Coupled hydro-geochemical modelling of a permeable reactive barrier for treating acidic groundwater

This study focuses on coupling geochemistry with geo-hydraulics to enable time-dependent modelling of the remediation of acidic groundwater using an alkaline permeable reactive barrier (PRB). Chemical clogging due to secondary mineral precipitates reduces the porosity and hydraulic conductivity of the reactive medium. The governing equations are incorporated into commercial numerical codes, MODFLOW and RT3D. An original algorithm was developed for RT3D to simulate geochemical reactions occurring in the PRB. The results and the model predictions are in agreement, confirming that the hydraulic conductivity reduction due to mineral precipitation occurs at the start of permeation and continues until halfway through the testing phase.     

Greenhouse gas emissions caused by the international climate negotiations

Abstract

One and a half decades of climate negotiations have directly caused greenhouse gas emissions of about 150,000 t CO₂. At prevailing market prices, making the full negotiation process greenhouse-gas-neutral ex post would cost about US$0.5 million, which is a fraction of the cost of the conferences.     

Stretching lineation and transport direction in the Ibero-Armorican arc during the siluro-devonian collision

Abstract

Large structures, lineations, foliations and sense of shear criteria are examined on the scale of the whole Ibero-Armorican Arc. Four sections (Galicia, Brittany-Vendée, Limousin and Eastern Massif Central) exemplify the major thrust sheets observed around the Arc. Stretching lineations are contemporaneous with the siluro-devonian metamorphism and are either transverse, oblique or parallel to the collision zone. A kinematic analysis shows that these lineations have resulted from a dominanüy transverse shear deformation which was followed by, or combined with, a longitudinal shear direction. On the scale of the entire Arc, this variation in the shear direction is interpreted as resulting from an early head on thrusting relative movement evolving to large scale movements parallel to the plate boundaries. Experiments with sand-silicone models support a model which generates the Arc by interaction between a transform sinistral direction, and a converning zone at a high angle to the transform direction.     

Drifter observations of the Gulf of Maine Coastal Current

Two-hundred and twenty seven satellite-tracked drifters were deployed in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) from 1988 to 2007, primarily during spring and summer. The archive of tracks includes over 100,000 km logged thus far. Statistics such as transit times, mean velocities, response to wind events, and preferred pathways are compiled for various areas of the coastal GoM. We compare Lagrangian flow with Eulerian estimates from nearby moorings and evaluate drifter trajectories using Ekman theory and 3-D ocean circulation models.     

A comparative modeling study of a dual tracer experiment in a large lysimeter under atmospheric conditions

In this paper, five model approaches with different physical and mathematical concepts varying in their model complexity and requirements were applied to identify the transport processes in the unsaturated zone. The applicability of these model approaches were compared and evaluated investigating two tracer breakthrough curves (bromide, deuterium) in a cropped, free-draining lysimeter experiment under natural atmospheric boundary conditions. The data set consisted of time series of water balance, depth resolved water contents, pressure heads and resident concentrations measured during 800 days. The tracer transport parameters were determined using a simple stochastic (stream tube model), three lumped parameter (constant water content model, multi-flow dispersion model, variable flow dispersion model) and a transient model approach. All of them were able to fit the tracer breakthrough curves. The identified transport parameters of each model approach were compared. Despite the differing physical and mathematical concepts the resulting parameters (mean water contents, mean water flux, dispersivities) of the five model approaches were all in the same range. The results indicate that the flow processes are also describable assuming steady state conditions. Homogeneous matrix flow is dominant and a small pore volume with enhanced flow velocities near saturation was identified with variable saturation flow and transport approach. The multi-flow dispersion model also identified preferential flow and additionally suggested a third less mobile flow component. Due to high fitting accuracy and parameter similarity all model approaches indicated reliable results.     

Fluid flow dynamics under location uncertainty

We present a derivation of a stochastic model of Navier Stokes equations that relies on a decomposition of the velocity fields into a differentiable drift component and a time uncorrelated uncertainty random term. This type of decomposition is reminiscent in spirit to the classical Reynolds decomposition. However, the random velocity fluctuations considered here are not differentiable with respect to time, and they must be handled through stochastic calculus. The dynamics associated with the differentiable drift component is derived from a stochastic version of the Reynolds transport theorem. It includes in its general form an uncertainty dependent subgrid bulk formula that cannot be immediately related to the usual Boussinesq eddy viscosity assumption constructed from thermal molecular agitation analogy. This formulation, emerging from uncertainties on the fluid parcels location, explains with another viewpoint some subgrid eddy diffusion models currently used in computational fluid dynamics or in geophysical sciences and paves the way for new large-scales flow modeling. We finally describe an applications of our formalism to the derivation of stochastic versions of the Shallow water equations or to the definition of reduced order dynamical systems.     

SOIL EROSION PROCESS RESEARCH AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON EROSION PREDICTION MODEL DEVELOPMENT

During the past 50 years, many research efforts have been invested in understanding soil erosion process and development of erosion prediction models at various scales. This paper briefly introduces the erosion process and prediction model development in the USA. Especially, this paper focuses on discussing potential impacts of the erosion process on erosion model development, and future directions of the soil erosion process research and process- based model development. 1 DEVELOPMENT O…     

Fertilizers mobilization in alluvial aquifer: laboratory experiments

In alluvial plains, intensive farming with conspicuous use of agrochemicals, can cause land pollution and groundwater contamination. In central Po River plain, paleo-channels are important links between arable lands and the underlaying aquifer, since the latter is often confined by clay sediments that act as a barrier against contaminants migration. Therefore, paleo-channels are recharge zones of particular interest that have to be protected from pollution as they are commonly used for water supply. This paper focuses on fertilizer mobilization next to a sand pit excavated in a paleo-channel near Ferrara (Italy). The problem is approached via batch test leaking and columns elution of alluvial sediments. Results from batch experiments showed fast increase in all major cations and anions, suggesting equilibrium control of dissolution reactions, limited availability of solid phases and geochemical homogeneity of samples. In column experiments, early elution and tailing of all ions breakthrough was recorded due to preferential flow paths. For sediments investigated in this study, dispersion, dilution and chemical reactions can reduce fertilizers at concentration below drinking standards in a reasonable time frame, provided fertilizer loading is halted or, at least, reduced. Thus, the definition of a corridor along paleo-channels is recommended to preserve groundwater quality.     

Distribution and transport of sedimentary trace metals in the tidal portions of the Kennebec/Androscoggin River system, Maine, USA

Previous investigations suggest that contaminant transport from the large Kennebec/Androscoggin watershed is an important large-scale process in mid-coast Maine. To investigate this phenomenon, we determined the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn in the surface sediments of 47 stations in the tidal Kennebec/Androscoggin system. Most stations exhibited elevated metal concentrations. Highest levels were found in the main stem of the system. Distribution patterns lead to the conclusion that metals enter the system from the watershed and are transported to the nearshore Gulf of Maine. The coarse-grained, ebb tide dominated flow prevents the accumulation of contaminants in the estuary. This supports the hypothesis of Larsen and Gaudette (1995) that the Kennebec and Androscoggin watersheds are sources for contaminants observed in the nearshore Gulf of Maine.