Abstract
The Yunnan-Sichuan-Tibet Geothermal Province (YST) in China is characterized by extremely high terrestrial heat flow and widely distributed hydrothermal systems, which are discharging geothermal waters with a wide range of arsenic concentrations. In this paper, the distribution of arsenic in the YST geothermal waters are presented, the general hydrochemistry of these waters is described, and the primary geochemical processes controlling the concentrations and speciation of geothermal arsenic in YST is considered.
Highlights
Arsenic (As) is an element with adverse environmental effects which occurs ubiquitously in geothermal waters though concentrations differ largely depending on tectonic settings [1]
High-temperature hydrothermal systems with magmatic heat sources are distributed only in the Yunnan-Sichuan-Tibet Geothermal Province, which is a major part of the Mediterranean-Himalayas geothermal belt
In the Yunnan-Sichuan-Tibet Geothermal Province (YST) Geothermal Province, there are altogether 255 hydrothermal systems with reservoir temperatures higher than 150 °C (88 °C in western Yunnan, 38 °C in western Sichuan, and 129 °C in Tibet) according to estimations based upon chemical geothermometers [2]
Summary
Arsenic (As) is an element with adverse environmental effects which occurs ubiquitously in geothermal waters though concentrations differ largely depending on tectonic settings [1]. High-temperature hydrothermal systems with magmatic heat sources are distributed only in the Yunnan-Sichuan-Tibet Geothermal Province (abbreviated here as the YST Geothermal Province ; Fig. 1), which is a major part of the Mediterranean-Himalayas geothermal belt. In the YST Geothermal Province, there are altogether 255 hydrothermal systems with reservoir temperatures higher than 150 °C (88 °C in western Yunnan, 38 °C in western Sichuan, and 129 °C in Tibet) according to estimations based upon chemical geothermometers [2]. Abiotic oxidation of arsenite and reduction of arsenate are very slow, usually in the order of months [3], and, can survive as metastable species under oxic and anoxic conditions, respectively. Enable metastable occurrence of thioarsenate even under oxic conditions [7]. These mechanisms well explain why thioarsenates containing both. We present the distribution of arsenic in the YST geothermal waters, describe the general hydrochemistry of these waters with a wide range of As concentration, and consider the primary geochemical processes controlling the concentrations and speciation of geothermal As across the YST
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
