Dating groundwater

Dating of groundwater using uranium isotopes disequilibrium in Siwa Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt

The age of groundwater ranges from less than a month to more than a million years. Figure 1 shows some of the methods for dating the age of groundwater and the age for which each method is applicable. Figure 1. Isotope methods for dating old groundwater. Argon Ar is a dissolved gas, so sample collection without dissolution of the gas involves special equipment used with great care. The helium 4 He method also requires dealing with a dissolved gas, plus the interpretation of the laboratory results is complicated.

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Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The age of groundwater is key in predicting which contaminants it might contain. There are many tracers and techniques that allow us to estimate the age—or mix of ages—of the groundwater we depend on as a drinking water supply. A new 3-D model predicts the age groundwater at all depths across the state span of the glacial aquifer system, reports a new USGS study. The glacial aquifer system provides more water for domestic and public supply than any other US aquifer. Find the study here.

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Age Dating Young Groundwater

Radiocarbon dating of groundwater is used in combination with the primary measurements of classical hydrological and chemical analyses. Radiocarbon dating will produce the best results when it involves multiple measurements or sequential sampling. The most useful data come from these comparisons and not from absolute ages.

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