Hydrogeochemical and geostatistical study of shallow alluvial groundwater in the Youngdeok area

Multi-regression statistical analyses were applied for the water quality data of shallow alluvial ground water (n = 47) collected from the Youngdeok area, in order to quantitatively generalize the natural (non-anthropogenic) causes of regional water quality variation. Seven samples having the high contamination index ( $C_{a}$ > 3) reflect the striong effects by anthropogenic activity. Most of the alluvial groundwaters have acquired their quality primarily due to the dissolution of carbonate minerals. The results of multi-regression analysis show that chlorine is mainly derived from seawater effect. Sulfur isotopic compositions of dissolved sulfur and the S $O_4$/Cl ratio also enable us to discriminate the samples (n = 18) which are affected by atmospheric input of marine aerosol (sea-spray) and also by mixing between freshwater and seawater. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope data of the samples collected lie close to the local meteoric water line obtained from nearby Pohang city but has lower slope (5.45) on the $\delta$D-$^{18}$ O plot, indicating that alluvial groundwater was recharged from infiltrated meteoric water which has undergone some degree of kinetic evaporation. The estimated initial isotopic composition of the recharged water ($\delta$D = -74.8$^{0}$ /$_{00}$, $\delta$$^{18}$ O = -10.8$^{[-1000]}$ /$_{[-1000]}$ ) suggests that the alluvial ground water recharge largely occurs during summer storm events.s.s.