The Horizontal Reactive Media Treatment Well (HRX Well®) for Passive In‐Situ Remediation

A new in‐situ remediation concept termed a Horizontal Reactive Media Treatment Well (HRX Well®) is presented that utilizes horizontal wells filled with reactive media to passively treat contaminated groundwater in‐situ. The approach involves the use of large‐diameter directionally drilled horizontal wells filled with granular reactive media generally installed parallel to the direction of groundwater flow. The design leverages natural “flow‐focusing” behavior induced by the high in‐well hydraulic conductivity of the reactive media relative to the aquifer hydraulic conductivity to passively capture and treat proportionally large volumes of groundwater within the well. Clean groundwater then exits the horizontal well along its downgradient sections. Many different types of solid granular reactive media are already available (e.g., zero valent iron, activated carbon, ion exchange resins, zeolite, apatite, chitin); therefore, this concept could be used to address a wide range of contaminants. Three‐dimensional flow and transport simulations were completed to assess the general hydraulic performance, capture zones, residence times, effects of aquifer heterogeneity, and treatment effectiveness of the concept. The results demonstrate that capture and treatment widths of up to tens of feet can be achieved for many aquifer settings, and that reductions in downgradient concentrations and contaminant mass flux are nearly immediate. For a representative example, the predicted treatment zone width for the HRX Well is approximately 27 to 44 feet, and contaminant concentrations immediately downgradient of the HRX Well decreased an order of magnitude within 10 days. A series of laboratory‐scale physical tests (i.e., tank tests) were completed that further demonstrate the concept and confirm model prediction performance. For example, the breakthrough time, peak concentration and total mass recovery of methylene blue (reactive tracer) was about 2, 35, and 20 times (respectively) less than chloride (conservative tracer) at the outlet of the tank‐scale HRX Well.     

“Crustal splitting and the emplacement of Pyrenean lherzolites and granulites”—A reply to M.W. Fischer

The emplacement of Pyrenean lherzolites is a fascinating problem to tackle because of the unusual location of the lherzolites within sediments and the numerous constraints which are currently available on the Pyrenean belt (plates kinematics, petrology, structural geology, geochemistry, geophysics). Our model [1] represents an attempt to integrate the emplacement of lherzolites within the geodynamic evolution of the Pyrenees. However, on the basis of imprecise statements and observations, and neglecting or quoting incorrectly several previous works. Fischer [2] considers that we failed to address a number of problems relevant to the evolution of the North Pyrenean Fault Zone. Most of his comments find an answer in a careful reading of our article; nevertheless the following points must be clearly emphasized.