TECHNICAL NOTE An experimental investigation of air flow patterns in saturated soils during air sparging

Air sparging is an emerging method used to remediate saturated soils and groundwater that have been contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). During air sparging, air is injected into the subsurface below the lowest known depth of contamination. Due to buoyancy, the injected air will rise through the zone of contamination. Through a variety of mechanisms, including volatilization and biodegradation, the air will serve to remove or help degrade the contaminants. The contaminant-laden air will continue to rise towards the ground surface, eventually reaching the vadose zone, where the vapours are collected and treated using a soil vapour extraction (SVE) system.Air sparging performance and ultimately contaminant removal efficiency is highly dependent on the pattern and type of subsurface air flow. This paper presents the results of a laboratory experimental study which investigated the injected air flow pattern development within an aquifer simulation apparatus. The test apparatus consisted of a tank measuring 61 cm long by 25.4 cm wide by 38.1 cm high. The apparatus was equipped with one air injection well and two vapour extracton wells. Three different soils were used to simulate different aquifer conditions, including a sand, a fine gravel and a medium gravel. Experiments were performed with different injected air pressures combined with different vacuum and groundwater flow conditions. Experiments were also conducted by injecting air into simulated shallow aquifers with different thicknesses. The air flow patterns observed were found to depend significantly on the soil type, groundwater flow conditions and system controls, including injected air pressure, flow rate and applied vacuum. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998     

Study on rain-runoff process in the peripheral mountainous area of the Sichuan Basin

Studies on rain-runoff process in the peripheral mountainous area of the Sichuan Basin, which is regarded as a key ecological shelter, will contribute to flood control and environmental protection for the Upper Yangtze River Basin. In two typical catchments--the Fujiang River Catchment and the Wujiang River Catchment, rainfall simulations have been conducted to study the rain-runoff processes of yellow soil and limestone soil in three types of land use--forestland, farmland and grassland. Results showed that （1） within the same rainfall process, overland flow occurs first on farmland, then on grassland, and finally on forestland; （2） soil surface coverage has a great impact on the occurrence and amount of overland flow. The runoff amount can increase 2-4 times after the coverage is removed; （3） the infiltration before the occurrence of overland flow will decrease because of higher gravel contents of soil, but it takes no effect on infiltration once overland flow becomes stable; （4） the runoff coefficient of the limestone soil forestland is greater than that of the yellow soil forest land, but less than that of the farmland; （5） three empirical infiltration models, including Horton＇ model, Kostiakov＇ model, and modified Kostiakov＇ model, were compared by using the observed results under rainfall simulation. The results showed that the Kostiakov＇ model performed better than both the Horton＇ model and modified Kostiakov model. According to the results of this research, the Kostiakov＇s model can be used to simulate rainfall infiltration when water erosion is modeled in the peripheral mountainous area of the Sichuan Basin.     

A dynamic two‐phase flow model for air sparging

Air sparging (AS) is an in situ soil/groundwater remediation technology, which involves the injection of pressurized air/oxygen through an air sparging well below the zone of contamination. Characterizing the mechanisms governing movement of air through saturated porous media is critical for the design of an effective cleanup treatment system. In this research, micromechanical investigation was performed to understand the physics of air migration and subsequent spatial distribution of air at pore scale during air sparging. The void space in the porous medium was first characterized by pore network consisting of connected pore bodies and bonds. The biconical abscissa asymmetric concentric bond was used to describe the connection between two adjacent pore bodies. Then a rule‐based dynamic two‐phase flow model was developed and applied to the pore network model. A forward integration of time was performed using the Euler scheme. For each time step, the effective viscosity of the fluid was calculated based on fractions of two phases in each bond, and capillary pressures across the menisci was considered to compute the pressure field. The developed dynamic model was used to study the rate‐dependent drainage during air sparging. The effect of the capillary number and geometrical properties of the network on the dynamic flow properties of two‐phase flow including residual saturation, spatial distribution of air and water, dynamic phase transitions, and relative permeability‐capillary pressure curves were systematically investigated. Results showed that all the above information for describing the air water two‐phase flow are not intrinsic properties of the porous medium but are affected by the two‐phase flow dynamics and spatial distribution of each phase, providing new insight to air sparging. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on rain-runoff process in the peripheral mountainous area of tne Sichuan Basin

