Experimental and AI-based numerical modeling of contaminant transport in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nourani, Vahid; Mousavi, Shahram; Sadikoglu, Fahreddin; Singh, Vijay P.

2017-10-01

This study developed a new hybrid artificial intelligence (AI)-meshless approach for modeling contaminant transport in porous media. The key innovation of the proposed approach is that both black box and physically-based models are combined for modeling contaminant transport. The effectiveness of the approach was evaluated using experimental and real world data. Artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were calibrated to predict temporal contaminant concentrations (CCs), and the effect of noisy and de-noised data on the model performance was evaluated. Then, considering the predicted CCs at test points (TPs, in experimental study) and piezometers (in Myandoab plain) as interior conditions, the multiquadric radial basis function (MQ-RBF), as a meshless approach which solves partial differential equation (PDE) of contaminant transport in porous media, was employed to estimate the CC values at any point within the study area where there was no TP or piezometer. Optimal values of the dispersion coefficient in the advection-dispersion PDE and shape coefficient of MQ-RBF were determined using the imperialist competitive algorithm. In temporal contaminant transport modeling, de-noised data enhanced the performance of ANN and ANFIS methods in terms of the determination coefficient, up to 6 and 5%, respectively, in the experimental study and up to 39 and 18%, respectively, in the field study. Results showed that the efficiency of ANFIS-meshless model was more than ANN-meshless model up to 2 and 13% in the experimental and field studies, respectively.

A Generalized Model for Transport of Contaminants in Soil by Electric Fields

PubMed Central

Paz-Garcia, Juan M.; Baek, Kitae; Alshawabkeh, Iyad D.; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2012-01-01

A generalized model applicable to soils contaminated with multiple species under enhanced boundary conditions during treatment by electric fields is presented. The partial differential equations describing species transport are developed by applying the law of mass conservation to their fluxes. Transport, due to migration, advection and diffusion, of each aqueous component and complex species are combined to produce one partial differential equation hat describes transport of the total analytical concentrations of component species which are the primary dependent variables. This transport couples with geochemical reactions such as aqueous equilibrium, sorption, precipitation and dissolution. The enhanced model is used to simulate electrokinetic cleanup of lead and copper contaminants at an Army Firing Range. Acid enhancement is achieved by the use of adipic acid to neutralize the basic front produced for the cathode electrochemical reaction. The model is able to simulate enhanced application of the process by modifying the boundary conditions. The model showed that kinetics of geochemical reactions, such as metals dissolution/leaching and redox reactions might be significant for realistic prediction of enhanced electrokinetic extraction of metals in real world applications. PMID:22242884

Stochastic interpretation of the advection-diffusion equation and its relevance to bed load transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancey, C.; Bohorquez, P.; Heyman, J.

2015-12-01

The advection-diffusion equation is one of the most widespread equations in physics. It arises quite often in the context of sediment transport, e.g., for describing time and space variations in the particle activity (the solid volume of particles in motion per unit streambed area). Phenomenological laws are usually sufficient to derive this equation and interpret its terms. Stochastic models can also be used to derive it, with the significant advantage that they provide information on the statistical properties of particle activity. These models are quite useful when sediment transport exhibits large fluctuations (typically at low transport rates), making the measurement of mean values difficult. Among these stochastic models, the most common approach consists of random walk models. For instance, they have been used to model the random displacement of tracers in rivers. Here we explore an alternative approach, which involves monitoring the evolution of the number of particles moving within an array of cells of finite length. Birth-death Markov processes are well suited to this objective. While the topic has been explored in detail for diffusion-reaction systems, the treatment of advection has received no attention. We therefore look into the possibility of deriving the advection-diffusion equation (with a source term) within the framework of birth-death Markov processes. We show that in the continuum limit (when the cell size becomes vanishingly small), we can derive an advection-diffusion equation for particle activity. Yet while this derivation is formally valid in the continuum limit, it runs into difficulty in practical applications involving cells or meshes of finite length. Indeed, within our stochastic framework, particle advection produces nonlocal effects, which are more or less significant depending on the cell size and particle velocity. Albeit nonlocal, these effects look like (local) diffusion and add to the intrinsic particle diffusion (dispersal due

Pore Water PAH Transport in Amended Sediment Caps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidley, P. T.; Kwon, S.; Ghosh, U.

2009-05-01

Capping is a common remediation strategy for contaminated sediments that creates a physical barrier between contaminated sediments and the water column. Diffusive flux of contaminants through a sediment cap is small. However, under certain hydrodynamic conditions such as groundwater potential and tidal pumping, groundwater advection can accelerate contaminant transport. Hydrophobic organic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could be transported through the cap under advective conditions. To better understand PAH migration under these conditions, physical models of sediment caps were evaluated in the laboratory through direct measurement of pore water using solid phase micro-extraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Contaminated sediment and capping material was obtained from an existing Superfund site that was capped at Eagle Harbor, Washington. A PAH dissolution model linked to an advection-dispersion equation with retardation using published organic carbon-water partitioning coefficients (Koc) was compared to measured PAHs in the sediment and cap porewater of the physical model.

Modelling debris transport within glaciers by advection in a full-Stokes ice flow model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirbel, Anna; Jarosch, Alexander H.; Nicholson, Lindsey

2017-04-01

As mountain glaciers recede worldwide, an increasing proportion of the remaining glacierized area is expected to become debris covered. The spatio-temporal development of a surface debris cover has profound effects on the glacier behaviour and meltwater generation, yet little is known about how glacier dynamics influence the spatial distribution of an emerging debris cover. Motivated by this lack of understanding, we present a coupled model to simulate advection and resulting deformation of debris features within glaciers. The finite element model developed in python consists of an advection scheme coupled to a full-Stokes ice flow model, using FEniCS as the numerical framework. We show results from numerical tests that demonstrate its suitability to model advection-dominated transport of concentration in a divergence-free velocity field. The capabilities of the coupled model are demonstrated by simulating transport of debris features of different initial size, shape and location through modelled velocity fields of representative mountain glaciers. The results indicate that deformation of initial debris inputs, as a consequence of being transported through the glacier, plays an important role in determining the location and rate of debris emergence at the glacier surface. The presented work lays the foundation for comprehensive simulations of realistic patterns of debris cover, their spatial and temporal variability and the timescales over which debris covers can form.

Experimental and AI-based numerical modeling of contaminant transport in porous media.

PubMed

Nourani, Vahid; Mousavi, Shahram; Sadikoglu, Fahreddin; Singh, Vijay P

2017-10-01

This study developed a new hybrid artificial intelligence (AI)-meshless approach for modeling contaminant transport in porous media. The key innovation of the proposed approach is that both black box and physically-based models are combined for modeling contaminant transport. The effectiveness of the approach was evaluated using experimental and real world data. Artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were calibrated to predict temporal contaminant concentrations (CCs), and the effect of noisy and de-noised data on the model performance was evaluated. Then, considering the predicted CCs at test points (TPs, in experimental study) and piezometers (in Myandoab plain) as interior conditions, the multiquadric radial basis function (MQ-RBF), as a meshless approach which solves partial differential equation (PDE) of contaminant transport in porous media, was employed to estimate the CC values at any point within the study area where there was no TP or piezometer. Optimal values of the dispersion coefficient in the advection-dispersion PDE and shape coefficient of MQ-RBF were determined using the imperialist competitive algorithm. In temporal contaminant transport modeling, de-noised data enhanced the performance of ANN and ANFIS methods in terms of the determination coefficient, up to 6 and 5%, respectively, in the experimental study and up to 39 and 18%, respectively, in the field study. Results showed that the efficiency of ANFIS-meshless model was more than ANN-meshless model up to 2 and 13% in the experimental and field studies, respectively. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Finite element modeling of contaminant transport in soils including the effect of chemical reactions.

PubMed

Javadi, A A; Al-Najjar, M M

2007-05-17

The movement of chemicals through soils to the groundwater is a major cause of degradation of water resources. In many cases, serious human and stock health implications are associated with this form of pollution. Recent studies have shown that the current models and methods are not able to adequately describe the leaching of nutrients through soils, often underestimating the risk of groundwater contamination by surface-applied chemicals, and overestimating the concentration of resident solutes. Furthermore, the effect of chemical reactions on the fate and transport of contaminants is not included in many of the existing numerical models for contaminant transport. In this paper a numerical model is presented for simulation of the flow of water and air and contaminant transport through unsaturated soils with the main focus being on the effects of chemical reactions. The governing equations of miscible contaminant transport including advection, dispersion-diffusion and adsorption effects together with the effect of chemical reactions are presented. The mathematical framework and the numerical implementation of the model are described in detail. The model is validated by application to a number of test cases from the literature and is then applied to the simulation of a physical model test involving transport of contaminants in a block of soil with particular reference to the effects of chemical reactions. Comparison of the results of the numerical model with the experimental results shows that the model is capable of predicting the effects of chemical reactions with very high accuracy. The importance of consideration of the effects of chemical reactions is highlighted.

AN EXACT PEAK CAPTURING AND OSCILLATION-FREE SCHEME TO SOLVE ADVECTION-DISPERSION TRANSPORT EQUATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

An exact peak capturing and essentially oscillation-free (EPCOF) algorithm, consisting of advection-dispersion decoupling, backward method of characteristics, forward node tracking, and adaptive local grid refinement, is developed to solve transport equations. This algorithm repr...

Contaminant transport in fractured rocks with significant matrix permeability, using natural fracture geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odling, Noelle E.; Roden, Julie E.

1997-09-01

Some results from numerical models of flow and contaminant transport in fractured permeable rocks, where fractures are more conductive than rock matrix, are described. The 2D flow field in the fractured and permeable rock matrix is calculated using a finite difference, 'conductance mesh' method, and the contaminant transport is simulated by particle tracking methods using an advection-biased, random walk technique. The model is applied to simulated and naturally occurring fracture patterns. The simulated pattern is an en echelon array of unconnected fractures, as an example of a common, naturally occurring fracture geometry. Two natural fracture patterns are used: one of unconnected, sub-parallel fractures and one with oblique fracture sets which is well connected. Commonly occurring matrix permeability and fracture aperture values are chosen. The simulations show that the presence of fractures creates complex and heterogeneous flow fields and contaminant distribution in the permeable rock matrix. The modelling results have shown that some effects are non-intuitive and therefore difficult to foresee without the help of a model. With respect to contaminant transport rates and plume heterogeneity, it was found that fracture connectivity (crucial when the matrix is impermeable) can play a secondary role to fracture orientation and density. Connected fracture systems can produce smooth break-through curves of contaminants summed over, for example, a bore-hole length, whereas in detail the contaminant plume is spatially highly heterogeneous. Close to a constant-pressure boundary (e.g. an extraction bore-hole), flow and contaminants can be channelled by fractures. Thus observations at a bore-hole may suggest that contaminants are largely confined to the fracture system, when, in fact, significant contamination resides in the matrix.

New Solution of Diffusion-Advection Equation for Cosmic-Ray Transport Using Ultradistributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocca, M. C.; Plastino, A. R.; Plastino, A.; Ferri, G. L.; de Paoli, A.

2015-11-01

In this paper we exactly solve the diffusion-advection equation (DAE) for cosmic-ray transport. For such a purpose we use the Theory of Ultradistributions of J. Sebastiao e Silva, to give a general solution for the DAE. From the ensuing solution, we obtain several approximations as limiting cases of various situations of physical and astrophysical interest. One of them involves Solar cosmic-rays' diffusion.

Contaminant fate and transport in the Venice Lagoon: results from a multi-segment multimedia model.

PubMed

Sommerfreund, J K; Gandhi, N; Diamond, M L; Mugnai, C; Frignani, M; Capodaglio, G; Gerino, M; Bellucci, L G; Giuliani, S

2010-03-01

Contaminant loadings to the Venice Lagoon peaked from 1950s-1980s and although they have since declined, contaminant concentrations remain elevated in sediment and seafood. In order to identify the relative importance of contaminant sources, inter-media exchange and removal pathways, a modified 10-segment fugacity/aquivalence-based model was developed for octachlorodibenzodioxin/furan (OCDD/F), PCB-180, Pb and Cu in the Venice Lagoon. Results showed that in-place pollution nearby the industrial area, current industrial discharges, and tributary loadings were the main sources of contaminants to the lagoon, with negligible contributions from the atmosphere. The fate of these contaminants was governed by sediment-water exchange with simultaneous advective transport by water circulation. Contaminants circulated amongst the northern and central basins with a small fraction reaching the far southern basin and the Chioggia inlet. As a consequence, we estimated limited contaminant transfer to the Adriatic Sea, trapping the majority of contaminants in the sediment in this "average" circulation scenario which does not account for periodic flooding events. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surfactant-enhanced remediation of a trichloroethene-contaminated aquifer. 1. Transport of triton X-100

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, J.A.; Sahoo, D.; Mclellan, H.M.; Imbrigiotta, T.E.

1997-01-01

Transport of a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) at aqueous concentrations less than 400 mg/L through a trichloroethene-contaminated sand-and-gravel aquifer at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, has been studied through a series of laboratory and field experiments. In the laboratory, batch and column experiments were conducted to quantify the rate and amount of Triton X-100 sorption to the aquifer sediments. In the field, a 400 mg/L aqueous Triton X-100 solution was injected into the aquifer at a rate of 26.5 L/min for a 35-d period. The transport of Triton X-100 was monitored by sampling and analysis of groundwater at six locations surrounding the injection well. Equilibrium batch sorption experiments showed that Triton X-100 sorbs strongly and nonlinearly to the field soil with the sharpest inflection point of the isotherm occurring at an equilibrium aqueous Triton X-100 concentration close to critical micelle concentration. Batch, soil column, and field experimental data were analyzed with zero-, one-, and two- dimensional (respectively) transient solute transport models with either equilibrium or rate-limited sorption. These analyses reveal that Triton X- 100 sorption to the aquifer solids is slow relative to advective and dispersive transport and that an equilibrium sorption model cannot simulate accurately the observed soil column and field data. Comparison of kinetic sorption parameters from batch, column, and field transport data indicate that both physical heterogeneities and Triton X-100 mass transfer between water and soil contribute to the kinetic transport effects.Transport of a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) at aqueous concentrations less than 400 mg/L through a trichloroethene-contaminated sand-and-gravel aquifer was studied. Equilibrium batch sorption experiments showed that Triton X-100 sorbs strongly and nonlinearly to the field soil with the sharpest inflection point of the isotherm occurring at an equilibrium aqueous Triton X-100 concentration close to

Emergent structures in reaction-advection-diffusion systems on a sphere.

PubMed

Krause, Andrew L; Burton, Abigail M; Fadai, Nabil T; Van Gorder, Robert A

2018-04-01

We demonstrate unusual effects due to the addition of advection into a two-species reaction-diffusion system on the sphere. We find that advection introduces emergent behavior due to an interplay of the traditional Turing patterning mechanisms with the compact geometry of the sphere. Unidirectional advection within the Turing space of the reaction-diffusion system causes patterns to be generated at one point of the sphere, and transported to the antipodal point where they are destroyed. We illustrate these effects numerically and deduce conditions for Turing instabilities on local projections to understand the mechanisms behind these behaviors. We compare this behavior to planar advection which is shown to only transport patterns across the domain. Analogous transport results seem to hold for the sphere under azimuthal transport or away from the antipodal points in unidirectional flow regimes.

Emergent structures in reaction-advection-diffusion systems on a sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Andrew L.; Burton, Abigail M.; Fadai, Nabil T.; Van Gorder, Robert A.

2018-04-01

We demonstrate unusual effects due to the addition of advection into a two-species reaction-diffusion system on the sphere. We find that advection introduces emergent behavior due to an interplay of the traditional Turing patterning mechanisms with the compact geometry of the sphere. Unidirectional advection within the Turing space of the reaction-diffusion system causes patterns to be generated at one point of the sphere, and transported to the antipodal point where they are destroyed. We illustrate these effects numerically and deduce conditions for Turing instabilities on local projections to understand the mechanisms behind these behaviors. We compare this behavior to planar advection which is shown to only transport patterns across the domain. Analogous transport results seem to hold for the sphere under azimuthal transport or away from the antipodal points in unidirectional flow regimes.

