Dispersion of groundwater age in an alluvial aquifer system

Abstract

Interpretation of groundwater ages typically rests on assumptions of minimal mixing of different water ages in the water samples. The effects of three‐dimensional, geologic heterogeneity on groundwater mixing and tracer concentrations, however, have not been evaluated. In this study, we use a series of 10 detailed geostatistical realizations along with high‐resolution numerical groundwater flow and contaminant transport simulation to model distributions of groundwater ages and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) ages at wells within a heterogeneous stream‐dominated alluvial fan aquifer system. Results show that groundwater reaching a well in the heterogeneous aquifer system typically consists of a wide distribution of groundwater ages (often spanning >50 years), even over short (<1.5 m) screened intervals. Additionally, simulated arithmetic mean groundwater ages do not correspond to mean ages estimated from simulated CFC concentrations. Results emphasize the potential ambiguity of “mean” groundwater ages estimated from environmental tracer concentrations in typically heterogeneous geologic systems. The significant dispersion of groundwater ages also implies that ultimate, maximum effects of nonpoint source, anthropogenic contamination of groundwater may not be reached until after many decades or centuries of gradual decline in groundwater quality.