APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE TECHNIQUES TO SELECTED HYDROLOGICAL SYSTEMS IN PAMPEAN, ARGENTINA

DAPEÑA, C.; PANARELLO, H.0.

Advances in Isotope Hydrology and its Role in Sustainable Water Resources Management (IHS-2007)

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

Lugar: Viena, Austria; Año: 2007; p. 251 - 260

ABSTRACT The techniques that use environmental isotopes (3H, 2H,18O, 14C and 34S) jointly with the so-called classic procedures are a tool of great utility in hydrological and hydrogeological studies. Just now, they are included in most of the investigations carried out all over the world. Therefore, they can solve, in relatively simple form and at low cost, numerous problems in surfcial waters and aquifers, related with the origin and recharge area, salinization mechanisms, processes in the unsaturated zone, as well as the determination of terms of water balance. 3H and 14C introduce the temporary variable, allowing, in favourable cases, the evaluation of groundwater residence times and  flow rates. A large precipitation record at Buenos Aires station as well as others localities of Argentina is a fundamental objective to bring scientic tools for environmental isotope studies. Finally, we stand out the importance of continuating the operation of the National Collector Network of Argentina as well as the increase of stations at different latitude an altitude of the country.