Amelioration of groundwater nitrate contamination following installation of a central sewage system in two Israeli villages

This study traces both the long-term deterioration of the ground water supply in two neighboring villages that had relied upon cesspits/cesspools for waste disposal, as well as the subsequent progressive improvement to original water quality levels. The rapid improvement is attributed to the replacement of the cesspits by a central sewage disposal network. In each of the villages of Kefar Bara and Kefar Kassem, a single, relatively deep, community well supplies drinking water. These wells were drilled into the underlying carbonate Judea Group aquifer that initially provided very high quality potable water. Over time, large increases in the nitrate contamination, reaching to as high as 67 mg/L nitrate, paralleled the population growth. The higher dissolved nitrate concentrations were also marked by enrichments in the δ¹⁵ N (approximately +8 ‰_(air)) values above those of the surrounding and regional uncontaminated background δ¹⁵ N values (in the range of +3 to +6 ‰ _(air)). Within several years after the cesspit disposal was terminated the nitrate values declined to concentrations that were reported (approximately 25 mg/L-NO₃) decades prior, when the water quality monitoring had just commenced. This study demonstrates not only how water quality can degrade but also how it can be restored once the problem is identified and countered. This simple method of ameliorating a water quality problem that was tending towards reaching serious proportions would seem to be quite efficacious for any area lacking economic alternative water resources.     

Engineering geological assessment of a proposed waste disposal site in coastal southwestern Ghana

 An engineering geological investigation has been undertaken of a proposed landfill site in coastal southwestern Ghana which is characterized by torrential rains, high relative humidity, shallow groundwater conditions and almost surrounded by a ridge. The study shows that the site has some desirable characteristics such as availability of suitable soils for the construction of the capping and bottom liners of the landfill, a large tract of land for landfilling operation and its location close to a major highway. However, the groundwater table was shallow and there was a high potential for leachate intrusion into and consequent contamination of nearby groundwater abstraction wells and surface potable water sources thereby constituting serious threat to life. Construction costs could be prohibitive as extensive dewatering and backfilling of vast portions of the project site would be required to enable the provision of a separation between the shallow water table and the bottom of the landfill. Received: 20 January 1998 · Accepted: 26 May 1998     

Examining the utility of epoxy replicas of single,natural fractures in dolostone for visualization experiments

Epoxy casts were created of five naturally occurring fractures in dolostone and aperture distribution was measured using a light attenuation method. The optically determined aperture matrices showed a skew towards smaller apertures, with the larger models demonstrating a lognormal distribution and the smaller models a normal distribution. Surface variograms of each display a significant degree of anisotropy. The models had spatial correlation ranges between 1.8 and 5 cm. The optical mean aperture, mean hydraulic aperture and mass-balance aperture were all determined. In addition, the coefficient of variation (C _v) and anisotropy ratio (AR) for each model was determined to compare their predictions with the actual tracer behavior in each of the models. In all cases, the hydraulically determined mean aperture was the same order of magnitude as the optically determined mean aperture. The mass-balance-derived mean aperture differed significantly from the optical mean aperture based on the degree of channeling in the model. However, neither the C _v nor the AR correlated well to the actual behavior of the tracers, suggesting they are insufficient to predict void connectivity. Overall the epoxy replicas performed moderately well and can be well characterized for use in studies where visualization is of primary importance.     

A statistical approach in investigating the hydrogeological significance of remotely sensed lineaments in the crystalline mountainous terrain of the island of Naxos, Greece

A map indicating zones related to groundwater on the mountainous terrain of the island of Naxos, Greece, was produced, using statistics, remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Naxos mainly consists of polydeformed and polymetamorphosed crystalline formations where groundwater is restricted to secondary porosity; its movement is erratic and occurs along lithological contacts, solution openings, faults and fractures. As in the most central Aegean islands, water in Naxos is a scarce commodity. Many dry holes have been drilled. It is known that in areas of such geology, linear features may play a significant role in their hydrogeological regime. Various lineaments’ directional properties were calculated and statistically tested against collected spring data using GIS techniques in an attempt to evaluate the hydrogeological significance of remotely sensed lineaments. Based on the results achieved, a map was prepared to contribute to conventional ground surveys in the selection of drilling sites. The reliability of the map was tested with existing borehole data. The results obtained encourage the use of statistical analysis on remotely sensed lineaments for groundwater targeting studies in crystalline mountainous areas.     

