Determination of the Hydrogeologic Properties of Lakebeds Using Offshore Geophysical Surveys

Studies of the relationships between ground-water systems and surface-water systems (lakes) generally require knowledge of the hydrogeologic properties of lakebed materials. Direct measurement of these properties may be prohibitively expensive or difficult in an offshore environment. A correlation between longitudinal conductance, a geoelectric parameter, and lakebed leakance (vertical hydraulic conductivity divided by thickness) may provide a rapid and inexpensive method for estimating lakebed hydrogeological properties using data collected by offshore seismic and electrical surveys. A test of the method at three study sites in Lake Michigan shows a positive linear relationship between the logarithm of longitudinal conductance and the logarithm of lakebed leakance at the three sites.     

Modeling of Plume Capture by Continuous, Low-Permeability Barriers

Modeling was performed to simulate ground water flow through reactive barriers of lower hydraulic conductivity than the surrounding aquifer to determine the plume capture widths. As a plume approaches such a barrier, it spreads laterally. Therefore, to intercept an entire plume, the barrier must be wider than the upgradient width of the undisturbed plume. The results indicate that, for practical values of barrier thickness and plume width, hydraulic conductivities ten-fold less than that of the aquifer can be accommodated by making the width of the barrier approximately 20% greater than the upgradient width of the plume. Barrier hydraulic conductivities one-hundred-fold less than that of the aquifer may require barrier widths up to twice the width of the upgradient plume for plumes 100 feet wide (33 m) and as little as 1.1 times for plumes 1000 feet wide (325 m). The results presented here lend support to the view that novel emplacement methods that create zones of slightly lower hydraulic conductivity than the native aquifer may be viable alternatives to the excavation-and-backfill approaches which have thus far been used for installing permeable reactive barriers.     

Investigating Groundwater‐Lake Interactions by Hydraulic Heads and a Water Balance

Discharge of groundwater into lakes (lacustrine groundwater discharge, LGD) can play a major role in water balances of lakes. Unfortunately, studies often neglect this input path because of methodological difficulties in its determination. Direct measurements of LGD are labor‐consuming and prone to error. The present study uses both spatially variable hydraulic‐head data and meteorological data to estimate groundwater input by LGD and lake water output through infiltration. The study sites are two shallow, groundwater‐fed lakes without any surface inflows or outflows. Horizontally interpolated groundwater heads were combined with lake water levels to obtain vertical hydraulic gradients between the aquifer and the lake, which are separated by a thick layer of lake bed sediment which has a much lower hydraulic conductivity than the underlying aquifer. By fitting the hydraulic gradient to the results of a simple mass balance and considering the process of clogging, we were able to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the lake bed sediments. We calculated groundwater inputs by LGD and lake water outputs by infiltration on an annual basis. Although our method requires several assumptions, the results are reasonable and provide useful information about the exchange between the aquifer and the lake, which can, for example, be used for the calculation of nutrient mass balances.     

General velocity formula of boundary layer above mobile sediment bed induced by asymmetric waves

Sediment movement in the wave boundary layer above a mobile sediment bed is complex.A velocity formula for the boundary layer is proposed for sheet flow induced by asymmetric waves above a mobile sediment bed.The formula consists of a free stream velocity and a defect function which contains a phase-lead,boundary layer thickness and mobile sediment bed.Phase-lag of sediment movement is considered in the formula for the mobile sediment bed.The formula needs six dependent variables about asymmetric wave and sediment characteristics.Asymmetry effects on parameters(orbital amplitude,roughness height,bed shear stress,and boundary layer thickness)are properly considered such that the formula can yield velocity differences among onshore,offshore,acceleration,and deceleration stages.The formula estimates the net boundary layer velocity resulting from the mobile sediment bed and asymmetric boundary layer thickness.In addition,a non-constant phase-lead also contributes to the net boundary layer velocity in asymmetric oscillatory sheet flow.Results of the formula are as good as that of a two-phase numerical model.Sheet flow transport induced by asymmetric waves,and the offshore net sediment transport rate with a large phase-lag under velocity-skewed waves,can be adequately estimated by the formula with a power sediment concentration function.     

