Rubin equations of state（EoS）are used for the calculation of Z-factor of high CO2 content natural gas with and without water vapor.The optimal binary interaction parameters（BIP）for PR EoS are presented.The measured Z-factor is compared with the calculated Z-factor based on three models,which shows that PR EoS combined with van der Waals mixing rule for gas without water and Huron-Vidal mixing rule for water-saturated gas,are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Effects of natural mineral-rich water consumption on the expression of sirtuin 1 and angiogenic factors in the erectile tissue of rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome

Consuming a high-fructose diet induces metabolic syndrome （MS）-Iike features, including endothelial dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is an early manifestation of endothelial dysfunction and systemic vascular disease. Because mineral deficiency intensifies the deleterious effects of fructose consumption and mineral ingestion is protective against MS, we aimed to characterize the effects of 8weeks of natural mineral-rich water consumption on the structural organization and expression of vascular growth factors and receptors on the corpus cavernosum （CC） in 10% fructose-fed Sprague-Dawley rats （FRUCT）. Differences were not observed in the organization of the CC either on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） or the components of the angiopoietins/Tie2 system. However, opposing expression patterns were observed for VEGF receptors （an increase and a decrease for VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, respectively） in FRUCT animals, with these patterns being strengthened by mineral-rich water ingestion. Mineral-rich water ingestion （FRUCTMIN） increased the proportion of smooth muscle cells compared with FRUCT rats and induced an upregulatory tendency of sirtuin I expression compared with the control and FRUCT groups. Western blot results were consistent with the dual immunofluorescence evaluation. Plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein and plasma testosterone levels were similar among the experimental groups, although a tendency for an increase in the former was observed in the FRUCTMIN group. The mineral-rich water-treated rats presented changes similar to those observed in rats treated with MS-protective polyphenol-rich beverages or subjected to energy restriction, which led us to hypothesize that the effects of mineral-rich water consumption may be more vast than those directly observed in this study.

Investigation on the Natural Modes of A Semi-Closed Floating Tank

Vessels with semi-closed tanks(i.e.,well docks)are widely applied in the military operation and maritime engineer-ing.The water is bound by the semi-closed floating tank and forced by both the incident waves and ship’s motions.The free surface oscillations inside the flooded well dock is thus distinctive and very complicated.So far,the natural modes of semi-closed floating tanks have not yet been studied.This paper investigates the characteristics of natural modes of a floating semi-closed tank by combining a mode-resolving model based on mild-slope equations and a hydrodynamic model based on computational fluid dynamics.Results show that the first three natural periods(i.e.,74,23.6,and 14 s)of the tank fall into the band of swell and infragravity waves and they could be triggered under certain circumstance.Multi-period free surface oscillations are observed inside the tank,including the longest natural period(i.e.,74 s),though the incident waves are monochromatic.A possible generation mechanism for the long-period mode is explained on the basis of liquid sloshing and harbor oscillations.Moreover,a long-period component with a period close to the natural mode of well dock is observed in the ship motions,which is generated by the interaction between the waves and ship.

Determination of complexation capacity of trace metal-organic in natural water

The complexation capacity for heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb) were determined by anodic stripping voltammetry in South China Sea, Hulun Lake and Wuliang Suhai. The conditional stability constants and complexation capacity index were calculated. The data showed that the complexation capacity of the Hulun Lake was greater than that of seawater and Wuliang Suhai. The sequence of complexation capacity is C (CuL)> C (CdL)> C (PbL), the values are in concord with results of analysis on dissolved organic carbon. The conditional stability constants were in an opposite sequence: K (CuL)< K (CdL)< K (PbL). When log K are similar, the greater the complexation capacity, the greater the complexation capacity index.

Electrokinetic chemical characteristics of humic and dannic acids effecting on the natural water and its coagulation

Taking streaming current(SC)as the electrokinetic parameter,this paper demon- strated the electrokinetic chemical characteristics of humic and dannic acids(HA and DA)in sus- pensions including turbid water,coagulated water and HA or DA contained water.Accordingly, the studies were carried out for determining the relationship between streaming current and zeta po- tential ζ(expressed by eleetrophoretie mobility EM)in above water conditions.In addition,the mechanisms of HA effecting on streaming current within or after coagulant addition and the elec- trokinetic detection principles for HA or DA were also investigated on experiments and theoretical analysis.The results indicated that the change of SC like ζ presented meaningful information con- cerning the degree for destabilization of a particulate suspension,and HA or DA in water could re- markably decrease the effect of inorganic coagulant upon streaming current,which is in accordance with their influence on coagulation.

