Integration of Geological, Geochemical Modelling and Hydrodynamic Condition for Understanding the Geometry and Flow Pattern of the Aquifer System, Southern Nyírség–Hajdúság, Hungary

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 2)

The aims of the water-2532754  manuscript are to present an improved and comprehensive conceptual model of the study site (aquifer system, Southern Nyírség-Hajdúság, Hungary) by integrating high-resolution log correlation with conventional hydrogeological and geochemical techniques.

The paper appears well-structured but some sections must be improved.  Therefore, I believe the manuscript should be published only after moderate revision.

Comments (R = row#):

R=87: among the various software used for geochemical modelling, we must also remember Eq36 widely used in various scientific works, see for example [1]

R=111: it is not clear from which wells the aliquots of water for the chemical analyzes were taken, specify better in the text and add them in the figure

R=478: the values of precision and analytical accuracy are missing

R=502: To evaluate the chemical composition of the water it is not enough to use the Piper diagram because it does not take into account (as proposed by the authors) salinity, I suggest using a TIS salinity diagram, as proposed by: [2]

R=517: which phreeqc database was used?

It is not clear how the distribution maps were made, was kriging or a deterministic method like Idw (inverse distance weighting) used

Discussion and conclusions should be revised considering the previous comments

The recommended works must be added in the references:

[1]- Fuoco, I., Figoli, A., Criscuoli, A., Brozzo, G., De Rosa, R., Gabriele, B. and Apollaro, C., 2020. Geochemical modeling of chromium release in natural waters and treatment by RO/NF membrane processes. Chemosphere, 254, p.126696.

[2]- Fuoco, I., Marini, L., De Rosa, R., Figoli, A., Gabriele, B. and Apollaro, C., 2022. Use of reaction path modelling to investigate the evolution of water chemistry in shallow to deep crystalline aquifers with a special focus on fluoride. Science of The Total Environment, 830, p.154566

 [3]- Blasco, M., Auqué, L.F., Gimeno, M.J., Acero, P. and Asta, M.P., 2017. Geochemistry, geothermometry and influence of the concentration of mobile elements in the chemical characteristics of carbonate-evaporitic thermal systems. The case of the Tiermas geothermal system (Spain). Chemical Geology, 466, pp.696-709.

[4]- Edmunds, W.M., Carrillo-Rivera, J.J. and Cardona, A., 2002. Geochemical evolution of groundwater beneath Mexico City. Journal of Hydrology, 258(1-4), pp.1-24.

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable time and effort in reviewing our manuscript.  In the attached file, the authors address each of your recommendations and comments in a point-by-point manner.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report (New Reviewer)

This is an interesting manuscript but the geologic setting and interpretations can be enhanced as proposed below.

1. The stratigraphic units presented in Figs. 2 and 5 and those described in lines 142-157 should be consistent with each other so that the readers can appreciate the paper better.

Fig.2: No Pliocene?

Fig.3: what are the ages of the green, yellow, and brown units? please show the ages and the stratigraphic units in the patterns.

2. The geologic and tectonic setting should be enhanced.

In the Miocene, consumption of subductible European lithosphere still was in progress and the Pannonian basin was dominated by tectonic extension. In the Late Pliocene, the subduction at the eastern margin of the Pannonian basin was completed, and the lithosphere underlying the Pannonian basin became locked in a stable continental frame. This region is thus prevailed by  lithosphere folding due to horizontal compressional intraplate stress that is caused by the overall Europe/Africa convergence (e.g., Horvath and Cloetingh, 1996). 

Please add descriptions related to these settings in lines 350-361. Please point out that the lithosphere folding dominates the intraplate basin pattern (Horvath and Cloetingh, 1996; Zhang, 2012) and hydrogeological framework.

Recommended references for citation:

Horvath, F., Cloetingh, S., 1996. Stress-induced late-stage subsidence anomalies in the Pannonian basin. Tectonophysics, 266, 287-300.

Zhang, K.J., 2012. Destruction of the North China Craton: Lithosphere folding-induced removal of lithospheric mantle? Journal of Geodynamics, 53, 8–17.

3. Fig.1a is a Mercator projection and has no constant scale.

4. It is highly likely that it is a normal fault for the eastern boundary of the basin shown in sections 1 and 2 of Fig. 4. You can redraw it and add interpretion in the text.

