The origin of chloride waters at Wysowa, West Carpathians. Chemical and isotopic approach

Abstract

Investigation of chloride subsurface waters occurring in the Carpathian flysch suggests that they should be considered as a mixture of flysch sediments connate water, metamorphic water and meteoric water. Dissolved solids consist for the most part of sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride which can be related to water-rock-carbon dioxide interaction and to the presence of the connate water respectively. High 18O/16O, D/H ratios and probably high boron concentration are due to the presence of metamorphic water. Concentration of calcium, magnesium, strontium and probably other divalent metals as well as silica seems to be governed by mineralogical control, being in this case the form of buffering by solid carbonates. Alkaline metals fit rather perfectly the dilution pattern, though, it is modified by rock dissolution and other geochemical processes. The behaviour of halogens follows the trend of alkaline metals dilution. Slope 1, on the pH–pHCO3 plot impose that the Wysowa mineral water system is open to the large reservoir of carbon dioxide of constant chemical potential (pCO2 = const).