Strontium and uranium isotopes from lacustrine carbonates as a
paleohydrologic tracer in arid wetlands: An example from the Pahranagat
Valley, Nevada
Abstract
The combination of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and uranium (234U/238U)
isotopes is an especially useful tool to track and quantify mixtures of
water sources in arid wetlands, where chemistry and lighter isotopic
tracers are strongly influenced by evaporation and transpiration. Those
isotopes were used to understand modern water supply to the Pahranagat
National Wildlife Refuge (PNWR) in southern Nevada (Paces & Wurster,
2014, J. Hydrol. 517). We investigate the possibility that this isotopic
combination might also track paleohydrological changes in such settings.
Here, we present Sr and U isotope data for authigenic carbonates in a
sediment core spanning 5800 14C cal years from Lower Pahranagat Lake
(LPAH), a shallow, alkaline lake within the PNWR. Modern surface waters
in the PNWR are comprised of mixtures of discharge from two high volume
springs from the regional carbonate aquifer in the northern valley, and
smaller amounts of local discharge from the shallow volcanic aquifer in
the southern valley. Modern surface water from LPAH has U isotopic
values similar to the most recently formed LPAH carbonates; however, Sr
isotopic values in LPAH surface water are somewhat lower than values in
those same carbonates. Combined Sr and U isotope values in Holocene LPAH
carbonates fall within the range defined by the three primary spring
sources and reflect varying mixtures of those sources supplying LPAH
from mid-Holocene to modern time. Values in the oldest samples
(~5800 14C cal yr BP) have distinct 87Sr/86Sr and
234U/238U values that nearly match the local spring end member,
suggesting that LPAH water at that time was dominated by proximal
volcanic aquifer sources. By ~5300–5200 14C cal yr BP,
LPAH water was comprised of a nearly equal mixture of the three spring
sources, marking a dramatic shift in hydrologic conditions that allowed
contributions of surface flow from distal carbonate springs to the
north. Values in samples from ~1,000–3,000 14C cal yr
BP indicate decreased contributions from distal carbonate springs during
two drought intervals; however, by 730 14C cal yr BP, surface flow from
carbonate springs had resumed. Our results indicate that combined Sr and
U isotopes preserve evidence of past changes in water sources in arid
wetlands useful for interpreting evolving hydrologic conditions.