Evaluation of groundwater recharge sources based on environmental tracers in an arid alluvial fan, NW China

Environmental tracers include stable isotopes and chloride in natural water were used to recognize the recharge sources of groundwater in Nalenggele alluvial fan, NW China. There is little effective recharge from local precipitation, the original resources of groundwater are glacier melting water and precipitation in high Kunlun mountain, groundwater is directly recharged by river infiltration along the river stretch and lateral groundwater flow from the high mountain area. In this study the effects of the depth infiltrated of river water on the mixing ratio was investigated. Results show that the mixing ratio decreases with the infiltrated river water depth. (author)