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Chemical Evolution And Residence Time Of Groundwater In The Wilcox Aquifer Of The Northern Gulf Coastal Plain, Estifanos Haile

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study aims to integrate groundwater geochemistry and mathematical modeling to determine the dominant geochemical processes and groundwater residence time within the Wilcox aquifer in the northern Gulf Coastal Plain. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for major ion chemistry, stable isotopes (¹⁸O, ²H, and ¹³C), and radioisotope ³⁶Cl content. Geochemical modeling enabled the identification of major sources and sinks of solutes in the aquifer. A two-dimensional, finite-difference, numerical model was used to determine the deep groundwater flow rate and transport of ³⁶Cl in the aquifer. Major ion chemistry shows a chromatographic pattern along …