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dc.contributor.authorAllman, Christopher John
dc.contributor.authorGómez-Ortiz, David
dc.contributor.authorBurke, Andrea
dc.contributor.authorAmils, Ricardo
dc.contributor.authorRodriguez, Nuria
dc.contributor.authorFernández-Remolar, David
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-18T15:30:20Z
dc.date.available2021-10-18T15:30:20Z
dc.date.issued2021-10-13
dc.identifier.citationAllman , C J , Gómez-Ortiz , D , Burke , A , Amils , R , Rodriguez , N & Fernández-Remolar , D 2021 , ' Hydrogeochemical variability of the acidic springs in the Rio Tinto headwaters ' , Water , vol. 13 , no. 20 , 2861 . https://doi.org/10.3390/w13202861en
dc.identifier.issn2073-4441
dc.identifier.otherPURE: 276327495
dc.identifier.otherPURE UUID: 4cdf0916-f665-4205-a967-811775e1c163
dc.identifier.otherBibtex: w13202861
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-3754-1498/work/101958901
dc.identifier.otherScopus: 85119254861
dc.identifier.otherWOS: 000715111000001
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/24160
dc.descriptionThis research was funded by MICINN grant PID2019-1048126GB-I00.en
dc.description.abstractPeña de Hierro, located in southwest Spain, encompasses the springs and headwaters for the Rio Tinto River that emerge above normal faults and has been mined for its rich sulfide ore since 2500 BC. The springs are typically characterized by an orange coloration, typical pH of ~2.33, and contain elevated concentrations of heavy metals that are produced by acid rock drainage (ARD). ARD is a natural phenomenon that results from chemolithoautotrophs metabolizing the sulfide ore. Mining has amplified the magnitude of the acidity and concentrations of heavy metals evidenced within sedimentary cores from the Huelva estuary. Acidity, redox state, hydrochemistry and isotopic analyses were examined for the purpose of characterizing the subsurface flows and determining the interconnectivity of the groundwaters. Previous studies have documented the geochemistry of the springs, dating a select few, yet many springs remain uncharacterized. Acidity presented spatial variability throughout the field area, caused by extensive sulfide interactions which generated and modified the pH. Redox exhibited a large range of values due to oxygen diffusivity though the fracture network. The surrounding geology is highly heterogeneous because of intensive deformation during the Variscan and Tertiary periods, and this heterogeneity is shown in the varied aqueous chemistry. Fractionation patterns observed in δ2H and δ18O values predominantly reflected enrichment by intensive evaporation and depletion in δ18O as a result of the proposed sulfatic-water model for Rio Tinto’s hydrogeology. The analysis illustrates minimal hydrologic interconnectivity, evidenced by the extensive physical and chemical contrasts within such a small proximity.
dc.format.extent33
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofWateren
dc.rightsCopyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses /by/4.0/).en
dc.subjectAcid mine drainageen
dc.subjectRio Tinto acidic systemen
dc.subjectSpring hydrogeochemistryen
dc.subjectNon-porous rocken
dc.subjectFracture aquiferen
dc.subjectIberian Pyrite Belten
dc.subjectSW Spainen
dc.subjectGB Physical geographyen
dc.subjectNDASen
dc.subject.lccGBen
dc.titleHydrogeochemical variability of the acidic springs in the Rio Tinto headwatersen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.description.versionPublisher PDFen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Earth & Environmental Sciencesen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. St Andrews Isotope Geochemistryen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/w13202861
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden


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