Transport dissipative particle dynamics model for mesoscopic advection-diffusion-reaction problems

PubMed Central

Yazdani, Alireza; Tartakovsky, Alexandre; Karniadakis, George Em

2015-01-01

We present a transport dissipative particle dynamics (tDPD) model for simulating mesoscopic problems involving advection-diffusion-reaction (ADR) processes, along with a methodology for implementation of the correct Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions in tDPD simulations. tDPD is an extension of the classic dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) framework with extra variables for describing the evolution of concentration fields. The transport of concentration is modeled by a Fickian flux and a random flux between tDPD particles, and the advection is implicitly considered by the movements of these Lagrangian particles. An analytical formula is proposed to relate the tDPD parameters to the effective diffusion coefficient. To validate the present tDPD model and the boundary conditions, we perform three tDPD simulations of one-dimensional diffusion with different boundary conditions, and the results show excellent agreement with the theoretical solutions. We also performed two-dimensional simulations of ADR systems and the tDPD simulations agree well with the results obtained by the spectral element method. Finally, we present an application of the tDPD model to the dynamic process of blood coagulation involving 25 reacting species in order to demonstrate the potential of tDPD in simulating biological dynamics at the mesoscale. We find that the tDPD solution of this comprehensive 25-species coagulation model is only twice as computationally expensive as the conventional DPD simulation of the hydrodynamics only, which is a significant advantage over available continuum solvers. PMID:26156459

Exact PDF equations and closure approximations for advective-reactive transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Venturi, D.; Tartakovsky, Daniel M.; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.

2013-06-01

Mathematical models of advection–reaction phenomena rely on advective flow velocity and (bio) chemical reaction rates that are notoriously random. By using functional integral methods, we derive exact evolution equations for the probability density function (PDF) of the state variables of the advection–reaction system in the presence of random transport velocity and random reaction rates with rather arbitrary distributions. These PDF equations are solved analytically for transport with deterministic flow velocity and a linear reaction rate represented mathematically by a heterog eneous and strongly-correlated random field. Our analytical solution is then used to investigate the accuracy and robustness of the recentlymore » proposed large-eddy diffusivity (LED) closure approximation [1]. We find that the solution to the LED-based PDF equation, which is exact for uncorrelated reaction rates, is accurate even in the presence of strong correlations and it provides an upper bound of predictive uncertainty.« less

Thermal advection and stratification effects on surface winds and the low level meridional mass transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levy, Gad; Tiu, Felice S.

1990-01-01

Statistical tests are performed on the Seasat scatterometer observations to examine if and to what degree thermal advection and stratification effects manifest themselves in these remotely sensed measurements of mean wind and wind stress over the ocean. On the basis of a two layer baroclinic boundary layer model which is presented, it is shown that the thermal advection and stratification of the entire boundary layer as well as the geostrophic forcing influence the modeled near surface wind and wind stress profiles. Evidence of diurnal variation in the stratification under barotropic conditions is found in the data, with the daytime marine boundary layer being more convective than its nighttime counterpart. The temporal and spacial sampling pattern of the satellite makes it impossible to recover the full diurnal cycle, however. The observed effects of the thermal advection are shown to be statistically significant during the day (and presumed more convective) hours, causing a systematic increase in the poleward transport of mass and heat. The statistical results are in a qualitative agreement with the model simulations and cannot be reproduced in randomized control tests.

Rapid methods for radionuclide contaminant transport in nuclear fuel cycle simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huff, Kathryn

Here, nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear waste disposal decisions are technologically coupled. However, current nuclear fuel cycle simulators lack dynamic repository performance analysis due to the computational burden of high-fidelity hydrolgic contaminant transport models. The Cyder disposal environment and repository module was developed to fill this gap. It implements medium-fidelity hydrologic radionuclide transport models to support assessment appropriate for fuel cycle simulation in the Cyclus fuel cycle simulator. Rapid modeling of hundreds of discrete waste packages in a geologic environment is enabled within this module by a suite of four closed form models for advective, dispersive, coupled, and idealized con-more » taminant transport: a Degradation Rate model, a Mixed Cell model, a Lumped Parameter model, and a 1-D Permeable Porous Medium model. A summary of the Cyder module, its timestepping algorithm, and the mathematical models implemented within it are presented. Additionally, parametric demonstrations simulations performed with Cyder are presented and shown to demonstrate functional agreement with parametric simulations conducted in a standalone hydrologic transport model, the Clay Generic Disposal System Model developed by the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy.« less

Rapid methods for radionuclide contaminant transport in nuclear fuel cycle simulation

DOE PAGES

Huff, Kathryn

2017-08-01

Here, nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear waste disposal decisions are technologically coupled. However, current nuclear fuel cycle simulators lack dynamic repository performance analysis due to the computational burden of high-fidelity hydrolgic contaminant transport models. The Cyder disposal environment and repository module was developed to fill this gap. It implements medium-fidelity hydrologic radionuclide transport models to support assessment appropriate for fuel cycle simulation in the Cyclus fuel cycle simulator. Rapid modeling of hundreds of discrete waste packages in a geologic environment is enabled within this module by a suite of four closed form models for advective, dispersive, coupled, and idealized con-more » taminant transport: a Degradation Rate model, a Mixed Cell model, a Lumped Parameter model, and a 1-D Permeable Porous Medium model. A summary of the Cyder module, its timestepping algorithm, and the mathematical models implemented within it are presented. Additionally, parametric demonstrations simulations performed with Cyder are presented and shown to demonstrate functional agreement with parametric simulations conducted in a standalone hydrologic transport model, the Clay Generic Disposal System Model developed by the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy.« less

Estimation of transport parameters of phenolic compounds and inorganic contaminants through composite landfill liners using one-dimensional mass transport model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Varank, Gamze, E-mail: gvarank@yildiz.edu.tr; Demir, Ahmet, E-mail: ahmetd@yildiz.edu.tr; Yetilmezsoy, Kaan, E-mail: yetilmez@yildiz.edu.tr

2011-11-15

Highlights: > We conduct 1D advection-dispersion modeling to estimate transport parameters. > We examine fourteen phenolic compounds and three inorganic contaminants. > 2-MP, 2,4-DCP, 2,6-DCP, 2,4,5-TCP, 2,3,4,6-TeCP have the highest coefficients. > Dispersion coefficients of Cu are determined to be higher than Zn and Fe. > Transport of phenolics can be prevented by zeolite and bentonite in landfill liners. - Abstract: One-dimensional (1D) advection-dispersion transport modeling was conducted as a conceptual approach for the estimation of the transport parameters of fourteen different phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-CP, 2-MP, 3-MP, 4-MP, 2-NP, 4-NP, 2,4-DNP, 2,4-DCP, 2,6-DCP, 2,4,5-TCP, 2,4,6-TCP, 2,3,4,6-TeCP, PCP) and threemore » different inorganic contaminants (Cu, Zn, Fe) migrating downward through the several liner systems. Four identical pilot-scale landfill reactors (0.25 m{sup 3}) with different composite liners (R1: 0.10 + 0.10 m of compacted clay liner (CCL), L{sub e} = 0.20 m, k{sub e} = 1 x 10{sup -8} m/s, R2: 0.002-m-thick damaged high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane overlying 0.10 + 0.10 m of CCL, L{sub e} = 0.20 m, k{sub e} = 1 x 10{sup -8} m/s, R3: 0.002-m-thick damaged HDPE geomembrane overlying a 0.02-m-thick bentonite layer encapsulated between 0.10 + 0.10 m CCL, L{sub e} = 0.22 m, k{sub e} = 1 x 10{sup -8} m/s, R4: 0.002-m-thick damaged HDPE geomembrane overlying a 0.02-m-thick zeolite layer encapsulated between 0.10 + 0.10 m CCL, L{sub e} = 0.22 m, k{sub e} = 4.24 x 10{sup -7} m/s) were simultaneously run for a period of about 540 days to investigate the nature of diffusive and advective transport of the selected organic and inorganic contaminants. The results of 1D transport model showed that the highest molecular diffusion coefficients, ranging from 4.77 x 10{sup -10} to 10.67 x 10{sup -10} m{sup 2}/s, were estimated for phenol (R4), 2-MP (R1), 2,4-DNP (R2), 2,4-DCP (R1), 2,6-DCP (R2), 2,4,5-TCP (R2) and 2,3,4,6-TeCP (R1). For all

Space shuttle exhaust plumes in the lower thermosphere: Advective transport and diffusive spreading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Michael H.; Lossow, Stefan; Siskind, David E.; Meier, R. R.; Randall, Cora E.; Russell, James M.; Urban, Jo; Murtagh, Donal

2014-02-01

The space shuttle main engine plume deposited between 100 and 115 km altitude is a valuable tracer for global-scale dynamical processes. Several studies have shown that this plume can reach the Arctic or Antarctic to form bursts of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) within a few days. The rapid transport of the shuttle plume is currently not reproduced by general circulation models and is not well understood. To help delineate the issues, we present the complete satellite datasets of shuttle plume observations by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry instrument and the Sub-Millimeter Radiometer instrument. From 2002 to 2011 these two instruments observed 27 shuttle plumes in over 600 limb scans of water vapor emission, from which we derive both advective meridional transport and diffusive spreading. Each plume is deposited at virtually the same place off the United States east coast so our results are relevant to northern mid-latitudes. We find that the advective transport for the first 6-18 h following deposition depends on the local time (LT) of launch: shuttle plumes deposited later in the day (~13-22 LT) typically move south whereas they otherwise typically move north. For these younger plumes rapid transport is most favorable for launches at 6 and 18 LT, when the displacement is 10° in latitude corresponding to an average wind speed of 30 m/s. For plumes between 18 and 30 h old some show average sustained meridional speeds of 30 m/s. For plumes between 30 and 54 h old the observations suggest a seasonal dependence to the meridional transport, peaking near the beginning of year at 24 m/s. The diffusive spreading of the plume superimposed on the transport is on average 23 m/s in 24 h. The plume observations show large variations in both meridional transport and diffusive spreading so that accurate modeling requires knowledge of the winds specific to each case. The combination of transport and spreading from the STS-118 plume in August

Multiple-tracer tests for contaminant transport process identification in saturated municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodman, N.D., E-mail: n.d.woodman@soton.ac.uk; Rees-White, T.C.; Stringfellow, A.M.

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Multiple tracers were applied to saturated MSW to test dual-porosity properties. • Lithium demonstrated to be non-conservative as a tracer. • 260 mm diameter column too small to test transport properties of MSW. • The classical advection-dispersion mode was rejected due to high dispersivity. • Characteristic diffusion times did not vary with the tracer. - Abstract: Two column tests were performed in conditions emulating vertical flow beneath the leachate table in a biologically active landfill to determine dominant transport mechanisms occurring in landfills. An improved understanding of contaminant transport process in wastes is required for developing better predictionsmore » about potential length of the long term aftercare of landfills, currently measured in timescales of centuries. Three tracers (lithium, bromide and deuterium) were used. Lithium did not behave conservatively. Given that lithium has been used extensively for tracing in landfill wastes, the tracer itself and the findings of previous tests which assume that it has behaved conservatively may need revisiting. The smaller column test could not be fitted with continuum models, probably because the volume of waste was below a representative elemental volume. Modelling compared advection-dispersion (AD), dual porosity (DP) and hybrid AD–DP models. Of these models, the DP model was found to be the most suitable. Although there is good evidence to suggest that diffusion is an important transport mechanism, the breakthrough curves of the different tracers did not differ from each other as would be predicted based on the free-water diffusion coefficients. This suggested that solute diffusion in wastes requires further study.« less

An adaptive semi-Lagrangian advection model for transport of volcanic emissions in the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerwing, Elena; Hort, Matthias; Behrens, Jörn; Langmann, Bärbel

2018-06-01

The dispersion of volcanic emissions in the Earth atmosphere is of interest for climate research, air traffic control and human wellbeing. Current volcanic emission dispersion models rely on fixed-grid structures that often are not able to resolve the fine filamented structure of volcanic emissions being transported in the atmosphere. Here we extend an existing adaptive semi-Lagrangian advection model for volcanic emissions including the sedimentation of volcanic ash. The advection of volcanic emissions is driven by a precalculated wind field. For evaluation of the model, the explosive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 is chosen, which was one of the largest eruptions in the 20th century. We compare our simulations of the climactic eruption on 15 June 1991 to satellite data of the Pinatubo ash cloud and evaluate different sets of input parameters. We could reproduce the general advection of the Pinatubo ash cloud and, owing to the adaptive mesh, simulations could be performed at a high local resolution while minimizing computational cost. Differences to the observed ash cloud are attributed to uncertainties in the input parameters and the course of Typhoon Yunya, which is probably not completely resolved in the wind data used to drive the model. The best results were achieved for simulations with multiple ash particle sizes.

Sensitivity analyses of a colloid-facilitated contaminant transport model for unsaturated heterogeneous soil conditions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Périard, Yann; José Gumiere, Silvio; Rousseau, Alain N.; Caron, Jean

2013-04-01

Certain contaminants may travel faster through soils when they are sorbed to subsurface colloidal particles. Indeed, subsurface colloids may act as carriers of some contaminants accelerating their translocation through the soil into the water table. This phenomenon is known as colloid-facilitated contaminant transport. It plays a significant role in contaminant transport in soils and has been recognized as a source of groundwater contamination. From a mechanistic point of view, the attachment/detachment of the colloidal particles from the soil matrix or from the air-water interface and the straining process may modify the hydraulic properties of the porous media. Šimůnek et al. (2006) developed a model that can simulate the colloid-facilitated contaminant transport in variably saturated porous media. The model is based on the solution of a modified advection-dispersion equation that accounts for several processes, namely: straining, exclusion and attachement/detachement kinetics of colloids through the soil matrix. The solutions of these governing, partial differential equations are obtained using a standard Galerkin-type, linear finite element scheme, implemented in the HYDRUS-2D/3D software (Šimůnek et al., 2012). Modeling colloid transport through the soil and the interaction of colloids with the soil matrix and other contaminants is complex and requires the characterization of many model parameters. In practice, it is very difficult to assess actual transport parameter values, so they are often calibrated. However, before calibration, one needs to know which parameters have the greatest impact on output variables. This kind of information can be obtained through a sensitivity analysis of the model. The main objective of this work is to perform local and global sensitivity analyses of the colloid-facilitated contaminant transport module of HYDRUS. Sensitivity analysis was performed in two steps: (i) we applied a screening method based on Morris' elementary

Chromium isotope variation along a contaminated groundwater plume: a coupled Cr(VI)- reduction, advective mixing perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bullen, T.; Izbicki, J.

2007-12-01

groundwater samples having <4 ppb Cr(VI), taken to be representative of regional groundwater, and the contaminated water do not pass through the remainder of the data, discounting a simple advective mixing scenario. We hypothesize a more likely scenario that involves both Cr(VI) reduction and advective mixing. As the plume initially expands downgradient, Cr(VI) in water at the leading edge encounters reductant in the aquifer resulting in limited Cr(VI) reduction. As a result of reduction, δ53Cr of Cr(VI) remaining in solution at the leading edge increases along the "reduction" trend from 0 to ~+2‰. Inevitable mixing of this water at the leading edge with regional groundwater results in a suitable mixing end-member to combine with Cr(VI) within the plume in order to explain the bulk of the remaining data. Neither Cr(VI) reduction nor advective mixing of plume and regional groundwaters can explain the data on their own, implying an interplay of at least these two processes during plume evolution. Ellis, A.S., Johnson, T.M. and Bullen, T.D. 2002, Science, 295, 2060-2062.

Electrokinetic-enhanced bioaugmentation for remediation of chlorinated solvents contaminated clay

PubMed Central

Mao, Xuhui; Wang, James; Ciblak, Ali; Cox, Evan E.; Riis, Charlotte; Terkelsen, Mads; Gent, David B.; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2012-01-01

Successful bioremediation of contaminated soils is controlled by the ability to deliver bioremediation additives, such as bacteria and/or nutrients, to the contaminated zone. Because hydraulic advection is not practical for delivery in clays, electrokinetic (EK) injection is an alternative for efficient and uniform delivery of bioremediation additive into low-permeability soil and heterogeneous deposits. EK–enhanced bioaugmentation for remediation of clays contaminated with chlorinated solvents is evaluated. Dehalococcoides (Dhc) bacterial strain and lactate ions are uniformly injected in contaminated clay and complete dechlorination of chlorinated ethene is observed in laboratory experiments. The injected bacteria can survive, grow, and promote effective dechlorination under EK conditions and after EK application. The distribution of Dhc within the clay suggests that electrokinetic transport of Dhc is primarily driven by electroosmosis. In addition to biodegradation due to bioaugmentation of Dhc, an EK-driven transport of chlorinated ethenes is observed in the clay, which accelerates cleanup of chlorinated ethenes from the anode side. Compared with conventional advection-based delivery, EK injection is significantly more effective forestablis hingmicrobial reductive dechlorination capacity in low-permeability soils. PMID:22365139

Linking Chaotic Advection with Subsurface Biogeochemical Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mays, D. C.; Freedman, V. L.; White, S. K.; Fang, Y.; Neupauer, R.

