20.500.12556/RUL-145255 An integrated approach to characterising sulphur karst springs a case study of the Žvepovnik spring in NE Slovenia We present an integrated approach to characterizing the Žvepovnik sulphur spring, comprising detailed basic geological (mapping), geochemical (physico-chemical, elementary), isotopic (δ$^2$H, δ$^{18}$O, δ$^{13}$C$_{DIC}$, δ$^{34}$S and $^3$H), and microbiological analyses. We used a multi-parameter approach to determine the origin of the water (meteoric or deeper infiltration), the origin of the carbon and sulphur, and water retention times. Our special research interest is the origin of the sulphur, as sulphur springs are rare and insufficiently investigated. Our results show that the Žvepovnik spring occurs along the fault near the contact between the dolomite aquifer and overlying shales and volcanoclastic beds. The spring water is the result of the mixing of (1) deeper waters in contact with gypsum and anhydrite and (2) shallow waters originating from precipitation and flowing through the surface carbonate aquifer. The results of δ$^2$H and δ$^{18}$O confirm local modern precipitation as the main source of the spring. δ$^{13}$C$_{DIC}$ originates from the degradation of organic matter and the dissolution of carbonates. We therefore propose four possible sources of sulphur: (1) the most probable is the dissolution of gypsum/anhydrite; (2) barite may be a minor source of sulphur; (3) the microbial dissimilatory sulfate reduction; and (4) the oxidation of pyrite as the least probable option. sulphur spring karst groundwater hydrogeochemistry isotopes Slovenia true false true Angleški jezik Ni določen Članek v reviji 2023-04-14 08:30:56 2023-04-14 08:30:56 2023-04-15 03:35:46 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2022 0 0 21 str. iss. 8, art. 1249 Vol. 14 2022 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 55 2073-4441 10.3390/w14081249 104888067 water-14-01249-v2.pdf water-14-01249-v2.pdf 1 F04AB63ED1404C7DABECF5688C85F10A fc322603241bdb1b416c566a534c68bb93331a9bebf95790f183d24aeea4dc25 114fd1b5-da8e-11ed-a314-00155dcfd717 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=167994 https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/8/1249 0 dd84816e-da8d-11ed-a314-00155dcfd717 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=167993 Naravoslovnotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0