Rare earth elements, yttrium and H, O, C, Sr, Nd and Pb isotope studies in mineral waters and corresponding rocks from NW-Bohemia, Czech Republic

Abstract

The sparkling waters from the area of Kyselka near Karlovy Vary at the western slope of the Doupovske hory, Bohemia (Czech Republic), and CO 2-poor waters from two underground boreholes at Jachymov, Krusne hory, Bohemia, have been studied with the aim of characterizing the distribution of rare earth elements, yttrium, and H, O, C, Sr, Nd, Pb isotopes during the low-temperature alteration processes of the host rocks. Additionally, leaching experiments were performed at pH 3 on the granitic and basaltic host rocks from Kyselka and the granite of Jachymov. All REE patterns of the granite- and the basalt-derived waters from the Kyselka area are different from those of their source rocks and the leachates of the latter. This elucidates the inhomogeneous distribution of REE and Y among the solid phases in the altered magmatic rocks. The Eu and Ce anomalies in granite-derived waters are inherited, the Y anomaly is achieved by fluid migration. Yttrium is always preferentially leached by mineral waters, whereas Y/Ho ratios of rocks and their leachates are very similar. The REE abundances in waters from the wells in Jachymov are derived from rocks intensely leached and depleted in easily soluble REE-bearing minerals, whereas the granites and basalts from Kyselka still contain soluble, REE-bearing minerals. A comparison of REE/Ca patterns of the experimental leachates with those of the mineral waters elucidate the high retention of REE in rocks during water–rock interaction. In strongly altered rocks Sr isotope ratios of mineral waters and rocks differ widely, whereas the corresponding Nd isotope ratios are very similar. 207Pb/ 208Pb, 206Pb/ 208Pb and 206Pb/ 207Pb ratios in mineral waters are independent from U/Th ratios in the rocks. 206Pb/ 208Pb and 206Pb/ 207Pb are lower in mineral waters than in their source rocks and their leachates, which indicates that Pb is primarily derived from solid phases that do not contain significant contents of leachable U and Th. Thus, mineral waters, although CO 2 rich, only interact with surface films on minerals and not with the bulk of the minerals as in the leaching experiments. Calculation of mixing ratios of waters from the granitic and basaltic sources of the waters from the Kyselka area yield about 40% of water from the underlying granite in water recovered from the basalt, whereas the granite-derived water is mixed with only about 5% of the water from the basalt.