Evaluating the groundwater quality in Northern Tarim Basin by resistivity inverted from magnetotelluric data.

Groundwater is a potentially significant resource for agricultural and industrial uses in Tarim Basin, the largest arid endorheic basin in China. Hydrogeochemical and hydrogeologic researches have provided detailed information of groundwater chemical type, composition, ion content and flow. However, there is lacking in quantitative estimation of groundwater in whole basin scale subject to the limits of samples as well as the unclear underground structure. To address the problem, 3-D electrical resistivity model constructed from inversion of magnetotelluric (MT) data was used to calculate the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of groundwater based on previous experimental studies and empirical equations. The TDS model shows relatively high value in the east of the study area and in deep, primarily controlled by depth, flow direction, stratigraphy, and water table gradient. Groundwater can be classified into five categories in terms of TDS range in Standard for Groundwater Quality. Finally, the volume of each type and average available quantity of Classes I ∼ III (TDS < 1 g/L) per person were estimated by taking account of population distribution. Mapping groundwater TDS and volume reveals that human activities also play a role in groundwater salinity. The evaluation of groundwater quality and volume based on TDS provides a basis for future urban construction and development as well. We estimated the total dissolved solids (TDS) of groundwater of the Quaternary aquifer in Northern Tarim and found that its distribution is mainly controlled by flow direction, while human activities also have a certain impact. Freshwater is concentrated in the western and northeastern regions, providing reference for future urban construction. [Display omitted] • 3-D resistivity model in Tarim Basin inverted from magnetotelluric data. • Groundwater TDS and volume estimated at big basin-scale. • Water table gradient, depth and stratigraphy affect TDS distribution. • Human activities have some impacts on groundwater salinity. • Groundwater evaluation based on TDS provides a basis for future urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]