Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-s22k5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-12T23:03:45.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Paleoclimatic Inferences from an Isotopic Investigation of Groundwater in the Central San Juan Basin, New Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Fred M. Phillips ,
Leslie A. Peeters ,
Michael K. Tansey  and
Stanley N. Davis
Fred M. Phillips
Affiliation:
Geoscience Department and Geophysical Research Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801
Leslie A. Peeters
Affiliation:
Geoscience Department and Geophysical Research Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801
Michael K. Tansey
Affiliation:
Geoscience Department and Geophysical Research Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801
Stanley N. Davis
Affiliation:
Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Groundwater from the Ojo Alamo and Nacimiento aquifers in the central San Juan Basin. New Mexico, has yielded 14C ages ranging from modern to 35,000 yr B.P. The Pleistocene-age samples are characterized by a stable isotope content about 25‰ lighter in D and 3‰ lighter in 18O than modern precipitation and groundwater. We attribute this difference to a colder mean annual temperature and perhaps increased winter precipitation. Consideration of various factors controlling the stable isotope composition of the groundwater allows estimation of a 5° to 7°C temperature decrease during the late Wisconsin, accompanied by increased effective precipitation. A similar estimate of the temperature change is obtained from noble-gas paleothermometry. These data support a model of moderately cooler late Pleistocene climate in the American Southwest characterized by summers with less precipitation than today, but wetter winters.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , September 1986 , pp. 179 - 193
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allison, G.B. Barnes, C.J. Hughes, M.W. Leany, F.W.J.(1984).The effect of climate and vegetation on oxygen-18 and deuterium profiles in soils Isotope Hydrology 1983 IAEA Vienna 105 123 Google Scholar
Andrews, J.N. Goldbrunner, J.E. Darling, W.G. Hooker, P.J. Wilson, G.B. Youngman, M.J. Eichinger, L. Rauert, W. Stickler, W.(1985).A radiochemical, hydrochemical, and dissolved gas study of ground waters in the Molasse Basin of Upper Austria Earth and Planetary Science Letters 73 317 332 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Betancourt, J.L.(1984).Late Quaternary plant zonation and climate in southeastern Utah The Great Basin Naturalist 44 1 35 Google Scholar
Brakenridge, G.R.(1978).Evidence for a cold, dry full glacial climate in the American Southwest Quaternary Research 9 22 40 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carrara, P.E. Mode, W.N. Rubin, M. Robinson, S.W.(1984).Deglaciation and postglacial timberline in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado Quaternary Research 21 42 55 Google Scholar
Cheng, S.-L. Long, A.(1984).Implementation of carbon isotope subroutine to computer program PHREEQE and their application to C-14 groundwater dating Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest. Proceedings of Meeting of Arizona Section of American Water Resources Association and Hydrology Section of Arizona Academy of Science. Vol. 14 Google Scholar
Coleman, M.L. Shephard, T.J. Durham, J.J. Rouse, J.E. Moore, G.R.(1982).Reduction of water with zinc for hydrogen isotopic analysis Analytical Chemistry 54 993 995 Google Scholar
Conrad, G. Fontes, J.-C.(1970).Hydrologic isotopique du Sahara nord-occidental Isotope Hydrology 1970 IAEA Vienna 405 419 Google Scholar
Craig, H.(1961).Isotopic variations in meteoric water Science 133 795 802 Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W.(1964).Stable isotopes in precipitation Tellus 16 436 468 Google Scholar
Dansgaard, W. Johnsen, S.J. Moeller, J. Langway, C.C. Jr.(1969).One thousand centuries of climatic record from Camp Century on the Greenland ice sheet Science 166 377 381 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidson, M.R. Airey, P.L.(1982).The effect of dispersion on the establishment of a paleoclimatic record from groundwater Journal of Hydrology 58 131 147 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Desaulniers, D.E. Cherry, J.A. Fritz, P.(1982).Origin, age, and movement of pore water in argillaceous Quaternary deposits at four sites in southwestern Ontario Journal of Hydrology 50 231 257 Google Scholar