Studies on rain.runoff process in the peripheral mountainous area of the Sichuan Basin,which is re-garded as a key ecological shelter,will contribute to flood control and environmental protection for the Upper Yang-tze River Basin.In two typical catchments--the Fujiang River Catchment and the Wujiang River Catchment,rainfall simulations have been conducted to study the rain-runoff processes of yellow soil and limestone soil in three types of land use-forestland.farmland and grassland.Results showed that(1)within the same rainfall process,overland flow occurs first on farmland,then on grassland,and finally on forestland;(2)soil surface coverage has a great im-pact on the occurrence and amount of overland flow.The runoff amount Can increase 2-4 times after the coverage iS removed;(3)the infiltration before the occurrence of overland flow will decrease because of higher gravel contents of soil.but it takes no effect on infiltration once,overland flow becomes stable;(4)the runoff coefficient of the lime-stone soil forestland iS greater than that of the yellow soil forest land,but less than that of the farmland;(5)threeempirical infiltration models,including Horton'model,Kostiakov'model,and modified Kostiakov'model,were compared by using the observed results under rainfall simulation.The results showed that the Kostiakov'model per-formed better than both the Horton'model and modified Kostiakov model.According to the results of this research,the Kostiakov's model Can be used to simulate rainfall infiltration when water erosion is modeled in the peripheral mountainous area of the Sichuan Basin.     

Wildfire impacts on the processes that generate debris flows in burned watersheds

Every year, and in many countries worldwide, wildfires cause significant damage and economic losses due to both the direct effects of the fires and the subsequent accelerated runoff, erosion, and debris flow. Wildfires can have profound effects on the hydrologic response of watersheds by changing the infiltration characteristics and erodibility of the soil, which leads to decreased rainfall infiltration, significantly increased overland flow and runoff in channels, and movement of soil. Debris-flow activity is among the most destructive consequences of these changes, often causing extensive damage to human infrastructure. Data from the Mediterranean area and Western United States of America help identify the primary processes that result in debris flows in recently burned areas. Two primary processes for the initiation of fire-related debris flows have been so far identified: (1) runoff-dominated erosion by surface overland flow; and (2) infiltration-triggered failure and mobilization of a discrete landslide mass. The first process is frequently documented immediately post-fire and leads to the generation of debris flows through progressive bulking of storm runoff with sediment eroded from the hillslopes and channels. As sediment is incorporated into water, runoff can convert to debris flow. The conversion to debris flow may be observed at a position within a drainage network that appears to be controlled by threshold values of upslope contributing area and its gradient. At these locations, sufficient eroded material has been incorporated, relative to the volume of contributing surface runoff, to generate debris flows. Debris flows have also been generated from burned basins in response to increased runoff by water cascading over a steep, bedrock cliff, and incorporating material from readily erodible colluvium or channel bed. Post-fire debris flows have also been generated by infiltration-triggered landslide failures which then mobilize into debris flows. However, only 12% of documented cases exhibited this process. When they do occur, the landslide failures range in thickness from a few tens of centimeters to more than 6 m, and generally involve the soil and colluvium-mantled hillslopes. Surficial landslide failures in burned areas most frequently occur in response to prolonged periods of storm rainfall, or prolonged rainfall in combination with rapid snowmelt or rain-on-snow events.     

A semi‐analytical solution of surface flow and subsurface flow on a slope land under a uniform rainfall excess

A new approach is proposed to analyze the surface flow and subsurface flow passing over a pervious ground under a uniform rainfall excess. The flow field is divided into two regions that are called water layer and soil layer. To figure out the hydraulic behavior of overland flow on an inclined plane under a rainfall event, the simplified Navier–Stokes equations are employed for the surface water flow, and the flow inside the soil layer is porous media flow, which is governed by Biot's (1956, 1962) theory of poroelasticity. The velocity distribution of overland flow is nonzero at the ground surface. The relation between water depth and slope length was developed first. The profile of surface water flow was then found backwards from the downstream end of the flow section by the Runge–Kutta method. After that, the flow velocity and flow discharge of each layer could also be obtained via the water depth. Finally, the variation of fluid shear stress inside the soil layer is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

