کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
4392993 1618253 2014 11 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Naturally-high nitrate in unsaturated zone sand dunes above the Stampriet Basin, Namibia
موضوعات مرتبط
مهندسی و علوم پایه علوم زمین و سیارات فرآیندهای سطح زمین
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Naturally-high nitrate in unsaturated zone sand dunes above the Stampriet Basin, Namibia
چکیده انگلیسی


• We present unsaturated zone nitrate profiles for the Stampriet Basin, Namibia.
• Chloride-based recharge rates of 4–27 mm/y occur in this area.
• Natural nitrate concentrations (baseline conditions) are significant but variable.
• Nitrate is introduced as pulses, most likely from transient vegetation cover.
• Observed high nitrate is in line with concentrations in other (semi)arid regions.

Elevated groundwater nitrate levels are common in drylands, often in excess of WHO guidelines, with concern for human and animal health. In light of recent attempts to identify nitrate sources in the Kalahari this paper presents the first unsaturated zone (USZ) nitrate profiles and recharge rate estimates for the important transboundary Stampriet Basin, alongside the first rainfall chemistry records. Elevated subsurface nitrate reaches 100–250 and 250–525 mg/L NO3–N, with NO3–N/Cl of 4–12, indicating input above evapotranspiration. Chloride mass balance recharge rates range from 4 to 27 mm/y, indicating a vertical movement of these nitrate pulses toward the water table over multi-decadal timescales. These profiles are sampled from dune crests, away from high concentrations of animals and without termite mounds. Given low-density animal grazing is unlikely to contribute consistent spot-scale nitrate over decades, these profiles give an initial estimate of naturally-produced concentrations. This insight is important for the management of the Stampriet Basin and wider Kalahari groundwater. This study expands our knowledge about elevated nitrate in dryland USZs, demonstrating that it can occur as pulses, probably in response to transient vegetation cover and that it is not limited to long-residence time USZs with very limited downward moisture flux (recharge).

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Journal of Arid Environments - Volume 105, June 2014, Pages 41–51
نویسندگان
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