Use of LIF for Real-Time In-Situ Mixed NAPL Source Zone Detection

The site characterization and analysis cone penetrometer system (SCAPS), equipped with realtime fluorophore detection capabilities, was used to delineate subsurface contaminant releases in an area where plating shop waste was temporarily stored. Records indicated that various nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) were released at the site. The investigators advanced the SCAPS laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) sensor to depths beneath the water table of the principal water-bearing zone. The water table was located approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) below ground surface (bgs) across the site. Fluorescence, attributed to fuel compounds commingled with chlorinated solvents, was observed at depths ranging from 4.0 to 11.5 feet (1.2 to 3.5 m) bgs. Fluorescence, attributed to naturally occurring organic materials (by process of elimination and spectral characteristics) commingled with chlorinated solvent constituents, was observed at depths ranging from approximately 13 to 40 feet (4.0 to 12.2 m) bgs. Fluorescence responses from compounds confirmed to be commingled with chlorinated solvents indicates that the SCAPS fluorophore detection system is capable of indirectly delineating vadose zone and subaqueous chlorinated solvents and other dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) at contaminant release sites. This confirmation effort represents the first documented account of the successful application of LIF to identify a mixed DNAPL/LNAPL source zone.     

Weathering of phlogopite in simulated bioleaching solutions

The purpose of this study was to examine structural alterations of finely ground phlogopite, a trioctahedral mica, when exposed to acid, iron- and sulfate-rich solutions typical of bioleaching systems. Phlogopite suspensions were supplemented with ferrous sulfate and incubated with iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) at 22 °C. As bacteria oxidized ferrous iron, ferric iron thus formed partially precipitated as K-jarosite. K-jarosite precipitation was contingent on the preceding ferrous iron oxidation by bacteria and the release of interlayer-K from phlogopite. This chemically and microbially induced weathering involved alteration of phlogopite to a mixed layer structure that included expansible vermiculite. The extent of phlogopite weathering and structure expansion varied with duration of the contact, concentration of ferrous iron and phlogopite, and the presence of monovalent cations (NH₄⁺, K⁺, or Na⁺) in the culture solution. NH₄⁺ and K⁺ ions (100 mM) added to culture suspensions precipitated as jarosite and thereby effectively prevented the loss of interlayer-K and structural alteration of phlogopite. Additional Na⁺ (100 mM) was insufficient to precipitate ferric iron as natrojarosite and therefore the precipitation was coupled with interlayer-K released from phlogopite. When ferrous iron was replaced with elemental sulfur as the substrate for A. ferrooxidans, the weathering of phlogopite was based on chemical dissolution without structural interstratification. The results demonstrate that iron oxidation and the concentration and composition of monovalent ions can have an effect on mineral weathering in leaching systems that involve contact of phlogopite and other mica minerals with acid leach solutions.     

January snow accumulation in the St. Lawrence Valley (1961-1990)

Located in Eastern Canada, the St. Lawrence Valley (between Montreal and Quebec City; ±350 km) is known as one of the snowiest populated valleys in the world. Usually more than 250 cm of snow falls every winter. Snowstorms are frequent, as more than 10 major snowstorms are registered every year [1] interfering greatly with human activities. Numerical analyses (univariate analysis, discriminant analysis and stepwise multiple regression) for the 1961-1990 period on total snow depth for the month of January reveals three winter-regional climates along this valley: A-) the southern part of Montreal; slightly warmer with less snow and less rainfall, B-) the area around Quebec City; colder with more snow and C-) an intermediate corridor in-between those two cities. Two major variables were identified as responsible for explaining these three winter regional climates: maximum temperature and rainfall.     

Utility of the 2-D Multi-Electrode Resistivity Imaging Technique in Groundwater Exploration in the Voltaian Sedimentary Basin, Northern Ghana

Guinea worm and other water borne diseases associated with untreated surface water use have necessitated that communities are supplied with groundwater in the Northern Region of Ghana. The Electrical Resistivity Survey (ERS) method is one of the common geophysical survey techniques used for borehole siting in Ghana. Various groundwater exploration programs have utilized it by employing the four electrode system. However, the ERS has not been able to locate potential borehole sites successfully in the Voltaian Sedimentary Basin (VSB) in the Northern Region of Ghana although it has been successful in other geological formations. Unsatisfactory results obtained from the employment of the ERS system in the VSB therefore necessitated an experiment with the 2-D Multi-Electrode Resistivity Imaging (2-D MERI) technique. Field results show that the 2-D MERI is a robust and efficient technique: an improvement on the four electrode ERS system in terms of amount and quality of data obtained. The 2-D MERI interpretations were confirmed with a much improved borehole drilling success rate of 60% compared to 38% obtained using the ERS within the mudstone and shale formations. The 2-D MERI also indicated that very low resistivity layers in the VSB may not necessarily be good targets for borehole drilling and the generally held notion that groundwater cannot be found at depths more than 25 m is no longer tenable.     

