Great tritium ages explain the occurrence of good-quality groundwater in a phreatic aquifer of an urban area, Lublin, Poland

The phreatic aquifer of the Lublin chalk in the watershed of the Bystrzyca River, eastern Poland, is characterized by waters of good quality. Its hydraulic conductivity is related to a fissure network of low porosity, as much as 0.006 at the outcrops. The good quality of water in this urban setting is surprising because, according to estimates based on Darcy's law, a high seepage velocity would be expected, resulting in rapid transport of pollutants in the aquifer. However, tritium sampling reveals that the mean ages range from about 55 to 92 years in four cases, and about 250 to 350 years in 11 cases. One sampling site is free of tritium, which indicates an even greater age. Such great ages can be explained only by a retardation of solute transport due to matrix diffusion, that is, an exchange between mobile water in the fissures of low porosity and stagnant water in the matrix of high porosity. The delay factor is given as the ratio of total porosity to fissure porosity. In consequence, all types of dissolved constituents and, to some degree, fine suspended matter are delayed in their transport to springs and wells. In addition, non-conservative constituents have longer times to sorb, react, and decay than in the case of transport without a dominant influence of matrix diffusion. Though pollutants are greatly delayed, their accumulation in the matrix and slow diffusion into the fissures contribute to their persistence in groundwater. Regional values of hydraulic conductivity, estimated from tritium ages and known matrix porosity, agree reasonably well with the values known from pumping tests, which supports the interpretation of a dominant influence of matrix diffusion on solute transport. Electronic Publication     

Interpretation of tracer tests performed in fractured rock of the Lange Bramke basin, Germany

 Two multitracer tests performed in one of the major cross-fault zones of the Lange Bramke basin (Harz Mountains, Germany) confirm the dominant role of the fault zone in groundwater flow and solute transport. Tracers having different coefficients of molecular diffusion (deuterium, bromide, uranine, and eosine) yielded breakthrough curves that can only be explained by a model that couples the advective–dispersive transport in the fractures with the molecular diffusion exchange in the matrix. For the scale of the tests (maximum distance of 225 m), an approximation was used in which the influence of adjacent fractures is neglected. That model yielded nearly the same rock and transport parameters for each tracer, which means that the single-fracture approximation is acceptable and that matrix diffusion plays an important role. The hydraulic conductivity of the fault zone obtained from the tracer tests is about 1.5×10^–2 m/s, whereas the regional hydraulic conductivity of the fractured rock mass is about 3×10^–7 m/s, as estimated from the tritium age and the matrix porosity of about 2%. These values show that the hydraulic conductivity along the fault is several orders of magnitude larger than that of the remaining fractured part of the aquifer, which confirms the dominant role of the fault zones as collectors of water and conductors of fast flow. Received, April 1997 Revised, January 1998, August 1998 Accepted, August 1998     

Interactions of diffuse and focused allogenic recharge in an eogenetic karst aquifer (Florida, USA)

The karstic upper Floridan aquifer in north-central Florida (USA) is recharged by both diffuse and allogenic recharge. To understand how recharged water moves within the aquifer, water levels and specific conductivities were monitored and slug tests were conducted in wells installed in the aquifer surrounding the Santa Fe River Sink and Rise. Results indicate that diffuse recharge does not mix rapidly within the aquifer but instead flows horizontally. Stratification may be aided by the high matrix porosity of the eogenetic karst aquifer. Purging wells for sample collection perturbed conductivity for several days, reflecting mixing of the stratified water and rendering collection of representative samples difficult. Interpretive numerical simulations suggest that diffuse recharge impacts the intrusion of allogenic water from the conduit by increasing hydraulic head in the surrounding aquifer and thereby reducing influx to the aquifer from the conduit. In turn, the increase of head within the conduits affects flow paths of diffuse recharge by moving newly recharged water vertically as the water table rises and falls. This movement may result in a broad vertical zone of dissolution at the water table above the conduit system, with thinner and more focused water-table dissolution at greater distance from the conduit.     

