NDLI: Estimating groundwater age in the Cambrian–Ordovician aquifer in Iowa: implications for biofuel production and other water uses

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Schilling, Keith E. Jacobson, Peter J. Libra, Robert D. Gannon, J. Michael Langel, Richard J. Peate, David W.
Copyright Year	2016
Abstract	Deep confined water from the Cambrian–Ordovician (C–O) aquifer is being increasingly used for ethanol production in Iowa. In this study, we used isotopic age dating to estimate the age of groundwater in the aquifer and assess how groundwater use for all purposes, including ethanol production, may be affecting the long-term sustainability of the aquifer. Eight municipal wells located across the extent of the aquifer in Iowa were sampled for major and minor ions, stable isotopes (δ$^{18}$O and δD) and the radioactive isotope $^{36}$Cl. Multiple lines of evidence from this study suggest that groundwater in the C–O aquifer is older than 10,000 years, with results from $^{36}$Cl analyses suggesting groundwater travel times in the aquifer ranging from approximately 70,000 to nearly 180,000 years old from northern to central Iowa. Our study suggests that pumping from the C–O aquifer for all uses, including ethanol production, is extracting old groundwater from the aquifer. To mitigate long-term impacts, we recommend that expansion of new ethanol production should be based on accessibility of sustainable groundwater resources, rather than siting facilities where deep groundwater reserves are needed for production.
Starting Page	1
Ending Page	9
Page Count	9
File Format	PDF
ISSN	18666280
Journal	Environmental Earth Sciences
Volume Number	76
Issue Number	1
e-ISSN	18666299
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publisher Date	2016-12-19
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Groundwater age Chlorine 36 Isotope Biofuel Geology Hydrology/Water Resources Geochemistry Environmental Science and Engineering Terrestrial Pollution Biogeosciences
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Global and Planetary Change Earth-Surface Processes Soil Science Environmental Chemistry Pollution Geology Water Science and Technology

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