Mapping a Brine Plume Using Surface Geophysical Methods in Conjunction with Ground Water Quality Data |
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| Authors: | Melinda J. Chapman E. Scott Bair |
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| Affiliation: | Melinda J. Chapman received her master's degree in geology with an emphasis on hydrogeology and geophysics from The Ohio State University in 1988. The work presented herein was conducted as part of her master's thesis. Currently, she is employed as a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division in Atlanta, Georgia. Her projects involve hydrocarbon contamination and storm water runoff/ground water evaluations in the Coastal Plain province and ground water supply in the Piedmont province of Georgia.;E. Scott Bair is Associate Professor of Hydrogeology in the Department of Geological Sciences at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210. He is responsible for teaching courses in hydrogeology, numerical ground water modeling, and field methods in hydrogeology. His research interests are in the application of ground water flow, solute-transport, and geostatistical theory to field problems. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from The Pennsylvania State University and his B.A. degree from the College of Wooster. Prior to joining the faculty at Ohio State, he was employed by Stone and Webster Engineering Corp. |
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| Abstract: | Oil field brine was applied to a gravel roadbed at an instrumented study site in Newark, Ohio, to simulate the use of brine as a deicer on roads in certain areas of Ohio. Brine was applied on a weekly basis eight times during the winter of 1988 as part of the deicing simulation. Eleven wells were installed at the site prior to brine application to permit collection of ground water quality samples. Surface geophysical methods — electrical resistivity and electromagnetic conductivity — were used to map the resulting brine plume. The accuracy of the methods was evaluated by comparing geophysical and ground water quality data. The presence of brine in ground water resulted in a decrease in resistivity and an increase in conductivity. Specific conductance measured in the field was used as a general indicator of the presence of the brine plume in ground water. Chloride concentration was an indicator of brine in the ground water. Results of the surface geophysical surveys correlated best with chloride and dissolved solids concentrations, and with specific conductance in ground water. The surface geophysical methods were found to be useful for qualitative interpretations of ground water quality changes resulting from the application of brine on roads. |
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