Comparative Study of Acid and Alkaline Stimulants with Granite in an Enhanced Geothermal System

The Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) is an artificial geothermal system that aims to economically extract heat from hot dry rock (HDR) through the creation of an artificial geothermal reservoir. Chemical stimulation is thought to be an effective method to create fracture networks and open existing fractures in hot dry rocks by injecting chemical agents into the reservoir to dissolve the minerals. Granite is a common type of hot dry rock. In this paper, a series of chemical stimulation experiments were implemented using acid and alkaline agents under high temperature and pressure conditions that mimic the environment of formation. Granite rock samples used in the experiments are collected from the potential EGS reservoir in the Matouying area, Hebei, China. Laboratory experimental results show that the corrosion ratio per unit area of rock is 3.2% in static acid chemical experiments and 0.51% in static alkaline chemical experiments. The permeability of the core is increased by 1.62 times in dynamic acid chemical experiments and 2.45 times in dynamic alkaline chemical experiments. A scanning electron microscope analysis of the core illustrates that secondary minerals, such as chlorite, spherical silica, and montmorillonite, were formed, due to acid-rock interaction with plagioclase being precipitated by alkaline-rock interactions. Masking agents in alkaline chemical agents can slightly reduce the degree of plagioclase formation. A chemical simulation model was built using TOUGHREACT, the mineral dissolution and associated ion concentration variation being reproduced by this reactive transport model.     

利津县城区地热资源状况及开发前景分析

利津县城区的地热资源主要赋存于新生代新近纪和古近纪碎屑沉积岩中,热储类型为层状孔隙-裂隙型热储,地热资源类型属热传导型。新近纪馆陶组热储层组与古近纪东营组热储层组是主要的热储层。该文在论述利津县地热地质条件的基础上,对地热开发的经济、社会、环境效益及开发利用前景进行了分析,对地热开发中的尾水排放和回灌问题进行了探讨,最后提出了地热资源开发与管理方面的建议。     

基于构造分析的辽宁汤岗子地热系统概念模型研究

通过分析辽东地区深部和浅部构造特点,研究汤岗子地热田的成因,查明地热系统的储、盖、通、源,建立热水系统的概念模型：深部构造是地热发育的重要背景条件,在其影响下的浅部构造体系构成了基岩地区地下裂隙水的运移通道和赋存空间,深循环水在运移途中接受来自深部的热流加热形成热水,并在一定条件下出露地表形成温泉,同一个区域地下水流动系统可以发育多个热储,各个热储之间存在间接的能量和物质联系。     

昆明市地热田越流含水系统中地下热水的数值模拟

深层基岩地下（热）水水化学污染问题日趋严重,急需定量而仿真地模拟和预报天然状态和各种人为工程经济活动下地下（热）水流动及溶质（或污染物）的运移。在充分认识地质、水文地质条件的基础上,建立了考虑温压变化和越流条件的昆明市地热田深层基岩地下热水系统中水流和溶质运移的准三维非稳定流数学模型。模型用于开采条件下地热田地下热水水位及 F^－、Cl^－浓度的模拟,模拟结果具有较高的仿真性,拟合误差一般小于 2％～5％,表明模型合理、可靠。应用所建模型预测了开采条件下昆明市地热田II块段地下热水流场和溶质浓度动态的变化趋势,并提出了控制地下热水环境进一步恶化的措施。     

地震地下流体观测现状

系统介绍我国地震地下流体井（泉）的分布现状、观测井含水层特征及自流热水井的观测现状,并介绍观测项目及主要观测仪器等。上述调查与分析结果,可为我国地震地下流体台网的进一步调整与优化,及今后地震地下流体学科的发展提供科学依据。     

A novel approach for estimating karst groundwater recharge in mountainous regions and its application in Switzerland

