Evaluation of Guadalajara Metropolitan Area Aquifer System Using CFCs, Tritium, Carbon-14 and Stable Isotopes
Evaluation of Guadalajara Metropolitan Area Aquifer System Using CFCs, Tritium, Carbon-14 and Stable Isotopes
Presented on Wednesday, May 1, 2013
We used environmental tracers (CFCs, 18O, 2H, 3H, 14C, and water chemistry) to analyze the groundwater quality and flow system underlying and supplying part of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, México. Most of the samples showed isotopic signatures, indicating recharge from local meteoric precipitation. Significant tritium concentrations were interpreted as a clear sign that groundwater was a mixture from water prior to 1952 and post 1960, which indicates that precipitation from the last years contributed significantly to groundwater recharge. CFCs revealed apparent recharge from 1960 to 1980. 14C results indicated groundwater aging approximately between 10,000 and 12,000 for the northern portion (Atemajac), and >20,000 years BP for the southern portion (Toluquilla). Comparison of CFCs, 3H and 14C concentrations proves that the samples are a mixture of waters from different ages. Additionally, zones with aquifer temperatures higher than 30°C were identified, suggesting the presence of chemical elements associated to geothermal sources.
Rogelio Ledesma-Ruiz
Centro del Agua para America Latina y el Caribe, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
Rogelio Ledesma-Ruiz is irrigation engineer from Universidad Autónoma Chapingo (1995-2000) were he presented the thesis “IDF relationships from precipitation in Guanajuato”. He performed graduate studies in Groundwater Hydrology at Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, presenting the thesis “Contamination vulnerability analysis of the Tabalaopa-Aldama Aquifer, Chihuahua”. He has worked as specialized engineer at
Estudios y Proyectos en Agua Subterránea from 2005 to 2009, developing aquifer system projects. Since 2012 he works as researcher from the groundwater and surface water research group at Centro del Agua para America Latina y el Caribe from Tecnologico de Monterrey.
Ernesto Pasten-Zapata
Centro del Agua para America Latina y el Caribe, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
Ernesto Pasten-Zapata is chemical engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey (2006). He was awarded the Master in Sciences Degree from Tecnologico de Monterrey (2009) with the thesis “Water resources evaluation model for the state of Colima and simulation of strategies”. Since 2009 he has worked at Centro del Agua para America Latina y el Caribe from Tecnologico de Monterrey, where he is part of the research staff from the groundwater and surface water research group.
Jurgen Mahlknecht
Centro del Agua para America Latina y el Caribe, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
Jürgen Mahlknecht is director and research professor of Centro del Agua para America Latina y el Caribe del Tecnologico de Monterrey. Mahlknecht has 31 international publications and has collaborated on diverse research projects regarding groundwater hydrogeology and environmental geochemistry. He is part of diverse evaluation committees from CONACyT and international journals.
