Carbon 13 of TDIC to quantify the role of the unsaturated zone: the example of the Vaucluse karst systems (Southeastern France)

Abstract

The total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) and 13C TDIC have been used as chemical and isotopic tracers to evaluate the contribution of different water components discharging at the Fontaine de Vaucluse karst spring near Avignon. At the same time they have been used to separate its flood hydrograph. Waters flowing from unsaturated zone (UZ) and saturated zone (SZ) show similar concentration in TDIC. In UZ and SZ water rock interactions do not obey to the same kinetic. The mixing rate between water coming from the UZ characterised by a short residence time and water from the SZ with a longer residence time has been evaluated in the spring discharge. In a hydrodynamic system, which is rather complex as it is open to the soil CO 2 in UZ and closed to the same CO 2 in the SZ, 13C TDIC has excellent characteristics as an environmental tracer. In order to better describe the inwardness of mass movements within the aquifer, the apparent contrasting information obtained using two different isotopes ( 18O of water molecules and 13C of TDIC) must be combined. 18O informs whether the hydrodynamic system acts as piston flow (PF) or follows a well mixing model (WMM). Conversely, 13C gives more complete information on the UZ contributes to the total discharge.