Development of the Listvyanka, Buguldeyka, and Olkhon-Priolkhonye Monitoring Polygons of the Baikal: Prospecting Study of Trace Elements and U Isotopes in Waters from Rivers and Groundwaters

Abstract

The results of prospecting studies of trace elements and activity ratio 234U/238U (АR4/8) in surface waters and groundwaters from the Listvyanka, Buguldeyka, and Olkhon-Priolkhonye polygons of integrated monitoring, organized since 2020, are presented. At the Listvyanka polygon, wide interval of АR4/8 from 1.67 to 2.5 is obtained for groundwater in the Bolshie Koty village, at the Buguldeyka and Olkhon-Priolkhonye polygons that are located in the zone of the Primorsky fault – an interval of AR4/8 from 1.25 to 2.70. These values is general characteristic of large active faults of the central Baikal Rift Zone. Water from the Buguldeyka River differs in terms of both trace element compositions and AR4/8 values from those of its tributary Kurtun due to location of these rivers basins in rocks of the exposed basement of the Siberian Platform and its sedimentary cover, including evaporate carbonate sediments. On the Olkhon island, determined is groundwater that differs in elemental composition from the deep Baikal water.