Investigation into subsidence hazards due to groundwater pumping from Aquifer II in Changzhou,China

This paper presents an investigation into increased deformation of Aquifer II caused by groundwater pumping from the aquifer in Changzhou, China. As groundwater levels of aquifers have been decreasing in recent decades due to uncontrolled water pumping, land subsidence is becoming a serious geohazard in Changzhou. Based on recently reported field data, the compression of aquitards has not increased compared to that of aquifers with the same scale of layer thickness. The Cosserat continuum model was adopted to analyse the observed phenomenon in this study. A classic Cauchy continuum model is also used for comparison. The comparison between these two models indicates that the proposed approach can interpret the increased deformation well, and the classic Cauchy continuum model underestimates the aquifer deformation as it does not consider shear displacement and macro-rotation. A discussion on the relationship between the groundwater level in the aquifer and subsidence is then undertaken. The results show that the severity of the annual subsidence is correlated with the variation in groundwater level in Aquifer II. To mitigate the subsidence hazards, countermeasures should be adopted to avoid the shear stress in aquifers which results from the high hydraulic gradient, by the appropriate allocation of pumping wells and by restricting groundwater withdrawal volume from each pumping operation.     

Assessment of groundwater recharge and water fluxes of the Guarani Aquifer System, Brazil

The groundwater recharge and water fluxes of the Guarani Aquifer System in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil were assessed through a numeric model. The study area (6,748 km²) comprises Jacaré-Guaçú and Jacaré-Pepira River watersheds, tributaries of the Tietê River in the central region of the state. GIS based tools were used in the storage, processing and analysis of data. Main hydrologic phenomena were selected, leading to a groundwater conceptual model, taking into account the significant outcrops occurring in the study area. Six recharge zones were related to the geologic formation and structures of the semi-confined and phreatic aquifer. The model was calibrated against the baseflows and static water levels of the wells. The results emphasize the strong interaction of groundwater flows between watersheds and the groundwater inflow into the rivers. It has been concluded that lateral groundwater exchanges between basins, the deep discharges to the regional system, and well exploitation were not significant aquifer outflows when compared to the aquifer recharge. The results have shown that the inflows from the river into the aquifer are significant and have the utmost importance since the aquifer is potentially more vulnerable in these places.     

Estimating hydraulic properties from tidal attenuation in the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, territory of Guam, USA

Tidal-signal attenuations are analyzed to compute hydraulic diffusivities and estimate regional hydraulic conductivities of the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, Territory of Guam (Pacific Ocean), USA. The results indicate a significant tidal-damping effect at the coastal boundary. Hydraulic diffusivities computed using a simple analytical solution for well responses to tidal forcings near the periphery of the island are two orders of magnitude lower than for wells in the island’s interior. Based on assigned specific yields of ～0.01–0.4, estimated hydraulic conductivities are ～20–800 m/day for peripheral wells, and ～2,000–90,000 m/day for interior wells. The lower conductivity of the peripheral rocks relative to the interior rocks may best be explained by the effects of karst evolution: (1) dissolutional enhancement of horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the interior; (2) case-hardening and concurrent reduction of local hydraulic conductivity in the cliffs and steeply inclined rocks of the periphery; and (3) the stronger influence of higher-conductivity regional-scale features in the interior relative to the periphery. A simple numerical model calibrated with measured water levels and tidal response estimates values for hydraulic conductivity and storage parameters consistent with the analytical solution. The study demonstrates how simple techniques can be useful for characterizing regional aquifer properties.     

Characteristics of Valadares Island aquifer,Paranaguá coastal plain,Brazil

. Aquifer characterization in terms of geologic–geomorphological considerations, pumping test and hydrochemistry has been carried out to evaluate the groundwater potential of one of the delicate coastal island systems in Parana State, Brazil. The Valadares Island, lying in the Atlantic coastal zone, represents a stabilized beach ridge having a thickness of more than 20 m unconsolidated quartz-rich sand. Field and laboratory investigations suggest that this homogeneous coastal aquifer can partially meet the local domestic demand of fresh water even though it is in hydraulic continuity with the estuarine and tidal systems of Paranaguá bay. Efficiency of the aquifer to hold and release water was determined by conducting a pumping test in one of the partially penetrating wells in the island for 24 h. The physical, chemical and biological analyses of samples from 12 5-cm diameter wells of the area have indicated that groundwater needs purification for drinking purpose. It is advocated that the groundwater potential of the island aquifer is worth considering for sustained but controlled exploitation.     