A pragmatic and simple approach for estimating the groundwater recharge of karst aquifers in mountainous regions by extrapolation of the hydrological regimes of gauged and well‐documented systems is presented. Specific discharge rates are derived using annual precipitation and spring measurements by taking into account catchment size and elevation, which are assumed to be the dominant factors. Reference sites with high data reliability are used for calibration and regional extrapolation. This is performed with normalized values employing spatial precipitation deviations and correlation with the elevation of the catchment areas. A tiered step procedure provides minimum and maximum normalized gradients for the relationship between recharge quantity and elevation for karst regions. The normalized recharge can therefore be obtained and extrapolated for any location using the spatial precipitation variability to provide an estimate of annual groundwater recharge. The approach was applied to Switzerland (approximately 7500 km² of karst terrain situated between 200 and over 4000 m a.s.l.) using annual precipitation data from meteorological stations for the years 2000 to 2011. Results show that the average recharge rates of different Swiss karst domains range from 20 to 46 L/km²s, which corresponds to an infiltration ratio between 0.6 and 0.9 of total precipitation. Despite uncertainties inherent in the approach, these results provide a benchmark for renewable karst groundwater resources in Switzerland of about 8.4 km³/year. The approach can be applied to any other mountainous karst region, that is, where a clear relationship between elevation, precipitation and recharge can be assumed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing regional‐scale spatio‐temporal patterns of groundwater–surface water interactions using a coupled SWAT‐MODFLOW model

Interaction between groundwater and surface water in watersheds has significant impacts on water management and water rights, nutrient loading from aquifers to streams, and in‐stream flow requirements for aquatic species. Of particular importance are the spatial patterns of these interactions. This study explores the spatio‐temporal patterns of groundwater discharge to a river system in a semi‐arid region, with methods applied to the Sprague River Watershed (4100 km²) within the Upper Klamath Basin in Oregon, USA. Patterns of groundwater–surface water interaction are explored throughout the watershed during the 1970–2003 time period using a coupled SWAT‐MODFLOW model tested against streamflow, groundwater level and field‐estimated reach‐specific groundwater discharge rates. Daily time steps and coupling are used, with groundwater discharge rates calculated for each model computational point along the stream. Model results also are averaged by month and by year to determine seasonal and decadal trends in groundwater discharge rates. Results show high spatial variability in groundwater discharge, with several locations showing no groundwater/surface water interaction. Average annual groundwater discharge is 20.5 m³/s, with maximum and minimum rates occurring in September–October and March–April, respectively. Annual average rates increase by approximately 0.02 m³/s per year over the 34‐year period, negligible compared with the average annual rate, although 70% of the stream network experiences an increase in groundwater discharge rate between 1970 and 2003. Results can assist with water management, identifying potential locations of heavy nutrient mass loading from the aquifer to streams and ecological assessment and planning focused on locations of high groundwater discharge. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling of groundwater flow in heterogeneous porous media by finite element method

The HySuf‐FEM code (Hydrodynamic of Subsurface Flow by Finite Element Method) is proposed in this article in order to estimate the spatial variability of the transmissivity values of the Berrechid aquifer (Morocco). The calibration of the model is based on the hydraulic head, hydraulic conductivity and recharge. Three numerical tests are used to validate the model and verify its convergence. The first test case consists in using the steady analytical solution of the Poisson equation. In the second, the model has been compared with the hydrogeological system which is characterized by an unconfined monolayer (isotropic layer) and computed by using PMWIN‐MODFLOW software. The third test case is based on the comparison between the results of HySuf‐FEM and the multiple cell balance method in the aquifer system with natural boundaries case. Good agreement between the Hydrodynamic of Subsurface Flow, the numerical tests and the spatial distribution of the thickening of the hydrogeological system is deduced from the analysis and the interpretations of hydrogeological wells. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Method for estimating available groundwater volume of small coral islands

We present a simple modelling method to estimate the volume of available groundwater in the freshwater lens of atoll islands under steady-state conditions. Model inputs include annual rainfall depth, island width for cross-sections along the length of the island, aquifer hydraulic conductivity, and depth to the contact between the upper sand aquifer and the lower limestone aquifer. The methodology is tested for nine islands of varying size in the Maldives and Micronesia. Sensitivity analysis indicates that lens volume on large islands typically is governed by the depth to the discontinuity, whereas lens volume for smaller islands is governed by rainfall rate and hydraulic conductivity. Volume curves, which relate lens volume to lens thickness, are developed for each of the nine islands and for three generic island shapes to allow rapid estimation of lens volume given field-estimated lens thickness. The methods presented in this study can be used for any small atoll island.