Evaluation of the Role of Heterogeneities on Transverse Mixing in Bench‐Scale Tank Experiments by Numerical Modeling

In this work, numerical modeling is used to evaluate and interpret a series of detailed and well‐controlled two‐dimensional bench‐scale conservative tracer tank experiments performed to investigate transverse mixing in porous media. The porous medium used consists of a fine matrix and a more permeable lens vertically aligned with the tracer source and the flow direction. A sensitivity analysis shows that the tracer distribution after passing the lens is only slightly sensitive to variations in transverse dispersivity, but strongly sensitive to the contrast of hydraulic conductivities. A unique parameter set could be calibrated to closely fit the experimental observations. On the basis of calibrated and validated model, synthetic experiments with different contrasts in hydraulic conductivity and more complex setups were performed and the efficiency of mixing evaluated. Flux‐related dilution indices derived from these simulations show that the contrasts in hydraulic conductivity between matrix and high‐permeable lenses as well as the spatial configuration of tracer plumes and lenses dominate mixing, rather than the actual pore scale dispersivities. These results indicate that local material distributions, the magnitude of permeability contrasts, and their spatial and scale relation to solute plumes are more important for macro‐scale transverse dispersion than the micro‐scale dispersivities of individual materials. Local material characterization by thorough site investigation hence is of utmost importance for the evaluation of mixing‐influenced or ‐governed problems in groundwater, such as tracer test evaluation or an assessment of contaminant natural attenuation.     

Truncated multiGaussian fields and effective conductance of binary media

Truncated Gaussian fields provide a flexible model for defining binary media with dispersed (as opposed to layered) inclusions. General properties of excursion sets on these truncated fields are coupled with a distance-based upscaling algorithm and approximations of point process theory to develop an estimation approach for effective conductivity in two-dimensions. Estimation of effective conductivity is derived directly from knowledge of the kernel size used to create the multiGaussian field, defined as the full-width at half maximum (FWHM), the truncation threshold and conductance values of the two modes. Therefore, instantiation of the multiGaussian field is not necessary for estimation of the effective conductance. The critical component of the effective medium approximation developed here is the mean distance between high conductivity inclusions. This mean distance is characterized as a function of the FWHM, the truncation threshold and the ratio of the two modal conductivities. Sensitivity of the resulting effective conductivity to this mean distance is examined for two levels of contrast in the modal conductances and different FWHM sizes. Results demonstrate that the FWHM is a robust measure of mean travel distance in the background medium. The resulting effective conductivities are accurate when compared to numerical results and results obtained from effective media theory, distance-based upscaling and numerical simulation.     

Characteristics of preferential flow and groundwater discharge to Shingobee Lake,Minnesota, USA

Small‐scale heterogeneities and large changes in hydraulic gradient over short distances can create preferential groundwater flow paths that discharge to lakes. A 170 m² grid within an area of springs and seeps along the shore of Shingobee Lake, Minnesota, was intensively instrumented to characterize groundwater‐lake interaction within underlying organic‐rich soil and sandy glacial sediments. Seepage meters in the lake and piezometer nests, installed at depths of 0·5 and 1·0 m below the ground surface and lakebed, were used to estimate groundwater flow. Statistical analysis of hydraulic conductivity estimated from slug tests indicated a range from 21 to 4·8 × 10^?3 m day^?1 and small spatial correlation. Although hydraulic gradients are overall upward and toward the lake, surface water that flows onto an area about 2 m onshore results in downward flow and localized recharge. Most flow occurred within 3 m of the shore through more permeable pathways. Seepage meter and Darcy law estimates of groundwater discharge agreed well within error limits. In the small area examined, discharge decreases irregularly with distance into the lake, indicating that sediment heterogeneity plays an important role in the distribution of groundwater discharge. Temperature gradients showed some relationship to discharge, but neither temperature profiles nor specific electrical conductance could provide a more convenient method to map groundwater–lake interaction. These results suggest that site‐specific data may be needed to evaluate local water budget and to protect the water quality and quantity of discharge‐dominated lakes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Location and Characterization of Subsurface Anomalies Using a Soil Conductivity Probe