A novel indicator system for catalytic spectrophotometric determination and speciation of inorganic selenium species (Se(Ⅳ), Se(Ⅵ)) at trace levels in natural lake and river water samples

A novel catalytic kinetic method is proposed for the determination of Se（Ⅳ）, Se（Ⅵ）, and total inorganic selenium in water based on the catalytic effect of Se（Ⅳ） on the reduction of Celestine blue by sodium sulfide at pH 7.0 phosphate buffer. The fixed-time method was adopted for the determination and speciation of inorganic selenium. Under the optimum conditions, the two calibration graphs are linear with a good correlation coefficient in the range 2-20 and 20-200 μg·L-1 of Se（Ⅳ） for the fixed-time method at 30℃. The experimental and theo- retical detection limits of the developed kinetic method were found to be 0.21 and 2.50 μg·L-1 for the fixed-time method （3 min）. All of the variables that affect the sensitivity at 645 nm were investigated, and the optimum conditions were established. The interference effect of various cations and anions on the Se（Ⅳ） determination was also studied. The selectivity of the selenium determination was greatly improved with the use of the strongly cation exchange resin such as Amberlite IR120 plus as long as chelating agents of thiourea and thiosulphate. The proposed kinetic method was validated statistically and through recovery studies in natural water samples. The relative standard deviations （RSDs） for ten replicate measurements of 2, 10, and 20 μg·L-1 of Se（Ⅳ） change between 0.35% and 5.58%, while the RSDs for ten replicate measurements of 3, 6, and 12 μg·L-1 of Se（Ⅵ） change between 0.49% and 1.61%. Analyses of a certified standard reference material （NIST SRM 1643e） for selenium using the fixed-time method showed that the proposed kinetic method has good accuracy. The Se（Ⅳ）, Se（Ⅵ）, and total inorganic selenium in lake and river water samples have been successfully determined by this method after selective reduction of Se（Ⅵ） to Se（Ⅳ）.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel schiff base metal complexes and their application in determination of iron in different types of natural water

A novel, simple approach to the synthesis of macrocyclic Schiff base ligand resulted from the condensation of bisaldehyde and ethylenediamine was prepared (7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18-hexahydrodibenzo (a, g) (14) annulene) (L) and its complexes were synthesized and characterized using different physicochemical studies as elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, conductivity, magnetic properties, thermal analysis, and their biological activities. The spectroscopic data of the complexes suggest their 1:1 complexe structures which are investigated by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, conductivity, magnetic properties, thermal analysis, and their biological activities. The spectroscopic studies suggested the octahedral structure for the all complexes. The spectroscopic data of the complexes suggest their structure in which (N2O2) group act as a tetradentate ligand and two chlorides as monodentate ligands. Also electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate octahedral structure of these complexes. The synthesized Schiff base and its metal complexes also were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. Here we report the effect of a neutral chelating ligand on the complexation with iron to determine it in different types of natural water using recovery test. The activity data show that the metal complexes to be more potent/ antibacterial than the parent Schiff base ligand against one or more bacterial species.

Chemical kinetics evaluation and its application of natural gas generation derived from the Yacheng Formation in the deep-water area of the Qiongdongnan Basin,China

The natural gas generation process is simulated by heating source rocks of the Yacheng Formation, including the onshore-offshore mudstone and coal with kerogens of Type II2-III in the Qiongdongnan Basin. The aim is to quantify the natural gas generation from the Yacheng Formation and to evaluate the geological prediction and kinetic parameters using an optimization procedure based on the basin modeling of the shallow-water area. For this, the hydrocarbons produced have been grouped into four classes（C1, C2, C3 and C4-6）. The results show that the onset temperature of methane generation is predicted to occur at 110℃ during the thermal history of sediments since 5.3 Ma by using data extrapolation. The hydrocarbon potential for ethane, propane and heavy gaseous hydrocarbons（C4-6） is found to be almost exhausted at geological temperature of 200℃ when the transformation ratio（TR） is over 0.8, but for which methane is determined to be about 0.5 in the shallow-water area. In contrast, the end temperature of the methane generation in the deep-water area was over 300℃ with a TR over 0.8. It plays an important role in the natural gas exploration of the deep-water basin and other basins in the broad ocean areas of China. Therefore, the natural gas exploration for the deep-water area in the Qiongdongnan Basin shall first aim at the structural traps in the Ledong, Lingshui and Beijiao sags, and in the forward direction of the structure around the sags, and then gradually develop toward the non-structural trap in the deep-water area basin of the broad ocean areas of China.

Water Role and Its Influence on Hydrogen Isotopic Composition of Natural Gas during Gas Generation

In order to discuss the role and influence of water during the generation of natural gas,the participation mechanism of water during the evolution of organic matter and its influences were summarized.In addition,we carried out an anhydrous cracking experiment of oil extracted from the Feixianguan Formation source rock in a closed system,which led to the establishment of the kinetic models for describing carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionation during gas generation from organic matter.The models were calibrated and then applied to the northeastern Sichuan Basin.By combining a series of gas generation experiments from octadecane pyrolysis without water or with distilled water in varying mass proportions,several results were proved:(1) the hydrogen isotopic composition of natural gas becomes lighter with the participation of formation water;(2) we can quantitatively study the hydrogen isotopic fractionation with the kinetic model for describing carbon isotopic fractionation; (3) more abundant and reliable geological information can be obtained through the combined application of carbon and hydrogen isotopic indices.