高放废物地质处置系统核素迁移模型研究

高放废物地质处置系统核素迁移研究是高放废物安全处理和处置的重要内容.从整个系统的角度出发,把高放废物地质处置系统核素迁移过程分为三种模式:工程屏障中的释放-扩散模型;地质屏障中的对流-弥散模型和在生物圈中的分区传递模型.在分区传递模型中利用转移系数描述核素在各分区之间的迁移.通过对每种模型核素迁移机理的分析得出概化模型,并给出了相应的数学描述.     

Hydrogeology of deep-well disposal of liquid wastes in southwestern Florida, USA

 Deep-well injection has been used to dispose of municipal liquid wastes in southwestern Florida since 1988. The liquid wastes are injected into an extremely high-transmissivity zone of fractured dolomite in the Early Eocene Oldsmar Formation of the Floridan aquifer system; this zone is commonly referred to as the Boulder Zone. Data collected during the drilling and operational testing of southwestern Florida injection wells provide insights into the nature of the injection zone and overlying confining beds. The location of high-transmissivity zones that are capable of accepting large quantities of waste water is vertically and horizontally variable and cannot be predicted with certainty. A 40.9-m thick high-permeability interval in one injection well, for example, was absent in a well drilled only 85.4 m away. Some upward migration of low-density injected fluids has occurred, but at no site were the injected liquids detected in deep monitor wells, such as occurred at injection-well sites along the coasts of southeastern, west-central, and east-central Florida. The primary confinement of the injected liquids (i.e., deepest effective confining beds) consists of unfractured beds of low-permeability dolomite within the Oldsmar Formation, whose locations are also laterally and vertically variable. The origin and controls of the distribution of fractures in the Oldsmar Formation are poorly understood. Received, December 1997 Revised, June 1998, August 1998 Accepted, August 1998     

Characterization of the shallow groundwater system in an alpine watershed: Handcart Gulch,Colorado, USA

Water-table elevation measurements and aquifer parameter estimates are rare in alpine settings because few wells exist in these environments. Alpine groundwater systems may be a primary source of recharge to regional groundwater flow systems. Handcart Gulch is an alpine watershed in Colorado, USA comprised of highly fractured Proterozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks with wells completed to various depths. Primary study objectives include determining hydrologic properties of shallow bedrock and surficial materials, developing a watershed water budget, and testing the consistency of measured hydrologic properties and water budget by constructing a simple model incorporating groundwater and surface water for water year 2005. Water enters the study area as precipitation and exits as discharge in the trunk stream or potential recharge for the deeper aquifer. Surficial infiltration rates ranged from 0.1–6.2×10^?5 m/s. Discharge was estimated at 1.28×10^?3 km³. Numerical modeling analysis of single-well aquifer tests predicted lower specific storage in crystalline bedrock than in ferricrete and colluvial material (6.7×10^?5–2.0×10^?3 l/m). Hydraulic conductivity in crystalline bedrock was significantly lower than in colluvial and alluvial material (4.3×10^?9–2.0×10^?4 m/s). Water budget results suggest that during normal precipitation and temperatures water is available to recharge the deeper groundwater flow system.     

Environmental impact of uncontrolled waste disposal in mining and industrial areas in Central Germany

The present-day landscape in Central Germany, in particular the region of Leipzig, Halle and Bitterfeld, is characterized by the scars of former industrial activities. Vast districts have been devastated by lignite strip mining. Industrial and domestic waste, residues from ore smelting, and highly toxic waste products from petrochemical plants and pesticide production were deposited in abandoned pits near population centers. The chief effects of waste on the environment are the contamination of groundwater by dissolved pollutants, the acidification of soil and water by the oxidation of pyrite-containing mining waste, and the salinization of shallow aquifers by rising brines from adjacent confined groundwater affected by mining. The consequences for the region are serious: mining lakes used for recreational purposes are contaminated by leachates from adjacent waste dumps. Pyrite-containing refuse from lignite mining under oxidation gives rise to the acidification of surface and groundwater, a basic condition for pollutant mobilization. In former metal mining districts, metalliferous and radioactive residues from smelting jeopardize public health. These effects are described in detail using three case studies. Received: 30 July 1996 · Accepted: 24 February 1997     

Sensitivity analysis of hydrological parameters in modeling flow and transport in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

The unsaturated fractured volcanic deposits at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, USA, have been intensively investigated as a possible repository site for storing high-level radioactive waste. Field studies at the site have revealed that there exist large variabilities in hydrological parameters over the spatial domain of the mountain. Systematic analyses of hydrological parameters using a site-scale three-dimensional unsaturated zone (UZ) flow model have been undertaken. The main objective of the sensitivity analyses was to evaluate the effects of uncertainties in hydrologic parameters on modeled UZ flow and contaminant transport results. Sensitivity analyses were carried out relative to fracture and matrix permeability and capillary strength (van Genuchten α) through variation of these parameter values by one standard deviation from the base-case values. The parameter variation resulted in eight parameter sets. Modeling results for the eight UZ flow sensitivity cases have been compared with field observed data and simulation results from the base-case model. The effects of parameter uncertainties on the flow fields were evaluated through comparison of results for flow and transport. In general, this study shows that uncertainties in matrix parameters cause larger uncertainty in simulated moisture flux than corresponding uncertainties in fracture properties for unsaturated flow through heterogeneous fractured rock.     