2017-12-01

This work investigates the extent to which groundwater flow kinematics drive subsurface biogeochemical processes. In terms of groundwater flow kinematics, we consider chaotic advection, whose essential ingredient is stretching and folding of plumes. Chaotic advection is appealing within the context of groundwater remediation because it has been shown to optimize plume spreading in the laminar flows characteristic of aquifers. In terms of subsurface biogeochemical processes, we consider an existing model for microbially-mediated reduction of relatively mobile uranium(VI) to relatively immobile uranium(IV) following injection of acetate into a floodplain aquifer beneath a former uranium mill in Rifle, Colorado. This model has been implemented in the reactive transport code eSTOMP, the massively parallel version of STOMP (Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases). This presentation will report preliminary numerical simulations in which the hydraulic boundary conditions in the eSTOMP model are manipulated to simulate chaotic advection resulting from engineered injection and extraction of water through a manifold of wells surrounding the plume of injected acetate. This approach provides an avenue to simulate the impact of chaotic advection within the existing framework of the eSTOMP code.

Coupling between geochemical reactions and multicomponent gas and solute transport in unsaturated media: A reactive transport modeling study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Molins, S.; Mayer, K.U.

2007-01-01

The two‐way coupling that exists between biogeochemical reactions and vadose zone transport processes, in particular gas phase transport, determines the composition of soil gas. To explore these feedback processes quantitatively, multicomponent gas diffusion and advection are implemented into an existing reactive transport model that includes a full suite of geochemical reactions. Multicomponent gas diffusion is described on the basis of the dusty gas model, which accounts for all relevant gas diffusion mechanisms. The simulation of gas attenuation in partially saturated landfill soil covers, methane production, and oxidation in aquifers contaminated by organic compounds (e.g., an oil spill site) and pyrite oxidation in mine tailings demonstrate that both diffusive and advective gas transport can be affected by geochemical reactions. Methane oxidation in landfill covers reduces the existing upward pressure gradient, thereby decreasing the contribution of advective methane emissions to the atmosphere and enhancing the net flux of atmospheric oxygen into the soil column. At an oil spill site, methane oxidation causes a reversal in the direction of gas advection, which results in advective transport toward the zone of oxidation both from the ground surface and the deeper zone of methane production. Both diffusion and advection contribute to supply atmospheric oxygen into the subsurface, and methane emissions to the atmosphere are averted. During pyrite oxidation in mine tailings, pressure reduction in the reaction zone drives advective gas flow into the sediment column, enhancing the oxidation process. In carbonate‐rich mine tailings, calcite dissolution releases carbon dioxide, which partly offsets the pressure reduction caused by O2 consumption.

Contour advection with surgery: A technique for investigating finescale structure in tracer transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waugh, Darryn W.; Plumb, R. Alan

1994-01-01

We present a trajectory technique, contour advection with surgery (CAS), for tracing the evolution of material contours in a specified (including observed) evolving flow. CAS uses the algorithms developed by Dritschel for contour dynamics/surgery to trace the evolution of specified contours. The contours are represented by a series of particles, which are advected by a specified, gridded, wind distribution. The resolution of the contours is preserved by continually adjusting the number of particles, and finescale features are produced that are not present in the input data (and cannot easily be generated using standard trajectory techniques). The reliability, and dependence on the spatial and temporal resolution of the wind field, of the CAS procedure is examined by comparisons with high-resolution numerical data (from contour dynamics calculations and from a general circulation model), and with routine stratospheric analyses. These comparisons show that the large-scale motions dominate the deformation field and that CAS can accurately reproduce small scales from low-resolution wind fields. The CAS technique therefore enables examination of atmospheric tracer transport at previously unattainable resolution.

Simulation of advective flow under steady-state and transient recharge conditions, Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walter, Donald A.; Masterson, John P.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has developed several ground-water models in support of an investigation of ground-water contamination being conducted by the Army National Guard Bureau at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Military Reservation on western Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Regional and subregional steady-state models and regional transient models were used to (1) improve understanding of the hydrologic system, (2) simulate advective transport of contaminants, (3) delineate recharge areas to municipal wells, and (4) evaluate how model discretization and time-varying recharge affect simulation results. A water-table mound dominates ground-water-flow patterns. Near the top of the mound, which is within Camp Edwards, hydraulic gradients are nearly vertically downward and horizontal gradients are small. In downgradient areas that are further from the top of the water-table mound, the ratio of horizontal to vertical gradients is larger and horizontal flow predominates. The steady-state regional model adequately simulates advective transport in some areas of the aquifer; however, simulation of ground-water flow in areas with local hydrologic boundaries, such as ponds, requires more finely discretized subregional models. Subregional models also are needed to delineate recharge areas to municipal wells that are inadequately represented in the regional model or are near other pumped wells. Long-term changes in recharge rates affect hydraulic heads in the aquifer and shift the position of the top of the water-table mound. Hydraulic-gradient directions do not change over time in downgradient areas, whereas they do change substantially with temporal changes in recharge near the top of the water-table mound. The assumption of steady-state hydraulic conditions is valid in downgradient area, where advective transport paths change little over time. In areas closer to the top of the water-table mound, advective transport paths change as a function of time, transient and steady-state paths

Two-Relaxation-Time Lattice Boltzmann Method and its Application to Advective-Diffusive-Reactive Transport

DOE PAGES

Yan, Zhifeng; Yang, Xiaofan; Li, Siliang; ...

2017-09-05

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based on single-relaxation-time (SRT) or multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) collision operators is widely used in simulating flow and transport phenomena. The LBM based on two-relaxation-time (TRT) collision operators possesses strengths from the SRT and MRT LBMs, such as its simple implementation and good numerical stability, although tedious mathematical derivations and presentations of the TRT LBM hinder its application to a broad range of flow and transport phenomena. This paper describes the TRT LBM clearly and provides a pseudocode for easy implementation. Various transport phenomena were simulated using the TRT LBM to illustrate its applications in subsurface environments.more » These phenomena include advection-diffusion in uniform flow, Taylor dispersion in a pipe, solute transport in a packed column, reactive transport in uniform flow, and bacterial chemotaxis in porous media. Finally, the TRT LBM demonstrated good numerical performance in terms of accuracy and stability in predicting these transport phenomena. Therefore, the TRT LBM is a powerful tool to simulate various geophysical and biogeochemical processes in subsurface environments.« less

Two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method and its application to advective-diffusive-reactive transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zhifeng; Yang, Xiaofan; Li, Siliang; Hilpert, Markus

2017-11-01

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based on single-relaxation-time (SRT) or multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) collision operators is widely used in simulating flow and transport phenomena. The LBM based on two-relaxation-time (TRT) collision operators possesses strengths from the SRT and MRT LBMs, such as its simple implementation and good numerical stability, although tedious mathematical derivations and presentations of the TRT LBM hinder its application to a broad range of flow and transport phenomena. This paper describes the TRT LBM clearly and provides a pseudocode for easy implementation. Various transport phenomena were simulated using the TRT LBM to illustrate its applications in subsurface environments. These phenomena include advection-diffusion in uniform flow, Taylor dispersion in a pipe, solute transport in a packed column, reactive transport in uniform flow, and bacterial chemotaxis in porous media. The TRT LBM demonstrated good numerical performance in terms of accuracy and stability in predicting these transport phenomena. Therefore, the TRT LBM is a powerful tool to simulate various geophysical and biogeochemical processes in subsurface environments.

Two-Relaxation-Time Lattice Boltzmann Method and its Application to Advective-Diffusive-Reactive Transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yan, Zhifeng; Yang, Xiaofan; Li, Siliang

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based on single-relaxation-time (SRT) or multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) collision operators is widely used in simulating flow and transport phenomena. The LBM based on two-relaxation-time (TRT) collision operators possesses strengths from the SRT and MRT LBMs, such as its simple implementation and good numerical stability, although tedious mathematical derivations and presentations of the TRT LBM hinder its application to a broad range of flow and transport phenomena. This paper describes the TRT LBM clearly and provides a pseudocode for easy implementation. Various transport phenomena were simulated using the TRT LBM to illustrate its applications in subsurface environments.more » These phenomena include advection-diffusion in uniform flow, Taylor dispersion in a pipe, solute transport in a packed column, reactive transport in uniform flow, and bacterial chemotaxis in porous media. Finally, the TRT LBM demonstrated good numerical performance in terms of accuracy and stability in predicting these transport phenomena. Therefore, the TRT LBM is a powerful tool to simulate various geophysical and biogeochemical processes in subsurface environments.« less

The Predictability of Advection-dominated Flux-transport Solar Dynamo Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, Sabrina; Fournier, Alexandre; Aubert, Julien

2014-01-01

Space weather is a matter of practical importance in our modern society. Predictions of forecoming solar cycles mean amplitude and duration are currently being made based on flux-transport numerical models of the solar dynamo. Interested in the forecast horizon of such studies, we quantify the predictability window of a representative, advection-dominated, flux-transport dynamo model by investigating its sensitivity to initial conditions and control parameters through a perturbation analysis. We measure the rate associated with the exponential growth of an initial perturbation of the model trajectory, which yields a characteristic timescale known as the e-folding time τ e . The e-folding time is shown to decrease with the strength of the α-effect, and to increase with the magnitude of the imposed meridional circulation. Comparing the e-folding time with the solar cycle periodicity, we obtain an average estimate for τ e equal to 2.76 solar cycle durations. From a practical point of view, the perturbations analyzed in this work can be interpreted as uncertainties affecting either the observations or the physical model itself. After reviewing these, we discuss their implications for solar cycle prediction.

Advective transport in heterogeneous aquifers: Are proxy models predictive?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiori, A.; Zarlenga, A.; Gotovac, H.; Jankovic, I.; Volpi, E.; Cvetkovic, V.; Dagan, G.

2015-12-01

We examine the prediction capability of two approximate models (Multi-Rate Mass Transfer (MRMT) and Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW)) of non-Fickian transport, by comparison with accurate 2-D and 3-D numerical simulations. Both nonlocal in time approaches circumvent the need to solve the flow and transport equations by using proxy models to advection, providing the breakthrough curves (BTC) at control planes at any x, depending on a vector of five unknown parameters. Although underlain by different mechanisms, the two models have an identical structure in the Laplace Transform domain and have the Markovian property of independent transitions. We show that also the numerical BTCs enjoy the Markovian property. Following the procedure recommended in the literature, along a practitioner perspective, we first calibrate the parameters values by a best fit with the numerical BTC at a control plane at x1, close to the injection plane, and subsequently use it for prediction at further control planes for a few values of σY2≤8. Due to a similar structure and Markovian property, the two methods perform equally well in matching the numerical BTC. The identified parameters are generally not unique, making their identification somewhat arbitrary. The inverse Gaussian model and the recently developed Multi-Indicator Model (MIM), which does not require any fitting as it relates the BTC to the permeability structure, are also discussed. The application of the proxy models for prediction requires carrying out transport field tests of large plumes for a long duration.

Estimating the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehdinejadiani, Behrouz

2017-08-01

This study represents the first attempt to estimate the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm. The numerical studies as well as the experimental studies were performed to certify the integrity of Bees Algorithm. The experimental ones were conducted in a sandbox for homogeneous and heterogeneous soils. A detailed comparative study was carried out between the results obtained from Bees Algorithm and those from Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN routines in FracFit toolbox. The results indicated that, in general, the Bees Algorithm much more accurately appraised the sFADE parameters in comparison with Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN, especially in the heterogeneous soil and for α values near to 1 in the numerical study. Also, the results obtained from Bees Algorithm were more reliable than those from Genetic Algorithm. The Bees Algorithm showed the relative similar performances for all cases, while the Genetic Algorithm and the LSQNONLIN yielded different performances for various cases. The performance of LSQNONLIN strongly depends on the initial guess values so that, compared to the Genetic Algorithm, it can more accurately estimate the sFADE parameters by taking into consideration the suitable initial guess values. To sum up, the Bees Algorithm was found to be very simple, robust and accurate approach to estimate the transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation.

Estimating the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm.

PubMed

Mehdinejadiani, Behrouz

2017-08-01

This study represents the first attempt to estimate the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm. The numerical studies as well as the experimental studies were performed to certify the integrity of Bees Algorithm. The experimental ones were conducted in a sandbox for homogeneous and heterogeneous soils. A detailed comparative study was carried out between the results obtained from Bees Algorithm and those from Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN routines in FracFit toolbox. The results indicated that, in general, the Bees Algorithm much more accurately appraised the sFADE parameters in comparison with Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN, especially in the heterogeneous soil and for α values near to 1 in the numerical study. Also, the results obtained from Bees Algorithm were more reliable than those from Genetic Algorithm. The Bees Algorithm showed the relative similar performances for all cases, while the Genetic Algorithm and the LSQNONLIN yielded different performances for various cases. The performance of LSQNONLIN strongly depends on the initial guess values so that, compared to the Genetic Algorithm, it can more accurately estimate the sFADE parameters by taking into consideration the suitable initial guess values. To sum up, the Bees Algorithm was found to be very simple, robust and accurate approach to estimate the transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Study of the Physical Processes of an Advection Fog BoundaryLayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, D.; Yan, W.; Kang, Z.; Dai, Z.; Liu, D.; Liu, M.; Cao, L.; Chen, H.

2016-12-01

Using the fog boundary layer observation collected by a moored balloon between December 1 and 2, 2009, the processes of advection fog formation and dissipation under cold and warm double-advection conditions was studied. the conclusions are as follows: 1. The advection fog process was generated by the interaction between the near-surface northeast cold advection and the upper layer's southeast warm, humid advection. The ground fog formed in an advection cooling process, and the thick fog disappeared in two hours when the wind shifted from the northeast to the northwest. The top of the fog layer remained over 600 m for most of the time. 2. This advection fog featured a double-inversion structure. The interaction between the southeast warm, humid advection of the upper layer and the descending current generated the upper inversion layer. The northeast cold advection near the ground and the warm, humid advection in the high-altitude layer formed the lower layer clouds and lower inversion layer. The upper inversion layer was composed of southeast warm, humid advection and a descending current with increasing temperature. The double inversion provided good thermal conditions for maintaining the thick fog layer. 3. The southeast wind of the upper layer not only created the upper inversion layer but also brought vapour-rich air to the fog region. The steady southeast vapour transportation by the southeast wind was the main condition that maintained the fog thickness, homogeneous density, and long duration. The low-altitude low-level jet beneath the lower inversion layer helped maintain the thickness and uniform density of the fog layer by enhancing the exchange of heat, momentum and vapour within the lower inversion layer. 4. There were three transportation mechanisms associated with this advection fog: 1) The surface layer vapour was delivered to the lower fog layer. 2) The low-altitude southeast low-level jet transported the vapour to the upper layer. 3) The vapour was

Theory of advection-driven long range biotic transport

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We propose a simple mechanistic model to examine the effects of advective flow on the spread of fungal diseases spread by wind-blown spores. The model is defined by a set of two coupled non-linear partial differential equations for spore densities. One equation describes the long-distance advectiv...

Advective transport of CO2 in permeable media induced by atmospheric pressure fluctuations: 2. Observational evidence under snowpacks

Treesearch

W. J. Massman; J. M. Frank

2006-01-01

Meadow and forest CO2 amounts sampled beneath an approximately meter deep (steady state) snowpack at a subalpine site in southern Rocky Mountains of Wyoming are observed to vary by nearly 200 ppm over periods ranging from 4 to 15 days. This work employs the model of periodic, pressure-induced, advective transport in permeable media developed in...

Conceptual model for transport processes in the Culebra Dolomite Member, Rustler Formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holt, R.M.

1997-08-01

The Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation represents a possible pathway for contaminants from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant underground repository to the accessible environment. The geologic character of the Culebra is consistent with a double-porosity, multiple-rate model for transport in which the medium is conceptualized as consisting of advective porosity, where solutes are carried by the groundwater flow, and fracture-bounded zones of diffusive porosity, where solutes move through slow advection or diffusion. As the advective travel length or travel time increases, the nature of transport within a double-porosity medium changes. This behavior is important for chemical sorption, becausemore » the specific surface area per unit mass of the diffusive porosity is much greater than in the advective porosity. Culebra transport experiments conducted at two different length scales show behavior consistent with a multiple-rate, double-porosity conceptual model for Culebra transport. Tracer tests conducted on intact core samples from the Culebra show no evidence of significant diffusion, suggesting that at the core scale the Culebra can be modeled as a single-porosity medium where only the advective porosity participates in transport. Field tracer tests conducted in the Culebra show strong double-porosity behavior that is best explained using a multiple-rate model.« less

Diffusion-advection within dynamic biological gaps driven by structural motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asaro, Robert J.; Zhu, Qiang; Lin, Kuanpo

2018-04-01

To study the significance of advection in the transport of solutes, or particles, within thin biological gaps (channels), we examine theoretically the process driven by stochastic fluid flow caused by random thermal structural motion, and we compare it with transport via diffusion. The model geometry chosen resembles the synaptic cleft; this choice is motivated by the cleft's readily modeled structure, which allows for well-defined mechanical and physical features that control the advection process. Our analysis defines a Péclet-like number, AD, that quantifies the ratio of time scales of advection versus diffusion. Another parameter, AM, is also defined by the analysis that quantifies the full potential extent of advection in the absence of diffusion. These parameters provide a clear and compact description of the interplay among the well-defined structural, geometric, and physical properties vis-a ̀-vis the advection versus diffusion process. For example, it is found that AD˜1 /R2 , where R is the cleft diameter and hence diffusion distance. This curious, and perhaps unexpected, result follows from the dependence of structural motion that drives fluid flow on R . AM, on the other hand, is directly related (essentially proportional to) the energetic input into structural motion, and thereby to fluid flow, as well as to the mechanical stiffness of the cleftlike structure. Our model analysis thus provides unambiguous insight into the prospect of competition of advection versus diffusion within biological gaplike structures. The importance of the random, versus a regular, nature of structural motion and of the resulting transient nature of advection under random motion is made clear in our analysis. Further, by quantifying the effects of geometric and physical properties on the competition between advection and diffusion, our results clearly demonstrate the important role that metabolic energy (ATP) plays in this competitive process.

