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Abstract
Natural and mining-related dissolved-constituent concentrations need to be distinguished in a watershed affected by abandoned mines to prioritize subbasins for remediation and to assist with the establishment
of water-quality standards. The oxygen isotopes of dissolved sulfate can be used to distinguish between natural and mining-related sources of dissolved constituents. Several methods employing the oxygen isotopes of dissolved sulfate can be used to determine the relative amounts of natural and miningrelated dissolved constituents in water: (1) the isotope-dilution equation for simple mixing zones (two
sources and one receiving stream); (2) the isotope mass-balance equation for streams receiving dissolved sulfate from multiple geologic sources; and (3) graphical relations and the mathematical solution of simultaneous equations in a watershed approach. Using the different methods for data collected during low flow, about 71 to 75 percent of the dissolved-constituent concentrations are from natural sources in selected subbasins of the upper Animas watershed.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Other Government Series |
| Title | Oxygen isotopes of dissolved sulfate as a tool to distinguish natural and mining-related dissolved constituents |
| Series title | Open File Report |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | USGS |
| Contributing office(s) | Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, National Research Program - Central Branch |
| Description | 7 p. |
| First page | 671 |
| Last page | 678 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |