Sources and migration path of chemical compositions in a karst groundwater system during rainfall events

Physical and chemical dynamics at Jiangjia Spring (JJS), the outlet of the Qingmuguan karst groundwater system in Chongqing, were monitored in situ during rainfall events to acquire a series of high-resolution data. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to identify the sources of chemical compositions in the karst groundwater. The coefficients of variations (CVs) of the physical and chemical data of JJS were utilized to interpret the migration path of the chemical compositions. The results showed that water-rock interactions, agricultural activities, and soil erosion were the main sources of the groundwater chemical compositions. Ions of potassium, sodium, nitrate, chloride and phosphate from agricultural activities together with ions of calcium, magnesium, strontium and bicarbonate derived from carbonate dissolution appear to be stored and regulated by the karst unsaturated zone in features such as fissures, pores and solution cracks. The concentrations of the ions remained relatively stable and they showed low CVs owing to their migration by diffuse flow to recharge the underground river. In contrast, concentrations of ions such as total iron, total manganese and aluminum from soil erosion were unstable and showed high CVs owing to their migration by overland flow to recharge the underground river directly via sinkholes. During heavy rainfall events, the nutrients from agricultural activities and sediment from soil erosion could quickly impair the aquatic ecosystem and pose serious threats to water quality. Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce management of the ecological system for better control of the influx of mass nutrients into the karst aquifer system.