Vertical Divergence Characteristics of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon and Influencing Factors in a Karst Deep-Water Reservoir, Southwest China

Abstract

In deep karst reservoirs, the internal environment is complex, and thermal stratification isnot the only factor controlling the vertical distribution of the DIC concentration. Previous studies have not fully understood the migration and transformation of DIC in a deep-water reservoir. In this study, a deep-water reservoir in southwest China was chosen, and the spatial and temporal characteristics of the DIC concentration, pCO2, δ13CDIC value, and SIc were investigated. It was found that the Pingzhai Reservoir is a double temperature leapfrog reservoir. The DIC concentration, pCO2, Sic, and δ13CDICvalues showed annual cycle variation. During the thermal stratification phase, the DIC concentration, pCO2, Sic, and δ13CDICvalues were significantly different between the surface layer and the lower layer. However, during the mixing and mixed phases, the differences were not significant. The vertical divergence of the DIC in the Pingzhai Reservoir was influenced by the subtemperate layer, human activities, and sources. The formation of the subtemperate layer was due to the submerged flow formed when river water enteredthe reservoir, which provides a channel for DIC from the river to enter the lower layer of the reservoir. Human activities increased the solubility of carbonate rocks in the reservoir, and the source of DIC was one of the factors contributing to the concentration stratification of DIC in the reservoir.