Vertical migration of municipal wastewater in deep injection well systems,South Florida,USA

Deep well injection is widely used in South Florida, USA for wastewater disposal largely because of the presence of an injection zone (“boulder zone” of Floridan Aquifer System) that is capable of accepting very large quantities of fluids, in some wells over 75,000 m³/day. The greatest potential risk to public health associated with deep injection wells in South Florida is vertical migration of wastewater, containing pathogenic microorganisms and pollutants, into brackish-water aquifer zones that are being used for alternative water-supply projects such as aquifer storage and recovery. Upwards migration of municipal wastewater has occurred in a minority of South Florida injection systems. The results of solute-transport modeling using the SEAWAT program indicate that the measured vertical hydraulic conductivities of the rock matrix would allow for only minimal vertical migration. Fracturing at some sites increased the equivalent average vertical hydraulic conductivity of confining zone strata by approximately four orders of magnitude and allowed for vertical migration rates of up 80 m/year. Even where vertical migration was rapid, the documented transit times are likely long enough for the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms.     

Inverse modelling of groundwater flow around a large-scale underground cavern system considering the excavation-induced hydraulic conductivity variation

This study proposed an inverse modelling procedure for evaluating the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity and its variation induced by excavation in fractured rocks by integrating a strain-dependent hydraulic conductivity model. The time-series measurements of both hydraulic head and discharge were used to construct the objective function for improving the reliability, which was solved with a combined method of orthogonal design, transient groundwater flow modelling, artificial neural network and genetic algorithm-based optimization for reducing the computational cost. The proposed methodology proves its effectiveness by successful inverse modelling of the groundwater flow around the underground caverns at the Jinping-I Hydropower Station.     

西北某放射性废物处置预选区地下水水化学特征及地球化学模拟

在放射性废物处置库的选址过程中,地下水水化学特征是最重要的因素之一。为了查明西北某放射性废物处置预选区地下水水化学特征及其演化机制,对该区地下水水样进行了水质测试,综合运用Piper三线图法、相关性分析、饱和指数模拟和质量平衡反应模拟,全面分析了该预选区地下水水化学类型的空间分布和地下水水演化的主要水文化学过程。结果表明:研究区地下水在北部山区接受补给,并向南运移,地下水类型随径流由SO4.Cl—Na型转变为Cl.SO4—Na型。地下水在径流过程中主要经历了溶滤作用、蒸发浓缩作用和阳离子交换作用等水文化学过程,它们是控制该区地下水水化学组分演化的关键。     

Effects of quarry mining and of other environmental impacts in the mountainous Chicam-Toctina drainage basin (Córdoba, Argentina)

 The environmental conditions prevailing in the Chicam-Toctina drainage system (approx. 138 km² in Córdoba, Argentina) are considered representative of a number of catchments in Argentina's Sierras Pampeanas Range. Two groups of ions reflect the sources of dissolved species in the catchment: a) a group (Cl^–, SO^2– ₄, and Na⁺) which recognizes natural and anthropogenic sources, and which exhibits significant correlations with N^– ₃ and NO^– ₂, and b) another group of components (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and HCO^– ₃) which is clearly controlled by carbonate rocks and their waste rock products. In the headwaters, stockpiled marble quarry mining wastes provide a more open system to CO₂ gaseous exchange than the outcropping rocks, thus promoting the increase of carbonate dissolution (up to 4.88 g km^–2 s^–1 during the rainy season). This specific yield was 20% higher than the amount estimated for an area with fewer extended mining activities. The dissolved load delivered by the upper reaches is subjected in the lower drainage area to various processes, mainly controlled by the presence of the city of Alta Gracia (approx. 40,000 inhabitants). In the dry season, due to nutrient inputs supplied by the city, photosynthetic activity plays a major role controlling stream pH. Hence, the high values of calcite saturation indexes and the increase of CaCO₃ concentration in bed sediments can be explained by calcite precipitation. Such a process could be accompanied by the coprecipitation on calcium carbonate of low solubility heavy metal carbonates. Received : 17 January 1997 · Accepted : 31 March 1997     

