Hydrogeology of a coal-seam gas exploration area, southeastern British Columbia, Canada: Part 1. Groundwater flow systems

Discovery of high contents of methane gas in coals of the Mist Mountain Formation in the Elk River valley, southeastern British Columbia, Canada, has led to increased exploration activity for coal-seam gas (CSG). CSG production requires groundwater abstraction to depressurize the coal beds and to facilitate methane flow to the production wells. Groundwater abstraction will have hydrodynamic effects on the flow system, and an understanding of the groundwater flow system is needed to evaluate these effects. The purpose of this paper is to describe the groundwater flow system in the area by means of a groundwater flow model and interpretation of hydrochemical and isotopic analyses of groundwater and surface water. Groundwater flow for the Weary Creek exploration area is modeled in two vertical sections. The model domains, based on classic upland–lowland conceptual flow models, are approximately 10,000 m long and 4,000 m deep. Each consists of a fixed water-table boundary and no-flow boundaries along the traces of major faults. Steady-state groundwater flow is calibrated to hydraulic-head, streamflow, and groundwater-recharge data. Simulated steady-state velocity fields define regional and local flow components consistent with the conceptual model. The results are consistent with regional trends in δ²H, δ¹⁸O, tritium, and TDS, which define two distinct groundwater groups (A and B) and a third of intermediate composition. An active, shallow, local flow component (group A) is recharged in beds cropping out along subdued ridges; this component discharges as seeps along lower and mid-slope positions in the southern part of the study area. The waters are tritiated, relatively enriched in δ²H and δ¹⁸O, and have low TDS. A deeper regional flow component (group B), which originates at a higher altitude and which discharges to the Elk River valley bottom, is characterized by non-tritiated groundwater with relatively depleted δ²H and δ¹⁸O, and higher TDS. Groundwater contributes less than 10% of the total direct flow to the Elk River, as indicated by flow measurements and by the absence of group A and group B characteristics in the river water. Thus it is hypothesized that groundwater extraction during CSG production will have little impact on the river. The groundwater flow model developed in this work is used in a companion paper to further test this hypothesis. Electronic Publication     

Groundwater targeting in a hard-rock terrain using fracture-pattern modeling, Niva River basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

In hard-rock terrain, due to the lack of primary porosity in the bedrock, joints, fault zones, and weathered zones are the sources for groundwater occurrence and movement. To study the groundwater potential in the hard-rock terrain and drought-prone area in the Niva River basin, southern Andhra Pradesh state, India, Landsat 5 photographic data were used to prepare an integrated hydrogeomorphology map. Larsson's integrated deformation model was applied to identify the various fracture systems, to pinpoint those younger tensile fracture sets that are the main groundwater reservoirs, and to understand the importance of fracture density in groundwater prospecting. N35°–55°E fractures were identified as tensile and N35°–55°W fractures as both tensile and shear in the study area. Apparently, these fractures are the youngest open fractures. Wherever N35°–55°E and N35°–55°W fracture densities are high, weathered-zone thickness is greater, water-table fluctuations are small, and well yields are high. Groundwater-potential zones were delineated and classified as very good, good to very good, moderate to good, and poor. Electronic Publication     

济宁市地下水与地面沉降三维有限元模拟

在分析济宁市水文地质条件的基础上 ,对引起地面沉降诸因素进行了分析 ,并建立了地面沉降量与地下水位变幅之间的相关关系。集中过量开采地下水是引起济宁市地面沉降的主要原因。在此基础上 ,建立了准三维地下水流模型和一维地面沉降模型。通过水力联系建立地下水与地面沉降耦合数值模型 ,运用有限元法对地下水渗流场和地面沉降量进行模拟 ,并对 2 0 0 0年和 2 0 10年地面沉降进行了预测     

广西岩溶地下水资源及允许开采量的探讨

广西岩溶地下水资源十分丰富,前人用枯水迳流模数法计算的地下水允许开采量为148.11亿m3 /a,但该法未能充分考虑广西岩溶区雨季补给量大及地下岩溶储存空间大的特性,使评价结果偏于保守。本文从地下水开发利用的经济、技术及生态的约束性条件出发,并参考已有水源地的有关参数,提出了评估地下水允许开采量的方法,使地下水允许开采量评价结果比前人有了较大的提高。      

