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Rare Earth Element Concentrations, Speciation, and Fractionation along Groundwater Flow Paths: The Carrizo Sand (Texas) and Upper Floridan Aquifers

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Rare Earth Elements in Groundwater Flow Systems

Part of the book series: Water Science and Technology Library ((WSTL,volume 51))

Abstract

Groundwater samples were collected in two different types of aquifers (i.e., Carrizo sand aquifer, Texas and Upper Floridan carbonate aquifer, west-central Florida) to study the concentration, speciation, and fractionation of rare earth elements (REE) along the groundwater flow path in each system. Major solutes and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were also measured in these groundwaters. In the Carrizo aquifer, groundwaters in the recharge zone are chiefly Ca-Na-HCO3-Cl type waters and shift into Na-HCO3 waters with flow down-gradient. DOC is generally low (0.65 mg/L) along the flow path. In the Upper Floridan Aquifer, groundwaters are Ca (Mg)-HCO3 waters at the recharge zone, shift into Ca-Mg-SO4-HCO3 waters at the mid-reaches of the flow path, and finally become Ca-Mg-SO4 waters at the discharge zone. DOC is higher (0.64 – 2.29 mg/L) than in the Carrizo and initially increases along the flow path and then decreases down-gradient. Rare earth element concentrations generally decrease along the groundwater flow path in the Carrizo sand aquifer, whereas in the Upper Floridan aquifer, the Nd concentrations increase first and then slightly decrease, Gd concentrations are erratic, and Er tends to decrease along the groundwater flow path. Shale-normalized REE patterns are enriched in the HREEs for groundwaters from the recharge regions of both aquifers and tend to flatten with flow down-gradient. Speciation calculations predict that carbonato (LnCO3 +) and/or dicarbonato complexes (Ln(CO3)2 −) are the main dissolved species for all REEs in groundwaters from the Carrizo sand aquifer, whereas organic complexes of the REEs (LnHM) are dominant in all but two furthest down-gradient groundwaters from the Upper Floridan aquifer. The variations of REE concentrations, speciation, and fractionation patterns along the flow paths reflect water-rock reactions (mainly adsorption and solution complexation) experienced by REEs in groundwaters from both aquifers. The solution complexation of REEs affects the REE concentrations and fractionation patterns in groundwaters along the flow path via the following two ways: (1) the complexation capacity of REEs with carbonate ions and organic ligands varies with increasing atomic number of REEs; and (2) different complexation forms (i.e., negative or positive) at different geochemical conditions of groundwaters (i.e., pH, alkalinity, and DOC concentrations).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529-0276, USA

    Jianwu Tang

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019-0049, USA

    Karen H. Johannesson

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  1. Jianwu Tang
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  1. University of Texas at Arlington, TX, USA

    Karen H. Johannesson

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Tang, J., Johannesson, K.H. (2005). Rare Earth Element Concentrations, Speciation, and Fractionation along Groundwater Flow Paths: The Carrizo Sand (Texas) and Upper Floridan Aquifers. In: Johannesson, K.H. (eds) Rare Earth Elements in Groundwater Flow Systems. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 51. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3234-X_9

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