ANALYTICAL MODELING OF THE INFLUENCE OF DENITRIFYING SEDIMENTS ON NITRATE TRANSPORT IN AQUIFERS WITH SLOPING BEDS

EPA Science Inventory

Denitrification is a significant process for the removal of nitrate transported in groundwater drainage from agricultural watersheds. In this paper analytical solutions are developed for advective-reactive and nonpoint-source contaminant transport in a two-layer unconfined aquife...

Momentum Advection on a Staggered Mesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, David J.

1992-05-01

Eulerian and ALE (arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) hydrodynamics programs usually split a timestep into two parts. The first part is a Lagrangian step, which calculates the incremental motion of the material. The second part is referred to as the Eulerian step, the advection step, or the remap step, and it accounts for the transport of material between cells. In most finite difference and finite element formulations, all the solution variables except the velocities are cell-centered while the velocities are edge- or vertex-centered. As a result, the advection algorithm for the momentum is, by necessity, different than the algorithm used for the other variables. This paper reviews three momentum advection methods and proposes a new one. One method, pioneered in YAQUI, creates a new staggered mesh, while the other two, used in SALE and SHALE, are cell-centered. The new method is cell-centered and its relationship to the other methods is discussed. Both pure advection and strong shock calculations are presented to substantiate the mathematical analysis. From the standpoint of numerical accuracy, both the staggered mesh and the cell-centered algorithms can give good results, while the computational costs are highly dependent on the overall architecture of a code.

Analytical solutions for benchmarking cold regions subsurface water flow and energy transport models: one-dimensional soil thaw with conduction and advection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kurylyk, Barret L.; McKenzie, Jeffrey M; MacQuarrie, Kerry T. B.; Voss, Clifford I.

2014-01-01

Numerous cold regions water flow and energy transport models have emerged in recent years. Dissimilarities often exist in their mathematical formulations and/or numerical solution techniques, but few analytical solutions exist for benchmarking flow and energy transport models that include pore water phase change. This paper presents a detailed derivation of the Lunardini solution, an approximate analytical solution for predicting soil thawing subject to conduction, advection, and phase change. Fifteen thawing scenarios are examined by considering differences in porosity, surface temperature, Darcy velocity, and initial temperature. The accuracy of the Lunardini solution is shown to be proportional to the Stefan number. The analytical solution results obtained for soil thawing scenarios with water flow and advection are compared to those obtained from the finite element model SUTRA. Three problems, two involving the Lunardini solution and one involving the classic Neumann solution, are recommended as standard benchmarks for future model development and testing.

Advection, dispersion, and filtration of fine particles within emergent vegetation of the Florida Everglades

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huang, Y.H.; Saiers, J.E.; Harvey, J.W.; Noe, G.B.; Mylon, S.

2008-01-01

The movement of particulate matter within wetland surface waters affects nutrient cycling, contaminant mobility, and the evolution of the wetland landscape. Despite the importance of particle transport in influencing wetland form and function, there are few data sets that illuminate, in a quantitative way, the transport behavior of particulate matter within surface waters containing emergent vegetation. We report observations from experiments on the transport of 1 ??m latex microspheres at a wetland field site located in Water Conservation Area 3A of the Florida Everglades. The experiments involved line source injections of particles inside two 4.8-m-long surface water flumes constructed within a transition zone between an Eleocharis slough and Cladium jamaicense ridge and within a Cladium jamaicense ridge. We compared the measurements of particle transport to calculations of two-dimensional advection-dispersion model that accounted for a linear increase in water velocities with elevation above the ground surface. The results of this analysis revealed that particle spreading by longitudinal and vertical dispersion was substantially greater in the ridge than within the transition zone and that particle capture by aquatic vegetation lowered surface water particle concentrations and, at least for the timescale of our experiments, could be represented as an irreversible, first-order kinetics process. We found generally good agreement between our field-based estimates of particle dispersion and water velocity and estimates determined from published theory, suggesting that the advective-dispersive transport of particulate matter within complex wetland environments can be approximated on the basis of measurable properties of the flow and aquatic vegetation. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

Impacts of physical and chemical aquifer heterogeneity on basin-scale solute transport: Vulnerability of deep groundwater to arsenic contamination in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Holly A.; Khan, Mahfuzur R.

2016-12-01

Aquifer heterogeneity presents a primary challenge in predicting the movement of solutes in groundwater systems. The problem is particularly difficult on very large scales, across which permeability, chemical properties, and pumping rates may vary by many orders of magnitude and data are often sparse. An example is the fluvio-deltaic aquifer system of Bangladesh, where naturally-occurring arsenic (As) exists over tens of thousands of square kilometers in shallow groundwater. Millions of people in As-affected regions rely on deep (≥150 m) groundwater as a safe source of drinking water. The sustainability of this resource has been evaluated with models using effective properties appropriate for a basin-scale contamination problem, but the extent to which preferential flow affects the timescale of downward migration of As-contaminated shallow groundwater is unknown. Here we embed detailed, heterogeneous representations of hydraulic conductivity (K), pumping rates, and sorptive properties (Kd) within a basin-scale numerical groundwater flow and solute transport model to evaluate their effects on vulnerability and deviations from simulations with homogeneous representations in two areas with different flow systems. Advective particle tracking shows that heterogeneity in K does not affect average travel times from shallow zones to 150 m depth, but the travel times of the fastest 10% of particles decreases by a factor of ∼2. Pumping distributions do not strongly affect travel times if irrigation remains shallow, but increases in the deep pumping rate substantially reduce travel times. Simulation of advective-dispersive transport with sorption shows that deep groundwater is protected from contamination over a sustainable timeframe (>1000 y) if the spatial distribution of Kd is uniform. However, if only low-K sediments sorb As, 30% of the aquifer is not protected. Results indicate that sustainable management strategies in the Bengal Basin should consider impacts of both

Time-Lapse Micro-Tomography Measurements and Determination of Effective Transport Properties of Snow Metamorphism Under Advective Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebner, P. P.; Grimm, S.; Steen-Larsen, H. C.; Schneebeli, M.; Steinfeld, A.

2014-12-01

The metamorphism of snow under advective air flow, with and without temperature gradient, was never experimentally investigated. We developed a new sample holder where metamorphism under advective conditions can be observed and measured using time-lapse micro-tomography [1]. Long-term experiments were performed and direct pore-level simulation (DPLS) [2,3] was directly applied on the extracted 3D digital geometry of the snow to calculate the effective transport properties by solving the governing fluid flow equations. The results showed no effect of isothermal advection, compared to rates typical for isothermal metamorphism. Appling a temperature gradient, the results showed increased snow metamorphism compared to rates typical for temperature gradient metamorphism. However, for both cases a change in the isotopic composition in the air as well as in the snow sample could be observed. These measurements could be influential to better understand snow-air exchange processes relevant for atmospheric chemistry and isotopic composition. REFERENCES[1] Ebner P. P., Grimm S., Schneebeli M., and Steinfeld A.: An instrumented sample holder for time-lapse micro-tomography measurements of snow under advective airflow. Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems 4(2014), 353-373. [2] Zermatten E., Haussener S., Schneebeli M., and Steinfeld A.: Tomography-based determination of permeability and Dupuit-Forchheimer coefficient of characteristic snow samples. Journal of Glaciology 57(2011), 811-816. [3] Zermatten E., Schneebeli M., Arakawa H., and Steinfeld A.: Tomography-based determination of porosity, specific area and permeability of snow and comparison with measurements. Cold Regions Science and Technology 97 (2014), 33-40. Fig. 1: 3-D surface rendering of a refrozen wet snow sample with fluid flow streamline.

Numerical Experiments on Advective Transport in Large Three-Dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makedonska, N.; Painter, S. L.; Karra, S.; Gable, C. W.

2013-12-01

Modeling of flow and solute transport in discrete fracture networks is an important approach for understanding the migration of contaminants in impermeable hard rocks such as granite, where fractures provide dominant flow and transport pathways. The discrete fracture network (DFN) model attempts to mimic discrete pathways for fluid flow through a fractured low-permeable rock mass, and may be combined with particle tracking simulations to address solute transport. However, experience has shown that it is challenging to obtain accurate transport results in three-dimensional DFNs because of the high computational burden and difficulty in constructing a high-quality unstructured computational mesh on simulated fractures. An integrated DFN meshing [1], flow, and particle tracking [2] simulation capability that enables accurate flow and particle tracking simulation on large DFNs has recently been developed. The new capability has been used in numerical experiments on advective transport in large DFNs with tens of thousands of fractures and millions of computational cells. The modeling procedure starts from the fracture network generation using a stochastic model derived from site data. A high-quality computational mesh is then generated [1]. Flow is then solved using the highly parallel PFLOTRAN [3] code. PFLOTRAN uses the finite volume approach, which is locally mass conserving and thus eliminates mass balance problems during particle tracking. The flow solver provides the scalar fluxes on each control volume face. From the obtained fluxes the Darcy velocity is reconstructed for each node in the network [4]. Velocities can then be continuously interpolated to any point in the domain of interest, thus enabling random walk particle tracking. In order to describe the flow field on fractures intersections, the control volume cells on intersections are split into four planar polygons, where each polygon corresponds to a piece of a fracture near the intersection line. Thus

A Study of the Physical Processes of an Advection Fog Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Duan Yang; Yan, Wen Lian; Yang, Jun; Pu, Mei Juan; Niu, Sheng Jie; Li, Zi Hua

2016-01-01

A large quantity of advection fog appeared in the Yangtze River delta region between 1 and 2 December 2009. Here, we detail the fog formation and dissipation processes and the background weather conditions. The fog boundary layer and its formation and dissipation mechanisms have also been analyzed using field data recorded in a northern suburb of Nanjing. The results showed the following: (1) This advection fog was generated by interaction between advection of a north-east cold ground layer and a south-east warm upper layer. The double-inversion structure generated by this interaction between the cold and warm advections and steady south-east vapour transport was the main cause of this long-lasting fog. The double-inversion structure provided good thermal conditions for the thick fog, and the south-east vapour transport was not only conducive to maintaining the thickness of the fog but also sustained its long duration. (2) The fog-top altitude was over 600 m for most of the time, and the fog reduced visibility to less than 100 m for approximately 12 h. (3) The low-level jet near the lower inversion layer also played a role in maintaining the thick fog system by promoting heat, momentum and south-east vapour transport.

Transport dissipative particle dynamics model for mesoscopic advection- diffusion-reaction problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhen, Li; Yazdani, Alireza; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.

2015-07-07

We present a transport dissipative particle dynamics (tDPD) model for simulating mesoscopic problems involving advection-diffusion-reaction (ADR) processes, along with a methodology for implementation of the correct Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions in tDPD simulations. tDPD is an extension of the classic DPD framework with extra variables for describing the evolution of concentration fields. The transport of concentration is modeled by a Fickian flux and a random flux between particles, and an analytical formula is proposed to relate the mesoscopic concentration friction to the effective diffusion coefficient. To validate the present tDPD model and the boundary conditions, we perform three tDPDmore » simulations of one-dimensional diffusion with different boundary conditions, and the results show excellent agreement with the theoretical solutions. We also performed two-dimensional simulations of ADR systems and the tDPD simulations agree well with the results obtained by the spectral element method. Finally, we present an application of the tDPD model to the dynamic process of blood coagulation involving 25 reacting species in order to demonstrate the potential of tDPD in simulating biological dynamics at the mesoscale. We find that the tDPD solution of this comprehensive 25-species coagulation model is only twice as computationally expensive as the DPD simulation of the hydrodynamics only, which is a significant advantage over available continuum solvers.« less

Generalized analytical solutions to sequentially coupled multi-species advective-dispersive transport equations in a finite domain subject to an arbitrary time-dependent source boundary condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jui-Sheng; Liu, Chen-Wuing; Liang, Ching-Ping; Lai, Keng-Hsin

2012-08-01

SummaryMulti-species advective-dispersive transport equations sequentially coupled with first-order decay reactions are widely used to describe the transport and fate of the decay chain contaminants such as radionuclide, chlorinated solvents, and nitrogen. Although researchers attempted to present various types of methods for analytically solving this transport equation system, the currently available solutions are mostly limited to an infinite or a semi-infinite domain. A generalized analytical solution for the coupled multi-species transport problem in a finite domain associated with an arbitrary time-dependent source boundary is not available in the published literature. In this study, we first derive generalized analytical solutions for this transport problem in a finite domain involving arbitrary number of species subject to an arbitrary time-dependent source boundary. Subsequently, we adopt these derived generalized analytical solutions to obtain explicit analytical solutions for a special-case transport scenario involving an exponentially decaying Bateman type time-dependent source boundary. We test the derived special-case solutions against the previously published coupled 4-species transport solution and the corresponding numerical solution with coupled 10-species transport to conduct the solution verification. Finally, we compare the new analytical solutions derived for a finite domain against the published analytical solutions derived for a semi-infinite domain to illustrate the effect of the exit boundary condition on coupled multi-species transport with an exponential decaying source boundary. The results show noticeable discrepancies between the breakthrough curves of all the species in the immediate vicinity of the exit boundary obtained from the analytical solutions for a finite domain and a semi-infinite domain for the dispersion-dominated condition.

Monte Carlo investigation of anomalous transport in presence of a discontinuity and of an advection field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marseguerra, M.; Zoia, A.

2007-04-01

Anomalous diffusion has recently turned out to be almost ubiquitous in transport problems. When the physical properties of the medium where the transport process takes place are stationary and constant at each spatial location, anomalous transport has been successfully analysed within the Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) model. In this paper, within a Monte Carlo approach to CTRW, we focus on the particle transport through two regions characterized by different physical properties, in presence of an external driving action constituted by an additional advective field, modelled within both the Galilei invariant and Galilei variant schemes. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between the distributions of space and time across the discontinuity. The resident concentration and the flux of the particles are finally evaluated and it is shown that at the interface between the two regions the flux is continuous as required by mass conservation, while the concentration may reveal a neat discontinuity. This result could open the route to the Monte Carlo investigation of the effectiveness of a physical discontinuity acting as a filter on particle concentration.

Feed gas contaminant removal in ion transport membrane systems

DOEpatents

Underwood, Richard Paul [Allentown, PA; Makitka, III, Alexander; Carolan, Michael Francis [Allentown, PA

2012-04-03

An oxygen ion transport membrane process wherein a heated oxygen-containing gas having one or more contaminants is contacted with a reactive solid material to remove the one or more contaminants. The reactive solid material is provided as a deposit on a support. The one or more contaminant compounds in the heated oxygen-containing gas react with the reactive solid material. The contaminant-depleted oxygen-containing gas is contacted with a membrane, and oxygen is transported through the membrane to provide transported oxygen.

Renormalization group estimates of transport coefficients in the advection of a passive scalar by incompressible turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, YE; Vahala, George

1993-01-01

The advection of a passive scalar by incompressible turbulence is considered using recursive renormalization group procedures in the differential sub grid shell thickness limit. It is shown explicitly that the higher order nonlinearities induced by the recursive renormalization group procedure preserve Galilean invariance. Differential equations, valid for the entire resolvable wave number k range, are determined for the eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity coefficients, and it is shown that higher order nonlinearities do not contribute as k goes to 0, but have an essential role as k goes to k(sub c) the cutoff wave number separating the resolvable scales from the sub grid scales. The recursive renormalization transport coefficients and the associated eddy Prandtl number are in good agreement with the k-dependent transport coefficients derived from closure theories and experiments.

Analysis of steady-state flow and advective transport in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer system, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ackerman, D.J.

