Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the source, chemical characteristics and isotopic components of the İspendere mineral and thermal waters, Malatya, Turkey. There are many mineral and thermal water springs in the area with flow rates ranging between 0.01 – 0.4 l/s. Geochemical and isotope chemistry studies were carried out at three different thermal springs in the region as well as three different cold water springs during May-October 2011. The temperature of mineral and thermal waters were measured as between 21.1°C – 23.6°C in May 2011 and as 20.8°C in October 2011. The region was determined as a low geothermal area and the reason for this is thought to be cold water mixing. The pH values of mineral and thermal spring waters were measured to be between 6.19 –6.69, EC values were measured to be between 1420 μS/cm and 2720 μS/cm, pH values of shallow and deep wells ranged between 6.04 and 7.82, whereas EC values were measured approximately between 275 μS/cm and 3300 μS/cm. The MgHCO3 water type dominates the chemistry of mineral and thermal water in study area. The results of 18O and 2H isotope analysisyield that the springs of mineral and thermal waters as well as cold waters are fed by meteoric rains. It was determined that the İspendere mineral and thermal waters have low tritium (³H), low Cl and high EC values. Reservoir rock temperatures have been estimated to be between 95 -132° C as a result of the quartz geo-thermometer calculations.

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