流域坡面汇流研究现状述评

对当前坡面汇流计算方法的研究进展进行了较为系统的总结与分析,并对坡面汇流的非线性效应以及城市低影响开发中的雨水入渗与蓄集对坡面汇流的控制作用进行了简要分析。从模型简单实用的角度出发,认为以流域时间-面积关系与线性水库相串联的ModClark法等为代表的概念性分布式坡面汇流模型具有良好的发展前景;考虑到基于等流时单元的变动等流时线法在反映雨强非线性影响中存在的问题,认为根据水文响应单元在不同雨强条件下汇流时间的变化,调整其汇流参数以反映坡面汇流的非线性效应,对于流域坡面汇流的分布式模拟更具有实际意义;针对目前低影响开发设施长时间序列大空间尺度的室外降雨径流监测资料普遍较为缺乏的现状,给出了后期应积极选择合适的技术以加强低影响开发性能监测工作的建议。     

土体-大气相互作用下土质边坡稳定性研究

土体-大气相互作用是指在多种气象要素共同驱动下,地表浅层土体与大气之间进行物质交换与能量传递的复杂过程.受全球气候变化影响,近年来极端气候事件频发.土体的工程性质在日益严峻的气候环境下发生剧烈变化,产生了大量滑坡灾害,给岩土和地质工程领域带来许多新挑战.系统总结了降雨、气温、空气湿度、风以及太阳辐射5个主要气象要素影响边坡稳定性的机制,分析了土体龟裂、地表植被和土体-大气相互作用之间的关联效应.通过介绍各因素在改变边坡稳定性过程中发挥的作用,构建了一个包括气象要素、土体龟裂以及地表植被的土体-大气相互作用分析体系.该体系为今后土体-大气相互作用下土质边坡稳定性研究确定了关键研究问题,所揭示的作用机理可为今后同类研究提供参考.针对该课题的研究现状,笔者提出了今后的研究方向和重点,包括土体-植被-大气相互作用的理论模型、气候作用下冻土坡体失稳机理、极端气候工程地质作用的生态调控措施三个方面.      

用BATS模型模拟径流的个例研究

为了解陆气间水热交换在径表成中的作用,本文采用ＢＡＴＳ模型模拟了淮河流域山区和平原在１９９１年汛期５０天的暴雨洪水过程,计算了径流,土壤温度和感热,通量,并用常规的汇流计算方法得到了流域出口断量过程线。     

利用水化学方法识别岩溶水文系统中的径流

通过暴雨中的野外观测,确认了桂林丫吉试验场S31泉岩溶水文系统中多种径流形式：表层岩溶带管道流、回归流、坡面流和壤中流。现场测量发现不同形式径流的水化学特征(pH、电导率、Ca²⁺、HCO^-₃)存在差异,Ca²⁺的质量浓度相差最大可以达到3倍。从CaCO₃-H₂O-CO₂平衡体系来看,CO₂分压（p_CO2）对径流的水化学特征具有控制作用。在大气p_CO2影响下的岩溶水矿化度较低,而土壤空气p_CO2达到2.7%,是大气的近百倍,其影响的径流矿化度较高。鉴于大气中和土壤中p_CO2的显著差异,从水化学特征上将径流分为2类,并且认为它们构成了系统出口洪水的2个主要来源。在此基础上利用水化学方法计算出S31岩溶泉洪水时的径流构成。结果表明,在暴雨的情形,由大气p_CO2环境产生形成的岩溶水的比例占到泉水总量的70%,进一步证明了快速流在岩溶水中的重要作用。     

陆面水文过程研究综述

在简单介绍陆面过程模式发展的基础上，从裸土蒸发、植被蒸散、土壤水传输、排水和径流等五个方面详细综述了陆面模式研究中对水文过程的参数化。目前陆面参数化方案中仍存在很大的不确定性，其中陆面水文过程参数化的关键问题包括：土壤分层、土层厚度、根带分布；参数的代表性和移植；观测资料；径流的参数化。分析了径流在陆面模式中的重要性，及目前陆面模式中对径流参数化存在的不足，介绍了部分陆面模式对径流的模拟研究，讨论了未来工作的研究重点。     

Study of surface runoff using physical models

. The profiles of overland water flow as a function of space and time obtained by applying kinematic wave approximations combined with the Darcy-Weisbach resistance formula to laminar flow are presented. Rainfall-excess is assumed to remain constant during a certain period of time. Runoff from surfaces of constant slope, with uniform surface texture, and the effects of different parameters on overland flow have been studied. Comparisons of runoff using Darcy-Weisbach, Manning, and Chezy resistance formulas have been made. It was found that the lower the rainfall-excess rates, the longer the surface runoff starting time, peak time, and smaller the peak runoff value at any distance. It was also found that the overland flow increases rapidly to the peak value, followed by a rapid decline which begins at the moment the rainfall-excess ceases, and then approaches zero slowly. Comparison of the theoretical calculations of runoff with the measured data of the Los Angeles field tests on concrete-paved surface shows good agreement.     

