Limpopo Province is one of the wealthiest areas of South Africa with respect to geothermal spring occurrences, which were classified according to the residing mountains: Soutpansberg, Waterberg and Drakensberg. Mphephu, Sagole, Siloam and Tshipise geothermal springs fall within the Soutpansberg. This study is aimed at understanding the origin and age, geochemical processes controlling the water chemistry. Analyses of major ion hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes (?18O, ?2H and ?3H) were undertaken, which is supported by conventional hydrogeological information. The dominant hydrochemical facies for geothermal springs within Soutpansberg are Na-Cl and Na-HCO3. The results indicate that geothermal spring water chemistry is controlled by water-rock interaction, silicate/carbonate weathering, mineral dissolution, cation exchange and inverse cation exchange. The isotopic composition of the springs range from ?0.48? to ?5.41? for ?18O, from ?33.3? to ?24? for ?2H, and from 0 to 1.6 TU for tritium. The hydrogen (?2H) and oxygen (?18O) isotope signatures reveal a significant infiltration before evaporation takes place. This implies that the geothermal water has been originating from local precipitation with evidence of paleoclimate effect. ?3H values show that the present rainfall contributes more to the geothermal spring recharge particularly in summer compared to winter season. This corroborates with findings from the geothermal water age obtained by radiocarbon method, which placed the recharge period during the Holocene. Hence, this is clearly indicated that this water is originating from the deep circulating local meteoric water.
Presenter Name
Olatunde
Presenter Surname
Durowoju
Area
Soutpansberg, Limpopo Province
Conference year
2019
Keywords