Hydrogeologic structures in two Serbian spa towns - Sijarinska Banja and Selters Banja

Goran Marinkovic,Petar Papic,Veselin Dragisic,Jakov Andrijasevic

doi:10.2298/gabp1677023m

Goran Marinkovic, Petar Papic + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.2298/gabp1677023m

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Abstract

The objective of the paper is to identify the boundaries of hydrogeologic structures in which natural mineral waters occur, using two examples: old mineral water (Sijarinska Banja) and young mineral water (Selters Banja). The research addresses the distance from recharge zones, depth of occurrence, and points of discharge. Apart from the three spatial dimensions, the study also includes the time dimension - water age. The following parameters are examined: geologichydrogeologic conditions in the places of occurrence of mineral water, connection between mineral water and permeable fault zones, distance of surface water divides, previously-defined maximum possible depths of occurrence, possible flow rates, and the determined age. If the flow followed a straight line, the maximum distance of the recharge zone would be up to 7 m for the young and up to 11 km for the old mineral water. However, it is obvious that this is never the case in fractured systems, given that water travels much longer distances from the point of entry to the point of drainage from aquifers. Assessment of geologic-hydrogeologic and hydrodynamic conditions, relative to the determined age of the mineral water, leads to the conclusion that the distance between the recharge and drainage zones can be less than 5 km. The paper shows that insight into the depth of infiltration into permeable fault zones can also be gained by studying the depth of circulation relative to known hydrodynamic zones. The inference is that the largest amount of groundwater is restored in the hydrodynamic zone of slow groundwater renewal, which is below a depth of 1.5 km at Sijarinska Banja and below 1.3 km at Selters Banja.

Highlights

In Serbia, there are more than 65 naturally-carbonated thermal mineral water sites
Given that exploration has shown that the fractured hard rocks comprise the main setting of the fault zones in which the mineral water occurs, the average velocity through the hydrogeologic structures was assumed based on the theoretical velocity of groundwater flow in fractured schists, and the theoretical velocity in the hydrodynamic zone of slow groundwater renewal, which is greater than 0.2 m/year or 6.3×10–9 m/s (DRAGIŠIĆ 1997)
The highest rate of groundwater renewal in the studied hydrogeologic structures occurs within the known hydrodynamic zone of slow groundwater renewal, and the generation and migration of carbon dioxide in the zone of very slow groundwater renewal

Summary

Introduction

In Serbia, there are more than 65 naturally-carbonated thermal mineral water sites. Given the large number of occurrences in Serbia, this research addresses only two: the spa towns of Sijarinska Banja (old mineral water) and Selters Banja (young mineral water). They allow carbon dioxide from the depth of origin to migrate toward the ground surface and, on the other hand, meteoric water to be infiltrated into deep formations. The main hydrogeologic structures of Sijarinska Banja and Selters Banja are active and disjunctive fault zones. At Sijarinska Banja, the mineral water has always been free-flowing, whereas at Selters Banja it was detected inadvertently, given that there were no manifestations on the ground surface

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