Calidad y uso de las aguas termales del sur de la cuenca Río Salí, Argentina

GALINDO, GRISELDA; DAPEÑA, CRISTINA; POMPOSIELLO, MARIA CRISTINA; FERNANDEZ TURIEL, JOSÉ LUIS; GIMENO, DOMINGO

Zacatecas, Mexico

Congreso; XXXIII Congress IAH & 7º ALHSUD Congress ?Groundwater flow understanding from local to regional scales; 2004

AIH y ALHSUD

The Llanura Tucumana extends along the eastern Andean margin, between 27ºS-28ºS and 64º50´W-65º40´W.  It is a structural depression filled by a thick Cenozoic sedimentary sequence and it is part of the Sali river basin. The southern part of this plain is an important thermal area, which is known through surface manifestations and drilled wells.  There is a great quantity of artesian wells with discharge water at temperatures between 30ºC and 50ºC. The Miocene contains salty aquifers. The Pliocene aquifers have much higher water quality although still slightly saline and also contain the geothermal aquifer.  The Pleistocene and Holocene deposits host fresh aquifers. Hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes allow to differenciate three types of water: surficial (recharge), groundwater athermal in west border and artesian thermal water located in the center, south and the deepest in the east. The flow is preferentially from west to east, but a mixed zone receives water coming from south, southeast and southwest. Water quality is variable and some elements exceed guidance levels for all uses. Thermal water is poorly developed. It is only used for balneoteraphy.