Influence of upwelling saline groundwater on iron and manganese cycling in the Rio Grande floodplain aquifer

Salinity contributions from upwelling groundwater significantly degrade water quality in the Rio Grande, a major source of water for the southwestern USA. This study considers the influence of this upwelling water on the geochemistry and microbiology of the Rio Grande floodplain alluvial aquifer. The composition of surface water, groundwater, and floodplain sediment samples collected from three transects in the Socorro Basin was examined. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) was also used to examine microbial biomass samples. The distribution of salinity in the floodplain groundwater largely reflects the configuration of local groundwater flow and mixing of two major water sources, deeply-sourced saline groundwater and river water. Microbial populations in the shallow aquifer consume O-2 and NO3- and serve to redistribute metal oxides from the saturated zone to locations of groundwater discharge at the surface and possibly near the water table. The upwelling saline groundwater affects floodplain microbial processes by transporting reduced metals and organic electron donors to the alluvial aquifer system. This enhances metal reduction in the saturated zone and ultimately metal oxidation at or near the surface. Geochemical modeling suggests that mixing of the saline groundwater with more dilute water in the floodplain creates conditions more favorable for metal oxidation to occur and thereby influences the distribution of metal oxides. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.