Effect of cobalt oxide on performance of Pd catalysts for lean-burn natural gas vehicles in the presence and absence of water vapor

Pd-based catalysts modified by cobalt were prepared by co-impregnation and sequential impregnation methods,and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction （XRD）,N2 adsorption/desorption （Brunauer-Emmet-Teller method）,CO-chemisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）.The activity of Pd catalysts was tested in the simulated exhaust gas from lean-burn natural gas vehicles.The effect of Co on the performance of water poisoning resistance for Pd catalysts was estimated in the simulated exhaust gas with and without the presence of water vapor.It was found that the effect of Co significantly depended on the preparation process.PdCo/La-Al2O3 catalyst prepared by co-impregnation exhibited better water-resistant performance.The results of XPS indicated that both CoAl2O4 and Co3O4 were present in the Pd catalysts modified by Co.For the catalyst prepared by sequential impregnation method,the ratio of CoAl2O4/Co3O4 was higher than that of the catalyst prepared by co-impregnation method.It could be concluded that Co3O4 played an important role in improving water-resistant performance.

The relationship between groundwater and natural vegetation in Qaidam Basin

To accurately evaluate ecological risks trigged by groundwater exploitation,it must be clarified the relationship between vegetation and groundwater.Based on remote sensing data sets MOD13Q1,groundwater table depth(WTD)and total dissolved solids(TDS),the relationship between groundwater and natural vegetation was analyzed statistically in the main plain areas of Qaidam Basin.The results indicate that natural vegetation is groundwater-dependent in areas where WTD is less than 5.5 m and TDS is less than 7.5 g/L.Aquatic vegetation,hygrophytic vegetation and hygrophytic saline-alkali tolerant vegetation are mainly distributed in areas with WTD<1.1 m.Salt-tolerant and mesophytic vegetation mainly occur in areas with WTD of 1.4-3.5 m,while the xerophytic vegetation isprimarily present in areas where WTD ranges from 1.4 m to 5.5 m.Natural vegetation does not necessarily depend on groundwater in areas with WTD>5.5 m.For natural vegetation,the most suitable water TDS is less than 1.5 g/L,the moderately suitable TDS is 1.5-5.0 g/L,the basically suitable TDS is 5.0-7.5 g/L,and the unsuitable TDS is more than 7.5 g/L.

Sorption Kinetics, Isotherm and Thermodynamic Modeling of Defluoridation of Ground Water Using Natural Adsorbents

The aim of study is to investigate the removal ability of some natural adsorbents for fluoride ion from aqueous solution. The batch dynamic adsorption method was carried out at neutral pH as the functions of contact time, adsorbent dose, adsorbate concentration, temperature and effect of co-anions, which are commonly present in water. The sorption kinetics and equilibrium adsorption isotherms of fluoride on natural adsorbing materials had been investigated at afore-mentioned optimized. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms, viz., Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were investigated. Lagergren and Morris-Weber kinetic equations were employed to find the rate constants. The negative enthalpy ΔH = -46.54 KJ·mol-1 and Gibbs free energy calculated was ΔG288-333—(2.07785, 3.08966, 4.1064, 4.90716 and 5.38036 KJ·mol-1) respectively, envisage exothermic and spontaneous nature of sorption.

Soil water movement and deep drainage through thick vadose zones on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountain: Croplands vs.natural lands

Regional aridity is increasing under global climate change,and therefore the sustainable use of water resources has drawn attention from scientists and the public.Land-use changes can have a significant impact on groundwater recharge in arid regions,and quantitative assessment of the impact is key to sustainable groundwater resources management.In this study,the changes of groundwater recharge after the conversion of natural lands to croplands were investigated and compared in inland and arid region,i.e.,the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountain.Stable isotopes suggest that soil water in topsoil(<2 m)has experienced stronger evaporation under natural lands than croplands,and then moves downward as a piston flow.Recharge was estimated by the tracer-based mass balance method,i.e.,chloride and sulfate.Recharge rates under natural conditions estimated by the chloride mass balance(CMB)method were estimated to be 0.07 mm/a in deserts and 0.4 mm/a in oases.In contrast,the estimated groundwater recharge ranged from 61.2 mm/a to 44.8 mm/a in croplands,indicating that groundwater recharge would increase significantly after land changes from natural lands to irrigated croplands in arid regions.Recharge estimated by the sulfate mass balance method is consistent with that from the CMB method,indicating that sulfate is also a good tracer capable of estimating groundwater recharge.