An electrical conductivity probe, designed for use with "direct push" technology, has been successfully used to locate buried drums, contaminant plumes, and to precisely locate and characterize a previously installed permeable reactive iron wall. The conductivity probe was designed to characterize various soil and sediment types as it was driven through the dry and saturated soil matrix; however, its ability to locate and characterize subsurface anomalies may also prove to be a valuable asset. The probe uses an electrical field that works like and mimics the results from an oilfield engineering tool called the Wenner array. This electrical field array penetrates into the soil matrix to measure the electrical conductivity of the soil matrix surrounding the probe to a radius of about two to four inches. This tool has allowed operating personnel to verify the location of manmade or natural subsurface anomalies with precision.     

Detection of Contaminant Plumes by Borehole Geophysical Logging

Two borehole geophysical methods—electromagnetic induction and natural gamma radiation logs—were used to vertically delineate landfill leachate plumes in a glacial aquifer. Geophysical logs of monitoring wells near two land-fills in a glacial aquifer in west-central Vermont show that borehole geophysical methods can aid in interpretation of geologic logs and placement of monitoring well screens to sample landfill leachate plumes.
Zones of high electrical conductance were delineated from the electromagnetic log in wells near two landfills. Some of these zones were found to correlate with silt and clay units on the basis of drilling and gamma logs. Monitoring wells were screened specifically in zones of high electrical conductivity that did not correlate to a silt or clay unit. Zones of high electrical conductivity that did not correlate to a silt or clay unit were caused by the presence of ground water with a high specific conductance, generally from 1000 to 2370 μS/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius). Ambient ground water in the study area has a specific conductance of approximately 200 to 400 μS/cm. Landfill leachate plumes were found to be approximately 5 to 20 feet thick and to be near the water table surface.     

Hydrodynamic Equilibrium for Sediment Transport and Bed Response to Wave Motion

An experimental and theoretical identification of hydrodynamic equilibrium for sediment transport and bed response to wave motion are considered. The comparison between calculations and the results of laboratory experiments indicates the linear relation between sediment transport rate and the thickness zm of bed layer in which sediments are in apparent rectilinear motion. This linear relationship allows to use the first order “upwind” numerical scheme of FDM ensuring an accurate solution of equation for changes in bed morphology. However, it is necessary to carry out a decomposition of the sediment transport into transport in onshore direction during wave crest and offshore direction during wave trough. Further, the shape of bed erosion in response to sediment transport coincides with the trapezoid envelope or with part of it, when some sediments still remain within it. Bed erosion area is equal to the one of a rectangle with thickness znm.     

Evaluating the effect of using artificial pore water on the quality of laboratory hydraulic conductivity measurements of peat

Pore dilation, the compaction of humic acids on peat fibres due to the process of flocculation, causes the hydraulic conductivity of peat to increase with increasing pore water electrical conductivity. This is a reversible process and a reduction in the pore water conductivity produces a decrease in the hydraulic conductivity due to the constriction of pores. We verify how this dilation and constriction of pores, resulting from the application of artificial pore water (primarily deionized water), affects laboratory measurements of the hydraulic conductivity of peat. Repeat measurements of the hydraulic conductivity were performed on samples of Sphagnum peat. It is shown that the application of deionized water during constant head permeameter tests causes a significant decrease in the hydraulic conductivity. Between tests, the hydraulic conductivity of the peat continues to decline without an associate decrease in the pore water electrical conductivity because of a lagged pore constriction effect. We suggest that the use of artificially high or low pore water electrical conductivities, during laboratory hydraulic conductivity measurements, is likely to lead to significant errors. Experimental protocols must, therefore, be revised to take better account of the pore water chemistry. The ionic concentrations of the natural pore fluid should be replicated during hydraulic conductivity tests, either by using pore fluid extracted from the study site or by artificially replicating the major ionic composition of the natural pore fluid. In addition, prior to the hydraulic conductivity measurements, peat samples should be flushed with this solution until the hydraulic conductivity stabilizes and the samples subsequently allowed to equilibrate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