Epstein, S. Mayeda, T.(1953).Variation of 18O content of waters from natural sources Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 4 213 224 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fontes, J.-C.(1981).Paleowaters Gat, J.R. Gonfiantini, R. Stable Isotope Hydrology: Deuterium and Oxygen-18 in the Water Cycle. Technical Report Series Number 210, IAEA Vienna 273 302 Google Scholar
Fontes, J.-C. Garnier, J.M.(1979).Determination of the initial 14C activity of the total dissolved carbon—A review of the existing models a new approach Water Resources Research 15 399 413 Google Scholar
Forester, R.M.(1985). Limnocythere bradbburyi n. sp.: A modern ostracode from central Mexico and a possible Quaternary paleoclimatic indicator Journal of Paleontology 59 8 20 Google Scholar
Friedman, I.(1983).Paleoclimatic evidence from stable isotopes Wright, H.E. Jr. Porter, S.C. Late-Quaternary Environments of the United States Vol. 1 Univ. of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 385 398 “The Late Pleistocene”Google Scholar
Fritz, P.(1983).Paleoclimatic studies using freshwater deposits and fossil groundwater in central and northern Canada Paleoclimates and Paleowaters: A Collection of Environmental Isotope Studies IAEA Vienna 157 166 Google Scholar
Gabin, G.L. Lesperance, L.E.(1977).New Mexico Climatological Data: Precipitation, Temperature, Evaporation, and Wind: Monthly and Annual Means 1850–1975 W. K. Summers and Associates Socorro, New Mexico Google Scholar
Galloway, R.W.(1983).Full-glacial southwestern United States: Mild and wet or cold and dry? Quaternary Research 19 236 248 Google Scholar
Gat, J.R. Tzur, Y.(1967).Modification of the isotopic composition of rainwater by processes which occur before groundwater recharge Isotopes in Hydrology IAEA Vienna 49 60 Google Scholar
Goff, F. McCormick, T. Trujillo, P.E. Jr. Counce, D. Grigsby, C.O.(1982).Geochemical Data for 95 Thermal and Nonthermal Waters of the Valles Caldera-Southern Jemez Mountains Region, New Mexico Los Alamos National Laboratory Report LA-9367-OBESGoogle Scholar
Gross, G.W. Wilcox, R.(1981).Groundwater circulation in the Socorro Geothermal Area: Part 3 Icerman, L. Starkey, A. Trentman, N. State-Coupled Low-Temperature Geothermal Resource Assessment Program, Fiscal Year 1980, Final Technical ReportDOE/ID/01717-2Google Scholar
Hanshaw, B.B. Pearson, F.J. Winograd, I.J.(1978).Deuterium and oxygen-18 content of Holocene through late Wisconsin precipitation Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 10 415 416 Google Scholar
Heaton, T.H.E. Vogel, J.C.(1981).“Excess air” in groundwater Journal of Hydrology 50 201 216 Google Scholar
Herzberg, O. Mazor, E.(1979).Hydrological applications of noble gases and temperature measurements in underground water systems: Examples from Israel Journal of Hydrology 41 217 231 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoy, R.N. Gross, G.W.(1982).A Baseline Study of Oxygen-18 and Deuterium in the Roswell, N. M., Groundwater Basin New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro Geophysical Research Center Report, Project Number B-059-NMEXGoogle Scholar
Imbrie, J. McIntyre, A. Moore, T.C. Jr.(1983).The ocean around North America at the last glacial maximum Wright, H.E. Jr. Late Quaternary Environments of the United States Vol. 1 Univ. of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 230 236 “The Late Pleistocene”Google Scholar
Jouzel, J. Merlivat, L. Lorius, C.(1982).Deuterium excess in an East Antarctic ice core suggests higher relative humidity at the ocean surface during the last glacial maximum Nature (London) 299 688 691 Google Scholar
Lawrence, J.R. Taylor, H.P. Jr.(1971).Deuterium and oxygen-18 correlation: Clay minerals and hydroxides in Quaternary soils compared to meteoric waters Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 35 993 1003 Google Scholar
Madsen, D.B. Currey, D.R.(1979).Late Quaternary glacial and vegetation changes, Little Cottonwood Canyon area, Wasatch Mountains, Utah Quaternary Research 12 254 270 Google Scholar
Markgraf, V. Bradbury, L.P. Forester, R.M. McCoy, W. Singh, G. Sternberg, R.(1983).Paleoenvironmental ressessment of the 1.6-million-year-old record from San Augustin Basin, New Mexico Chapin, C.E. New Mexico Geological Society Guidebook, 35th Field Conference, Socorro Region II New Mexico Geological Society, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro 291 297 Google Scholar