高放废物地质处置新场岩体三维地质模型构建与应用

我国高放废物地质处置经过30多年研究,已初步确定新场为地下实验室推荐场址。开展新场岩体三维地质建模研究,一方面能够充分利用已有资料准确地表达各种地质现象,直观再现地质单元的空间展布及其相互关系;另一方面可以挖掘隐含的地质信息,方便地质分析和工程决策,这在地下实验室研究阶段非常重要。在对新场已有资料综合分析和解译的基础上,建立了岩体的三维地质模型,直观地再现了新场岩体地质环境特征;并基于地质建模结果,开展了钻孔设计等工程应用,取得了较好的效果。本研究可为我国高放废物地质处置后续工作中地质分析与工程设计提供有益参考和技术支持。     

Recharge areas and geochemical evolution of groundwater in an alluvial aquifer system in the Sultanate of Oman

A regional hydrogeochemical model was developed to evaluate the geochemical evolution of different groundwaters in an alluvial aquifer system in the Interior of Oman. In combination with environmental isotopes the model is able to extract qualitative and quantitative information about recharge, groundwater flow paths and hydraulic connections between different aquifers. The main source of water to the alluvial aquifer along the flow paths of Wadi Abyadh and Wadi Muaydin in the piedmont is groundwater from the high-altitude areas of the Jabal Akhdar and local infiltration along the wadi channels. In contrast, the piedmont alluvial aquifer along Wadi Halfayn is primarily replenished by lateral recharge from the ophiolite foothills to the east besides smaller contributions from the Jabal Akhdar and local infiltration. Further down gradient in the Southern Alluvial Plain aquifer a significant source of recharge is direct infiltration of rain and surface runoff, originating from a moisture source that approaches Oman from the south. The model shows that the main geochemical evolution of the alluvial groundwaters occurs along the flow path from the piedmont to the Southern Alluvial Plain, where dedolomitization is responsible for the observed changes in the chemical and carbon isotope composition in these waters.

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Resumen Un modelo hidrogeoquímico regional fue desarrollado, para evaluar la evolución geoquímica de diferentes aguas subterráneas en un sistema acuífero aluvial ubicado en el interior de Omán. El modelo, en combinación con isótopos ambientales, es capaz de obtener información cualitativa y cuantitativa sobre recarga, direcciones de flujo de agua subterránea y sobre las conexiones hidráulicas entre diferentes acuíferos. La fuente principal de agua para el acuífero aluvial en el piedemonte son las aguas subterráneas, a lo largo de las direcciones de flujo del Wadi Abyadh y del Wadi Muaydin, desde las áreas de gran altura de Jabal Akhdar y como infiltración local a lo largo de los canales del wadi. En contraste, el acuífero aluvial del piedemonte a lo largo del Wadi Halfayn, esta alimentado principalmente por recarga lateral desde las partes bajas de las montañas de ofiolitas hacia el Este, además por pequeñas contribuciones desde el Jabal Akhdar e infiltración local. Siguiendo gradiente abajo en el acuífero de la Llanura Aluvial del Sur, allí tanto la infiltración directa de lluvia, como la escorrentía superficial constituyen fuentes significativas de recarga, las cuales se originan en una fuente de humedad que llega a Omán proveniente del Sur. El modelo muestra, que la evolución geoquímica principal de las aguas subterráneas en el aluvión, sucede a lo largo de la dirección de flujo, que va desde el piedemonte hacia la Llanura Aluvial Sur, en donde el proceso de des-dolomitización es el responsable de los cambios observados en la composición química y también del contenido de isótopos de carbono en estas aguas.

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Résumé On a développé un modèle régional hydrogéochimique pour évaluer lévolution géochimique des différentes eaux souterraines dans le système aquifère de lintérieur dOman. Avec la contribution des isotopes denvironnement, le modèle est capable de fournir des informations qualitatives et quantitatives sur la recharge, les directions découlement et sur les connections hydrauliques entre les différents aquifères du système. La source principale pour laquifère situé au long de la direction découlement des oueds de Abdyah et de Muaydin dans le piémont est leau souterraine provenant des zones de haute altitude de Jabal Akhbar ainsi que linfiltration locale au long des canaux de loued. Par contre, à part dune petite contribution provenant des infiltrations locaux et de Jabal Akhbar, l aquifère alluvial de Wadi Halfayan est en principal alimenté par la recharge latérale provenant des ophiolites situées dans la partie est. Les plus importantes sources de recharge dans laval de laquifère de la Plaine Alluviale sont linfiltration directe et le ruissellement provenant dune source dhumidité qui sapproche dOman par le sud. Le modèle montre que la principale évolution géochimique se produise au long de la direction découlement qui part de piémont de la Plaine Alluviale du Sud, où le procès de dédolomisation est responsable pour les changements observés dans la composition géochimique et en carbone des eaux.

