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Application of Natural Isotopes Techniques for Water Resources Investigations in the UAE

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Water Resources and Integrated Management of the United Arab Emirates

Part of the book series: World Water Resources ((WWR,volume 3))

Abstract

The stable isotopes deuterium (2H) and oxygen-18 (18O) and radioactive isotopes tritium (3H) and carbon-14 (14C) in rain and groundwater were used to characterize precipitation, determine the origin and age of groundwater, identify the source of increasing groundwater salinity and assess groundwater pollution in Bu Hasa and Liwa areas, in western UAE.

The meteoric water line for the present-day precipitation in the UAE, as described by Alsharhan et al. (Hydrogeology of an Arid Region. The Arabian Gulf and adjoining areas. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 2001): “Has a mean δ18O = −1.99‰, a mean δ2H = −0.4‰ and a deuterium excess (d) = 15, suggesting two sources of air masses causing precipitation; the Mediterranean Sea in winter and Indian Ocean in summer. The average 3H content in rainfall for the period 1984–1987 was 4.7 Tritium Units (TU)”.

The depleted stable isotopes in groundwater of Wadi Al Bih Permian limestone aquifer, ophiolite aquifer, eastern Quaternary gravel aquifer and easternmost parts of the western gravel aquifer show the effect of recharge at high altitudes in Ru’us Al Jibal, 1050–2090 m, in the north and the eastern mountain ranges in the UAE (650 m) in the east. Wood et al. (Water resources perspectives: evaluation, management and policy. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2003) attributed: “The parallel increase of salinity and δ18O indicates seawater intrusion in the western Quaternary gravel aquifer, whereas the increase of salinity and constancy of δ18O in Wadi Al Bih and Liwa aquifers indicate dissolution of salts from the aquifer matrix”.

Rizk and Alsharhan (Application of natural isotopes for hydrogeologic investigations in United Arab Emirates. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Gulf Water conference. Manama, Bahrain, 1999) indicated that: “Stable isotopes in groundwater of the Al Ain and Liwa areas are distinctly different. Enrichment of stable isotopes in the Liwa aquifer indicates evaporation prior to infiltration. However, the projection of stable isotopes in both areas on the Local Meteoric Water Line (LMWL) indicates a common, high elevation recharge source (the eastern mountain ranges in the UAE)”.

Rizk and Alsharhan explained: “The high 3H and 14C activities in groundwater of the northern and eastern parts of the UAE as, indicating ages from modern to 5,000 years old, while the groundwater in the western and southwestern parts has low 3H and 14C activities, indicating ages of 15,000 years or older. The results of hydrogeologic investigation, stable isotopes data and geochemical modeling suggest the source of saline water in the Wadi Al Bih aquifer is upward movement of brine from the aquifer depth”.

Stable isotopes (2H and 18O) within oil-field brine and the Liwa Quaternary sand aquifer of the Bu Hasa area are distinctly different and do not suggest mixing of oil-field water injected in the Miocene clastic aquifer with the shallow, fresh Liwa aquifer.

The measured δ18O isotope in the Liwa Quaternary sand aquifer in Liwa area by Rizk (Determining the sources of nitrate pollution of the Liwa Quaternary aquifer in the United Arab Emirates. In: WSTA 11th Gulf water conference, water in GCC. Towards efficient management, 20–22 October 2014, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, pp 120–136, 2014): “Varied between 1.9 and 3.8‰ and averaged 2.6‰, indicating that nitrate is primarily derived from nitrification of ammonium (NH4 +) in the soil. The δ15N ratio varied between −5.6 and 8.6‰ and averaged 1.6‰, confirming that agriculture is the main source of nitrate, while the elevated δ15N values (5.8, 6.2, 8.4 and 8.6‰) in four wells (wells number 29, 12, 16 and 28, respectively) reflect the influence of residential land use. Plot of δ15N versus NO3-N showed that the sources contributing to nitrate pollution in the Liwa Quaternary sand aquifer are: animal waste (10%), soil nitrogen (25%) and fertilizers (65%)”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Middle East Geological and Environmental Establishment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan

  2. University of Science and Technology of Fujairah, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

    Zeinelabidin E. Rizk

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  1. Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan
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Alsharhan, A.S., Rizk, Z.E. (2020). Application of Natural Isotopes Techniques for Water Resources Investigations in the UAE. In: Water Resources and Integrated Management of the United Arab Emirates. World Water Resources, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31684-6_24

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