Hydrogeochemical analysis of volcanic and geothermal fluids in the Andes from Ecuador using hydrochemical plots (Stiff, Piper and Schoeller-Berkaloff diagrams)

Abstract

The formation of several sources of hot springs in the Andes from Ecuador was the result of intense volcanic activity due to the subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate under the South American continental plate. The aims of this study include the presentation of chemical analysis in graphical form in order to describe the hidrogeochemistry water geothermal origins, their chemical classification and their relationship to the complex geology of Ecuador using different hydro chemical plots such as Stiff's polygonal diagram, Piper's trilinear diagram and Schoeller-Berkaloff's logarithmic vertical columns diagram. Geothermal waters can be divided into two groups. The first group was associated with an extinct volcanic activity produced in the Cenozoic and were qualified based on the type of water Na+-Cl-, while the second group was associated with young Quaternary volcanic activity, and the types of water were Mg2+- HCO3-, Na+-HCO3-, Na+-SO42-,Mg2+-SO42-.