     

Numerical modeling of the transient hydrogeological response produced by tunnel construction in fractured bedrocks

Groundwater inflows into tunnels constructed in fractured bedrocks not only constitute an important factor controlling the rate of advancement in driving the tunnel but may pose potential hazards. Drawdowns caused by tunnel construction may also induce geotechnical and environmental impacts. Here we present a numerical methodology for the dynamic simulation of the hydrogeological transient conditions induced by the tunnel front advance. The methodology is based on the use of a Cauchy boundary condition at the points lying along the tunnel according to which water discharge, Q, is computed as the product of a leakage coefficient, , and the head difference, (H−h), where H is the prescribed head at the tunnel wall and h is the hydraulic head in the fractured rock in the close vicinity of the tunnel. At a given position of the tunnel, is zero until the tunnel reaches such position when it is assigned a positive value. The use of step-wise time functions for allows an efficient and accurate simulation of the transient hydrogeological conditions at and around the tunnel during the excavation process. The methodology has been implemented in TRANMEF-3, a finite element computer code for groundwater flow in 3D fractured media developed at the University of A Coruña, Spain, and has been used to simulate the impact of a tunnel on the groundwater system at the Äspö island (Sweden). This tunnel was constructed to access an underground laboratory for research on radioactive waste disposal. The large amount of available data at this site provides a unique opportunity to test the performance of the numerical model and the proposed methodology for tunnel advance. With just minor calibration, the numerical model is able to reproduce accurately the measurements of inflows into the tunnel at several reaches and hydraulic heads at surface-drilled boreholes. These results obtained at the Äspö site lead us to conclude that accurate predictions of the transient hydrogeological responses induced by tunneling works in fractured bedrocks, can be achieved provided that a sound hydrogeological characterization of large-scale fracture zones is available.     

Evaluation of distributed recharge in an upland semi-arid karst system: the West Bank Mountain Aquifer,Middle East

Assessment of recharge in a structurally complex upland karst limestone aquifer situated in a semi-arid environment is difficult. Resort to surrogate indicators such as measurement of spring outflow and borehole discharge, is a common alternative, and attempts to apply conventional soil moisture deficit analysis may not adequately account for the intermittent spate conditions that arise in such environments. A modelling approach has been made using the West Bank Mountain Aquifer system in the Middle East as a trial. The model uses object oriented software which allows various objects to be switched on and off. Each of the main recharge processes identified in the West Bank is incorporated. The model allows either conventional soil moisture deficit analysis calculations or wetting threshold calculations to be made as appropriate, and accommodates both direct recharge and secondary recharge. Daily time steps enable recharge and runoff routing to be calculated for each node. Model runs have enabled a series of simulations for each of the three aquifer basins in the West Bank and for the whole of the West Bank. These provide recharge estimates comparable to those prepared by earlier workers by conventional means. The model is adaptable and has been successfully used in other environments.     

CH-3无人机航磁测量系统在我国新疆不同地形区的应用示范

CH-3无人机航磁测量系统具有飞行质量高、可夜航作业、方便灵活等特点,该系统已经在黑龙江多宝山地区开展了试验性面积测量工作,数据质量优秀。本文主要介绍了该系统后续在新疆克拉玛依和喀什地区的应用示范情况,总结了其在平原沙漠、丘陵低山、中高山等多种地形条件下开展测量工作的应用效果,讨论了测量数据的可靠性、飞行质量控制及系统当前的局限性,分析了无人机航磁测量技术在基础地质调查、矿产资源勘查、能源地质调查等方面的初步应用成果和应用前景。     

MapX组件在煤系高岭岩（土）资源管理及评价中的应用初探

介绍了GIS体系结构和组件式GIS特点,在VisualBasic 6.0开发环境中与MapX组件集成开发了中国煤系高岭岩 (土)资源管理系统。系统实现了属性数据和空间数据的管理,具有二者的快速查询和定位,专题图渲染、鹰眼图浏览等功能。还结合模糊综合评判与层次分析法对中国煤系高岭岩(土)矿物品质进行了评价。