Hydrogeology of the Goulburn Valley, Murray Basin, Australia

摘要

Major ion geochemistry, stable isotopes, ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr ratios and R~(36)Cl values show that groundwater in the Goulburn Valley of the Murray Basin contains solutes derived mainly from evaporation of rainfall and minor silicate dissolution. Shepparton Formation groundwater recharges vertically across the region, while Calivil-Renmark groundwater shows a greater component of lateral flow. Groundwater in both formations yields ~(14)C ages of up to 20 ka, implying that recharge rates are low and that the resource is vulnerable to over abstraction. Many tracers indicate that, locally, vertical recharge of groundwater into the Calivil-Renmark Formation has occurred, indicating that this resource is also vulnerable to contamination.