运用地下水对潮汐的响应识别压力传导系数

在地下水扩散方程中,压力传导系数是描述地下水运动的重要参数。传统的方法是通过抽水或注水给地下水系统一个扰动,监测地下水水位的响应,由此计算含水层的压力传导系数。文章提出用潮汐衰减率方法识别含水层压力传导系数,其适用于滨海区承压含水层的参数识别。在推导出解析解的基础上,通过数值拟合、最小二乘法、牛顿迭代法求得含水层的压力传导系数,提出潮汐衰减率的概念,建立余切函数与潮汐衰减率的线性关系,用线性关系中的斜率和截距识别压力传导系数。用潮汐衰减率方法识别出的压力传导系数与其实际值相等,说明该方法是正确有效的。潮汐信号衰减率与海水振荡的余切函数线性相关。数值仿真表明,该方法可以准确地估算出含水层的压力传导系数。潮汐衰减率方法具有少打井,经济高效等优点。潮汐衰减率方法为实际工程应用提供了可靠的理论基础,它可以用于部分实际工程中。该方法的局限性在于需要提供含水层的部分参数,如含水层的长度、海水波动振幅、频率等。     

Variations in hydraulic conductivity with scale of measurement during aquifer tests in heterogeneous, porous carbonate rocks

 Previous studies have shown that hydraulic conductivity of an aquifer seems to increase as the portion of the aquifer tested increases. To date, such studies have all relied on different methods to determine hydraulic conductivity at each scale of interest, which raises the possibility that the observed increase in hydraulic conductivity is due to the measurement method, not to the scale. This study analyzes hydraulic conductivity with respect to scale during individual aquifer tests in porous, heterogeneous carbonate rocks in southeastern Wisconsin, USA. Results from this study indicate that hydraulic conductivity generally increases during an individual test as the volume of aquifer impacted increases, and the rate of this increase is the same as the rate of increase determined by using different measurement methods. Thus, scale dependence of hydraulic conductivity during single tests does not depend on the method of measurement. This conclusion is supported by 22 of 26 aquifer tests conducted in porous-flow-dominated carbonate units within the aquifer. Instead, scale dependency is probably caused by heterogeneities within the aquifer, a conclusion supported by digital simulation. All of the observed types of hydraulic-conductivity variations with scale during individual aquifer tests can be explained by a conceptual model of a simple heterogeneous aquifer composed of high-conductivity zones within a low-conductivity matrix. Received, January 1997 Revised, August 1997, November 1997 Accepted, November 1997     

多尺度非均质多孔介质中溶质运移的蒙特卡罗模拟

探讨了将蒙特卡罗(Monte Carlo)方法应用于多尺度非均质含水层中溶质运移模拟的方法。所研究的含水层由两种具有不同渗透系数统计特征的多孔介质所组成,每一种多孔介质是非均质的,且其渗透系数场符合平稳假设,而整个模拟区的渗透系数是非平稳的。Monte Carlo方法要求参数是平稳的,因此,分别对两种多孔介质产生若干随机渗透系数场后,用两种方法进行组合,并进行溶质运移的模拟计算。通过对计算结果的分析,综合考虑计算精度、计算时间等因素,得出了处理多尺度非均质多孔介质中溶质运移问题的较好方法。     

Aquifer parameter estimation using tide-induced water-table fluctuations in the Biscayne Aquifer,Miami-Dade County,Florida (USA)

The Biscayne Aquifer (Florida, USA) is a coastal, shallow, unconfined, and heterogeneous aquifer with high water tables, composed of less-permeable sand to highly permeable karstic limestone. These properties make the Biscayne Aquifer one of the world’s most productive groundwater resources. The aquifer’s high yield and non-Darcian flow cause challenges for estimating aquifer parameters, which are essential for understanding groundwater processes and managing and protecting the groundwater resources. Water-table fluctuations in the Biscayne Aquifer are associated with astronomical tidal forces and gate operations on canal water-control structures. Analysis of observed groundwater level fluctuations can provide an understanding of the connectivity between the aquifer, Biscayne Bay, and the water level in the canals. Further, groundwater level fluctuations can be used for aquifer parameter estimation. In this research, observed ocean water levels measured at tidal stations and groundwater levels are fitted to Jacob’s analytical solution, where the amplitude of the groundwater head fluctuation decreases exponentially, and the time lag increases with distance from the shore. Observed groundwater levels were obtained from monitoring wells along the Miami-Dade shore and the barrier island of Miami Beach. Results indicate that Jacob’s solution is effective for aquifer parameter estimation in Miami Beach, where monitoring wells are closer to the shore. Estimated hydraulic conductivity appears to increase by four orders of magnitude to approximately 1 m s^–1 as the distance from shore increases. Constructing monitoring wells closer to the shore in Miami-Dade County and elsewhere would permit improved aquifer parameter estimation and support enhanced groundwater modeling efforts.

