TITLE:
Geochemical Characterization of Soils in the Playa Lake Environment of Laguna de Encinillas, Chihuahua, Mexico
AUTHORS:
María Fernanda Ponce-González, Alejandro Villalobos-Aragón, Vanessa Verónica Espejel-García, Daphne Espejel-García
KEYWORDS:
Groundwater Quality, Soils, El Sauz-Encinillas Aquifer, Chihuahua, GIS
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: Laguna de Encinillas, located in Chihuahua, Mexico, is an ephemeral lake situated within a playa lake sedimentary depositional environment. This region plays a significant role in the aquifer supplying water to Chihuahua City. A surficial soil sampling campaign was conducted in 2017, 2018, and 2021 to assess the potential impact of surface soil composition on groundwater quality. The collected soil samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following microwave-assisted digestion. The analytical results were employed to generate spatial distribution maps of elemental concentrations using QGIS, applying interpolation methods such as inverse distance weighting (IDW) and Kriging. The analysis revealed elevated concentrations of beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), magnesium (Mg), and strontium (Sr) in the eastern part of the study area. In contrast, arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) were more prevalent in the western sector. Notably, high levels of barium (Ba), silver (Ag), cobalt (Co), potassium (K), and scandium (Sc) were identified in the northeastern region. At the same time, nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), and vanadium (V) were concentrated in the northern portion. Manganese (Mn) was particularly prominent in the southern area. The geogenic source of these elements is likely linked to the volcanic rocks from the surrounding mountain ranges.