Isotope hydrology of voluminous cold springs in fractured rock from an active volcanic region, northeastern California

Abstract

The more than 1550 km2 (600 mi2) Hat Creek Basin in northeastern California is host to several first magnitude cold springs that emanate from Quaternary basaltic rocks with individual discharge rates ranging from 1.7 to 8.5 m3 s−1 (60–300 ft3 s−1). Stable isotope (δ18O, δD, δ13C) and 14C measurements of surface and groundwater samples were used to identify recharge areas, and to evaluate aquifer residence times and flow paths. Recharge locations were constrained from the regional decrement in meteoric water δ18O values as a function of elevation, determined to be −0.23‰ per 100 m for small springs and creek waters collected along the western Cascade slope of this region. In general, the large-volume springs are lower in (δ18O than surrounding meteoric waters, and are inferred to originate in high-elevation, high-precipitation regions up to 50 km away from their discharge points. Large spring 14C abundances range from 99 to 41 % modern carbon (pmc), and most show evidence of interaction with three distinct carbon isotope reservoirs. These reservoirs are tentatively identified as (1) soil CO2 gas equilibrated under open system conditions with groundwater in the recharge zone [δ13CDIC ≈ −18‰, 14C > 100 pmc], (2) dissolved carbon equilibrated with atmospheric CO2 gas [δ13CDIC ≈ +1‰, 14C > 100 pmc], and (3) dissolved carbon derived from volcanic CO2 gas emissions [δ13CDIC≈0‰, 14C=0 pmc]. Many regional waters show a decrease in 14C abundance with increasing δ13C values, a pattern indicative of interaction with dead carbon originating from volcanic CO2 gas. Several lines of evidence suggest that actual groundwater residence times are too short (⩽ 200 years) to apply radiocarbon dating corrections. In particular, water temperatures measured at springs show that deep groundwater circulation does not occur, which implies an insufficient aquifer volume to account for both the high discharge rates and long residence times suggested by 14C apparent ages. The large springs also exhibit rapid decreases in flow during periods of drought that suggests a high level of aquifer interconnectivity to the recharge area. The estimated amount of volcanic CO2 dissolved in surface and groundwater originating from the Lassen highlands is consistent with the conversion of approximately 10% of the geothermal CO2 flux into dissolved inorganic carbon.