斜长石、辉石混合模型的电导率有限元数值计算研究

以岩石实验中矿物的几何形态及空间分布为建模依据,以实验条件及单矿物电导率的测量结果为约束条件,用有限元数值方法模拟了不同微观结构的斜长石、辉石混合物在施加电压后电势及电流的分布情况,并计算了混合模型在不同温度条件下的电导率.研究结果显示,数值模型网格数及矿物颗粒数的选取对电导率计算结果的精度有较大影响,在体导电情况下,模型电导率因矿物比例含量和排列结构而异.当斜长石及辉石随机分布时,随着辉石含量的增加,混合模型电导率在不同温度下均有所增加,且温度越高,增加幅度越大,电导率的有限元模拟计算结果接近于有效介质渗透理论模型,且位于并、串联模型之间以及HS模型的上、下边界范围内;在斜长石及辉石含量一定的情况下,各矿物的排列分布对电导率计算结果也有一定的影响,当矿物颗粒大小接近且分布均匀时,模型中电势沿电流传导方向变化较为均匀,模拟计算得出的电导率相对较高,当矿物颗粒大小差别较大及分布不均匀时,电势分布受到一定的扰动,电导率计算结果也较低.将混合模型电导率有限元计算结果与辉长岩、辉绿岩及玄武岩实验测量结果进行比较,显示这3种岩石样品电导率与温度变化关系的斜率均与混合模型计算结果的斜率相接近,表明这些岩石在所选温度段导电机制与斜长石、辉石混合模型相似,用斜长石、辉石混合模型的电导率研究玄武岩、辉长岩及辉绿岩的导电性具有适用性.将混合模型有限元计算结果与玄武岩、辉长岩、辉绿岩覆盖区地壳大地电磁实测结果对比,发现大地电磁电导率结果位于混合模型计算结果范围内,用斜长石、辉石混合模型模拟玄武岩、辉长岩等岩石地壳具有一定的可行性.     

Neogene aquifer properties specified through the interpretation of electrical sounding data,Salamiyeh region,central Syria

Twenty‐nine Schlumberger electrical soundings were carried out in the Salamiyeh region in Syria using a maximum current electrode separation of 1 km. Three soundings were made at existing boreholes for comparison. Aquifer parameters of hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity were obtained by analysing pumping test data from the existing boreholes. An empirical relationship between hydraulic conductivity determined from the pumping test and both resistivity and thickness of the Neogene aquifer has been established for these boreholes in order to calculate the geophysical hydraulic conductivity. A close agreement has been obtained between the computed hydraulic conductivity and that determined from the pumping test. The relationship established has, therefore, been generalized in the study area in order to evaluate hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity at all the points where geoelectrical measurements have been carried out. This generalization allows one to derive maps of the hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity in the study area based on geoelectrical measurements. These maps are important in future modelling processes oriented towards better exploitation of the aquifers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of groundwater-monitoring networks for identification of the distribution of a contaminant plume

A new methodology is proposed to optimize monitoring networks for identification of the extent of contaminant plumes. The optimal locations for monitoring wells are determined as the points where maximal decreases are expected in the quantified uncertainty about contaminant existence after well installation. In this study, hydraulic conductivity is considered to be the factor that causes uncertainty. The successive random addition (SRA) method is used to generate random fields of hydraulic conductivity. The expected value of information criterion for the existence of a contaminant plume is evaluated based on how much the uncertainty of plume distribution reduces with increases in the size of the monitoring network. The minimum array of monitoring wells that yields the maximum information is selected as the optimal monitoring network. In order to quantify the uncertainty of the plume distribution, the probability map of contaminant existence is made for all generated contaminant plume realizations on the domain field. The uncertainty is defined as the sum of the areas where the probability of contaminant existence or nonexistence is uncertain. Results of numerical experiments for determination of optimal monitoring networks in heterogeneous conductivity fields are presented.     

