Abstract:In order to identify the source of groundwater recharge in Erenhot, the transforming relationships between atmospheric precipitation, surface water, soil water, and groundwater were studied through isotope geochemical analysis. Due to evaporation, the soil moisture remains lower than the maximum water holding capacity for a long period, and the infiltration of precipitation is not sufficient to change this situation. Compared with precipitation, the soil water is more depleted in deuterium and oxygen isotopes. Through comparison of deuterium and oxygen isotopes in soil water, groundwater, and local precipitation, it was found that the soil water is mainly recharged by groundwater. The isotopic composition of precipitation in the Qiangtang Basin, in Tibet, is similar to that of the groundwater in Erenhot, indicating that the groundwater in the Erenhot Basin is recharged by an allogenic water source. Ankerite, red clay, travertine, siliceous sinter, gypsum, and other minerals are widely distributed in the basalt eruption regions in the Erenhot Basin. Elements such as Fe, Mg, Ca, and Si in these minerals may come from deep-circulating groundwater. The formation of ankerite and red clay indicates that the deep-circulating groundwater goes through a high-temperature process. The allogenic water may come from the seepage of rivers and lakes in the Tibetan Plateau, and the deep-circulating groundwater recharges the groundwater of Erenhot’s volcanic basalt areas via volcanic lava pipes. Based on the principle of deep circulation of groundwater, four artesian wells have been drilled near the craters in Erenhot, with the flow capacity of a single well reaching 30 m3/h.