1995-01-01

Quantitative estimates of ground-water flow directions and traveltimes for advective flow were developed for the regional aquifer system of the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. The work included: (1) descriptions of compartments in the aquifer that function as intermediate and regional flow systems, (2) descriptions of pathlines for flow originating at or near the water table, and (3) quantitative estimates of traveltimes for advective transport originating at or near the water table. A particle-tracking postprocessing program was used to compute pathlines on the basis of output from an existing three-dimensional steady-state flow model. The flow model uses 1980 conditions to approximate average annual conditions for 1950-80. The advective transport model required additional information about the nature of flow across model boundaries, aquifer thickness, and porosity. Porosity of two types of basalt strata has been reported for more than 1,500 individual cores from test holes, wells, and outcrops near the south side of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The central 80 percent of samples had porosities of 0.08 to 0.25, the central 50 percent of samples, O. 11 to 0.21. Calibration of the model involved choosing a value for porosity that yielded the best solution. Two radiologic contaminants, iodine-129 and tritium, both introduced to the flow system about 40 years ago, are relatively conservative tracers. Iodine- 129 was considered to be more useful because of a lower analytical detection limit, longer half-life, and longer flow path. The calibration value for porosity was 0.21. Most flow in the aquifer is contained within a regional-scale compartment and follows paths that discharge to the Snake River downstream from Milner Dam. Two intermediate-scale compartments exist along the southeast side of the aquifer and near Mud Lake.One intermediate-scale compartment along the southeast side of the aquifer discharges to the Snake River near American Fails

Comparison of transport and attachment behaviors of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and oocyst-sized microspheres being advected through three minerologically different granular porous media.

PubMed

Mohanram, Arvind; Ray, Chittaranjan; Harvey, Ronald W; Metge, David W; Ryan, Joseph N; Chorover, Jon; Eberl, D D

2010-10-01

In order to gain more information about the fate of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in tropical volcanic soils, the transport and attachment behaviors of oocysts and oocyst-sized polystyrene microspheres were studied in the presence of two soils. These soils were chosen because of their differing chemical and physical properties, i.e., an organic-rich (43-46% by mass) volcanic ash-derived soil from the island of Hawaii, and a red, iron (22-29% by mass), aluminum (29-45% by mass), and clay-rich (68-76% by mass) volcanic soil from the island of Oahu. A third agricultural soil, an organic- (13% by mass) and quartz-rich (40% by mass) soil from Illinois, was included for reference. In 10-cm long flow-through columns, oocysts and microspheres advecting through the red volcanic soil were almost completely (98% and 99%) immobilized. The modest breakthrough resulted from preferential flow-path structure inadvertently created by soil-particle aggregation during the re-wetting process. Although a high (99%) removal of oocysts and microsphere within the volcanic ash soil occurred initially, further examination revealed that transport was merely retarded because of highly reversible interactions with grain surfaces. Judging from the slope of the substantive and protracted tail of the breakthrough curve for the 1.8-μm microspheres, almost all (>99%) predictably would be recovered within ∼4000 pore volumes. This suggests that once contaminated, the volcanic ash soil could serve as a reservoir for subsequent contamination of groundwater, at least for pathogens of similar size or smaller. Because of the highly reversible nature of organic colloid immobilization in this soil type, C. parvum could contaminate surface water should overland flow during heavy precipitation events pick up near-surface grains to which they are attached. Surprisingly, oocyst and microsphere attachment to the reference soil from Illinois appeared to be at least as sensitive to changes in pH as was

Comparison of transport and attachment behaviors of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and oocyst-sized microspheres being advected through three minerologically different granular porous media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mohanram, Arvind; Ray, Chittaranjan; Harvey, Ronald W.; Metge, David W.; Ryan, Joseph N.; Chorover, Jon; Eberl, D.D.

2010-01-01

In order to gain more information about the fate of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in tropical volcanic soils, the transport and attachment behaviors of oocysts and oocyst-sized polystyrene microspheres were studied in the presence of two soils. These soils were chosen because of their differing chemical and physical properties, i.e., an organic-rich (43–46% by mass) volcanic ash-derived soil from the island of Hawaii, and a red, iron (22–29% by mass), aluminum (29–45% by mass), and clay-rich (68–76% by mass) volcanic soil from the island of Oahu. A third agricultural soil, an organic- (13% by mass) and quartz-rich (40% by mass) soil from Illinois, was included for reference. In 10-cm long flow-through columns, oocysts and microspheres advecting through the red volcanic soil were almost completely (98% and 99%) immobilized. The modest breakthrough resulted from preferential flow-path structure inadvertently created by soil-particle aggregation during the re-wetting process. Although a high (99%) removal of oocysts and microsphere within the volcanic ash soil occurred initially, further examination revealed that transport was merely retarded because of highly reversible interactions with grain surfaces. Judging from the slope of the substantive and protracted tail of the breakthrough curve for the 1.8-μm microspheres, almost all (>99%) predictably would be recovered within ∼4000 pore volumes. This suggests that once contaminated, the volcanic ash soil could serve as a reservoir for subsequent contamination of groundwater, at least for pathogens of similar size or smaller. Because of the highly reversible nature of organic colloid immobilization in this soil type, C. parvum could contaminate surface water should overland flow during heavy precipitation events pick up near-surface grains to which they are attached. Surprisingly, oocyst and microsphere attachment to the reference soil from Illinois appeared to be at least as sensitive to changes in pH as

Comparison of transport and attachment behaviors of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and oocyst-sized microspheres being advected through three minerologically different granular porous media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mohanram, A.; Ray, C.; Harvey, R.W.; Metge, D.W.; Ryan, J.N.; Chorover, J.; Eberl, D.D.

2010-01-01

In order to gain more information about the fate of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in tropical volcanic soils, the transport and attachment behaviors of oocysts and oocyst-sized polystyrene microspheres were studied in the presence of two soils. These soils were chosen because of their differing chemical and physical properties, i.e., an organic-rich (43-46% by mass) volcanic ash-derived soil from the island of Hawaii, and a red, iron (22-29% by mass), aluminum (29-45% by mass), and clay-rich (68-76% by mass) volcanic soil from the island of Oahu. A third agricultural soil, an organic- (13% by mass) and quartz-rich (40% by mass) soil from Illinois, was included for reference. In 10-cm long flow-through columns, oocysts and microspheres advecting through the red volcanic soil were almost completely (98% and 99%) immobilized. The modest breakthrough resulted from preferential flow-path structure inadvertently created by soil-particle aggregation during the re-wetting process. Although a high (99%) removal of oocysts and microsphere within the volcanic ash soil occurred initially, further examination revealed that transport was merely retarded because of highly reversible interactions with grain surfaces. Judging from the slope of the substantive and protracted tail of the breakthrough curve for the 1.8-??m microspheres, almost all (>99%) predictably would be recovered within ~4000 pore volumes. This suggests that once contaminated, the volcanic ash soil could serve as a reservoir for subsequent contamination of groundwater, at least for pathogens of similar size or smaller. Because of the highly reversible nature of organic colloid immobilization in this soil type, C. parvum could contaminate surface water should overland flow during heavy precipitation events pick up near-surface grains to which they are attached. Surprisingly, oocyst and microsphere attachment to the reference soil from Illinois appeared to be at least as sensitive to changes in pH as was observed

Coulombic interactions during advection-dominated transport of ions in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Stolze, Lucien; Rolle, Massimo

2017-04-01

Solute transport of charged species in porous media is significantly affected by the electrochemical migration term resulting from the charge-induced interactions among dissolved ions and with solid surfaces. Therefore, the characterization of such Coulombic interactions and their effect on multicomponent ionic transport is of critical importance for assessing the fate of charged solutes in porous media. In this work we present a detailed investigation of the electrochemical effects during conservative multicomponent ionic transport in homogeneous and heterogeneous domains by means of laboratory bench-scale experiments and numerical simulations. The investigation aims at quantifying the key role of small-scale electrostatic interactions in flow-through systems, especially when advection is the dominant mass-transfer process. Considering dilute solutions of strong electrolytes (e.g., MgCl2 and NaBr) we report results showing the important role of Coulombic interactions in the lateral displacement of the different ionic species for steady-state transport scenarios in which the solutions are continuously injected through different portions of the flow-through chamber [1, 2]. Successively, we focus our attention on transient transport and pulse injection of the electrolytes. In these experiments high-resolution spatial and temporal monitoring of the ions' concentrations (600 samples; 1800 concentration measurements), at closely spaced outlet ports (5 mm), allowed us resolving the effects of charge interactions on the temporal breakthrough and spatial profiles of the cations and anions [3]. The interpretation of the experimental results requires a multicomponent modeling approach with an accurate description of local hydrodynamic dispersion, as well as the explicit quantification of the dispersive fluxes' cross-coupling due to the Coulombic interactions between the charged species. A new 2-D simulator [4], coupling the solution of the multicomponent ionic transport

Mass transfer model of nanoparticle-facilitated contaminant transport in saturated porous media.

PubMed

Johari, Wan Lutfi Wan; Diamessis, Peter J; Lion, Leonard W

2010-02-01

A one-dimensional model has been evaluated for transport of hydrophobic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds, facilitated by synthetic amphiphilic polyurethane (APU) nanoparticles in porous media. APU particles synthesized from poly(ethylene glycol)-modified urethane acrylate (PMUA) precursor chains have been shown to enhance the desorption rate and mobility of phenanthrene (PHEN) in soil. A reversible process governed by attachment and detachment rates was considered to describe the PMUA binding in soil in addition to PMUA transport through advection and dispersion. Ultimately, an irreversible second-order PMUA attachment rate in which the fractional soil saturation capacity with PMUA was a rate control was found to be adequate to describe the retention of PMUA particles. A gamma-distributed site model (GS) was used to describe the spectrum of physical/chemical constraints for PHEN transfer from solid to aqueous phases. Instantaneous equilibrium was assumed for PMUA-PHEN interactions. The coupled model for PMUA and PHEN behavior successfully described the enhanced elution profile of PHEN by PMUA. Sensitivity analysis was performed to analyze the significance of model parameters on model predictions. The adjustable parameter alpha in the gamma-distribution shapes the contaminant desorption distribution profile as well as elution and breakthrough curves. Model simulations show the use of PMUA can be also expected to improve the release rate of PHEN in soils with higher organic carbon content. The percentage removal of PHEN mass over time is shown to be influenced by the concentration of PMUA added and this information can be used to optimize cost and time require to accomplish a desired remediation goal. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling debris transport within glaciers by advection in a full-Stokes ice flow model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirbel, Anna; Jarosch, Alexander H.; Nicholson, Lindsey

2018-01-01

Glaciers with extensive surface debris cover respond differently to climate forcing than those without supraglacial debris. In order to include debris-covered glaciers in projections of glaciogenic runoff and sea level rise and to understand the paleoclimate proxy recorded by such glaciers, it is necessary to understand the manner and timescales over which a supraglacial debris cover develops. Because debris is delivered to the glacier by processes that are heterogeneous in space and time, and these debris inclusions are altered during englacial transport through the glacier system, correctly determining where, when and how much debris is delivered to the glacier surface requires knowledge of englacial transport pathways and deformation. To achieve this, we present a model of englacial debris transport in which we couple an advection scheme to a full-Stokes ice flow model. The model performs well in numerical benchmark tests, and we present both 2-D and 3-D glacier test cases that, for a set of prescribed debris inputs, reproduce the englacial features, deformation thereof and patterns of surface emergence predicted by theory and observations of structural glaciology. In a future step, coupling this model to (i) a debris-aware surface mass balance scheme and (ii) a supraglacial debris transport scheme will enable the co-evolution of debris cover and glacier geometry to be modelled.

Hybrid Multiscale Finite Volume Method for Advection-Diffusion Equations Subject to Heterogeneous Reactive Boundary Conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barajas-Solano, David A.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

2016-10-13

We present a hybrid scheme for the coupling of macro and microscale continuum models for reactive contaminant transport in fractured and porous media. The transport model considered is the advection-dispersion equation, subject to linear heterogeneous reactive boundary conditions. The Multiscale Finite Volume method (MsFV) is employed to define an approximation to the microscale concentration field defined in terms of macroscopic or \\emph{global} degrees of freedom, together with local interpolator and corrector functions capturing microscopic spatial variability. The macroscopic mass balance relations for the MsFV global degrees of freedom are coupled with the macroscopic model, resulting in a global problem for the simultaneous time-stepping of all macroscopic degrees of freedom throughout the domain. In order to perform the hybrid coupling, the micro and macroscale models are applied over overlapping subdomains of the simulation domain, with the overlap denoted as the handshake subdomainmore » $$\\Omega^{hs}$$, over which continuity of concentration and transport fluxes between models is enforced. Continuity of concentration is enforced by posing a restriction relation between models over $$\\Omega^{hs}$$. Continuity of fluxes is enforced by prolongating the macroscopic model fluxes across the boundary of $$\\Omega^{hs}$$ to microscopic resolution. The microscopic interpolator and corrector functions are solutions to local microscopic advection-diffusion problems decoupled from the global degrees of freedom and from each other by virtue of the MsFV decoupling ansatz. The error introduced by the decoupling ansatz is reduced iteratively by the preconditioned GMRES algorithm, with the hybrid MsFV operator serving as the preconditioner.« less

Numerical simulation of advective-dispersive multisolute transport with sorption, ion exchange and equilibrium chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis, F.M.; Voss, C.I.; Rubin, Jacob

1986-01-01

A model was developed that can simulate the effect of certain chemical and sorption reactions simultaneously among solutes involved in advective-dispersive transport through porous media. The model is based on a methodology that utilizes physical-chemical relationships in the development of the basic solute mass-balance equations; however, the form of these equations allows their solution to be obtained by methods that do not depend on the chemical processes. The chemical environment is governed by the condition of local chemical equilibrium, and may be defined either by the linear sorption of a single species and two soluble complexation reactions which also involve that species, or binary ion exchange and one complexation reaction involving a common ion. Partial differential equations that describe solute mass balance entirely in the liquid phase are developed for each tenad (a chemical entity whose total mass is independent of the reaction process) in terms of their total dissolved concentration. These equations are solved numerically in two dimensions through the modification of an existing groundwater flow/transport computer code. (Author 's abstract)

Evolutionary algorithms for the optimization of advective control of contaminated aquifer zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayer, Peter; Finkel, Michael

2004-06-01

Simple genetic algorithms (SGAs) and derandomized evolution strategies (DESs) are employed to adapt well capture zones for the hydraulic optimization of pump-and-treat systems. A hypothetical contaminant site in a heterogeneous aquifer serves as an application template. On the basis of the results from numerical flow modeling, particle tracking is applied to delineate the pathways of the contaminants. The objective is to find the minimum pumping rate of up to eight recharge wells within a downgradient well placement area. Both the well coordinates and the pumping rates are subject to optimization, leading to a mixed discrete-continuous problem. This article discusses the ideal formulation of the objective function for which the number of particles and the total pumping rate are used as decision criteria. Boundary updating is introduced, which enables the reorganization of the decision space limits by the incorporation of experience from previous optimization runs. Throughout the study the algorithms' capabilities are evaluated in terms of the number of model runs which are needed to identify optimal and suboptimal solutions. Despite the complexity of the problem both evolutionary algorithm variants prove to be suitable for finding suboptimal solutions. The DES with weighted recombination reveals to be the ideal algorithm to find optimal solutions. Though it works with real-coded decision parameters, it proves to be suitable for adjusting discrete well positions. Principally, the representation of well positions as binary strings in the SGA is ideal. However, even if the SGA takes advantage of bookkeeping, the vital high discretization of pumping rates results in long binary strings, which escalates the model runs that are needed to find an optimal solution. Since the SGA string lengths increase with the number of wells, the DES gains superiority, particularly for an increasing number of wells. As the DES is a self-adaptive algorithm, it proves to be the more robust

FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN GROUNDWATER: PART II. COLLOIDAL TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

This project consisted of both field and laboratory components. Field studies evaluated routine sampling procedures for determination of aqueous inorganicgeochemistry and assessment of contaminant transport by colloidal mobility. Research at three different metal-contaminated sit...

A deterministic Lagrangian particle separation-based method for advective-diffusion problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Ken T. M.; Lee, Joseph H. W.; Choi, K. W.

2008-12-01

A simple and robust Lagrangian particle scheme is proposed to solve the advective-diffusion transport problem. The scheme is based on relative diffusion concepts and simulates diffusion by regulating particle separation. This new approach generates a deterministic result and requires far less number of particles than the random walk method. For the advection process, particles are simply moved according to their velocity. The general scheme is mass conservative and is free from numerical diffusion. It can be applied to a wide variety of advective-diffusion problems, but is particularly suited for ecological and water quality modelling when definition of particle attributes (e.g., cell status for modelling algal blooms or red tides) is a necessity. The basic derivation, numerical stability and practical implementation of the NEighborhood Separation Technique (NEST) are presented. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated through a series of test cases which embrace realistic features of coastal environmental transport problems. Two field application examples on the tidal flushing of a fish farm and the dynamics of vertically migrating marine algae are also presented.

Influence of hydrodynamic features in the transport and fate of hazard contaminants within touristic ports. Case study: Torre a Mare (Italy).

