Coastal groundwater reservoirs are sensitive to the complicated evolution of marine transgressions and regressions in river delta regions. We integrated hydrogeological investigation and hydrogeochemical data with numerical modeling to assess the evolution of the groundwater system in the Pearl River Delta’s aquifer system (in southeastern China). We studied the effects of flow dynamics and redox conditions on the biogeochemical processes of nutrients in the regional groundwater flow systems in response to the transient states related to variable paleoprecipitation and seawater salinity decline from the late Pleistocene to the Holocene. The results from paleo-hydrogeological reconstruction of the aquifer-aquitard system showed that the saline groundwater formed by paleo-seawater intrusion was still present in the old marine aquitard and affected groundwater salinity and chemicals in the adjacent aquifers, while most of the groundwater in the shallow young marine aquitard has been freshened by infiltrated old/fresh rainwater. Consequently, total ammonium and carbon stored in the Pearl River Delta were estimated to be (1.91 ± 1.13) × 107 mol m–1 and (5.74 ± 4.05) × 107 mol m–1, respectively, and the ammonium and bicarbonate fluxes derived from groundwater discharge to the sea were calculated as (90.6 ± 55.9) mol m–1 yr–1 and (301.02 ± 196.23) mol m–1 yr–1, respectively. If the buried ammonium in the delta is released to the sea, it would be equivalent to nearly 205 ± 123 yr of Pearl River fluvial loading. These findings suggest that the chemicals trapped in the deltaic aquifer system during the Holocene could contribute to future ocean eutrophication and acidification.
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Research Article|
March 17, 2023
Evolutionary history of the groundwater system in the Pearl River Delta (China) during the Holocene
Shengchao Yu;
Shengchao Yu
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Jiu Jimmy Jiao;
Jiu Jimmy Jiao
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong3
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, China
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Xin Luo;
Xin Luo
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong3
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, China
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Hailong Li;
Hailong Li
2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Xuejing Wang;
Xuejing Wang
4
Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Xiaolang Zhang;
Xiaolang Zhang
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Meng Yao;
Meng Yao
2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Jinchao Zuo;
Jinchao Zuo
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Wenzhao Liang;
Wenzhao Liang
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Meiqing Lu
Meiqing Lu
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Shengchao Yu
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Jiu Jimmy Jiao
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong3
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, China
Xin Luo
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong3
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, China
Hailong Li
2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Xuejing Wang
4
Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Xiaolang Zhang
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Meng Yao
2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Jinchao Zuo
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Wenzhao Liang
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Meiqing Lu
1
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong2
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Publisher: Geological Society of America
Received:
16 Oct 2022
Revision Received:
29 Dec 2022
Accepted:
14 Jan 2023
First Online:
17 Mar 2023
Online ISSN: 1943-2682
Print ISSN: 0091-7613
© 2023 Geological Society of America
Geology (2023)
Article history
Received:
16 Oct 2022
Revision Received:
29 Dec 2022
Accepted:
14 Jan 2023
First Online:
17 Mar 2023
Citation
Shengchao Yu, Jiu Jimmy Jiao, Xin Luo, Hailong Li, Xuejing Wang, Xiaolang Zhang, Meng Yao, Jinchao Zuo, Wenzhao Liang, Meiqing Lu; Evolutionary history of the groundwater system in the Pearl River Delta (China) during the Holocene. Geology 2023; doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G50888.1
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