Trace Elements in Thermal Waters of the Northern Tien Shan: Distribution and Fate

This article presents new data on the abundance and ways of dissolved trace elements (Si, Fe, F, Al, Sr, Br, B, Mn, Ba, Ti, Li, Rb, Mo, As, U, Th, W, Sc, Y, REE, and Hf) in thermomineral, surface, and ground waters of the northern Tien Shan (Issyk-Kul intermountain depression). It has been established that the trace element composition of thermomineral waters can serve as a marker of hydrogeological settings of water formation and flow: waters of sedimentary rocks of the intermountain artesian basin are enriched with Sr, Ba, Mn, B, Mo, and U, while the waters of rock massifs contain increased concentrations of F, Rb, W, and Sc. Thermodynamic calculations performed for certain trace elements in Visual-MINTEQ 3.1 and GWB 14 have made it possible to identify the water migration patterns of the surveyed water points. Calculation of the water migration coefficient has shown the dependence of the rate of microcomponent accumulation on the type of water-bearing strata and hydrogeological conditions of water formation.