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Origin of halite brine in the Onondaga Trough near Syracuse, New York State, USA: modeling geochemistry and variable-density flow

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Abstract

Halite brine (saturation ranging from 45 to 80%) lies within glacial sediments that fill the Onondaga Trough, a bedrock valley deepened by Pleistocene glaciation near Syracuse, New York State, USA. The most concentrated brine occupies the northern end of the trough, about 10 km downgradient of the northern limit of halite beds in the Silurian Salina Group, the assumed source of salt. The chemical composition of the brine and its radiocarbon age suggest that the brine originally formed about 16,700  years ago through dissolution of halite by glacial melt water and later mixed with saline bedrock water. Two hypotheses regarding the formation of the brine pool were tested through variable-density flow simulations using SEAWAT. Simulation results supported the first hypothesis that the brine pool was derived from a source in the glacial sediments and then migrated to its current position, where it has persisted for over 16,000  years. A second hypothesis that the brine pool formed through steady accumulation of brine from upward flow of a source in the underlying bedrock was not supported by simulation results, because the simulated age distribution was much younger than the age estimated from geochemical modeling.

Résumé

Des saumures riches en halite (saturation comprise entre 45 et 80%) se situent dans les sédiments glaciaires qui remplissent le Bassin d’Onondaga Trough, vallée rocheuse approfondie par la glaciation pléistocène à proximité de Syracuse (Etat de New York, Etats-Unis). Les saumures les plus concentrées occupent l’extrémité nord du bassin, à environ 10 km à l’aval hydraulique de la limite nord des lits de halite du Silurian Salina Group, la source supposée du sel. La composition chimique de la saumure et son âge radiocarbone suggère qu’elle s’est initialement constituée il y a environ 16700  ans, par dissolution de la halite par l’eau de fonte glaciaire, et s’est ensuite mélangée avec l’eau de la roche-mère saline. Deux hypothèses sur la formation d’une ressource sursalée ont été testées par simulation d’écoulements à densités variables, sous SEAWAT. Les résultats de la simulation confirment la première hypothèse : la ressource sursalée prend son origine dans les sédiments glaciaires et a migré vers la position actuelle, où elle se maintient depuis plus de 16000  ans. La seconde hypothèse était que la ressource sursalée s’était formé par accumulation de saumure sous un flux ascendant issu de la roche-mère sous-jacente; elle n’a pas été validée par les résultats de la simulation, parce que les âges simulés apparaissaient bien inférieurs aux âges estimés à partir des modélisations géochimiques.

Resumen

Una salmuera de halita (con una saturación que oscila entre el 45 y el 80%) se encuentra en sedimentos glaciares que rellenan el Onondaga Trough, un valle rocoso excavado por la glaciación Pleistocena cerca de Siracusa, en el estado de Nueva York, USA. La salmuera más concentrada ocupa el extremo norte del valle, a 10 km aproximadamente aguas abajo del límite norte de los estratos de halita en el Grupo Silúrico Salina, la supuesta fuente de sal. La composición química de la salmuera y su edad medida por radiocarbono sugiere que se formó originalmente hace aproximadamente 16,700 años a partir de la disolución de halita por el deshielo de agua glacial y su posterior mezcla con agua de los cuerpos salinos. Se han considerado dos hipótesis observando la formación de la salina mediante simulaciones de flujo de densidad variable usando SEAWAT. Los resultados de la simulación confirmaron la primera hipótesis, consistente en que la salina derivó de una fuente en los sedimentos glaciares y entonces migró hasta su posición actual, donde ha permanecido durante más de 16,000 años. Una segunda hipótesis consistente en la salina se formó mediante la acumulación estacionaria de salmuera desde un flujo aguas arriba de una fuente en el estrato inferior no se vio confirmada por los resultados de la simulación, porque la distribución de edad simulada fue mucho más joven que la edad estimada de la modelación geoquímica.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Chris Langevin of the US Geological Survey (Fort Lauderdale) for his insights and guidance in the application of SEAWAT during model development for this study. Guy Swenson of O’Brien and Gere Engineers provided hydrogeological data used in designing and calibrating the groundwater flow models. Several researchers provided chemical analyses and interpretations from the US Geological Survey: Blair Jones, Kathryn Conko and Tyler Coplen (Reston), and Thomas Bullen and John Fitzpatrick (Menlo Park) and from Syracuse University: Donald Siegel and graduate students Amanda Bauldauf Slavic (2003) and Edward Epp (2005). Funding was provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency through the Onondaga Lake Partnership. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments in the review process.

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  1. United States Geological Survey, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Richard M. Yager, William M. Kappel & L. Niel Plummer

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  1. Richard M. Yager
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Correspondence to Richard M. Yager.

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Yager, R.M., Kappel, W.M. & Plummer, L.N. Origin of halite brine in the Onondaga Trough near Syracuse, New York State, USA: modeling geochemistry and variable-density flow. Hydrogeol J 15, 1321–1339 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-007-0186-9

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