Physico-chemical model as a tool to explain the composition of thermal waters in tectonically active regions

Abstract

In the present work, we address the structural-hydrogeological conditions for the Baikal Rift System (BRS) natural water formation in terms of lithospheric plate tectonics. A comparative analysis for the trace-element composition of thermal waters of rift and island-arc systems was made. We analyzed the thermal water trace elements to better understand the water origin through physico-chemical modeling. The results of different simulations of thermodynamic modeling are herein presented, in order to investigate the formation processes of thermal waters according to the geodynamic activity in the BRS region. Modeling results for the Alginsky Thermal Spring in BRS showed that all the elements can be accumulated in the waters from granites except for U, Li, Rb, B, Mo, Sr, S. These elements may have endogenous nature.

Keywords

• thermal water, physico-chemical modeling, spring, microelements