Use of environmental isotopes to infer flow in the highly exploited aquifer system of the Diass region (Senegal)

The Diass horst multilayered aquifer constitutes a complex hydrogeological system. But stable isotopes are illustrated to be powerful tools for clarifying the origin of recharge water, and the groundwater dynamics due to high exploitation of the system. Used with 3H and 14C, data confirms that most of the investigated groundwater are palaeowaters. Pumping has an impact on groundwater flow evidenced by the different water isotope compositions that illustrates the transient conditions of the system. Mixing of old waters and recently recharged (tritiated) waters occurs in some exploited boreholes, indicates lateral flow to the pumping field through the main groundwater flow directions.