PubMed

Mali, Matilda; Malcangio, Daniela; Dell' Anna, Maria Michela; Damiani, Leonardo; Mastrorilli, Piero

2018-01-01

The environmental quality of Torre a Mare port (Italy) was assessed evaluating on one side, the chemical concentration of nine metals and metalloids within bottom sediments and on the other one, by exploring the impact of hydrodynamic conditions in contaminant's transport within the most polluted basins. The investigated port was selected as case study because it resulted much more polluted than it was expected based on the touristic port activities and related stressors loading on it. In order to determine the origin and fate of contaminants in the port basin, 2D numerical simulations were carried out by MIKE21 software. The hydrodynamic module (HD) based on a rectangular grid was initially used to characterize the flow field into two domains that cover the inner and offshore harbor area. Then, advection-dispersion (AD) and water quality (WQ) modules were coupled in order to simulate the simultaneous processes of transport and dispersion of hypothetical pollutant sources. The dissolved/suspended sediment particulates (DSS) were selected as contaminant tracers. The comparative analysis between simulation responses and the real metal contaminant distribution showed high agreement, suggesting that contaminants mainly come from outside port and tend to accumulate in the inner basin. In fact, hydrodynamic circulations cause inflowing streams toward the harbor entrance and the particular port morphology hampers the exit of fine sediments from the inner basin, enhancing thus the accumulation of sediment-associated contaminants within the port area. The study confirms that the quality of touristic port areas strongly depends on both pollution sources located within and outside the port domain and it is controlled mainly by the hydrodynamic-driven processes.

Large-eddy simulation of human-induced contaminant transport in room compartments.

PubMed

Choi, J-I; Edwards, J R

2012-02-01

A large-eddy simulation is used to investigate contaminant transport owing to complex human and door motions and vent-system activity in room compartments where a contaminated and clean room are connected by a vestibule. Human and door motions are simulated with an immersed boundary procedure. We demonstrate the details of contaminant transport owing to human- and door-motion-induced wake development during a short-duration event involving the movement of a person (or persons) from a contaminated room, through a vestibule, into a clean room. Parametric studies that capture the effects of human walking pattern, door operation, over-pressure level, and vestibule size are systematically conducted. A faster walking speed results in less mass transport from the contaminated room into the clean room. The net effect of increasing the volume of the vestibule is to reduce the contaminant transport. The results show that swinging-door motion is the dominant transport mechanism and that human-induced wake motion enhances compartment-to-compartment transport. The effect of human activity on contaminant transport may be important in design and operation of clean or isolation rooms in chemical or pharmaceutical industries and intensive care units for airborne infectious disease control in a hospital. The present simulations demonstrate details of contaminant transport in such indoor environments during human motion events and show that simulation-based sensitivity analysis can be utilized for the diagnosis of contaminant infiltration and for better environmental protection. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Investigation of the influence of groundwater advection on energy extraction rates for sustainable borehole heat exchanger operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schelenz, Sophie; Dietrich, Peter; Vienken, Thomas

2016-04-01

A sustainable thermal exploitation of the shallow subsurface requires a precise understanding of all relevant heat transport processes. Currently, planning practice of shallow geothermal systems (especially for systems < 30 kW) focuses on conductive heat transport as the main energy source while the impact of groundwater flow as the driver for advective heat transport is neglected or strongly simplified. The presented study proves that those simplifications of complex geological and hydrogeological subsurface characteristics are insufficient for a precise evaluation of site-specific energy extraction rates. Based on synthetic model scenarios with varying subsurface conditions (groundwater flow velocity and aquifer thickness) the impact of advection on induced long term temperature changes in 5 and 10 m distance of the borehole heat exchanger is presented. Extending known investigations, this study enhances the evaluation of shallow geothermal energy extraction rates by considering conductive and advective heat transport under varying aquifer thicknesses. Further, it evaluates the impact of advection on installation lengths of the borehole heat exchanger to optimize the initial financial investment. Finally, an evaluation approach is presented that classifies relevant heat transport processes according to their Péclet number to enable a first quantitative assessment of the subsurface energy regime and recommend further investigation and planning procedures.

Numerical model for the uptake of groundwater contaminants by phreatophytes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Widdowson, M.A.; El-Sayed, A.; Landmeyer, J.E.

2008-01-01

Conventional solute transport models do not adequately account for the effects of phreatophytic plant systems on contaminant concentrations in shallow groundwater systems. A numerical model was developed and tested to simulate threedimensional reactive solute transport in a heterogeneous porous medium. Advective-dispersive transport is coupled to biodegradation, sorption, and plantbased attenuation processes including plant uptake and sorption by plant roots. The latter effects are a function of the physical-chemical properties of the individual solutes and plant species. Models for plant uptake were tested and evaluated using the experimental data collected at a field site comprised of hybrid poplar trees. A non-linear equilibrium isotherm model best represented site conditions.

Contaminant transport in Massachusetts Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford

Construction of a new treatment plant and outfall to clean up Boston Harbor is currently one of the world's largest public works projects, costing about $4 billion. There is concern about the long-term impact of contaminants on Massachusetts Bay and adjacent Gulf of Maine because these areas are used extensively for transportation, recreation, fishing, and tourism, as well as waste disposal. Public concern also focuses on Stellwagen Bank, located on the eastern side of Massachusetts Bay, which is an important habitat for endangered whales. Contaminants reach Massachusetts Bay not only from Boston Harbor, but from other coastal communities on the Gulf of Maine, as well as from the atmosphere. Knowledge of the pathways, mechanisms, and rates at which pollutants are transported throughout these coastal environments is needed to address a wide range of management questions.

AN EULERIAN-LAGRANGIAN LOCALIZED ADJOINT METHOD FOR THE ADVECTION-DIFFUSION EQUATION

EPA Science Inventory

Many numerical methods use characteristic analysis to accommodate the advective component of transport. Such characteristic methods include Eulerian-Lagrangian methods (ELM), modified method of characteristics (MMOC), and operator splitting methods. A generalization of characteri...

Wind tunnel measurements of scale-by-scale energy transfer, dissipation, advection and production/transport in equilibrium and nonequilibrium decaying turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valente, Pedro; Vassilicos, Christos

2012-11-01

The cornerstone assumption that Cɛ ≡ ɛL /u3 ~ constant was found to breakdown in certain nonequilibrium regions of decaying grid-generated turbulence with wide power-law near -5/3 spectra where the behaviour of Cɛ is, instead, very close to Cɛ ~ ReL- 1 (Valente & Vassilicos, 2012 [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 214503]). We investigate nonequilibrium turbulence by measuring with two cross wire anemometers the downstream evolution of the scale-by-scale energy transfer, dissipation, advection, production and transport in the lee of a square-mesh grid and compare with a region of equilibrium turbulence. For the nonequilibrium case it is shown that the production and transport terms are negligible for scales smaller than about a third of L. For both cases it is shown that the peak of the scale-by-scale energy transfer scales as u3 / L which is the expected behaviour for equilibrium turbulence. However, for the nonequilibrium case this implies an imbalance between the energy transfer to the small scales and the dissipation. This imbalance is reflected on the small-scale advection which becomes larger in proportion to the maximum energy transfer as the turbulence decays whereas it stays proportionally constant in the equilibrium case. P. V. acknowledges the financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/61223/2009, cofinanced by POPH/FSE).

Advection and Taylor-Aris dispersion in rivulet flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Mukahal, F. H. H.; Duffy, B. R.; Wilson, S. K.

2017-11-01

Motivated by the need for a better understanding of the transport of solutes in microfluidic flows with free surfaces, the advection and dispersion of a passive solute in steady unidirectional flow of a thin uniform rivulet on an inclined planar substrate driven by gravity and/or a uniform longitudinal surface shear stress are analysed. Firstly, we describe the short-time advection of both an initially semi-infinite and an initially finite slug of solute of uniform concentration. Secondly, we describe the long-time Taylor-Aris dispersion of an initially finite slug of solute. In particular, we obtain the general expression for the effective diffusivity for Taylor-Aris dispersion in such a rivulet, and discuss in detail its different interpretations in the special case of a rivulet on a vertical substrate.

A computational method for sharp interface advection

PubMed Central

Bredmose, Henrik; Jasak, Hrvoje

2016-01-01

We devise a numerical method for passive advection of a surface, such as the interface between two incompressible fluids, across a computational mesh. The method is called isoAdvector, and is developed for general meshes consisting of arbitrary polyhedral cells. The algorithm is based on the volume of fluid (VOF) idea of calculating the volume of one of the fluids transported across the mesh faces during a time step. The novelty of the isoAdvector concept consists of two parts. First, we exploit an isosurface concept for modelling the interface inside cells in a geometric surface reconstruction step. Second, from the reconstructed surface, we model the motion of the face–interface intersection line for a general polygonal face to obtain the time evolution within a time step of the submerged face area. Integrating this submerged area over the time step leads to an accurate estimate for the total volume of fluid transported across the face. The method was tested on simple two-dimensional and three-dimensional interface advection problems on both structured and unstructured meshes. The results are very satisfactory in terms of volume conservation, boundedness, surface sharpness and efficiency. The isoAdvector method was implemented as an OpenFOAM® extension and is published as open source. PMID:28018619

A computational method for sharp interface advection.

PubMed

Roenby, Johan; Bredmose, Henrik; Jasak, Hrvoje

2016-11-01

We devise a numerical method for passive advection of a surface, such as the interface between two incompressible fluids, across a computational mesh. The method is called isoAdvector, and is developed for general meshes consisting of arbitrary polyhedral cells. The algorithm is based on the volume of fluid (VOF) idea of calculating the volume of one of the fluids transported across the mesh faces during a time step. The novelty of the isoAdvector concept consists of two parts. First, we exploit an isosurface concept for modelling the interface inside cells in a geometric surface reconstruction step. Second, from the reconstructed surface, we model the motion of the face-interface intersection line for a general polygonal face to obtain the time evolution within a time step of the submerged face area. Integrating this submerged area over the time step leads to an accurate estimate for the total volume of fluid transported across the face. The method was tested on simple two-dimensional and three-dimensional interface advection problems on both structured and unstructured meshes. The results are very satisfactory in terms of volume conservation, boundedness, surface sharpness and efficiency. The isoAdvector method was implemented as an OpenFOAM ® extension and is published as open source.

Ammonia Gas Transport and Reactions in Unsaturated Sediments: Implications for Use as an Amendment to Immobilize Inorganic Contaminants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhong, Lirong; Szecsody, James E.; Truex, Michael J.

Use of gas-phase amendments for in situ remediation of inorganic contaminants in unsaturated sediments of the vadose zone may be advantageous, but there has been limited development and testing of gas remediation technologies. Treatment with ammonia gas has been studied and has a potential for use in treating inorganic contaminants such as uranium because it induces a high pore-water pH causing mineral dissolution and subsequent formation of stable precipitates that decrease the mobility of some contaminants. For field application, knowledge of ammonia transport and the geochemical reactions induced by ammonia is needed. Laboratory studies were conducted to support calculations neededmore » for field treatment design, to quantify advective and diffusive ammonia transport in unsaturated sediments, to evaluate reactions among gas, sediment, and water, and to study reaction-induced pore-water chemistry changes as a function of ammonia delivery conditions. Ammonia gas quickly partitions into sediment pore water and increases pH up to 13.2. Injected ammonia gas front movement can be reasonably predicted by gas flow rate and equilibrium partitioning. The ammonia gas diffusion rate is a function of the water content in the sediment. Measured diffusion front movement was 0.05, 0.03, and 0.02 cm/hr. in sediments with 2.0%, 8.7%, and 13.0% water content, respectively. Sodium, aluminum, and silica pore-water concentrations increase on exposure to ammonia and then decline as aluminosilicates precipitate with declining pH. When uranium is present in the sediment and pore water, up to 85% of the water-leachable uranium was immobilized by ammonia treatment.« less

Applications of numerical methods to simulate the movement of contaminants in groundwater.

PubMed Central

Sun, N Z

1989-01-01

This paper reviews mathematical models and numerical methods that have been extensively used to simulate the movement of contaminants through the subsurface. The major emphasis is placed on the numerical methods of advection-dominated transport problems and inverse problems. Several mathematical models that are commonly used in field problems are listed. A variety of numerical solutions for three-dimensional models are introduced, including the multiple cell balance method that can be considered a variation of the finite element method. The multiple cell balance method is easy to understand and convenient for solving field problems. When the advection transport dominates the dispersion transport, two kinds of numerical difficulties, overshoot and numerical dispersion, are always involved in solving standard, finite difference methods and finite element methods. To overcome these numerical difficulties, various numerical techniques are developed, such as upstream weighting methods and moving point methods. A complete review of these methods is given and we also mention the problems of parameter identification, reliability analysis, and optimal-experiment design that are absolutely necessary for constructing a practical model. PMID:2695327

Semianalytical solutions for contaminant transport under variable velocity field in a coastal aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koohbor, Behshad; Fahs, Marwan; Ataie-Ashtiani, Behzad; Simmons, Craig T.; Younes, Anis

2018-05-01

Existing closed-form solutions of contaminant transport problems are limited by the mathematically convenient assumption of uniform flow. These solutions cannot be used to investigate contaminant transport in coastal aquifers where seawater intrusion induces a variable velocity field. An adaptation of the Fourier-Galerkin method is introduced to obtain semi-analytical solutions for contaminant transport in a confined coastal aquifer in which the saltwater wedge is in equilibrium with a freshwater discharge flow. Two scenarios dealing with contaminant leakage from the aquifer top surface and contaminant migration from a source at the landward boundary are considered. Robust implementation of the Fourier-Galerkin method is developed to efficiently solve the coupled flow, salt and contaminant transport equations. Various illustrative examples are generated and the semi-analytical solutions are compared against an in-house numerical code. The Fourier series are used to evaluate relevant metrics characterizing contaminant transport such as the discharge flux to the sea, amount of contaminant persisting in the groundwater and solute flux from the source. These metrics represent quantitative data for numerical code validation and are relevant to understand the effect of seawater intrusion on contaminant transport. It is observed that, for the surface contamination scenario, seawater intrusion limits the spread of the contaminant but intensifies the contaminant discharge to the sea. For the landward contamination scenario, moderate seawater intrusion affects only the spatial distribution of the contaminant plume while extreme seawater intrusion can increase the contaminant discharge to the sea. The developed semi-analytical solution presents an efficient tool for the verification of numerical models. It provides a clear interpretation of the contaminant transport processes in coastal aquifers subject to seawater intrusion. For practical usage in further studies, the full

Probability and Cumulative Density Function Methods for the Stochastic Advection-Reaction Equation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barajas-Solano, David A.; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.

We present a cumulative density function (CDF) method for the probabilistic analysis of $d$-dimensional advection-dominated reactive transport in heterogeneous media. We employ a probabilistic approach in which epistemic uncertainty on the spatial heterogeneity of Darcy-scale transport coefficients is modeled in terms of random fields with given correlation structures. Our proposed CDF method employs a modified Large-Eddy-Diffusivity (LED) approach to close and localize the nonlocal equations governing the one-point PDF and CDF of the concentration field, resulting in a $(d + 1)$ dimensional PDE. Compared to the classsical LED localization, the proposed modified LED localization explicitly accounts for the mean-field advectivemore » dynamics over the phase space of the PDF and CDF. To illustrate the accuracy of the proposed closure, we apply our CDF method to one-dimensional single-species reactive transport with uncertain, heterogeneous advection velocities and reaction rates modeled as random fields.« less

Analytical solution for multi-species contaminant transport in finite media with time-varying boundary conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most analytical solutions available for the equations governing the advective-dispersive transport of multiple solutes undergoing sequential first-order decay reactions have been developed for infinite or semi-infinite spatial domains and steady-state boundary conditions. In this work we present an ...

The Relationship Between Partial Contaminant Source Zone Remediation and Groundwater Plume Attenuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falta, R. W.

2004-05-01

Analytical solutions are developed that relate changes in the contaminant mass in a source area to the behavior of biologically reactive dissolved contaminant groundwater plumes. Based on data from field experiments, laboratory experiments, numerical streamtube models, and numerical multiphase flow models, the chemical discharge from a source region is assumed to be a nonlinear power function of the fraction of contaminant mass removed from the source zone. This function can approximately represent source zone mass discharge behavior over a wide range of site conditions ranging from simple homogeneous systems, to complex heterogeneous systems. A mass balance on the source zone with advective transport and first order decay leads to a nonlinear differential equation that is solved analytically to provide a prediction of the time-dependent contaminant mass discharge leaving the source zone. The solution for source zone mass discharge is coupled semi-analytically with a modified version of the Domenico (1987) analytical solution for three-dimensional reactive advective and dispersive transport in groundwater. The semi-analytical model then employs the BIOCHLOR (Aziz et al., 2000; Sun et al., 1999) transformations to model sequential first order parent-daughter biological decay reactions of chlorinated ethenes and ethanes in the groundwater plume. The resulting semi-analytic model thus allows for transient simulation of complex source zone behavior that is fully coupled to a dissolved contaminant plume undergoing sequential biological reactions. Analyses of several realistic scenarios show that substantial changes in the ground water plume can result from the partial removal of contaminant mass from the source zone. These results, however, are sensitive to the nature of the source mass reduction-source discharge reduction curve, and to the rates of degradation of the primary contaminant and its daughter products in the ground water plume. Aziz, C.E., C.J. Newell, J

Advective transport observations with MODPATH-OBS--documentation of the MODPATH observation process

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, R.T.; Kauffman, L.K.; Hill, M.C.; Dickinson, J.E.; Mehl, S.W.

