Hydrochemical characteristics and driving factors of travertine deposition in Huanglong, Sichuan, SW, China

ABSTRACT The hydrochemical characteristics were analyzed by mathematical statistics, the hydrochemical types were analyzed by Piper three line diagram, and the sources and influencing factors of main ions in surface water were discussed by Gibbs diagram and ion correlation analysis. The results show that the TDS of surface water in the study area is 109–559 mg·L−1, and the average value is 318.67 mg·L−1; The pH value is 6.81–8.62, and the average value is 7.85. Most of them belong to weakly alkaline water. The surface water cation is mainly Ca2+ and Mg2+, the anion is mainly HCO3- and the hydrochemical type is HCO3–Ca. Through the correlation analysis of the main ions, it can be seen that TDS has a significant positive correlation with Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and HCO3−, and these ions contribute to TDS. HCO3− has a significant correlation with Na+, K+ and Mg2+ and comes from carbonate rocks. According to the analysis of water–rock model, the hydrochemical genesis of surface water in the study area is mainly controlled by rock weathering, most ions are weathered and dissolved by carbonate rock and evaporated salt rock and a few cations are affected by water ion exchange.