Ion chemistry of groundwater and the possible controls within Lhasa River Basin, SW Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

In order to study the major ion chemistry and controls of groundwater, 65 groundwater samples were collected and their major ions measured from wells within Lhasa River Basin. Groundwater has the characteristics of slightly alkaline and moderate total dissolved solid (TDS). TDS concentration ranged from 122.0 to 489.9 mg/L with a median value of 271.2 mg/L. Almost all the groundwater samples suited for drinking and irrigation. The major cations of groundwater are Ca2+ and Mg2+, accounting for 59.6 and 31.3% of the cations, respectively. Meanwhile, HCO3− and SO42− constituted about 56.7 and 36.9% of the anions, respectively, in Lhasa River Basin. The hydrochemical type of groundwater is HCO3-SO4-Ca-Mg. The chemical composition of groundwater samples located in the middle of Gibbs model, which indicates that the major chemical process of groundwater is controlled by rock weathering. Carbonate weathering was the dominant hydro-geochemical process controlling the concentration of major ions in groundwater within Lhasa River Basin, but silicate weathering also plays an important role.