Hydrological characteristics and water quality change in mountain river valley on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Management and protection of regional water resources requires an understanding of the hydrological characteristics and water quality changes. In this study, we combined isotopic, geochemical and hydrometric measurements to investigate hydrological characteristics and water quality changes during the interactions between surface water and groundwater in mountain river valley. Our results showed that the stable isotope values in most of the groundwater and river water samples were located above the middle of the local meteoric water line in a mountain river valley. The hydrochemical types of most of the groundwater and river water samples were Ca-Mg-HCO3 and were primarily dominated by rock weathering. The hydrochemical compositions of groundwater and river water were mainly affected by carbonate dissolution and cation exchange, but influences of saltwater intrusion and human activity were found at the lakeside. Precipitation was the main factor affecting the changes in hydrological processes at these groundwater and river water sites and they were also affected by meltwater, soil water and the interaction between groundwater and surface water. The water level of the river increased, and the recharge of the groundwater by river water increased in river valley during the rainy season, which led to an increase runoff path in groundwater. The interaction between the river water and groundwater was affected by the rainfall frequency and intensity, the recharge time of the soil water and the pressure of the river on both sides of the river channels. Additionally, our results indicated that the flow of groundwater into the river will lead to water quality deterioration. The increasing pressure of the river on the groundwater will cause the deterioration of groundwater quality, which will also be affected by saltwater intrusion and human activity. Our results detailed the hydrological characteristics, water quality changes and main influencing factors of the interaction between surface water and groundwater of river valley in mountain, which will be beneficial to promote the reasonable protection of water resources under climate change in the future.

Automated summary

In this study, we used isotopic, geochemical, and hydrometric measurements to investigate the hydrological characteristics and water quality changes in a mountain river valley. The results showed that stable isotope values in groundwater and river water samples were above the local meteoric water line. The hydrochemical types of the samples were dominated by rock weathering, with influences from carbonate dissolution, cation exchange, saltwater intrusion, and human activity. Precipitation was the main factor affecting hydrological processes, and the interaction between surface water and groundwater was influenced by various factors such as rainfall, soil water, and river pressure. The study also highlighted the deterioration of water quality due to the flow of groundwater into the river and increased pressure of the river on groundwater, which could be further impacted by saltwater intrusion and human activity.