Long-term Water-rock Interaction in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (Central Europe): Field Evidence and Modelling

Ivan Brusky¹, Jan Sembera^1,2 and Tomas Paces^3*

¹Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 2, 460 01 Liberec, Czech Republic

²Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, KotláÃ?Â?ská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic

³Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic

*Corresponding Author : Tomas Paces
Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic
Tel: +420251085335
Fax: +420251818748
E-mail: Tomas.paces@geology.cz

Received: June 20, 2017 Accepted: July 10, 2017 Published: July 17, 2017

Citation: Brusky I, Sembera J, Paces T (2017) Long-term Water-rock Interaction in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (Central Europe): Field Evidence and Modelling. J Hydrogeol Hydrol Eng 6:2. doi: 10.4172/2325-9647.1000155

Two models of reversible and irreversible water – mineral interaction are developed to simulate geochemical evolution of old groundwater in the Cenomanian and Turonian sandstone aquifers in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin in Central Europe. The kinetic constants of dissolution and equilibrium constants of reversible reactions are results of laboratory experiments published in literature. Reactive surface areas of minerals are calculated. The model simulates the evolution of the chemical composition of groundwater whose age was derived from isotopic data. The results are compared to the chemical composition of groundwater along the trajectory of the prevailing flow. The model represents the interaction between groundwater and sandstones containing quartz, amorphous silica, a mixture of clay minerals, calcite and traces of residual feldspars. The three processes of water rock interaction are the irreversible dissolution of feldspars and carbonate, aluminium and silica equilibrium. The composition of groundwater in the Cenomanian aquifer with a confined water table is a result of geochemical evolution during the last 26,000 years, while the groundwater in the Turonian aquifer with a free water table is a mixture of old groundwater and recent water infiltrated from the surface. The proposed models are applicable to confined aquifers with residual rock matrix derived from granitic rocks decomposed by weathering without mixing of waters of different ages.