Heat transport in a coastal groundwater flow system near De Panne, Belgium

Temperature distribution and heat transport are studied in a coastal aquifer at De Panne in the western Belgian coastal plain. Field observations include temperature profiles of groundwater in the dunes and temperature measurements at the water table in a profile on the shore. Freshwater–saltwater distribution is known from previous studies. These are used to constrain a density-dependent model simulating the freshwater–saltwater distribution and heat transport using the SEAWAT code. The yearly fluctuation of the groundwater temperature in the phreatic aquifer under the dunes, shore and sea, and the influence of a tidal inlet in the dunes are simulated. The observations show that seawater temperature variations determine the temperature variations on the shore whereas atmospheric temperature changes determine this in the dunes. Yearly temperature fluctuations imposed at the water table propagate mainly vertically in the aquifer with only limited lateral influence. Heat transport is mainly convection dominated. Thickness of the surficial zone is determined by the amplitude of the groundwater temperature at the water table and the groundwater flow. Establishment of a tidal inlet in the dunes results in asymmetric temperature profiles under and in the vicinity of it.     

利用不对称的地下水位潮汐波动确定滨海含水层参数

在滨海地区,地下水水位受潮汐波动影响较大,使得传统的抽水试验、水位回复试验等方法确定含水层参数存在困难且花费较大。通过对广西北海市滨海含水层地下水位动态资料进行分析,发现其上升段和下降段是不对称的。基于海岸带承压含水层正弦潮汐波的传播理论,提出了确定含水层参数的分段法,并与振幅衰减法和滞后时间法进行对比,各种方法求出的储水系数与导水系数之比(S/T)很接近,说明分段法是有效的。对于北海市滨海含水层,上升段求出的S/T值比下降段要大,其成因机理还有待进一步分析。     

Hydrogeologic framework of Pico Island, Azores, Portugal

Pico, the youngest island of the Azores archipelago, is composed of basaltic volcanic deposits less than 300,000 years old. The principal aquifer system consists mainly of recent lava flows that are very permeable and whose head is influenced by tidal fluctuations. Groundwater abstraction is almost entirely by drilled wells. The hydraulic gradient is very low, about 10^–4, which agrees with observations made on similar volcanic islands. Groundwater also occurs in perched-water bodies, but the spring discharge from them is very low, about 10^–3 L/s. The transmissivity of the volcanic rocks ranges from 9.44×10^–3 to 3.05×10^–1 m²/s, indicating the heterogeneity of the aquifers. The hydraulic diffusivity, estimated from observations of the effects of tidal fluctuations, also confirms the high permeability of the aquifer system; the average value is higher than published values for other volcanic islands. A mixing process for fresh water and seawater, often coupled with ion-exchange mechanisms, explains the groundwater composition, which is mainly of the sodium-chloride type. The water salinity influences the groundwater quality, resulting in a chloride content that exceeds the recommended chloride limit in 91% of the wells . Water–rock interactions are dominant in the chemical evolution of the perched water, which is characterized by bicarbonate-anion type water. Electronic Publication     

Ambient vertical flow in long-screen wells: a case study in the Fontainebleau Sands Aquifer (France)

A tritium (³H) profile was constructed in a long-screened well (LSW) of the Fontainebleau Sands Aquifer (France), and the data were combined with temperature logs to gain insight into the potential effects of the ambient vertical flow (AVF) of water through the well on the natural aquifer stratification. AVF is commonly taken into account in wells located in fracture aquifers or intercepting two different aquifers with distinct hydraulic heads. However, due to the vertical hydraulic gradient of the flow lines intercepted by wells, AVF of groundwater is a common process within any type of aquifer. The detection of ³H in the deeper parts of the studied well (approximate depth 50 m), where ³H-free groundwater is expected, indicates that shallow young water is being transported downwards through the well itself. The temperature logs show a nearly zero gradient with depth, far below the mean geothermal gradient in sedimentary basins. The results show that the age distribution of groundwater samples might be biased in relation to the age distribution in the surroundings of the well. The use of environmental tracers to investigate aquifer properties, particularly in LSWs, is then limited by the effects of the AVF of water that naturally occurs through the well.     