模拟降雨条件下坡面流水动力学特性研究

为探明降雨条件下沙黄土坡面水流水动力学特性,以流体力学和泥沙运动力学理论为依据,通过5个坡度和5个雨强组合条件下室内模拟降雨试验,系统研究了坡面水流水力参数的变化规律。结果表明,降雨条件下坡面薄层水流雷诺数均小于580,处于层流失稳区;水流流型随雨强和坡度的变化而发生转捩,当坡度较缓、雨强较小时,床面形态处于低能态区和过渡区,床面出现沙纹现象,水流宏观上呈缓流,反之,坡度较陡、雨强较大时,床面由沙纹和沙垄向动平床过渡,宏观上多呈急流;并根据薄层水流阻力组成特点,推导出沙黄土坡面薄层水流阻力计算公式。验证结果表明,该式误差较小,可为坡面侵蚀预报模型的构建提供参考。     

Numerical modeling of multiphase fluid flow in deforming porous media: A comparison between two- and three-phase models for seismic analysis of earth and rockfill dams

In this paper, a fully coupled numerical model is presented for the finite element analysis of the deforming porous medium interacting with the flow of two immiscible compressible wetting and non-wetting pore fluids. The governing equations involving coupled fluid flow and deformation processes in unsaturated soils are derived within the framework of the generalized Biot theory. The displacements of the solid phase, the pressure of the wetting phase and the capillary pressure are taken as the primary unknowns of the present formulation. The other variables are incorporated into the model using the experimentally determined functions that define the relationship between the hydraulic properties of the porous medium, i.e. saturation, relative permeability and capillary pressure. It is worth mentioning that the imposition of various boundary conditions is feasible notwithstanding the choice of the primary variables. The modified Pastor–Zienkiewicz generalized constitutive model is introduced into the mathematical formulation to simulate the mechanical behavior of the unsaturated soil. The accuracy of the proposed mathematical model for analyzing coupled fluid flows in porous media is verified by the resolution of several numerical examples for which previous solutions are known. Finally, the performance of the computational algorithm in modeling of large-scale porous media problems including the large elasto-plastic deformations is demonstrated through the fully coupled analysis of the failure of two earth and rockfill dams. Furthermore, the three-phase model is compared to its simplified one which simulates the unsaturated porous medium as a two-phase one with static air phase. The paper illustrates the shortcomings of the commonly used simplified approach in the context of seismic analysis of two earth and rockfill dams. It is shown that accounting the pore air as an independent phase significantly influences the unsaturated soil behavior.     

3D-boundary element analysis of the lowered groundwater level for tunnels driven under compressed air

A direct boundary element method for the iterative analysis of the lowered groundwater level and the steady-state airflow in porous soil for tunnels driven under compressed air is presented. The soil may be zoned and anisotropic. It is shown that disregard of the compressibility of the air leads to results for the excess air pressure and the flow of air through the surface of the soil, which are on the unsafe side. The lowered groundwater level is determined by means of an iterative procedure. During the iteration large changes of the shapes of boundary elements may occur. In order to reduce the resulting danger of divergence of the iteration, the boundary element mesh is adapted suitably in the course of the iteration process.     

陆面水文过程与大气模式的耦合及其在黑河流域的应用

陆面过程模式对陆面水文过程有比较详尽的描述,然而,目前的陆面水文过程只考虑了垂直方向的水分运移,比较适合平坦地区的模拟,而在地形坡度较大的山区只考虑垂直方向的水分移动是不够的,尤其是目前随着计算机条件提高,分辨率越来越高,地表水以及土壤水的侧向流动成为山区水文过程必须考虑的部分。同时,目前的陆面过程模式中的径流量是作为诊断量处理,不参与运算。针对以上问题,对Noah陆面过程模式进行了改进,增加了地表积水和积水蒸发、坡面汇流方案、次表面流方案,并且将Routing模块通过次网格过程与大气中尺度模式MM5耦合,发展了高分辨率大气—水文耦合模式。运用发展的高分辨率大气—水文耦合模式,对黑河流域中上游2003年6月23~25日降水过程进行了模拟,研究了陆面水循环过程对大气场的影响。结果表明陆面水循环过程对近地层大气影响很大,首先影响了土壤的湿度与蒸发,进而对边界层稳定性,云结构、云水、雨水含量产生影响,对区域降水也有一定影响。     

