Global Groundwater Solute Composition and Concentrations. Issue 6 (26th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wood, Warren W.; Smedley, Pauline L.; Lindsey, Bruce D.; Wood, Warren T.; Kirchheim, Roberto E.; Cherry, John A.
• Is Part Of: Ground water. Volume 60:Issue 6(2022)
• Page Start: 714
• Page End: 720
• Publication Date: 2022-05-26
• Subjects: Groundwater -- Periodicals; Wells -- Periodicals; Eau souterraine -- Périodiques; Puits -- Périodiques; Grondwater; Eau souterraine; Puits; Electronic journals; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 551.49
• DOI: 10.1111/gwat.13205
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-467X

Abstract

Abstract: Informed analysis of policies related to food security, global climate change, wetland ecology, environmental nutrient flux, element cycling, groundwater weathering, continental denudation, human health, and others depends to a large extent on quantitative estimates of solute mass fluxes into and out of all global element pools including the enigmatic global aquifer systems. Herein for the first time, we proffer the mean global solute concentration of all major and selected minor and trace solutes in the active groundwater that represents 99% of liquid fresh water on Earth. Concentrations in this significant element pool have yielded to a geospatial machine learning kNN‐nearest neighbors' algorithm with numerous geospatial predictors utilizing a large new lithology/climate/aquifer age/elevation based solute database. The predicted concentrations are consistent with traditional solute ratios, concentrations, and thermodynamic saturation indices.