     

An integrated linear/non-linear flow model for the conduit-fissure-pore media in the karst triple void aquifer system

Most karstic aquifer media may be characterized as the triple-void media with highly-varied hydraulic properties, including matrix pore, fissure and conduit, in which liner flow may co-exist with non-linear flow. In this paper, an attempt is made to couple linear flow with non-linear flow in a single unified flow governing equations by introducing the concept of equivalent hydraulic conductivity (EHC) and deriving a general Darcys law for various flow. The expression of EHC in the karst conduit and fissure are also derived. The procedures of numerical implementation are demonstrated via an ideal model and a case study of karst aquifer system in the Beishan Ore Formation area, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China.     

Stochastic analysis of the effect of spatial variability of diffusion parameters on radionuclide transport in a low permeability clay layer

Most studies that incorporate subsurface heterogeneity in groundwater flow and transport models only analyze and simulate the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity. Heterogeneity of the other flow and transport parameters are usually neglected. This approach is often justified, but there are, however, cases in which disregarding the heterogeneity of the other flow and transport parameters can be questionable. In low permeability media, for instance, diffusion is often the dominant transport mechanism. It therefore seems logical to incorporate the spatial variability of the diffusion parameters in the transport model. This study therefore analyses and simulates the spatial variability of the effective diffusion coefficient and the diffusion accessible porosity with geostatistical techniques and incorporates their heterogeneity in the transport model of a low permeability formation. The formation studied was Boom clay (Belgium), a candidate host rock for the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The calculated output radionuclide fluxes of this model are compared with the fluxes calculated with a homogeneous model and a model with a heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity distribution. This analysis shows that the heterogeneity of the diffusion parameters has a much larger effect on the calculated output radionuclide fluxes than the heterogeneity of hydraulic conductivity in the low permeability medium under study.     

Hydrogeology of karst aquifer systems in SW Turkey and an assessment of water quality and contamination problems

The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between groundwater flow and water quality of different ground and surface water basins in the southwest Turkey. In addition, groundwater vulnerability is assessed taking into consideration groundwater flow and quality. The autochthonous Beydaglari limestone is the major karstic aquifer in the region. According to the groundwater level map of alluvium aquifers in the basins, groundwater discharge toward the carbonate aquifer is direct and indirect. The hydrogeological connection between ground and surface water basins occurs via the karstic aquifer located at the bottom of the alluvium bottom. In Egirdir lake, water also discharges in the karstic aquifer via karstic sinkholes at the western border of the lake. In the research area, general groundwater discharge is toward the Mediterranean Sea by means of autochthonous carbonate system, according to hydrogeological investigations, research of lineament and hydraulic conductivities. This result is supported by the locations of lineaments and shore springs discharging from the limestone. In addition, spreading of contaminants via karstic aquifer to great distance has been clearly identified.     

贵州省大方县五凤井田水文地质特征初探

五风井田位于贵州省大方县城东侧,面积89.22km^2,含煤地层为二叠系上统龙潭组,主要可采煤层为6中、26、33号煤层,煤炭总资源量26 130万t。井田内主要含水层为三叠系茅草铺组岩溶溶洞含水层（T1m）,夜郎组玉龙山灰岩岩溶裂隙含水层T1y2）,二叠系中统长兴组岩溶裂隙含水层（P3c）、茅口组岩溶溶洞-暗河含水层（P2m）。矿床属于以岩溶充水为主,水文地质条件中等的矿床。井田的充水水源为地表水、地下水和小煤矿、采空区的老窑积水,充水通道为断裂破碎带及采矿冒落裂隙带。     

