Radium isotopes as tracers of lacustrine groundwater discharge: Review and prospects.
Weigang Su, Xiaolong Yuan, Xiying Zhang
Author Information
Weigang Su: Key Laboratory of Green and High-end Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Xining, 810016, China. Electronic address: suwg@isl.ac.cn.
Xiaolong Yuan: Key Laboratory of Green and High-end Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Xining, 810016, China.
Xiying Zhang: Key Laboratory of Green and High-end Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Xining, 810016, China. Electronic address: xyzhchina@isl.ac.cn.
Lacustrine groundwater discharge (LGD) is a crucial component of lake hydrological budgets and serves as a significant source such as nutrients and pollutants. Naturally occurring radioactive radium isotopes (Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra) have emerged as valuable tracers for studying lacustrine groundwater discharge due to their distinctive geochemical properties. While radium isotopes were primarily utilized in studies of submarine groundwater discharge in the past, their "salt effect" characteristics have increasingly established them as essential tools for identifying and quantifying LGD. This review focuses on the application and research advancements of radium isotopes in tracing LGD, encompassing concepts and methodologies related to lacustrine groundwater discharge, the geochemical characteristics of radium isotopes, the development of radium isotope tracing techniques for LGD, and strategies for source identification and quantification of radium in the groundwater discharge process. Furthermore, this review addresses several limitations and challenges encountered in the application of radium isotope tracing techniques for LGD research and outlines future research directions that could enhance the quantitative study of radium isotopes.
