SHEN et al. (2025) Spatial and Temporal Variations in Soil Salinity and Groundwater in the Downstream Yarkant River Irrigation District

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Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-19
• Authors: ZHEN‐ZHEN SHEN, Yungang Bai, Ming Zheng, Wantong Zhang, Biao Cao, Bangxin Ding, Xiao Jun, Zhongping Chai
• DOI: 10.3390/w18010011

Research Groups

• Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text (typically associated with regional agricultural, hydrological, or water resource management departments in the Yarkant River basin region).

Short Summary

This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil salinization in the Yarkant River basin, identifying a critical groundwater depth of 2.10–2.18 m for salt accumulation. The research establishes that maintaining groundwater below this threshold is essential for mitigating soil salinity driven by shallow, highly mineralized groundwater.

Objective

• To clarify the dynamic relationship between soil salinity and groundwater depth and to determine the critical groundwater threshold required for effective saline–alkali land remediation in the Yarkant River irrigation district.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Downstream irrigation district of the Yarkant River basin.
• Temporal Scale: Seasonal analysis (Spring, Summer, and Autumn) based on field data collected in 2025.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Boltzmann function (to model the relationship between soil salinity and groundwater depth); Random Forest (RF) regression (to rank the importance of factors influencing soil salinity).
• Data sources: Field measurements of total soil salinity, concentrations of eight major ions (SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO₃⁻, K⁺, CO₃²⁻), groundwater depth (GWD), and groundwater mineralization/salinity.

Main Results

• Salinity Characteristics: Soils are primarily mildly to moderately saline, categorized as a chloride–sulfate type (dominant ions: SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, Ca²⁺, Na⁺).
• Seasonal Dynamics: Soil salinity follows a clear cycle of accumulation in spring and autumn due to evaporation, and dilution in summer due to irrigation.
• Critical Thresholds: A Boltzmann function identified a critical groundwater depth of 2.10–2.18 m. Below this depth, salt accumulation significantly increases.
• Ion-Specific Depths: The critical groundwater depths for specific ions follow the hierarchy: Cl⁻ < Na⁺ < total salts < SO₄²⁻ < Ca²⁺.
• Influencing Factors: Random forest analysis ranked groundwater depth as the most critical factor influencing soil salinity, followed by Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations.

Contributions

• Quantifies the specific critical groundwater depth (2.10–2.18 m) necessary for salt management in the Yarkant River basin.
• Provides a detailed ion-specific analysis of salinization, revealing how different chemical components respond to groundwater levels.
• Offers a prioritized framework for remediation strategies, emphasizing groundwater level regulation and the monitoring of specific ions (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) to ensure agricultural sustainability.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{SHEN2025Spatial,
  author = {SHEN, ZHEN‐ZHEN and Bai, Yungang and Zheng, Ming and Zhang, Wantong and Cao, Biao and Ding, Bangxin and Jun, Xiao and Chai, Zhongping},
  title = {Spatial and Temporal Variations in Soil Salinity and Groundwater in the Downstream Yarkant River Irrigation District},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/w18010011},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w18010011}
}

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