Determination of the origin and recharge process of water resources in Salda Lake Basin by using the environmental, tritium and radiocarbon isotopes (Burdur/Turkey)

Abstract

The Salda Lake basin which is in the southwestern Turkey is an important water body in view of environmental values. We used stable isotopes (δD and δ18O), δ3H and 14C composition of the water samples to understand recharge process effective in the groundwater and lake water. Water samples were collected in dry and wet periods and the stable isotope (δD and δ18O) and radiogenic isotope (14C) analysis were made in the basin. The δ18O contents of groundwater and lake water ranged from -9,94‰ to 1,18‰ in dry period and from -10,24‰ to 0,30‰, in wet period. δD contents of groundwater and lake water varied from -67,42‰ to 1,20‰ and from -64,51‰ to -2,80‰, in dry and period wet respectively. The stable isotope data of samples indicate a meteoric origin for all samples. According to stable isotope data, groundwater samples seem to be recharged from higher elevations whereas the lake water is recharged from low elevations. The tritium (δ3H) content of the water samples ranges from 1.04 to 4.49 TU and from 1.91 to 4.18 TU in the dry period and wet period respectively. Long-term δ3H observations are required to determine whether these δ3H signals are associated with young recharge or with the groundwater with long residence time. In addition, the 14C activities of the samples vary between 90 pmc and 110 pmc for Salda Lake waters and 530 pmc and 5990 pmc for the groundwater.

Keywords

• stable isotope
• salda lake
• tritium
• radiogenic isotope