流域产沙模型的研究

由坡面泥沙颗粒的动力平衡条件,推导出坡面上细颗粒泥沙的起动切应力,由坡面径流的剩余输沙能力,导得坡面径流的侵蚀量计算公式,与文献[4]的雨滴溅蚀量计算公式一起,构成了概念清楚、过程明确、结构完整的流域产沙模型。产沙量取决于水流挟沙能力与可供沙量的对比关系,若水流挟沙能力小于供沙量,则产沙量等于水流挟沙能力;反之,水流将进一步冲刷表土,形成径流侵蚀,产沙量就等于供沙量与径流侵蚀量之和。据此,可计算出坡面和流域产沙量。模型在岔巴沟流域上应用,结果令人满意。     

上方来水对坡面降雨入渗及土壤水分再分布的影响

在防止土壤侵蚀和雨后抑制蒸发的条件下,利用室内模拟降雨试验,研究了上方来水对坡面降雨入渗、湿润锋运移以及土壤水分再分布的影响。结果表明:对于初始含水量很低的土壤,与上方无来水相比,上方来水时降雨入渗过程中入渗率有一个上升的阶段,但平均入渗率反而降低;在降雨入渗初期,由于上方来水的沿程入渗,上方来水对坡面湿润锋运移的影响较大,但随后几乎没有影响,湿润锋的运移主要与基质势梯度有关;土壤水分沿坡面呈"波浪形"分布是坡面径流的波动性、上方来水(径流)的沿程入渗以及侧向沿坡向下流等综合作用的结果。     

黄河数字流域模型的建立和应用

黄河数字流域模型是“数字黄河”的重要组成部分,在数字流域模型框架下,以坡面为基本单元,建立了包括植被截留、融雪、地表蓄滞、表层土蓄滞、中层土蓄滞和深层土蓄滞共6层的产流模型.模型在垂向上考虑3层出流:地表超渗产流、表层土侧向渗流和中层土侧向渗流,既反映当前的降水过程,又体现前期降水过程和土壤前期含水量的影响,比较适合黄河流域的产流特点.在坡面产流的基础上,还给出了坡面单元侵蚀产沙公式,用于建立流域产沙数学模型.应用建立的模型,给出了3个计算实例:黄河全流域水量计算、小花区间汛期洪水模拟和多沙粗沙区产沙计算.实践表明:建立的模型基本具备了在黄河全流域进行降雨-径流模拟、侵蚀产沙计算的功能,辅以降雨预报模块则可进行洪水预报.     

Characterizing snowmelt anomalies in hydrochemographs of a karst spring,Cumberland Valley,Pennsylvania (USA): evidence for multiple recharge pathways

Conductivity, water level, air temperature, and depth of snowpack were monitored during a 26-day melt period of 88-cm-deep snowpack at a karst spring to characterize internal runoff and diffuse infiltration. Chloride from road salt provided a tracer and the snowpack a recharge source during the melt period. The melt period was divided into phases based on air temperature and chemograph pattern. For the first and third phases, mean air temperatures were below freezing, but above freezing during the second and fourth phases. During the first phase when the temperature peaked above freezing, conductivity typically spiked 10–50 μS/cm, suggesting input of road salt from conduits. When the snowpack continuously melted, conductivity and water-level trends were upward with smaller daily spikes in conductivity indicating infiltration from the dilute snowpack. This pattern suggests that road salt input continued when snowmelt recharged through the epikarst, but at lower concentrations than the conduit input. Refreezing of the snowpack and shallow subsurface for a brief period interrupted the recharge, and there was no longer a sawtooth pattern of conductivity. It is apparent that frozen conditions did not cease recharge because a dual recharge process was evident. While dual recharge from internal runoff and diffuse infiltration occurred, the portions varied because of changing melting rates. Observed patterns indicated internal runoff dominated during frozen periods because recharge water moved as overland flow across a frozen surface to focused pathways. Diffuse infiltration became available during warmer periods because subsurface thawing allowed the snowmelt to penetrate the epikarst. Results of snowmelt monitoring in spring discharge indicated the transient nature of karst recharge.