Groundwater-flow modeling in the Yucatan karstic aquifer, Mexico

The current conceptual model of the unconfined karstic aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is that a fresh-water lens floats above denser saline water that penetrates more than 40 km inland. The transmissivity of the aquifer is very high so the hydraulic gradient is very low, ranging from 7–10 mm/km through most of the northern part of the peninsula. The computer modeling program AQUIFER was used to investigate the regional groundwater flow in the aquifer. The karstified zone was modeled using the assumption that it acts hydraulically similar to a granular, porous medium. As part of the calibration, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) karstic features play an important role in the groundwater-flow system; (2) a ring or belt of sinkholes in the area is a manifestation of a zone of high transmissivity that facilitates the channeling of groundwater toward the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the geologic features in the southern part of Yucatan influence the groundwater-flow system. The model shows that the Sierrita de Ticul fault, in the southwestern part of the study area, acts as a flow barrier and head values decline toward the northeast. The modeling also shows that the regional flow-system dynamics have not been altered despite the large number of pumping wells because the volume of water pumped is small compared with the volume of recharge, and the well-developed karst system of the region has a very high hydraulic conductivity. Electronic Publication     

Fracture flow modelling based on satellite images of the Wajid Sandstone, Saudi Arabia

Large-scale geological features have been identified by satellite imagery and global positioning system data in the Wajid Sandstone in Saudi Arabia. The main objective is to evaluate the importance of fractures for the overall flow behaviour in this fractured rock aquifer and to estimate in-situ hydraulic apertures. Data on fractures and lineaments were available for three outcrops. By applying a “cut-out” routine on the fracture endpoint data of these fracture trace windows, three deterministic discrete fracture networks (DFN), with an area of 100 m?×?100 m, could be generated. These were used to simulate the fracture flow and to determine the hydraulic conductivity tensors. Using additional data on hydraulic pumping tests and matrix conductivities, in-situ hydraulic apertures could be determined. Average in-situ hydraulic apertures range from 1,300 to 1,700 µm. Observations from the field support these results. In addition, a hydraulic conductivity ratio between the matrix and fracture system was used to identify the contribution of the DFN to the overall fluid transport. A ratio of 10.4 was determined, which indicates that the effective flow behaviour in the Wajid Sandstone aquifer is not entirely dominated by the fracture system, though evidently strongly controlled by it.     

北京市朝阳区沙子营垃圾污染物在潜水含水层中迁移规律的现场模拟实验

选择北京平原区水文地质、环境地质等方面都比较典型的沙子营垃圾堆放场,建立了其水文地质模型。在充分收集资料、分析得出部分计算所需参数后,采用现场弥散实验、勘查取样测试等方法,求得了该含水层的弥散系数等参数;用二维非稳定流溶质运移方程对污染物在此含水层中的迁移扩散规律、速度和污染范围等进行了模拟计算;采用现场钻探、取样测试分析等方法,评价了该含水层的实际污染状况。实验模拟计算和现场调查结果表明:污染物在潜水含水层中的运移规律遵循二维非稳定流场中的溶质运移方程,污染物在潜水含水层中的运移速度约为86.25m/a,迁移扩散主要发生在地下水流向上,侧向扩散宽度极小,是地下水流向上的1/17。     

The impact of salt diapirs on the quality of carbonate karst waters,Bastak, Iran

The Gavbast karstic aquifer located in southern Iran is in direct contact with an exposed salt diapir. To assess the influence of the diapir on the quality of groundwater in the karstic aquifer, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, flow rate, temperature and major ion concentrations were measured at 57 sampling sites, including springs, surface waters and wells. A conceptual model of groundwater flow is proposed for the Gavbast karstic aquifer based on the geological setting, water budget, local base of erosion, and hydrochemistry of the sampling sites. The model suggests two subbasins in the Gavbast Anticline draining into two distinct discharging alluvial sections. Unexpectedly, groundwater discharging from the carbonate Gavbast aquifer is saline or brackish and water is of chloride type. The study indicates that the source of salinity of the Gavbast aquifers is infiltration of surface diapir-derived brine into the aquifer. The contribution of the diapir brine in the Gavbast karst aquifer is calculated about 4 L/s, using chloride mass balance. Construction of salt basins to evaporate brine discharging from the diapir springs is proposed to reduce the salinity of karst water. A row of strategically placed wells in the Gavbast karst aquifer would potentially exploit large volumes of fresh groundwater before it is contaminated by the salt. Such low-cost remediation should allow the agricultural exploitation of 40 km² of currently barren land.     

