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Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (6): 1122-1134.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.464

• Climatology and Hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Hydrochemical characteristics and controlling mechanisms of surface water and groundwater in the Tarim River Basin

YANG Yi1(), MU Zhenxia1, LING Hongbo2(), ZHANG Yanlei2, DENG Yue1   

  1. 1 College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, Xinjiang, China
    2 Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2025-08-18 Revised:2025-09-14 Online:2026-06-25 Published:2026-06-29
  • Contact: LING Hongbo E-mail:15334453346@163.com;linghongbo@163.com

Abstract:

To address the key issues confronting the Tarim River Basin under the synergistic impacts of climate change and intensive human activities, specifically unclear salinity sources and unknown migration mechanisms, this study explores the constraints imposed by water-environment degradation and salt-balance disruption on sustainable use of water resources and ecological security. The spatiotemporal characteristics and drivers of water chemistry in the Tarim River Basin are systematically investigated. Surface water and groundwater samples collected during the 2023—2024 dry and wet seasons are comprehensively analyzed by integrating hydrochemical techniques with the absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression model. The results indicate the following: (1) Total dissolved solids (TDS) and ionic concentrations are higher in the dry season and in groundwater than in the wet season and surface water, respectively; surface water hydrochemical types change seasonally, indicating a recharge-source transition from groundwater to glacial meltwater. (2) Groundwater chemistry is controlled by evaporative concentration and rock salt dissolution, whereas surface water is mainly influenced by carbonate weathering. (3) TDS concentrations increase from west to east and from the upper and middle reaches to the lower ones, reflecting the significant impact of salt-return flows from irrigation drainage. (4) Model analysis shows that groundwater ions mainly originate from rock salt/carbonate dissolution (33.33%) and evaporation con centration-rock salt dissolution (12.00%), whereas surface water ions primarily stem from carbonate mineral dissolution (67.00%) and agricultural activities (25.70%). Groundwater contributions from unknown sources are relatively high (54.67%), indicating the presence of mixed, multisource pollution and complex hydrogeochemical processes. This study reveals that the hydrochemistry of the basin is synergistically driven by natural and human factors, providing a scientific basis for regional water-salt regulation and ecological security.

Key words: Tarim River, hydrochemistry, solute sources, controlling mechanisms