62 Advancing the Understanding and Management of Groundwater Pollution with Arsenic and Other Geogenic Contaminants Using Geospatial Tools, Machine Learning, and Data Science (Posters)
The growing trend of data aggregation and analysis, along with emerging technologies like machine learning, has significantly improved our understanding of groundwater basins, enabling better assessments of water quality for direct consumption and treatment in groundwater supply management.
Sunday, 19 October 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, Hall 1
Hydrogeochemical Variation in Northern Hawai'i Water Sources: Implications for Rum Fermentation and Spirit Terroir
Paper number: 62-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Authors
Abstract
Water chemistry plays a pivotal role in alcoholic fermentation, affecting yeast metabolism, enzymatic function, and ultimately, the sensory qualities of distilled spirits. This study presents the hydrogeochemical characterization of ten diverse water sources across Northern Hawaiʻi to assess their suitability for use in rum fermentation. Major and trace element concentrations were measured for potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). Observed ranges across all samples were: K: <0.001–1.52 g/L, Ca: <0.001–0.145 g/L, Na: <0.001–0.694 g/L, Mg: <0.0005–0.420 g/L, Fe: <0.001–0.003 g/L, Mn: <0.0001–0.0033 g/L, Zn <0.0002–0.0095 g/L. These concentrations influence critical fermentation parameters, including yeast health, buffering capacity, and trace nutrient availability. Elevated levels of K, Na, and Mg may enhance fermentation kinetics but also risk introducing off-flavors or inhibiting yeast strains sensitive to osmotic stress. Conversely, water with very low ionic strength may require mineral supplementation to support robust fermentation. The data suggest that Northern Hawaiʻi offers a chemically diverse natural palette for spirit production, with some waters potentially imparting a unique regional terroir to Hawaiʻian rum. Follow-up studies will involve fermentation trials to quantify metabolic responses and characterize flavor impacts across water types.
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6
doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-414908
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