Volcanic Arsenic Sources and Seasonal Hydrogeochemistry in the El Salado Basin, Jalisco, Mexico

Volcanic Arsenic Sources and Seasonal Hydrogeochemistry in the El Salado Basin, Jalisco, Mexico | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Volcanic Arsenic Sources and Seasonal Hydrogeochemistry in the El Salado Basin, Jalisco, Mexico Miriam Marcela Tostado Plascencia, Marciano Sanchez Tizapa, María Alejandra Carreón Álvarez, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6846555/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 05 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Environmental Earth Sciences → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study investigates the hydrogeochemical processes that shape groundwater and surface water quality in the El Salado basin, a volcanically influenced region in western Mexico. A total of 36 samples, 19 in spring and 17 in summer, were collected from thermal springs, shallow wells, and surface water bodies to evaluate seasonal variation in water composition. Major ions and physicochemical parameters were analyzed, and principal component analysis was applied to identify dominant geochemical controls. Results indicate that water–rock interaction is the main process influencing solute concentrations, especially in thermal zones linked to the La Primavera volcanic system. Spring waters reflect dilution and carbonate buffering, while summer samples exhibit higher salinity, longer residence times, and increased influence from evaporative concentration and redox-sensitive species. Arsenic levels exceeded 0.05 mg/L in several thermal springs, with geochemical associations suggesting a geological origin related to the dissolution of arsenic-bearing minerals and geothermal fluid input. The findings reveal a clear seasonal reorganization of hydrogeochemical patterns, emphasizing the role of climatic conditions in modulating water chemistry. This study provides a scientific basis for seasonally adaptive monitoring and management strategies in volcanic aquifer systems facing increasing demand for high-quality groundwater. hydrogeochemistry arsenic boron geothermal influence principal component analysis spatial interpolation El Salado Basin water quality seasonal variation multivariate analysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 05 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Environmental Earth Sciences → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 01 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 30 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 14 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 10 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6846555","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":469246071,"identity":"5e8c3d02-5963-4254-8e34-cee863dca8a8","order_by":0,"name":"Miriam Marcela Tostado Plascencia","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Centro Universitario de los Valles, Universidad de Guadalajara","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Miriam","middleName":"Marcela Tostado","lastName":"Plascencia","suffix":""},{"id":469246072,"identity":"024b0774-baa7-4250-ac4b-123ffc4cb3b2","order_by":1,"name":"Marciano Sanchez Tizapa","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABCUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLACxgYGBn4QgweMQICNCC2SDSRrMTjAAFePX4tu/+FnD37usLE3Pn744Yc3Fdtk+NvbHzDzlNUy6M5IwKrF7EaauWHvmTRmszNpxpJzztzmkThzxoCZ59xxBrMzB3BoYTCTZmw7zGZ2IIdBmrftNo+BRA4DM2/bMQaz4w3YtZw//g2o5T+Pcf8b5t+8/0Ba0h9AtBzG7heg4SBbDkgADWeT5m0AaUkwAGqpwW3LjZwyyd62ZAOJG8/MLOccg/jl4JxzB3hw+uX88W0SP9vs7Pn7kx/feFNz2x4YYg8fvCmrkzO7gT3EsAOg8Yd5CKpCB3Uk6xgFo2AUjIJhCwCjml+RfgG6qQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Centro Universitario de los Valles, Universidad de Guadalajara","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Marciano","middleName":"Sanchez","lastName":"Tizapa","suffix":""},{"id":469246073,"identity":"ccbc8554-5ab1-4a5f-8ab6-9111837da5b9","order_by":2,"name":"María Alejandra Carreón Álvarez","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Centro Universitario de los Valles, Universidad de Guadalajara","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"María","middleName":"Alejandra Carreón","lastName":"Álvarez","suffix":""},{"id":469246074,"identity":"93dc6731-f2cf-46cb-b7b2-5d0c95ba923c","order_by":3,"name":"Celia De la Mora Orozco","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Programa Manejo Integral de Cuencas., Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones, Forestales, Agrı́colas y Pecuarias","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Celia","middleName":"De la Mora","lastName":"Orozco","suffix":""},{"id":469246075,"identity":"f1ddfe0e-8fcf-467a-8045-79f125746756","order_by":4,"name":"Irma Julieta González Acuña","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Laboratorio de Fertilidad de Suelos y Nutrición Vegetal. 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