Multimineral Fingerprinting of Transhimalayan and Himalayan Sources of Indus-Derived Thal Desert Sand (Central Pakistan)

Geospatial interpolation and hydro-geochemical characterization of alluvial aquifers in the Thal Desert, Punjab, Pakistan

This study seeks to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the southern part of Thal Desert of Pakistan. The primary focus lies in identifying potential sources of contamination and evaluating their impact on groundwater and the ecosystem. Groundwater samples were collected from diverse sources including shallow hand pumps, tubewells, and dug wells, with depths ranging from 11 to 28 m. A comprehensive analysis was performed to scrutinize the physical, chemical, and microbial attributes of the samples. Utilizing visual aids like the Piper, Durov, and Gibbs diagrams, as well as Pearson correlation, scatter plots, Schoeller diagrams, and pie charts, the study evaluated the groundwater quality and its suitability for consumption. Results indicate that mineral infiltration from rainfall, domestic waste, and industrial effluents significantly affects groundwater quality, leading to widespread salinity. Weathering processes and ion exchange were identified as key factors contributing to elevate levels of bicarbonates, sodium, magnesium, and chloride ions. Employing the Water Quality Index (WQI) on 40 groundwater samples, findings reveal that 52.5% of samples demonstrated poor to not suitable quality, with 27.5% categorized as poor, 2.5% as very poor, and 22.5% not suitable consumption. Conversely, 47.5% of samples showcased good to excellent quality, with 25% rated as good and 22.5% as excellent. These findings provide valuable insights for hydrogeologists to develop appropriate strategies for water treatment and address any concerns related to groundwater quality.

Composition of Amphiboles in the Tremolite–Ferro–Actinolite Series by Raman Spectroscopy

Amphiboles are an important family of rock forming minerals, whose identification is crucial in provenance studies as well as in many other fields of geology, archaeology and environmental sciences. This study is aimed to find a quick way to characterize Ca-amphiboles in the tremolite (Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2)–ferro–actinolite (Ca2Fe5Si8O22(OH)2) series. Raman spectroscopy is established as technique to perform non-destructive and quick analysis, with micrometric resolution, able to give the composition in terms of Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) ratio. To exploit the method, a preliminary characterization is performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-dispersed X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Two independent methods to evaluate the composition from the Raman data (aiming to an accuracy of about 5%), using the low-wavenumbers part of the spectrum and the OH stretching bands, are developed. The application of the proposed method to micro-Raman mappings and the possible use of handheld Raman spectroscopy to have compositional information on Ca-amphiboles are discussed.