2013-01-01

The MODPATH-OBS computer program described in this report is designed to calculate simulated equivalents for observations related to advective groundwater transport that can be represented in a quantitative way by using simulated particle-tracking data. The simulated equivalents supported by MODPATH-OBS are (1) distance from a source location at a defined time, or proximity to an observed location; (2) time of travel from an initial location to defined locations, areas, or volumes of the simulated system; (3) concentrations used to simulate groundwater age; and (4) percentages of water derived from contributing source areas. Although particle tracking only simulates the advective component of conservative transport, effects of non-conservative processes such as retardation can be approximated through manipulation of the effective-porosity value used to calculate velocity based on the properties of selected conservative tracers. This program can also account for simple decay or production, but it cannot account for diffusion. Dispersion can be represented through direct simulation of subsurface heterogeneity and the use of many particles. MODPATH-OBS acts as a postprocessor to MODPATH, so that the sequence of model runs generally required is MODFLOW, MODPATH, and MODPATH-OBS. The version of MODFLOW and MODPATH that support the version of MODPATH-OBS presented in this report are MODFLOW-2005 or MODFLOW-LGR, and MODPATH-LGR. MODFLOW-LGR is derived from MODFLOW-2005, MODPATH 5, and MODPATH 6 and supports local grid refinement. MODPATH-LGR is derived from MODPATH 5. It supports the forward and backward tracking of particles through locally refined grids and provides the output needed for MODPATH_OBS. For a single grid and no observations, MODPATH-LGR results are equivalent to MODPATH 5. MODPATH-LGR and MODPATH-OBS simulations can use nearly all of the capabilities of MODFLOW-2005 and MODFLOW-LGR; for example, simulations may be steady-state, transient, or a combination

Analytical solutions of the space-time fractional Telegraph and advection-diffusion equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tawfik, Ashraf M.; Fichtner, Horst; Schlickeiser, Reinhard; Elhanbaly, A.

2018-02-01

The aim of this paper is to develop a fractional derivative model of energetic particle transport for both uniform and non-uniform large-scale magnetic field by studying the fractional Telegraph equation and the fractional advection-diffusion equation. Analytical solutions of the space-time fractional Telegraph equation and space-time fractional advection-diffusion equation are obtained by use of the Caputo fractional derivative and the Laplace-Fourier technique. The solutions are given in terms of Fox's H function. As an illustration they are applied to the case of solar energetic particles.

Influencing factors on particle-bound contaminant transport in the Elbe estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleisinger, Carmen; Haase, Holger; Schubert, Birgit

2016-04-01

Particulate matter, i.e. suspended particulate matter and sediments in rivers and estuaries, often are contaminated with trace metals and selected organic contaminants and are mainly associated with fine-grained fractions. Transport processes and fate of particles in estuaries are influenced by several factors, e.g. freshwater discharge, tide, flow velocity and dredging activities (Kappenberg et al., 2007). Understanding the transport processes in estuaries may help to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) operates for more than 20 years five monitoring sites in the Elbe estuary in order to monitor the development of particle-bound contaminant concentrations over time and to understand their transport mechanisms. Results of the monitoring revealed freshwater discharge as an important influencing factor on the transport of contaminated particulate matter (Ackermann et al., 2007). The bidirectional transport of marine and fluvial water and particulate matter in estuaries results in a turbidity zone where large amounts of particulate matter are temporarily retained and thus in a delayed transport of particulate matter towards the sea. The extent and the location of the turbidity zone as well as the ratio of highly contaminated fluvial and less contaminated marine sediments at a given location are mainly influenced by the freshwater discharge (Kowalewska et al., 2011). Furthermore, at high freshwater discharge conditions the highly contaminated particulate matter from fluvial origin are transported downstream the estuary, whereas at low freshwater discharges, upstream transport of less contaminated marine sediments prevails. Hence, residence times of particulate matter in the estuary are difficult to estimate. Furthermore, sedimentation areas with flow reduced conditions, e.g. wadden areas or branches of the Elbe estuary, may act as sinks for particle bound

Characterizing fate and transport properties in karst aquifers under different hydrologic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, E.; Padilla, I. Y.

2017-12-01

Karst landscapes contain very productive aquifers. The hydraulic and hydrogeological characteristics of karst aquifers make these systems capable of storing and transporting large amount of water, but also highly vulnerable to contamination. Their extremely heterogeneous nature prevents accurate prediction in contaminant fate and transport. Even more challenging is to understand the impact of hydrologic conditions changes on fate and transport processes. This studies aims at characterizing fate and transport processes in the karst groundwater system of northern Puerto Rico under different hydrologic conditions. The study involves injecting rhodamine and uranine dyes into a sinkhole, and monitoring concentrations at a spring. Results show incomplete recovery of tracers, but breaking curves can be used to estimate advective, dispersive and mass transfer characteristic of the karst system. Preliminary results suggest significant differences in fate and transport characteristics under different hydrologic conditions.

Methane Bubbles Transport Particles From Contaminated Sediment to a Lake Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delwiche, K.; Hemond, H.

2017-12-01

Methane bubbling from aquatic sediments has long been known to transport carbon to the atmosphere, but new evidence presented here suggests that methane bubbles also transport particulate matter to a lake surface. This transport pathway is of particular importance in lakes with contaminated sediments, as bubble transport could increase human exposure to toxic metals. The Upper Mystic Lake in Arlington, MA has a documented history of methane bubbling and sediment contamination by arsenic and other heavy metals, and we have conducted laboratory and field studies demonstrating that methane bubbles are capable of transporting sediment particles over depths as great as 15 m in Upper Mystic Lake. Methane bubble traps were used in-situ to capture particles adhered to bubble interfaces, and to relate particle mass transport to bubble flux. Laboratory studies were conducted in a custom-made 15 m tall water column to quantify the relationship between water column height and the mass of particulate transport. We then couple this particle transport data with historical estimates of ebullition from Upper Mystic Lake to quantify the significance of bubble-mediated particle transport to heavy metal cycling within the lake. Results suggest that methane bubbles can represent a significant pathway for contaminated sediment to reach surface waters even in relatively deep water bodies. Given the frequent co-occurrence of contaminated sediments and high bubble flux rates, and the potential for human exposure to heavy metals, it will be critical to study the significance of this transport pathway for a range of sediment and contaminant types.

Vertical Structure of Radiation-pressure-dominated Thin Disks: Link between Vertical Advection and Convective Stability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gong, Hong-Yu; Gu, Wei-Min, E-mail: guwm@xmu.edu.cn

2017-04-20

In the classic picture of standard thin accretion disks, viscous heating is balanced by radiative cooling through the diffusion process, and the radiation-pressure-dominated inner disk suffers convective instability. However, recent simulations have shown that, owing to the magnetic buoyancy, the vertical advection process can significantly contribute to energy transport. In addition, in comparing the simulation results with the local convective stability criterion, no convective instability has been found. In this work, following on from simulations, we revisit the vertical structure of radiation-pressure-dominated thin disks and include the vertical advection process. Our study indicates a link between the additional energy transportmore » and the convectively stable property. Thus, the vertical advection not only significantly contributes to the energy transport, but it also plays an important role in making the disk convectively stable. Our analyses may help to explain the discrepancy between classic theory and simulations on standard thin disks.« less

Mitigating contaminant transport in utility installation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-01-01

In recent years, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has experienced problems with various forms of contamination (primarily from underground storage tanks, USTs) migrating into its right-of-way. In many cases VDOT has had to install cul...

Magnetic flux and heat losses by diffusive, advective, and Nernst effects in MagLIF-like plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Velikovich, A. L., E-mail: sasha.velikovich@nrl.navy.mil; Giuliani, J. L., E-mail: sasha.velikovich@nrl.navy.mil; Zalesak, S. T.

2014-12-15

The MagLIF approach to inertial confinement fusion involves subsonic/isobaric compression and heating of a DT plasma with frozen-in magnetic flux by a heavy cylindrical liner. The losses of heat and magnetic flux from the plasma to the liner are thereby determined by plasma advection and gradient-driven transport processes, such as thermal conductivity, magnetic field diffusion and thermomagnetic effects. Theoretical analysis based on obtaining exact self-similar solutions of the classical collisional Braginskii's plasma transport equations in one dimension demonstrates that the heat loss from the hot plasma to the cold liner is dominated by the transverse heat conduction and advection, andmore » the corresponding loss of magnetic flux is dominated by advection and the Nernst effect. For a large electron Hall parameter ω{sub e}τ{sub e} effective diffusion coefficients determining the losses of heat and magnetic flux are both shown to decrease with ω{sub e}τ{sub e} as does the Bohm diffusion coefficient, which is commonly associated with low collisionality and two-dimensional transport. This family of exact solutions can be used for verification of codes that model the MagLIF plasma dynamics.« less

Two-dimensional atmospheric transport and chemistry model - Numerical experiments with a new advection algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shia, Run-Lie; Ha, Yuk Lung; Wen, Jun-Shan; Yung, Yuk L.

1990-01-01

Extensive testing of the advective scheme proposed by Prather (1986) has been carried out in support of the California Institute of Technology-Jet Propulsion Laboratory two-dimensional model of the middle atmosphere. The original scheme is generalized to include higher-order moments. In addition, it is shown how well the scheme works in the presence of chemistry as well as eddy diffusion. Six types of numerical experiments including simple clock motion and pure advection in two dimensions have been investigated in detail. By comparison with analytic solutions, it is shown that the new algorithm can faithfully preserve concentration profiles, has essentially no numerical diffusion, and is superior to a typical fourth-order finite difference scheme.

Analytical model for advective-dispersive transport involving flexible boundary inputs, initial distributions and zero-order productions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jui-Sheng; Li, Loretta Y.; Lai, Keng-Hsin; Liang, Ching-Ping

2017-11-01

A novel solution method is presented which leads to an analytical model for the advective-dispersive transport in a semi-infinite domain involving a wide spectrum of boundary inputs, initial distributions, and zero-order productions. The novel solution method applies the Laplace transform in combination with the generalized integral transform technique (GITT) to obtain the generalized analytical solution. Based on this generalized analytical expression, we derive a comprehensive set of special-case solutions for some time-dependent boundary distributions and zero-order productions, described by the Dirac delta, constant, Heaviside, exponentially-decaying, or periodically sinusoidal functions as well as some position-dependent initial conditions and zero-order productions specified by the Dirac delta, constant, Heaviside, or exponentially-decaying functions. The developed solutions are tested against an analytical solution from the literature. The excellent agreement between the analytical solutions confirms that the new model can serve as an effective tool for investigating transport behaviors under different scenarios. Several examples of applications, are given to explore transport behaviors which are rarely noted in the literature. The results show that the concentration waves resulting from the periodically sinusoidal input are sensitive to dispersion coefficient. The implication of this new finding is that a tracer test with a periodic input may provide additional information when for identifying the dispersion coefficients. Moreover, the solution strategy presented in this study can be extended to derive analytical models for handling more complicated problems of solute transport in multi-dimensional media subjected to sequential decay chain reactions, for which analytical solutions are not currently available.

Contaminant Attenuation and Transport Characterization of 200-UP-1 Operable Unit Sediment Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Brady D.; Szecsody, James E.; Qafoku, Nikolla

Contaminants disposed of at the land surface migrate through the vadose zone, forming plumes in groundwater. Processes that occur in the groundwater can attenuate contaminant concentrations during transport through the aquifer. For this reason, quantifying contaminant attenuation and contaminant transport processes in the aquifer, in support of the conceptual site model (CSM) and fate and transport modeling, are important for assessing the need for, and type of, remediation in the groundwater, including monitored natural attenuation (MNA). The framework to characterize attenuation and transport processes provided in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance documents was used to guide the laboratory effortmore » reported herein.« less

Impact of scaling and body movement on contaminant transport in airliner cabins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazumdar, Sagnik; Poussou, Stephane B.; Lin, Chao-Hsin; Isukapalli, Sastry S.; Plesniak, Michael W.; Chen, Qingyan

2011-10-01

Studies of contaminant transport have been conducted using small-scale models. This investigation used validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to examine if a small-scale water model could reveal the same contaminant transport characteristics as a full-scale airliner cabin. But due to similarity problems and the difficulty of scaling the geometry, a perfect scale up from a small water model to an actual air model was found to be impossible. The study also found that the seats and passengers tended to obstruct the lateral transport of the contaminants and confine their spread to the aisle of the cabin. The movement of a crew member or a passenger could carry a contaminant in its wake to as many rows as the crew member or passenger passed. This could be the reason why a SARS infected passenger could infect fellow passengers who were seated seven rows away. To accurately simulate the contaminant transport, the shape of the moving body should be a human-like model.

Contaminant Attenuation and Transport Characterization of 200-DV-1 Operable Unit Sediment Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Truex, Michael J.; Szecsody, James E.; Qafoku, Nikolla

2017-05-15

A laboratory study was conducted to quantify contaminant attenuation processes and associated contaminant transport parameters that are needed to evaluate transport of contaminants through the vadose zone to the groundwater. The laboratory study information, in conjunction with transport analyses, can be used as input to evaluate the feasibility of Monitored Natural Attenuation and other remedies for the 200-DV-1 Operable Unit at the Hanford Site.

Two-level schemes for the advection equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vabishchevich, Petr N.

2018-06-01

The advection equation is the basis for mathematical models of continuum mechanics. In the approximate solution of nonstationary problems it is necessary to inherit main properties of the conservatism and monotonicity of the solution. In this paper, the advection equation is written in the symmetric form, where the advection operator is the half-sum of advection operators in conservative (divergent) and non-conservative (characteristic) forms. The advection operator is skew-symmetric. Standard finite element approximations in space are used. The standard explicit two-level scheme for the advection equation is absolutely unstable. New conditionally stable regularized schemes are constructed, on the basis of the general theory of stability (well-posedness) of operator-difference schemes, the stability conditions of the explicit Lax-Wendroff scheme are established. Unconditionally stable and conservative schemes are implicit schemes of the second (Crank-Nicolson scheme) and fourth order. The conditionally stable implicit Lax-Wendroff scheme is constructed. The accuracy of the investigated explicit and implicit two-level schemes for an approximate solution of the advection equation is illustrated by the numerical results of a model two-dimensional problem.

Review on subsurface colloids and colloid-associated contaminant transport in saturated porous media.

PubMed

Kanti Sen, Tushar; Khilar, Kartic C

2006-02-28

In this review article, the authors present up-to-date developments on experimental, modeling and field studies on the role of subsurface colloidal fines on contaminant transport in saturated porous media. It is a complex phenomenon in porous media involving several basic processes such as colloidal fines release, dispersion stabilization, migration and fines entrapment/plugging at the pore constrictions and adsorption at solid/liquid interface. The effects of these basic processes on the contaminant transport have been compiled. Here the authors first present the compilation on in situ colloidal fines sources, release, stabilization of colloidal dispersion and migration which are a function of physical and chemical conditions of subsurface environment and finally their role in inorganic and organic contaminants transport in porous media. The important aspects of this article are as follows: (i) it gives not only complete compilation on colloidal fines-facilitated contaminant transport but also reviews the new role of colloidal fines in contaminant retardation due to plugging of pore constrictions. This plugging phenomenon also depends on various factors such as concentration of colloidal fines, superficial velocity and bead-to-particle size ratio. This plugging-based contaminant transport can be used to develop containment technique in soil and groundwater remediation. (ii) It also presents the importance of critical salt concentration (CSC), critical ionic strength for mixed salt, critical shear stressor critical particle concentration (CPC) on in situ colloidal fines release and migration and consequently their role on contaminant transport in porous media. (iii) It also reviews another class of colloidal fines called biocolloids and their transport in porous media. Finally, the authors highlight the future research based on their critical review on colloid-associated contaminant transport in saturated porous media.

LAYER DEPENDENT ADVECTION IN CMAQ

EPA Science Inventory

The advection methods used in CMAQ require that the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition be satisfied for numerical stability and accuracy. In CMAQ prior to version 4.3, the ADVSTEP algorithm established CFL-safe synchronization and advection timesteps that were uniform throu...

User's guide to PHREEQC, a computer program for speciation, reaction-path, advective-transport, and inverse geochemical calculations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parkhurst, D.L.