Mapping groundwater development costs for the transboundary Western Aquifer Basin, Palestine/Israel

The costs of developing groundwater in the Western Aquifer Basin vary considerably across the West Bank and Israel. One of the main reasons for this variability is the diverse hydrogeological conditions within the aquifer. Using data from recent hydrogeological investigations, an estimate of the variation of both the drilling and pumping costs was calculated and then mapped across the Upper and Lower Aquifers within the Western Aquifer Basin. These groundwater cost maps proved helpful in analyzing the impacts of hydrogeology on water supply, and also in communicating complex hydrogeological information to a broader audience. The maps clearly demonstrate that the most cost-effective area to develop groundwater is along the Green Line—the 1949 armistice boundary between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. Any migration of this boundary eastwards will affect the cost and feasibility of developing groundwater within Palestine, making abstraction from the Upper Aquifer impracticable, and increasing the cost of developing the Lower Aquifer. Therefore, the separation wall, which is being constructed to the east of the Armistice Line in Palestinian territory, will significantly reduce the ability of the Palestinians to develop groundwater resources.     

Spatial distribution of nitrate and related factors in the High Plains Aquifer,Texas

Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) and statistics, objectives of this study were to evaluate: (a) the spatial distribution of nitrate concentrations in groundwater, and (b) associations between nitrate concentrations and: proximity to playa lakes, hydraulic conductivity of soil, well depth, and land use in the High Plains Aquifer, Texas. Data were compiled from wells sampled during 2000–2008. Nitrate concentrations in approximately 9% of wells exceeded the maximum contaminant level for drinking water. Concentrations were generally higher beneath urban and agricultural land, under permeable soil, and in shallow wells (especially in the southern part of the study area). However, concentrations were lower near playa lakes. While playas focus recharge to groundwater, denitrification in reducing environments lower nitrate concentrations beneath them. This study identifies areas vulnerable to nitrate contamination that warrant continued monitoring and mitigation efforts.     

Temporal trends in concentrations of DBCP and nitrate in groundwater in the eastern San Joaquin Valley,California, USA

Temporal monitoring of the pesticide 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) and nitrate and indicators of mean groundwater age were used to evaluate the transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in groundwater and to predict the long-term effects in the regional aquifer system in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California. Twenty monitoring wells were installed on a transect along an approximate groundwater flow path. Concentrations of DBCP and nitrate in the wells were compared to concentrations in regional areal monitoring networks. DBCP persists at concentrations above the US Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) at depths of nearly 40 m below the water table, more than 25 years after it was banned. Nitrate concentrations above the MCL reached depths of more than 20 m below the water table. Because of the intensive pumping and irrigation recharge, vertical flow paths are dominant. High concentrations (above MCLs) in the shallow part of the regional aquifer system will likely move deeper in the system, affecting both domestic and public-supply wells. The large fraction of old water (unaffected by agricultural chemicals) in deep monitoring wells suggests that it could take decades for concentrations to reach MCLs in deep, long-screened public-supply wells, however.     

利用滨海地下水系统对双频潮汐的响应识别含水层压力传导系数

含水层的压力传导系数是地下水溶质运移及扩散的重要参数,通常压力传导系数由抽水试验确定,即通过抽水给地下水系统一个扰动,然后监测地下水水位的响应,进而计算压力传导系数.对滨海地区含水层来说,潮汐波动就是天然的抽(注)水试验.潮汐由不同频率的分潮构成,前两项主频潮汐基本可代表潮汐主要特征.利用地下水水位对潮汐的响应,识别含...     