Evaluation of methods for determination of hydraulic properties in an aquifer–aquitard system hydrologically connected to a river

Field and laboratory methods have been used to determine the hydraulic properties in a multiple-layer aquifer–aquitard system that is hydrologically connected to a river. First, hypothetical pumping tests in aquifer–aquitard systems were performed to evaluate the feasibility of MODFLOW-PEST in determining these parameters. Sensitivity analyses showed that: the horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the aquifer has the highest composite sensitivity; the vertical hydraulic conductivity has higher composite sensitivity than the horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the aquitard; and a partial penetration pumping well in an aquifer layer can improve the quality of the estimated parameters. This inverse approach was then used to analyze a pumping-recovery test conducted near the Platte River in southeastern Nebraska, USA. The hydraulic conductivities and specific yield were calculated for the aquitard and aquifer. The direct-push technique was used to generate sediment columns; permeameter tests on these columns produced the vertical hydraulic conductivities that are compatible with those obtained from the pumping-recovery test. Thus, the combination of the direct-push technique with permeameter tests provides a new method for estimation of vertical hydraulic conductivity. The hydraulic conductivity, determined from grain-size analysis, is smaller than the horizontal one but larger than the vertical one determined by the pumping-recovery test.     

广西北山岩溶管道—裂隙—孔隙地下水流数值模拟初探

本文从水动力学角度分析各种岩溶含水介质中的水流特征,将其归纳为储水介质、导水介质和控水介质,并根据折算渗透系数ＫＬ的概念和建立耦合达西流和百达西流于一体的岩溶管道－裂隙－孔隙三重介质地下水模型,对广西环江北山矿区岩溶含水系统进行了初步探讨。北山实例的模拟结果表明,三重介质模型较全面地刻画了岩溶水动态的特征,反映了相对均匀裂隙流与控制性管道流并存、线性流与非线性流相互转变的运动特点,不仅理论上比较合     

岩溶介质非均质性对钻孔水物化指标垂向变化的影响

岩溶介质具有较强的非均质性,其地表及地下的岩溶结构形态多样。通过对钻孔结构描述、钻孔水物化性质分析,不仅能够掌握区域上岩溶含水层的结构特征,而且对于岩溶地下水演化过程的揭示亦有重要作用。文章以桂林岩溶水文地质试验场西南部峰丛山区与峰林平原交界处的钻孔为例,通过野外便携式多参数仪原位测试钻孔垂向水物化指标（pH值、水温T、电导率EC）,探索浅部（地面以下约50 m内）地下岩溶较为发育条件下钻孔水物化指标的垂向变化特征,揭示岩溶介质非均质性对钻孔垂向水物化指标的影响。结果表明:岩溶地区小范围内不同钻孔间的水物化性质有所差异,且岩溶发育相似的钻孔（如ZK4/ZK5、ZK7/ZK8）,其水物化指标垂向变化具有一定的相似性,但不同指标（T、pH、EC）的变化幅度存在差异;钻孔水物化性质受到试验场区岩溶介质结构非均质性的控制,即岩溶介质结构影响了地下水的赋存条件和水力联系而导致水物化性质的差异;在对岩溶地区地下水物化性质进行研究时应充分考虑岩溶介质的非均质性特征,根据实际的水文地质条件选取具有代表性的钻孔含水段进行取样和监测。      

Investigating the hydrogeological properties of springs in a karstic aquifer in Dorfak region (Guilan Province,Iran)

Karstic aquifers are considered as the main sources of groundwater in the northeast of Rudbar, Iran. The present study was conducted to evaluate the hydrogeological properties of karstic springs in this region. For this purpose, saturation indices (SI values) were calculated using the geochemical PHREEQC model for a number of minerals in the groundwater in the karstic aquifer. Moreover, AqQA-RockWare software packages were used to prepare hydrogeochemical plots for the aquifer, using which the sources of the ions in the water were identified. The origin of bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium ions in water was determined using chloro-alkaline indices. Moreover, through plotting a Piper diagram for spring water samples, it was discovered that water type of all springs is the Ca-HCO₃ type, confirming the karstic characteristic of springs in the area. A Durov diagram also suggests that the water composition of the springs is of the bicarbonate type with the dominant Ca cation, suggesting the calcareous effects of the region on the quality of groundwater and exhibiting a single source for the springs. The calculated saturation indices show that most of the water samples are undersaturated with respect to calcite, dolomite, and CO₂. The stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) and deuterium excess values were used to get information about transport pathways in groundwater, atmospheric moisture, and the degree of interaction between these reservoirs. The degree of karstification of the recharge area of the karst aquifer was determined to be 5.5 from an analysis of the hydrograph Sefidab Spring.