Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in the Upper Crocodile River Basin, Johannesburg, South Africa: Environmental Isotope Approach

Research Article| June 01, 2015 SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION IN THE UPPER CROCODILE RIVER BASIN, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE APPROACH T.A. ABIYE; T.A. ABIYE School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, P.O. Box Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa, e-mail: tamiru.abiye@wits.ac.za Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar H. MENGISTU; H. MENGISTU Wayne County Community College District, 801 W Fort Street, Detroit, MI, United States of America., e-mail: hrmengistu@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar K. MASINDI; K. MASINDI School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, P.O. Box Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa., e-mail: khulmsnd@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. DEMLIE M. DEMLIE School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa., e-mail: demliem@ukzn.ac.za Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information T.A. ABIYE School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, P.O. Box Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa, e-mail: tamiru.abiye@wits.ac.za H. MENGISTU Wayne County Community College District, 801 W Fort Street, Detroit, MI, United States of America., e-mail: hrmengistu@gmail.com K. MASINDI School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, P.O. Box Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa., e-mail: khulmsnd@gmail.com M. DEMLIE School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa., e-mail: demliem@ukzn.ac.za Publisher: Geological Society of South Africa First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1996-8590 Print ISSN: 1012-0750 © 2015 Geological Society of South Africa South African Journal of Geology (2015) 118 (2): 109–118. https://doi.org/10.2113/gssajg.118.2.109 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation T.A. ABIYE, H. MENGISTU, K. MASINDI, M. DEMLIE; SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION IN THE UPPER CROCODILE RIVER BASIN, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE APPROACH. South African Journal of Geology 2015;; 118 (2): 109–118. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gssajg.118.2.109 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 SocietySouth African Journal of Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract The interaction between surface water and groundwater is a complex process that can potentially deteriorate the quality of water, which is highly needed by communities. An environmental isotope and stream discharge based study has been conducted in the upper Crocodile River Basin, Johannesburg, which is characterized by fractured crystalline rocks and dolomitic aquifers from which groundwater is extracted for diverse economic activities. The seepage of mine water into a dolomitic aquifer in the vicinity of the Sterkfontein cave has been quantified and falls between 24 × 106 m3/y and 29 × 106 m3/y. The environmental isotope results also show that the decanting mine water extensively interacted with the shallow groundwater and streams. On the other hand, the dolomites (Malapa area) that lie away from mine areas in different dolomitic compartment contain uncontaminated and old groundwater with low 3H, which indicates long residence time, with depleted 18O and 2H indicating a recharge that took place prior to evaporation, and afterwards the recharged water circulated for long period of time. Streams also lose water into the dolomitc aquifer through sinkholes and fractures. Therefore, surface water and groundwater are intimately connected in the area. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.