Experimental studies of electrical conductivities and P-wave velocities of gabbro at high pressures and high temperatures

The studies on the physical properties of minerals and rocks in combination with the work in petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry are not only a useful mean to look into the composition and structure of the earth抯 interior, but also can provide extreme…     

Numerical simulation of groundwater flow patterns using flux as upper boundary

Since the 1960s, most of the studies on groundwater flow systems by analytical and numerical modelling have been based on given‐head upper boundaries. The disadvantage of the given‐head approach is that the recharge into and discharge from a basin vary with changes in hydraulic conductivity and/or basin geometry. Consequently, flow patterns simulated with given‐head boundaries but with different hydraulic conductivities and/or basin geometry may not reflect the effects of these variables. We conducted, therefore, numerical simulations of groundwater flow in theoretical drainage basins using flux as the upper boundary and realistically positioned fluid‐potential sinks while changing the infiltration intensity, hydraulic conductivities, and geometric configuration of the basin. The simulated results demonstrate that these variables are dominant factors controlling the flow pattern in a laterally closed drainage basin. The ratio of infiltration intensity to hydraulic conductivity (R_ic) has been shown to be an integrated pattern‐parameter in a basin with a given geometric configuration and possible fluid‐potential‐sink distribution. Successively, the changes in flow patterns induced by stepwise reductions in R_ic are identical, regardless of whether the reductions are due to a decrease in infiltration intensity or an increase in hydraulic conductivity. The calculated examples show five sequential flow patterns containing (i) only local, (ii) local–intermediate, (iii) local–intermediate–regional, (iv) local–regional, and (v) just regional flow systems. The R_ic was found to determine also whether a particular sink is active or not as a site of discharge. Flux upper boundary is preferable for numerical simulation when discussing the flow patterns affected by a change of infiltration, the hydraulic conductivity, or the geometry of a basin. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling the effects of nonlinear equilibrium sorption on the transport of solute plumes in saturated heterogeneous porous media

Transport of sorbing solutes in 2D steady and heterogeneous flow fields is modeled using a particle tracking random walk technique. The solute is injected as an instantaneous pulse over a finite area. Cases of linear and Freundlich sorption isotherms are considered. Local pore velocity and mechanical dispersion are used to describe the solute transport mechanisms at the local scale. This paper addresses the impact of the degree of heterogeneity and correlation lengths of the log-hydraulic conductivity field as well as negative correlation between the log-hydraulic conductivity field and the log-sorption affinity field on the behavior of the plume of a sorbing chemical. Behavior of the plume is quantified in terms of longitudinal spatial moments: center-of-mass displacement, variance, 95% range, and skewness. The range appears to be a better measure of the spread in the plumes with Freundlich sorption because of plume asymmetry. It has been found that the range varied linearly with the travelled distance, regardless of the sorption isotherm. This linear relationship is important for extrapolation of results to predict behavior beyond simulated times and distances. It was observed that the flow domain heterogeneity slightly enhanced the spreading of nonlinearly sorbing solutes in comparison to that which occurred for the homogeneous flow domain, whereas the spreading enhancement in the case of linear sorption was much more pronounced. In the case of Freundlich sorption, this enhancement led to further deceleration of the solute plume movement as a result of increased retardation coefficients produced by smaller concentrations. It was also observed that, except for plumes with linear sorption, correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the sorption affinity fields had minimal effect on the spatial moments of solute plumes with nonlinear sorption.     

