Articles | Volume 24, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3583-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3583-2020
Research article
 | 
16 Jul 2020
Research article |  | 16 Jul 2020

Irrigation return flow causing a nitrate hotspot and denitrification imprints in groundwater at Tinwald, New Zealand

Michael Kilgour Stewart and Philippa Lauren Aitchison-Earl

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Cited articles

Agribase: Assure Quality, s.l. : s.n., available at: https://www.asurequality.com/services/agribase (last access: 14 July 2020), 2016. 
Aitchison-Earl, P.: Springs of the Ashburton Catchment, Environment Canterbury Technical Report U04/79, Environment, Canterbury, 2000. 
Aitchison-Earl, P.: Sources of nitrate in groundwater in the Tinwald, Ashburton area, Environment Canterbury Report No. R19/85, available at: https://api.ecan.govt.nz/TrimPublicAPI/documents/download/3664244 (last access: 13 July 2020), 2019. 
Aravena, R. and Robertson, W.: Use of multiple isotope traces to evaluate denitrification in groundwater: study of nitrate from a large-flux septic system plume, Groundwater, 36, 975–982, 1998. 
Barrell, D., Forsyth, P., and McSaveney, M.: Quaternary geology of the Rangitata Fan, Canterbury Plains, New Zealand, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Report 96/23, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, 1996. 
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Short summary
This paper is important for water resource management, being concerned with irrigation return flow causing hotspots in nitrate concentrations in groundwater and denitrification imprints where nitrate concentrations are reduced by denitrification although the dissolved oxygen concentration is not low. The work is highly significant for modelling of nitrate transport through soil–groundwater systems, for understanding denitrification processes, and for managing fertilizer application to land.
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