某地下空间承压含水层抽水试验及成果分析

由于地下水突涌风险,地下空间在施工作业中有必要通过抽水试验确定承压含水层的水文地质参数。依据勘察报告的初步评价,基坑开挖15.5m时,场地内第⑦1层承压含水层有可能产生突涌,为确保工程安全施工,需开挖前进行承压含水层抽水试验,取得场地承压含水层水文地质参数及降水引起的沉降特征,为地下空间设计和施工提供可靠依据。本次布设抽水井、观测井、分层沉降标组、孔隙水压力观测孔及地面沉降观测点,依据抽水试验技术要求获取渗透系数、抽水影响半径等相关水文地质参数。最后,针对工程场地内承压水情况及特点进行分析,提出基坑开挖时的承压水降压建议方案。     

屋顶雨水回灌裂隙岩溶含水层连通示踪试验

雨水回灌后对岩溶水的影响分析和效果需要对回灌井和下游的观测井监测数据说明。由于岩溶含水层中岩溶发育极不均匀,在测定地下水位并判定出地下水流向的基础上,连通示踪试验是选择与回灌井相对应的观测井的有效办法。用氯化钠作为示踪剂,监测不同测井不同埋深地下水电导率随时间变化的方法确定了岩溶水观测井选址、岩溶含水层的结构及水文地质条件。示踪试验结果表明,3#观测井(西院井)可用来监测雨水回灌效果,并计算出该地区的地下水势流速在9 m/h～20 m/h之间。该成果对北方地区岩溶含水层回灌和环境评价具有重要的参考价值。     

Chemical characterization of the Neogene Aquifer, Belgium

The evolution of groundwater chemistry along the direction of groundwater flow was studied using hydrochemical data from samples collected along a flow line in the Neogene Aquifer, Belgium. Infiltrating water was found to have a very low mineral content and low pH because the sediments are strongly decalcified. Increasing SiO₂ and cation concentrations along the groundwater flow line indicate silicate-weathering processes, confirmed with the aid of saturation indices, calculated with PHREEQC, and stability diagrams. A classification system based on redox sensitive species was developed and shows that an extensive redox sequence is present in the aquifer. At a shallow depth, pyrite oxidation has caused an increase in sulphate, while iron is precipitated as hydroxides. Elevated arsenic concentrations are related to the reduction of these iron hydroxides at a relatively shallow depth and to the dissolution of siderite at greater depth. Dissolution of carbonate in the aquifer material, present in deep layers and to the north, has lead to increased Ca²⁺ and HCO₃ ^? concentrations. The Ca²⁺ from the groundwater is exchanged for Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺ adsorbed to the clay surfaces at the bottom of the groundwater reservoir. Although the Neogene Aquifer is well flushed, there are still some marine influences present in the deepest parts.     

Potential contaminant transport in the regional Carbonate Aquifer beneath Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

Yucca Mountain, Nevada is the site of the proposed US geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The repository is to be a mine, sited approximately 300 m below the crest of the mountain, in a sequence of variably welded and fractured mid-Miocene rhylolite tuffs, in the unsaturated zone, approximately 300 m above the water table. Beneath the proposed repository, at a depth of 2 km, is a thick sequence of Paleozoic carbonate rocks that contain the highly transmissive Lower Carbonate Aquifer. In the area of Yucca Mountain the Carbonate Aquifer integrates groundwater flow from north of the mountain, through the Amargosa Valley, through the Funeral Mountains to Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California where the groundwater discharges in a set of large springs. Data that describe the Carbonate Aquifer suggest a concept for flow through the aquifer, and based upon the conceptual model, a one-layer numerical model was constructed to simulate groundwater flow in the Carbonate Aquifer. Advective transport analyses suggest that the predicted travel time of a particle from Yucca Mountain to Death Valley through the Carbonate Aquifer might be as short as 100 years to as long 2,000 years, depending upon the porosity.     