Correlations between electrical and elastic properties of solid–liquid composites with interfacial energy-controlled equilibrium microstructures

Electrical conductivity and seismic velocity are studied for plausible pore geometries in the Earth's interior for reliable quantitative analysis of experimental data such as seismic tomography and magnetotelluric explorations. Electrical conductivity of a two-phase system with equilibrium, interfacial energy-controlled phase geometry is calculated for the dihedral angles θ = 40°–100° that are typical for rock–aqueous fluid and θ = 20°–60° for rock–melt systems of lower crust and upper mantle for the case of tetrakaidecahedral grains. Electrical conductivity vs. seismic velocity correlations are acquired by combining of the simulated electrical conductivities with the seismic velocity calculated with the help of equilibrium geometry model Takei [Takei, Y., Effect of pore geometry on V_P/V_S: From equilibrium geometry to crack. J. Geophys. Res. 107 (2002): 10.1029/2001JB000522.] for the same pore geometries. The results show that electrical conductivity gradually decreases reaching zero when seismic velocities reach seismic velocities of intact rock for rock–melt systems, while for rock–aqueous fluid systems with θ ≥ 60° conductivity drops to zero at velocities up to 10% smaller. This can explain the seeming discrepancy of the low seismic velocity region, attributed to the high fluid fraction, and the low electrical conductivity of the same region, which is sometimes faced at collocated electromagnetic and seismic experiments.     

Mapping of contaminant plumes with geoelectrical methods. A case study in urban context

During the past two decades, the diagnosis and monitoring of polluted sites have become more important. Urban sites are particularly difficult to study, because they are contaminated with various pollutants, and there is a large physical and chemical heterogeneity. The heterogeneity comes from the landfilling of various solid wastes and remolded soil (endogenous or exogenous) from which they were constituted over time. Traditional techniques such as wells monitoring, are often insufficient to evaluate the extension of soil contamination.This is why we proposed a geoelectrical methodology from the fastest to the most information rich technique, showing all carry out and acquisition times: electromagnetic low frequency conductivity mapping, electrical resistivity profiles, chargeability profiles and spectral induced polarization (SIP) soundings. This strategy has been successfully applied to an urban site located in the Paris Basin (France). A conductivity map in relation with geochemical and lithological informations should provide us information to implement electrical resistivity and chargeability profiles. The latter allowed us to differentiate 3 main anomaly zones that have been determined. As interpretation of chargeability profiles is difficult, because it integrates polarization mechanisms with different relaxation times, we add spectral induced polarization soundings that provide us information concerning the contaminant nature. We determined the extension of an organic phase, and of 2 highly mineralized zones that could be linked to biodegraded and/or with pyrite areas. That theory is consistent with groundwater analysis and SIP data.The conclusion is that the suggested methodology is well suited to the study of urban contaminated sites including several different pollutants.     

Validity limits for the van Genuchten–Mualem model and implications for parameter estimation and numerical simulation

The calculation of the relative hydraulic conductivity function based on water retention data is an attractive and widely used approach, since direct measurements of unsaturated conductivities are difficult. We show theoretically under which conditions an air-entry value for water retention data is definitely required when using the statistical approach of Mualem. Moreover we rigorously specify the conditions for which the classical van Genuchten–Mualem model leads to wrong predictions of relative hydraulic conductivity and, hence, an alternative formulation including an air-entry value should be used. Significant consequences are demonstrated for the inverse parameter estimation based on multistep outflow experiments. Furthermore it is shown that the use of a physically correct formulation of the water retention curve including an air-entry value and the derived hydraulic conductivity function influences not only the stability of numerical simulations but also their final results. This is especially grave as simulations with van Genuchten–Mualem parameters are frequently used to compare experiments and simulations and to draw conclusions on the correctness of Richards’ equation.