Evaluation of groundwater hydrochemical characteristics and mixing behavior in the Daying and Qicun geothermal systems, Xinzhou Basin

This paper examines groundwater hydrochemical characteristics during mixing between thermal and non-thermal groundwater in low-to-medium temperature geothermal fields. A case study is made of Daying and Qicun geothermal fields in the Xinzhou basin of Shanxi province, China. The two geothermal fields have similar flow patterns, with recharge sourced from precipitation in mountain areas heated through a deep cycle, before flowing into overlying Quaternary porous aquifers via fractures. Hydrochemical features of 60 ground- and surface water samples were examined in the context of hydrogeologic information. The average temperatures of the deep geothermal reservoirs are estimated to be 125 degrees C in Daying field, and 159 degrees C in Qicun field, based on Na-K-Mg geothermometry, while slightly lower estimates are obtained using silica geothermometers. Hydrochemical features of thermal water are distinct from cold water.