海潮引起有越流的滨海承压含水层地下水头变化的数值模拟

海潮波动可以引起海岸带有越流的承压含水层地下水头发生波动。建立了基于有限差分法的滨海地区一维承压含水层地下水运动数值模型。通过将潮汐波动概化为正弦波,分别对初始水头水平及线性倾斜的承压含水层模拟了滨海地区有越流的承压含水层地下水头随潮汐波动的变化。通过对两种情形下的变化比较,结果表明,受海潮影响的滨海承压含水层地下水头与海潮有相似的波动特征,但变幅减小,受海潮的影响程度与离海岸的距离有关,随着离海岸距离的增加,地下水头的变幅及潮汐效率呈负指数函数衰减,水头倾斜情形下变幅更小,潮汐效率更小,滞后时间更短,地下水头对海潮的滞后时间随距离呈线性增加。     

Rebuttal to “The case of the Biscayne Bay and aquifer near Miami,Florida: density-driven flow of seawater or gravitationally driven discharge of deep saline groundwater?” by Weyer (Environ Earth Sci 2018, 77:1–16)

A recent paper by Weyer (Environ Earth Sci 2018, 77:1–16) challenges the widely accepted interpretation of groundwater heads and salinities in the coastal Biscayne aquifer near Miami, Florida, USA. Weyer (2018) suggests that the body of saltwater that underlies fresh groundwater just inland of the coast is not a recirculating wedge of seawater, but results instead from upward migration of deep saline groundwater driven by regional flow. Perhaps more significantly, Weyer (2018) also asserts that established hydrologic theory is fundamentally incorrect with respect to buoyancy. Instead of acting along the direction of gravity (that is, vertically), Weyer (2018) claims, buoyancy acts instead along the direction of the pressure gradient. As a result, Weyer (2018) considers currently available density-dependent groundwater flow and transport modeling codes, and the analyses based on them, to be in error. In this rebuttal, we clarify the inaccuracies in the main points of Weyer’s (2018) paper. First, we explain that Weyer (2018) has misinterpreted observed equivalent freshwater heads in the Biscayne aquifer and that his alternative hypothesis concerning the source of the saltwater does not explain the observed salinities. Then, we review the established theory of buoyancy to identify the problem with Weyer’s (2018) alternative theory. Finally, we present theory and cite successful benchmark simulations to affirm the suitability of currently available codes for modeling density-dependent groundwater flow and transport.     

Delineating low-arsenic groundwater environments in the Bengal Aquifer System, Bangladesh

Studies within the As-affected Bengal Basin have indicated that low-As groundwater can be found in a variety of geological and geomorphological settings. The hydrogeological environments that host low-As groundwater may be interpreted within a geological framework determined by the Quaternary evolution of the Bengal Aquifer System (BAS). This provides the basis for delineating the position and extent of shallow low-As groundwater, low-As groundwater in oxidised ‘red-bed’ sediments, and deep low-As groundwater. Data available on a national scale allow a preliminary delineation of these low-As groundwater environments across Bangladesh, based on empirical associations of low-As groundwater occurrences with topography, water table elevation, surface sediment lithology, geology and the screen depth of deep wells in low-As zones.     

Development of a new model tool for evaluating groundwater resources within the Floridan Aquifer System in Southern Florida,USA

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) are partners in an ambitious plan to restore water flows throughout the Everglades ecosystem. An important component of the restoration plan involves storing excess stormwater deep underground in the Floridan Aquifer System using aquifer, storage and recovery (ASR) wells. In order to determine the optimal ASR system and to assess environmental impacts, USACE spent over 11 years and significant resources to develop a three-dimensional groundwater model of the Floridan Aquifer System covering a large portion of the Florida peninsula. This SEAWAT model is capable of evaluating changes in aquifer pressures and density-dependent flows in the entire study area. The model has been used to evaluate the Everglades ASR system already but could also be used by water managers for other important water resources studies in Florida including water supply estimates and adaptation to climate change. As part of an effort to make the model more readily available for other important studies, this study documents and summarizes the overall development of the SEAWAT model including a discussion regarding the intensive calibration and validation efforts undertaken during model development. The paper then demonstrates the use of the model using Everglades ASR project alternatives. Lastly, the paper outlines potential future uses of the model along with its overall limitations. Supplementary online resources are also included that provide researchers with further detail regarding the model development effort beyond the scope of this summary article as well as model development databases.