Aqueous geochemistry and diagenesis in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system, Idaho

Research Article| December 01, 1986 Aqueous geochemistry and diagenesis in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system, Idaho WARREN W. WOOD; WARREN W. WOOD 1U.S. Geological Survey, National Center, M.S. 431, Reston, Virginia 22092 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar WALTON H. LOW WALTON H. LOW 2U.S. Geological Survey, 230 Collins Road, Boise, Idaho 83702 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1986) 97 (12): 1456–1466. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1986)97<1456:AGADIT>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation WARREN W. WOOD, WALTON H. LOW; Aqueous geochemistry and diagenesis in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system, Idaho. GSA Bulletin 1986;; 97 (12): 1456–1466. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1986)97<1456:AGADIT>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Water budget and isotopic analyses of water in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system confirm that most, if not all, of the water is local meteoric in origin. Solute mass-balance arguments suggest that ∼5 × 109 moles of calcite and 2.6 × 109 moles of silica are precipitated annually in the aquifer. Isotopic evaluations of calcite and petrographic observation of silica support the low-temperature origin of these deposits. Approximately 2.8 × 109 moles of chloride, 4.5 × 109 moles of sodium, 1.4 × 109 moles of sulfate, and 2 × 109 moles of magnesium are removed annually from the aquifer framework by solution. Proposed weathering reactions are shown to be consistent with mass balance, carbon isotopes, observed mineralogy, and chemical thermodynamics. Large quantities of sodium, chloride, and sulfate are being removed from the system relative to their abundances in the rock. Sedimentary interbeds, which are estimated to compose <10% of the aquifer volume, may yield as much as 20% of the solutes generated within the aquifer. Weathering rate of the aquifer framework of the eastern Snake River Plain is 14 (Mg/km2)/yr or less than half the average of the North American continent. This contrasts with the rate for the eastern Snake River basin, 34 (Mg/km2)/yr, which is almost identical to the average for the North American continent. Identification and quantification of reactions controlling solute concentrations in ground water in the eastern plain indicate that the aquifer is not an "inert bathtub" that simply stores and transmits water and solutes but is undergoing active diagenesis and is both a source and sink for solutes. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.