Merlivat, L. Jouzel, J.(1979).Global climatic interpretation of the deuterium-oxygen-18 relationship for precipitation Journal of Geophysical Research 84 5029 5031 Google Scholar
Mix, A.C. Ruddiman, W.F.(1984).Oxygen isotope analyses and Pleistocene ice volumes Quaternary Research 21 1 20 Google Scholar
Mook, W.G.(1976).The dissolution-exchange model for dating groundwater with carbon-14 Interpretation of Environmental Isotope and Hydrochemical Data in Groundwater Hydrology IAEA Vienna 213 225 Google Scholar
Pearson, F.J. Jr. White, D.E.(1967).Carbon-14 ages and flow rates of water in the Carrizo Sand, Atascosa County, Texas Water Resources Research 3 251 261 Google Scholar
Perry, E.C. Jr. Grundl, T. Gilkeson, R.H.(1982).H, O, and S isotopic study of groundwater in the Cambrian-Ordivician aquifer system of northern Illinois Perry, E.C. Jr. Montgomery, C.W. Isotope Studies of Hydrologic Processes Northern Illinois Univ. Press DeKalb 35 43 Google Scholar
Phillips, F.M.(1981).Noble Gases in Ground Water as Paleoclimatic Indicators Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation University of Arizona Tucson Google Scholar
Phillips, F.M. Tansey, M.K. Peeters, L.W. Cheng, S.-L. Long, A.(1985).An Isotopic Investigation of Groundwater in the Central San Juan Basin, New Mexico. I. 14C Dating as a Basis for a Numerical Flow Model Submitted for publicationGoogle Scholar
Porter, S.C. Pierce, K.L. Hamilton, T.D.(1983).Late Wisconsin mountain glaciation in the western United States Wright, H.E. Jr. Porter, S.C. Late Quaternary Environments of the United States Vol. 1 Univ. of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 71 111 “The Late Pleistocene”Google Scholar
Rozanski, K.(1985).Deuterium and oxygen-18 in European groundwaters—Links to atmospheric circulation in the past Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section) 52 349 363 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seigel, D.I. Mandle, R.J.(1984).Isotopic evidence for glacial meltwater recharge to the Cambrian-Ordivician aquifer, north-central United States Quaternary Research 22 328 335 Google Scholar
Smith, G.I. Street-Perrott, F.A.(1983).Pluvial lakes of the western United States Wright, H.E. Porter, S.C. Late Quaternary Environments of the United States Vol. 1 Univ. of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 190 212 “The Late Pleistocene”Google Scholar
Spaulding, W.G. Leopold, E.B. Van Devender, T.R.(1983).Late Wisconsin paleoecology of the American Southwest Wright, H.E. Porter, S.C. Late Quaternary Environments of the United States Vol. 1 Univ. of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 259 293 “The Late Pleistocene”Google Scholar
Tamers, M.A.(1975).Validity of radiocarbon dates on groundwater Geophysical Surveys 2 217 239 Google Scholar
van der Straaten, C.M. Mook, W.G.(1983).Stable isotopic composition of precipitation and climatic variability Paleoclimates and Paleowaters: A Collection of Environmental Isotope Studies IAEA Vienna 53 64 Google Scholar
Van Devender, T.R. Spaulding, W.G.(1979).Development of vegetation and climate in the southwestern United States Science 204 701 710 Google Scholar
Vogel, J.C.(1970).Carbon-14 dating of groundwater Isotope Hydrology 1970 IAEA Vienna 225 239 Google Scholar
Vuataz, F.D. Goff, F.(1986).Isotope geochemistry of thermal and nonthermal waters in the Valles Caldera, Jemez Mountains Journal of Geophysical Research 91 1835 1854 Google Scholar
Wells, P.V.(1979).An equitable glaciopluvial in the west: Pleniglacial evidence of increased precipitation on a gradient from the Great Basin to the Sooran and Chihuahuan deserts Quaternary Research 12 311 325 Google Scholar
Wright, H.E. Jr. Bent, A.M. Hanse, B.S. Maher, L.J. Jr.(1973).Present and past vegetation of the Chuska Mountains, northwestern New Mexico Geological Society of America Bulletin 84 1155 1180 Google Scholar
Yapp, C.J.(1985).D/H variations of meteoric waters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. Journal of Hydrology 76 63 84 Google Scholar
Yapp, C.J. Epstein, S.(1977).Climatic implications of D/H ratios of meteoric water over North America (9500–22000 B.P.) as inferred from ancient wood cellulose C-H hydrogen Earth and Planetary Science Letters 34 333 350 Google Scholar
Yapp, C.J. Epstein, S.(1985).Seasonal contributions to the climatic variations recorded in tree ring D/H data Journal of Geophysical Research 90 3747 3752 Google Scholar