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Revisiting Mt. Fuji's groundwater origins with helium, vanadium and eDNA tracers

Research Project
 | 
01.01.2018
 - 31.12.2022

Known locally as the water mountain , for millennia Japan's iconic Mt. Fuji has provided safe drinking water to millions of people via a vast network of groundwater and freshwater springs. Groundwater, which is recharged at high elevations, flows down Fuji's flanks within three basaltic aquifers, ultimately forming countless pristine freshwater springs along Fuji's foothills. Here, we challenge the current conceptual model of Fuji being a simple system of laminar groundwater flow with little to no vertical exchange between its three aquifers. This model contrasts strongly with Fuji's extreme tectonic instability due to its unique location on top of the only known continental trench-trench-trench triple junction, its complex geology, and its unusual microbial spring water communities. Based on a unique combination of microbial environmental DNA (eDNA), vanadium, and helium tracers, we provide evidence for prevailing deep circulation and previously unknown deep groundwater contribution to Fuji's freshwater springs. The most substantial deep groundwater upwelling has been found along Japan's tectonically most active Fujikawa-kako Fault Zone. Our findings broaden the hydrogeological understanding of Fuji and demonstrate the vast potential of combining eDNA, on-site noble gas, and trace element analyses for groundwater science.

Collaborations & Cooperations

2022 - Participation or Organization of Collaborations on a national level
Brennwald, Matthias, Dr., Eawag, Research cooperation
2022 - Participation or Organization of Collaborations on a national level
Brunner, Philip, Prof., Université de Neuchâtel, Research cooperation
2022 - Participation or Organization of Collaborations on a national level
Kipfer, Rolf, Prof., Eawag, Research cooperation
2022 - Participation or Organization of Collaborations on an international level
Kato, Kenji, Prof. Em., Shizuoka University, Research cooperation
2022 - Participation or Organization of Collaborations on an international level
Nagaosa, Kazuyo, Dr., Shizuoka University, Research cooperation
2022 - Participation or Organization of Collaborations on an international level
Sohrin, Rumi, Prof., Shizuoka University, Research cooperation

Publications

Schilling, Oliver S. and Schipanski, Meagan (2023) Celebrating the launch of Nature Water - Part 4: Focus on groundwater, Nature Water Talks. Springer Nature SDG Talks (Nature Water Talks). Available at: https://doi.org/10.52843/cassyni.gxqlk9.

URLs
URLs

Schilling, O. S. et al. (2023) ‘Revisiting Mt. Fuji’s groundwater origins with helium, vanadium and eDNA tracers’, Nature Water, 1, pp. 60–73. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-022-00001-4.

URLs
URLs

Members (6)

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Oliver Schilling

PI
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Yama Tomonaga

Project Member
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Matthias Brennwald

Project Member
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Rolf Kipfer

Co-PI, Eawag
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Philip Brunner

Co-PI, UniNe
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Kenji Kato

Co-PI, Shizuoka University