Integrated Interpretation of Interwell Connectivity Using Injection and Production Fluctuations

A method to characterize reservoirs, based on matching temporal fluctuations in injection and production rates, has recently been developed. The method produces two coefficients for each injector–producer pair; one parameter, λ, quantifies the connectivity and the other, τ, quantifies the fluid storage in the vicinity of the pair. Previous analyses used λ and τ separately to infer the presence of transmissibility barriers and conduits in the reservoir, but several common conditions could not be easily distinguished. This paper describes how λ and τ can be jointly interpreted to enhance inference about preferential transmissibility trends and barriers. Two different combinations are useful: one is a plot of log (λ) versus log (τ) for a producer and nearby injectors, and the second is a Lorenz-style flow capacity (F) versus storativity (C) plot. These techniques were tested against the results of a numerical simulator and applied to data from the North Buck Draw field. Using the simulated data, we find that the F–C plots and the λ–τ plots are capable of identifying whether the connectivity of an injector–producer well pair is through fractures, a high-permeability layer, multiple-layers or through partially completed wells. Analysis of data from the North Buck Draw field shows a reasonable correspondence between τ and the tracer breakthrough times. Of two possible geological models for Buck Draw, the F–C and λ–τ plots support the model that has less connectivity in the field. The wells in fluvial deposits show better communication than those wells in more estuarine-dominated regions.     

Lead, zinc, and antimony contamination of the Rio Chilco-Rio Tupiza drainage system, Southern Bolivia

An intense, but localized rainfall event in February 2003, led to the severe erosion and failure of a tailings disposal impoundment at the Abarόa Antimony Mine in southern Bolivia. The failure released approximately 5,500 m³ of contaminated tailings into the Rio Chilco-Rio Tupiza drainage system. The impacts of the event on sediment quality are examined and compared to contamination resulting from historic mining operations in the headwaters of the basin. Of primary concern are contaminated floodplain soils located along downstream reaches of the Rio Tupiza which were found to contain lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and antimony (Sb) concentrations that locally exceed Canadian, German, and Dutch guidelines for agricultural use. Spatial patterns in sediment-borne trace metal concentrations, combined with Pb isotopic data, indicate that Pb, Zn, and Sb are derived from three tributary basins draining the Abarόa, Chilcobija, and Tatasi-Portugalete mining districts. Downstream of each tributary, geographical patterns in trace metal concentrations reflect local geomorphic changes throughout the drainage system. Trace metal concentrations within the Rio Chilco decrease rapidly downstream as a result of dilution by uncontaminated sediments and storage of metal enriched particles (e.g., sulfide minerals) in the channel bed as a result of ongoing aggradation. Storage in the floodplains is limited. These processes significantly reduced the dispersal and, thus, the relative environmental affects of tailings eroded from the Abarόa Mine during the 2003 flood. In contrast, storage of Pb, Zn, and Sb in floodplains along the Rio Tupiza is significant, the majority of which is derived from historic mining operations, particularly mining within the Tatasi-Portugalete district.     

Wavefield analysis of crosswell seismic data

Despite the numerous advantages of crosswell seismic data over surface seismic data, crosswell seismic geophysics is still underutilized and underdeveloped. The factors limiting the full utilization of crosswell data include the lack of standardized methods for processing and imaging the data. This is because crosswell data is not completely understood. To improve the understanding of crosswell data, we performed acoustic and elastic modeling of a west Texas carbonate oilfield data using finite difference methods and crosswell geometry. To account for the different wave modes in the field data, we decomposed the full data into its constituent wave modes. Results of the forward modeling show that elastic synthetic data is a better representation of crosswell field data than the popular acoustic synthetic data. Wavefield decomposition gave insight into the time-space kinematics behavior of the different wave modes that constitute the full data. Overall, the study improved our understanding of crosswell field data. The learning from this study has been utilized to perform data-driven reflection enhancement processing where the discerned characteristic of different seismic arrival is utilize to suppress unwanted and enhanced the desired wave modes. The processing reduced the complex data to only up-going P-P reflections that can be imaged to reveal the subtle geological structures of the oilfield.     

Regional estimation of base recharge to ground water using water balance and a base-flow index

Naturally occurring long-term mean annual base recharge to ground water in Nebraska was estimated with the help of a water-balance approach and an objective automated technique for base-flow separation involving minimal parameter-optimization requirements. Base recharge is equal to total recharge minus the amount of evapotranspiration coming directly from ground water. The estimation of evapotranspiration in the water-balance equation avoids the need to specify a contributing drainage area for ground water, which in certain cases may be considerably different from the drainage area for surface runoff. Evapotranspiration was calculated by the WREVAP model at the Solar and Meteorological Surface Observation Network (SAMSON) sites. Long-term mean annual base recharge was derived by determining the product of estimated long-term mean annual runoff (the difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration) and the base-flow index (BFI). The BFI was calculated from discharge data obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey's gauging stations in Nebraska. Mapping was achieved by using geographic information systems (GIS) and geostatistics. This approach is best suited for regional-scale applications. It does not require complex hydrogeologic modeling nor detailed knowledge of soil characteristics, vegetation cover, or land-use practices. Long-term mean annual base recharge rates in excess of 110 mm/year resulted in the extreme eastern part of Nebraska. The western portion of the state expressed rates of only 15 to 20 mm annually, while the Sandhills region of north-central Nebraska was estimated to receive twice as much base recharge (40 to 50 mm/year) as areas south of it.