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable time and effort in reviewing our manuscript.  In the attached file, the authors address each of your recommendations and comments in a point-by-point manner.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report (New Reviewer)

-The manuscript was accepted and take in consideration some comments in the attach file.

- The manuscript recorded only 16 references in the 5 years (2018-2023) ago (18%) from the total references, it is very good where the recent paper prefer has (25%),

- Generally the manuscript represented a good addition and good luck for the authors.

Thank you Editor

Please read this article

 

Hydrochemical modeling of groundwater quality from Sinai, eastern and western deserts, Egypt

E.A. Abou El‑Anwar and Salman A. S. (2022), Modeling Earth Systems and Environment

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable time and effort in reviewing our manuscript.  In the attached file, the authors address each of your recommendations and comments in a point-by-point manner.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 2)

The work has improved, but there are many errors in the bibliography. just to give an example, on line 637, the authors cite work number 73 for the TIS, but reference 73 is:

Miall, A.D. The Geology of Fluvial Deposits. Sedimentary Facies, Basin Analysis, and Petroleum Geology.; Fourth Edi.; Springer, 2006; 1111
ISBN 3540591869.

while it should be:

  Fuoco, I., Marini, L., De Rosa, R., Figoli, A., Gabriele, B. and Apollaro, C., 2022. Use of reaction path modeling to investigate the evolution of water chemistry in shallow to deep crystalline aquifers with a special focus on fluoride. Science of The Total Environment, 830, p.154566

This is just an example, but the bibliography must be double-checked very carefully!

Reviewer 2 Report (New Reviewer)

The authors have carefully responded to the concerns and I recommend to accept it for publication.

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript is aimed to study the geometry and flow pattern of the aquifer system. The abstract and introduction do not provide a good summary of the research methods, results and novelty of this study, as well as a summary of other studies. At the same time, the results and discussion are trivial, which makes it difficult to interest the readers.

no

Reviewer 2 Report

The aims of the water-2439330 manuscript are to present an improved and comprehensive conceptual model of the study site (aquifer system, Southern Nyírség-Hajdúság, Hungary) by integrating high-resolution log correlation with conventional hydrogeological techniques.

The paper appears well-structured but some sections must be improved.  Therefore, I believe the manuscript should be published only after moderate revision.

Comments (R = row#):

R=87: among the various software used for geochemical modelling, we must also remember Eq36 widely used in various scientific works, see for example [1]

R=111: it is not clear from which wells the aliquots of water for the chemical analyzes were taken, specify better in the text and add them in the figure

R=431: the values of precision and analytical accuracy are missing

R=438: use box plots to better describe and visualize these characteristics and variations

R=448: To evaluate the chemical composition of the water it is not enough to use the Piper diagram because it does not take into account (as proposed by the authors) salinity, I suggest using a TIS salinity diagram, as proposed by: [2]

R=537: It could be useful to improve discussion with further diagrams such as Cl vs mobile constituent. Mobile constituents help comprehension about relationships and evolutions of systems. In this case, to improve knowledge about mixing between different sources, as proposed by: [3]- [4]

It is not clear how the distribution maps were made, was kriging or a deterministic method like Idw (inverse distance weighting) used

Discussion and conclusions should be revised considering the previous comments

ADD THESE REFERENCES

[1]- Apollaro, C., Marini, L. and De Rosa, R., 2007. Use of reaction path modeling to predict the chemistry of stream water and groundwater: a case study from the Fiume Grande valley (Calabria, Italy). Environmental geology, 51, pp.1133-1145.

[2]- Apollaro, C., Tripodi, V., Vespasiano, G., De Rosa, R., Dotsika, E., Fuoco, I., Critelli, S. and Muto, F., 2019. Chemical, isotopic and geotectonic relations of the warm and cold waters of the Galatro and Antonimina thermal areas, southern Calabria, Italy. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 109, pp.469-483. 

[3]- Blasco, M., Auqué, L.F., Gimeno, M.J., Acero, P. and Asta, M.P., 2017. Geochemistry, geothermometry and influence of the concentration of mobile elements in the chemical characteristics of carbonate-evaporitic thermal systems. The case of the Tiermas geothermal system (Spain). Chemical Geology, 466, pp.696-709.

[4]- Edmunds, W.M., Carrillo-Rivera, J.J. and Cardona, A., 2002. Geochemical evolution of groundwater beneath Mexico City. Journal of Hydrology, 258(1-4), pp.1-24.