Abstract: This study combines historical records of 14C and 3H in the atmosphere and soil with renewal rate and groundwater lumped parameter models to predict the abundance of 14C and 3H in groundwater over time. 624 groundwater samples from numerous studies, over four decades (1978–2019), in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique were collated to compare with predicted groundwater activities of 14C and 3H within the South African Development Community (SADC) region. Spatial datasets of carbonate bearing lithology, C3/C4 vegetation, summer/winter rainfall and coastal proximity were used to apply corrections to 14C and 3H data. Corrected values of 14C and 3H were compared with the theoretical abundance of these tracers, derived from the lumped parameter models, to estimate the general mean residence times and presence of groundwater mixing between modern recharge and older groundwaters. This study found that corrected values produced varying mean residence times derived from 14C ages (∼500–28500 years) and a wide range of potentially mixed waters within each aquifer system (0–100 % of tested wells) across the study area. The largest proportions of mixed groundwater, as well as the youngest mean residence times, were found in alluvial and primary fractured rock aquifers (e.g., western coast of South Africa and southern Mozambique). The smallest proportions of mixed groundwater were predicted in deep confined clay-rich aquifers as well as layered coal bearing carbonate sequences (e.g., Orapa, Malwewe and Serowe, Botswana). Insights into the proportions of mixed groundwater and mean residence times can help assess hydrological resilience on a regional scale. Such information is pertinent in promoting socio-economic development and increased water/food security in the SADC region. By understanding the resilience of groundwater resources, robust and informed strategies for water equality and GDP growth in the SADC region can be envisioned and implemented.

Abstract: This paper studies the uranium content and uranium isotopic disequilibria as a tool to identify hydrogeochemical processes from 52 groundwater samples in the province of Granada (Betic Cordillera, southeastern Spain). According to the geological complexity of the zone, three groups of samples have been considered. In Group 1 (thermal waters; longest residence time), the average uranium content was 2.63 ± 0.16 μg/L, and 234U/238U activity ratios (AR) were the highest of all samples, averaging 1.92 ± 0.30. In Group 2 (mainly springs from carbonate aquifers; intermediate residence time), dissolved uranium presented an average value of 1.34 ± 0.13 μg/L, while AR average value was 1.38 ± 0.25. Group 3 comes from pumping wells in a highly anthropized alluvial aquifer. In this group, where the residence time of the groundwater is the shortest of the three, average uranium content was 5.28 ± 0.26 μg/L, and average AR is the lowest (1.17 ± 0.12). In addition, the high dissolved uranium value and the low AR brought to light the contribution of fertilizers (Group 3). In the three groups, 235U/238U activity ratios were similar to the natural value of 0.046. Therefore, 235U detected in the samples comes from natural sources. This study is completed with the determination of major ions and physicochemical parameters in the groundwater samples and the statistical analysis of the data by using the Principal Component Analysis. This calculation indicates the correlation between uranium isotopes and bicarbonate and nitrate anions.