Abstract
The hydrogeochemical study of the Lanaudière and Eastern Mauricie regions (Canada) demonstrates that trace elements appear to be better tracers of geological influence on groundwater chemistry than major elements. Isotopic ratios and the similar chemical composition of groundwater suggest that the physicochemical parameters of groundwater have a greater effect on hydrogeochemical mechanisms than the immediate geological environment The results allow us to propose a conceptual model of groundwater geochemical evolution with the aim to guide the protection and sustainable management of regional groundwater resources in the Lanaudière and Eastern Mauricie regions. These regions were selected because of their location at the boundary of the Grenville and St. Lawrence Platform geological provinces, representing two distinct geological contexts (Precambrian crystalline rocks and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks). Regional-scale hydrogeochemical and isotopic groundwater characterization was carried out to identify the role of the differences in regional geology on groundwater quality. Our analyses included major and trace elements, stable isotopes, and multivariate statistics. Similar processes are at the origin of dissolved major chemical elements and suggest that soluble minerals common to both geological provinces control groundwater chemistry. If differences exist, they are due to the hydrogeological conditions of the samples, such as residence time or groundwater entrapment at the time of the postglacial marine incursion of the Champlain Sea, rather than the geological context. Some differences, sometimes significant, were observed for some minor elements (F−, Mn2+, H2S), which implies a more comprehensive knowledge of the chemistry of the stratigraphic units within the Lanaudière and Eastern Mauricie aquifers.
Highlights
In Quebec, Canada, groundwater represents an economically exploitable source of potable water because of its quality and proximity to sites of its consumption [1]
The influence of the geological context on the chemical evolution of groundwater was investigated in the Lanaudière and Eastern Mauricie administrative regions of Quebec, two areas that cover portions of two geological provinces, i.e., the Grenville Province and St
The outcomes of this study are presented in the form of a conceptual model of groundwater geochemical evolution
Summary
In Quebec, Canada, groundwater represents an economically exploitable source of potable water because of its quality and proximity to sites of its consumption [1]. To produce a complete database accessible to hydrogeologists and water managers, the Quebec government implemented the Groundwater Knowledge Acquisition Program in 2008 (Programme d’Acquisition de Connaissances sur les Eaux Souterraines, PACES) under the direction of the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques (MELCC) [1,2,3]. By the end of this project, approximately two-thirds of the administrative territories of southern Quebec will be characterized hydrogeologically with the aim of rendering the relevant data available for sustainable groundwater resource protection and management. As part of the PACES project, the Centre d’Études sur les Ressources Minérales of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (CERM-UQAC) was tasked to compile existing hydrogeological information and expand groundwater knowledge of the Lanaudière and Eastern Mauricie administrative regions of eastern Quebec (Figure 1).
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