Desert lakes are an important link in the water cycle and an important reservoir of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas, playing an important role in maintaining the stability of the regional natural environment. However, studies on the hydrochemical evolution and transformation relationships between desert lake groups and potential water sources are limited. Taking the Qixing Lake, the only lake group within the Hobq Desert in China, as the area of interest, this study collected samples of precipitation water, Yellow River water, lake water, and groundwater at different burial depths in the Qixing Lake region from July 2023 to October 2024. The hydrochemistry of different water bodies was analyzed using a combination of Piper diagrams, Gibbs diagrams, ratio of ions, and MixSIAR mixing models to reveal the transformational relationships of lake water with precipitation, groundwater, and Yellow River water. Results showed that both groundwater and surface water in the study area are weakly-to-strongly alkaline, with <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="40333_2025_66_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="17" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="53" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\text{HCO}_{3^{-}}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math display="block"> <msub> <mtext>HCO</mtext> <mrow> <msup> <mn>3</mn> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> </mrow> </msup> </mrow> </msub> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> as the dominant anion and Na+, Ca2+, and K+ as the main cations. The hydrochemical type of groundwater and some lakes was dominated by <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="40333_2025_66_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="87" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\text{HCO}_{3^{-}}\text{-Na}^{+}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math display="block"> <msub> <mtext>HCO</mtext> <mrow> <msup> <mn>3</mn> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> </mrow> </msup> </mrow> </msub> <msup> <mtext>-Na</mtext> <mrow> <mo>+</mo> </mrow> </msup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, whereas that of other lakes was dominated by Cl−-Na+ and <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="40333_2025_66_Article_IEq3.gif" Format="GIF" Height="20" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="96" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\text{HCO}_{3^{-}}\text{-Mg}^{2+}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math display="block"> <msub> <mtext>HCO</mtext> <mrow> <msup> <mn>3</mn> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> </mrow> </msup> </mrow> </msub> <msup> <mtext>-Mg</mtext> <mrow> <mn>2</mn> <mo>+</mo> </mrow> </msup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>. The hydrochemistry of groundwater and Yellow River water in the Qixing Lake region was controlled mainly by a combination of evaporite saline and silicate rock mineral dissolution. The local meteoric water line (LMWL) of the study area proved that regional water bodies are strongly affected by evaporative fractionation. The MixSIAR model revealed that shallow groundwater is the main recharge source of the lake group in the Qixing Lake region, accounting for 59.0%–64.2% of the total. The findings can provide references for the identification of water sources in desert lakes and the development and utilization of water resources in desert lake regions.

Hydrochemical characteristics and transformation relationships between different water bodies in the Qixing Lake region of the Hobq Desert, China

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发表日期：

2025年11月20日

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Cheng Xi,
Min Yan,
Hejun Zuo,
Ruimin Liu

摘要

Desert lakes are an important link in the water cycle and an important reservoir of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas, playing an important role in maintaining the stability of the regional natural environment. However, studies on the hydrochemical evolution and transformation relationships between desert lake groups and potential water sources are limited. Taking the Qixing Lake, the only lake group within the Hobq Desert in China, as the area of interest, this study collected samples of precipitation water, Yellow River water, lake water, and groundwater at different burial depths in the Qixing Lake region from July 2023 to October 2024. The hydrochemistry of different water bodies was analyzed using a combination of Piper diagrams, Gibbs diagrams, ratio of ions, and MixSIAR mixing models to reveal the transformational relationships of lake water with precipitation, groundwater, and Yellow River water. Results showed that both groundwater and surface water in the study area are weakly-to-strongly alkaline, with $\text{HCO}_{3^{-}}$ ${HCO}_{3^{-}}$ as the dominant anion and Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and K⁺ as the main cations. The hydrochemical type of groundwater and some lakes was dominated by $\text{HCO}_{3^{-}}\text{-Na}^{+}$ ${HCO}_{3^{-}} {-Na}^{+}$ , whereas that of other lakes was dominated by Cl⁻-Na⁺ and $\text{HCO}_{3^{-}}\text{-Mg}^{2+}$ ${HCO}_{3^{-}} {-Mg}^{2 +}$ . The hydrochemistry of groundwater and Yellow River water in the Qixing Lake region was controlled mainly by a combination of evaporite saline and silicate rock mineral dissolution. The local meteoric water line (LMWL) of the study area proved that regional water bodies are strongly affected by evaporative fractionation. The MixSIAR model revealed that shallow groundwater is the main recharge source of the lake group in the Qixing Lake region, accounting for 59.0%–64.2% of the total. The findings can provide references for the identification of water sources in desert lakes and the development and utilization of water resources in desert lake regions.