新疆和田地区地下水资源及其可持续开发利用

和田地区地下水具有一定的开发潜力,但地下水的可开采资源量依地表水的开发程度不同而变化。如果地表水引水率维持现状,则地下水最大可开采量为地下水天然补给量的55.8%,截取的蒸发蒸腾量为604%,同时泉水的消减率为35.56%。若地表水的引水率达80%,渠系利用系数提高到0.55时,地下水最大可采量为天然补给量的59.7%,截取的蒸发蒸腾量为70%,而泉水的消减率为49.4%。地下水的开发必须与保护并重,首先应加强昆仑山区的冰雪资源和水源涵养林的保护,合理开发平原区地下水与地表水;其次应积极预防地下水的污染及可能产生的生态环境负效应;同时必须加强基础建设和能力建设,提高全民节水意识。     

中国北方第四系地下水同位素分层及其指示意义

中国北方第四系地下水中的D, 18O, 3H和14C含量存在明显的分层现象, 这种现象与末次冰期以来的古气候变化有着较好的对应性, 反映了全新世和末次冰期气候条件的差别以及地下水不同的形成机制.深层地下水为晚更新世末次冰期时期形成, 其δ(D) 和δ(18O) 值与全新世补给形成的浅层地下水相比, 分别贫4× 10-3~ 16× 10-3和1× 10-3~ 2× 10-3, 说明末次冰期时期年均气温较低.古地下水中D和18O的大陆梯度与全新世以来地下水中的梯度基本相同, 说明在过去30000a来尽管气温发生变化, 但中国北方大陆的大气循环模式没有发生实质性的改变.地下水同位素分层现象反映了3种不同的补给机制及参与现代水循环程度.这些信息对大陆尺度上的水循环研究和地下水的可持续开发利用有着重要的意义.      

黄河源区地下水位下降对生态环境的影响

黄河源区1:250000区域环境地质调查资料与以往资料的对比表明,黄河源区区域地下水位近几十年来呈现明显的下降趋势,主要表现在:地下水露头泉口下移,河谷区民井地下水位下降及山前冲洪积扇前缘泄出带下移.多年冻土的退化直接导致了冷生隔水层的下移,从而引起区域地下水位的下降.区域地下水位的下降导致生态水位下降,包气带土壤层的含水量减少,使该区出现植被草场退化、生物多样性减少、沼泽湿地萎缩、鼠害猖獗、荒漠化加剧及黄河断流等生态环境问题.     

傍河地下水水源地污染模式研究

傍河取水是常见的地下水供水形式之一,但水源地的水质常常受到河流污染物的威胁。近年来,随着区域地下水位的下降和开采条件的变化,河水补给地下水的形式也趋于多样化,从而影响着污染物的迁移。本文通过对河水与地下水的各种关系的分析,给出了河水污染地下水的各种模式,并综合得出其数学模型及其解,最后用实例说明其应用过程。     

Assessment of Nitrate—Nitrogen Distribution in Kansas Groundwater, 1990–1998

Nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate-N) in groundwater is a potential problem in many parts of Kansas.From 1990 to 1998, 747 water samples were collected from domestic, irrigation, monitoring,and public water supply wells primarily from the western two-thirds of the state, and analyzedfor nitrate-N by the Kansas Geological Survey. Nitrate-N concentrations of the 747 samplesanalyzed range from 29% with less than or equal to 3 mg/L, 51% between 3 and 10 mg/L,and 20% greater than or equal to 10 mg/L. Factors that show a statistically significantrelationship with the occurrence of nitrate-N in Kansas groundwater in this assessment includegeographic area of the state, depth of well, and age of well. Nitrate-N levels of wells screenedin the High Plains aquifer in south-central Kansas showed a statistically higher concentrationthan samples collected from the High Plains aquifer in the western portion of the state.Comparison of nitrate-N with depth of well indicated that shallower wells throughout the stategenerally have higher nitrate-N values than deeper wells. Irrigation wells older than 1975showed statistically higher nitrate-N concentration than wells installed during and since 1975,possibly related to changes in well-construction practices and regulations that occurred in 1975.     

新亚欧大陆桥(河南段)经济带地下水资源形势的研究

新亚欧大陆桥,是又一条连接亚欧大陆的“黄金通道”。陆桥的开通,给河南城市群的崛起和城乡产业经济的发展带来了契机。作为经济可持续发展限制因素之一的地下水资源,在陆桥（河南段）经济带范围内,能否满足沿线经济对地下水的需求？研究结论是：地下水形势不容乐观,潜力尚有８７×１０８ｍ３／ａ,同时还存在超采量３８８×１０８ｍ３／ａ,城乡开发地下水强度不一,已引发多种环境地质问题,对陆桥（河南段）经济带的发展构成了严重威胁。为缓和陆桥（河南段）沿线用水矛盾,必须遵循“因地制宜,量水为出,适度开发,统一规划”的原则,在开源、节流、管理上做好用水文章,充分发挥地下水资源的整体效益,实现陆桥（河南段）经济带地下水的可持续开发利用。