1995-01-01

PHREEQC is a computer program written in the C pwgranuning language that is designed to perform a wide variety of aqueous geochemical calculations. PHREEQC is based on an ion-association aqueous model and has capabilities for (1) speciation and saturation-index calculations, (2) reaction-path and advective-transport calculations involving specified irreversible reactions, mixing of solutions, mineral and gas equilibria surface-complex-ation reactions, and ion-exchange reactions, and (3) inverse modeling, which finds sets of mineral and gas mole transfers that account for composition differences between waters, within specified compositional uncertainties. PHREEQC is derived from the Fortran program PHREEQE, but it has been completely rewritten in C with the addition many new capabilities. New features include the capabilities to use redox couples to distribute redox elements among their valence states in speciation calculations; to model ion-exchange and surface-compiexation reactions; to model reactions with a fixed-pressure, multicomponent gas phase (that is, a gas bubble); to calculate the mass of water in the aqueous phase during reaction and transport calculations; to keep track of the moles of minerals present in the solid phases and determine antomaticaHy the thermodynamically stable phase assemblage; to simulate advective transport in combination with PHREEQC's reaction-modeling capability; and to make inverse modeling calculations that allow for uncertainties in the analytical data. The user interface is improved through the use of a simplified approach to redox reactions, which includes explicit mole-balance equations for hydrogen and oxygen; the use of a revised input that is modular and completely free format; and the use of mineral names and standard chemical symbolism rather than index numbers. The use of (2 eliminates nearly all limitations on army sizes, including numbers of elements, aqueous species, solutions, phases, and lengths of character

Advances in Dynamic Transport of Organic Contaminants in Karst Groundwater Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padilla, I. Y.; Vesper, D.; Alshawabkeh, A.; Hellweger, F.

2011-12-01

Karst groundwater systems develop in soluble rocks such as limestone, and are characterized by high permeability and well-developed conduit porosity. These systems provide important freshwater resources for human consumption and ecological integrity of streams, wetlands, and coastal zones. The same characteristics that make karst aquifers highly productive make them highly vulnerable to contamination. As a result, karst aquifers serve as an important route for contaminants exposure to humans and wildlife. Transport of organic contaminants in karst ground-water occurs in complex pathways influenced by the flow mechanism predominating in the aquifer: conduit-flow dominated systems tend to convey solutes rapidly through the system to a discharge point without much attenuation; diffuse-flow systems, on the other hand, can cause significant solute retardation and slow movement. These two mechanisms represent end members of a wide spectrum of conditions found in karst areas, and often a combination of conduit- and diffuse-flow mechanisms is encountered, where both flow mechanisms can control the fate and transport of contaminants. This is the case in the carbonate aquifers of northern Puerto Rico. This work addresses advances made on the characterization of fate and transport processes in karst ground-water systems characterized by variable conduit and/or diffusion dominated flow under high- and low-flow conditions. It involves laboratory-scale physical modeling and field-scale sampling and historical analysis of contaminant distribution. Statistical analysis of solute transport in Geo-Hydrobed physical models shows the heterogeneous character of transport dynamics in karstic units, and its variability under different flow regimes. Field-work analysis of chlorinated volatile organic compounds and phthalates indicates a large capacity of the karst systems to store and transmit contaminants. This work is part of the program "Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination

A deformable particle-in-cell method for advective transport in geodynamic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, Henri

2018-06-01

This paper presents an improvement of the particle-in-cell method commonly used in geodynamic modeling for solving pure advection of sharply varying fields. Standard particle-in-cell approaches use particle kernels to transfer the information carried by the Lagrangian particles to/from the Eulerian grid. These kernels are generally one-dimensional and non-evolutive, which leads to the development of under- and over-sampling of the spatial domain by the particles. This reduces the accuracy of the solution, and may require the use of a prohibitive amount of particles in order to maintain the solution accuracy to an acceptable level. The new proposed approach relies on the use of deformable kernels that account for the strain history in the vicinity of particles. It results in a significant improvement of the spatial sampling by the particles, leading to a much higher accuracy of the numerical solution, for a reasonable computational extra cost. Various 2D tests were conducted to compare the performances of the deformable particle-in-cell method with the particle-in-cell approach. These consistently show that at comparable accuracy, the deformable particle-in-cell method was found to be four to six times more efficient than standard particle-in-cell approaches. The method could be adapted to 3D space and generalized to cases including motionless transport.

Color image analysis of contaminants and bacteria transport in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashidi, Mehdi; Dehmeshki, Jamshid; Daemi, Mohammad F.; Cole, Larry; Dickenson, Eric

1997-10-01

Transport of contaminants and bacteria in aqueous heterogeneous saturated porous systems have been studied experimentally using a novel fluorescent microscopic imaging technique. The approach involves color visualization and quantification of bacterium and contaminant distributions within a transparent porous column. By introducing stained bacteria and an organic dye as a contaminant into the column and illuminating the porous regions with a planar sheet of laser beam, contaminant and bacterial transport processes through the porous medium can be observed and measured microscopically. A computer controlled color CCD camera is used to record the fluorescent images as a function of time. These images are recorded by a frame accurate high resolution VCR and are then analyzed using a color image analysis code written in our laboratories. The color images are digitized this way and simultaneous concentration and velocity distributions of both contaminant and bacterium are evaluated as a function of time and pore characteristics. The approach provides a unique dynamic probe to observe these transport processes microscopically. These results are extremely valuable in in-situ bioremediation problems since microscopic particle-contaminant- bacterium interactions are the key to understanding and optimization of these processes.

DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF A BIDIRECTIONAL ADVECTIVE FLUX METER FOR SEDIMENT-WATER INTERFACE

EPA Science Inventory

A bidirectional advective flux meter for measuring water transport across the sediment-water interface has been successfully developed and field tested. The flow sensor employs a heat-pulse technique combined with a flow collection funnel for the flow measurement. Because the dir...

Clay with Desiccation Cracks is an Advection Dominated Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baram, S.; Kurtzman, D.; Sher, Y.; Ronen, Z.; Dahan, O.

2012-04-01

Heavy clay sediments are regarded "safe" from the hydrological point of view due to their low hydraulic conductivities. However, the formation of desiccation cracks in dispersive clays may dramatically change their bulk hydraulic properties. The impact of desiccation cracks on water percolation, dissolved salts and contaminants transport and redox related reactions (microbial ammonium oxidation and denitrification) were investigated in 6 -12 m clay layer near a diary farm waste lagoon. The study implemented unique vadose-zone monitoring systems that enable in-situ measurements of the temporal variation of the sediment's water content along with frequent sampling of the sediment's pore water along the entire vadose zone (> 30 m). Results from four years of continuous measurements showed quick rises in sediment water content following rain events and temporal wastewater overflows. The percolation pattern indicated dominance of preferential flow through a desiccation-cracks network crossing the entire clay sediment layer. High water-propagation velocities (0.4 - 23.6 m h-1) were observed, indicating that the desiccation-crack network remains open and serves as a preferential flow pathway year-round, even at high sediment water content (~0.50 m3 m-3). The rapid percolation bypassed the most bio-geo-active parts of the soil, transporting even highly sorptive contaminants (testosterone and estrogen) in to the deep sections of the vadose zone, accelerating the underlying groundwater contamination. The ammonium and nitrate concentrations in the vadose zone and the high number of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria (~108 gene copies gdry-sediemt-1, each) found in the sediment indicated that the entire vadose zone is aerated even at high water content conditions (~0.55 m3 m-3). The dissolved salts concentration in the pore-water and the δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O values of the pore-water substantially increased with depth (becoming less depleted) in the clay sediment

TNT transport and fate in contaminated soil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Comfort, S.D.; Shea, P.J.; Hundal, L.S.

1995-11-01

Past disposal practices at munitions production plants have contaminated terrestrial and aquatk ecosystems with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). We determined TNT transport, degradation, and long-term sorption characteristics in soil. Transport experiments were conducted with repacked, unsaturated soil columns containing uncontaminated soil or layers of contaminated and uncontaminated soil. Uncontaminated soil columns received multiple pore volumes (22-50) of a TNT-{sup 3}H{sub 2}O pulse, containing 70 or 6.3 mg TNT L{sup -1} at a constant pore water velocity. TNT breakthrough curves (BTCs) never reached initial solute pulse concentrations. Apex concentrations (C/C{sub o}) were between 0.6 and 0.8 for an initial pulse of 70 mgmore » TNT L{sup -1} and 0.2 to 0.3 for the 6.3 mg TNT L{sup -1} pulse. Earlier TNT breakthrough was observed at the higher pulse concentration. This mobility difference was predicted from the nonlinear adsorption isotherm determined for TNT sorption. In all experiments, a significant fraction of added TNT was recovered as amino degradates of TNT. Mass balance estimates indicated 81% of the added TNT was recovered (as TNT and amino degradates) from columns receiving the 70 mg TNT L{sup -1} pulse compared to 35% from columns receiving the 6.3 mg TNT L{sup -1} pulse. Most of the unaccountable TNT was hypothesized to be unextractable. This was supported by a 168-d sorption experiment, which found that within 14d, 80% of {sup 14}C activity (added as {sup 14}C-TNT) was adsorbed and roughly 40% unextractable. Our observations illustrate that TNT sorption and degradation are concentration-dependent and the assumptions of linear adsorption and adsorption-desorption singularity commonly used in transport modeling, may not be valid for predicting TNT transport in munitions-contaminated soils. 29 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.« less

The role of horizontal thermal advection in regulating wintertime mean and extreme temperatures over the central United States during the past and future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F.; Vavrus, S. J.

2017-12-01

Horizontal temperature advection plays an especially prominent role in affecting winter climate over continental interiors, where both climatological conditions and extreme weather are strongly regulated by transport of remote air masses. Central North America is one such region, and it experienced a major cold-air outbreak (CAO) a few years ago that some have related to amplified Arctic warming. Despite the known importance of dynamics in shaping the winter climate of this sector and the potential for climate change to modify heat transport, limited attention has been paid to the regional impact of thermal advection. Here, we use a reanalysis product and output from the Community Earth System Model's Large Ensemble to quantify the roles of zonal and meridional temperature advection over the central U. S. during winter, both in the late 20th and 21st centuries. We frame our findings as a "tug of war" between opposing influences of the two advection components and between these dynamical forcings vs. thermodynamic changes under greenhouse warming. For example, Arctic amplification leads to much warmer polar air masses, causing a moderation of cold-air advection into the central U. S., yet the model also simulates a wavier mean circulation and stronger northerly flow during CAOs, favoring lower regional temperatures. We also compare the predominant warming effect of zonal advection and overall cooling effect of meridional temperature advection as an additional tug of war. During both historical and future periods, zonal temperature advection is stronger than meridional advection over the Central U. S. The model simulates a future weakening of both zonal and meridional temperature advection, such that westerly flow provides less warming and northerly flow less cooling. On the most extreme warm days in the past and future, both zonal and meridional temperature advection have positive (warming) contributions. On the most extreme cold days, meridional cold air advection

Dynamical Systems Analysis Of Transport In Flows Defined As Data Sets: Contaminant Control On The Coast Of Florida And Criteria For Warm Rings In The North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lekien, F.; Coulliette, C.

In this talk we will briefly describe the dynamical systems framework for Lagrangian transport. In particular, we will show how dynamical systems theory can now be uti- lized in the context of "real" problems, such as those derived from remote sensing observations or the input of a large scale numerical model. We will illustrate these ideas by two examples. Study of fluid transport near the Atlantic coast of Florida us- ing a velocity field observed experimentally from high frequency radar measurements reveals that dynamical systems theory can be used to reduce contaminant density in coastal areas. We also study intergyre transport in a quasigeostrophic model of the North Atlantic. We investigate the structure of eddies detaching from the Gulf Stream and prove that in a double gyre structure cyclonic rings cannot contain fluid from the other gyre. Only anticyclonic rings can contain "foreign" fluid coming from another gyre. This explains many phenomenons, such as why counter-clockwise rings South of the Gulf Stream contain colder fluid advected directly from the northern gyre, which has been illustrated in many observational studies.

Orbital Advection with Magnetohydrodynamics and Vector Potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyra, Wladimir; McNally, Colin P.; Heinemann, Tobias

Orbital advection is a significant bottleneck in disk simulations, and a particularly tricky one when used in connection with magnetohydrodynamics. We have developed an orbital advection algorithm suitable for the induction equation with magnetic potential. The electromotive force is split into advection and shear terms, and we find that we do not need an advective gauge since solving the orbital advection implicitly precludes the shear term from canceling the advection term. We prove and demonstrate the third order in time accuracy of the scheme. The algorithm is also suited to non-magnetic problems. Benchmarked results of (hydrodynamical) planet–disk interaction and ofmore » the magnetorotational instability are reproduced. We include detailed descriptions of the construction and selection of stabilizing dissipations (or high-frequency filters) needed to generate practical results. The scheme is self-consistent, accurate, and elegant in its simplicity, making it particularly efficient for straightforward finite-difference methods. As a result of the work, the algorithm is incorporated in the public version of the Pencil Code, where it can be used by the community.« less

MODELING TRANSPORT IN THE DOWN GRADIENT PORTION OF THE 200-PO-1 OPERABLE UNIT AT THE HANFORD SITE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MEHTA S; ALY AH; MILLER CW

2009-12-03

Remedial Investigations are underway for the 200-PO-l Operable Unit (OU) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State. To support the baseline risk assessment and evaluation of remedial alternatives, fate and transport modeling is being conducted to predict the future concentration of contaminants of potential concern in the 200-PO-1 OU. This study focuses on modeling the 'down gradient' transport of those contaminants that migrate beyond the 3-D model domain selected for performing detailed 'source area' modeling within the 200-PO-1 OU. The down gradient portion is defined as that region of the 200-PO-1 OU that is generally outsidemore » the 200 Area (considered 'source area') of the Hanford Site. A 1-D transport model is developed for performing down gradient contaminant fate and transport modeling. The 1-D transport model is deemed adequate based on the inferred transport pathway of tritium in the past and the observation that most of the contaminant mass remains at or near the water table within the unconfined aquifer of the Hanford Formation and the Cold-Creek/Pre-Missoula Gravel unit. The Pipe Pathway feature of the GoldSim software is used to perform the calculations. The Pipe Pathway uses a Laplace transform approach to provide analytical solutions to a broad range of advection-dominated mass transport systems involving one-dimensional advection, longitudinal dispersion, retardation, decay and ingrowth, and exchanges with immobile storage zones. Based on the historical concentration distribution data for the extensive tritium plume in this area, three Pipe Pathways are deemed adequate for modeling transport of contaminants. Each of these three Pipe Pathways is discretized into several zones, based on the saturated thickness variation in the unconfined aquifer and the location of monitoring wells used for risk assessment calculation. The mass fluxes of contaminants predicted to exit the source area model domain are used as an input

Influence of porewater advection on denitrification in carbonate sands: Evidence from repacked sediment column experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Isaac R.; Eyre, Bradley D.; Glud, Ronnie N.

2012-11-01

Porewater flow enhances mineralization rates in organic-poor permeable sands. Here, a series of sediment column experiments were undertaken to assess the potential effect of advective porewater transport on denitrification in permeable carbonate sands collected from Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef). Experimental conditions (flow path length, advection rate, and temperature) were manipulated to represent conditions similar to near shore tropical environments. HgCl2-poisoned controls were used to assess whether reactions were microbially mediated. Overall, significant correlations were found between oxygen consumption and N2 production. The N:O2 slope of 0.114 implied that about 75% of all the nitrogen mineralized was denitrified. A 4-fold increase in sediment column length (from 10 to 40 cm) resulted in an overall increase in oxygen consumption (1.6-fold), TCO2 production (1.8-fold), and denitrification (1.9-fold). Oxic respiration increased quickly until advection reached 80 L m-2 h-1 and then plateaued at higher advection rates. Interestingly, denitrification peaked (up to 336 μmol N2 m-2 h-1) at intermediate advection rates (30-80 L m-2 h-1). We speculate that intermediate advection rates enhance the development of microniches (i.e., steep oxygen gradients) within porous carbonate sands, perhaps providing optimum conditions for denitrification. The denitrification peak fell within the broad range of advection rates (often on scales of 1-100 L m-2 h-1) typically found on continental shelves implying that carbonate sands may play a major, but as yet unquantified, role in oceanic nitrogen budgets.

Hydraulic and solute-transport properties and simulated advective transport of contaminated ground water in a fractured rock aquifer at the Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis-Brown, Jean C.; Carleton, Glen B.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas E.

2006-01-01

Volatile organic compounds, predominantly trichloroethylene and its degradation products, have been detected in ground water at the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), West Trenton, New Jersey. An air-stripping pump-and-treat system has been in operation at the NAWC since 1998. An existing ground-water-flow model was used to evaluate the effect of a change in the configuration of the network of recovery wells in the pump-and-treat system on flow paths of contaminated ground water. The NAWC is underlain by a fractured-rock aquifer composed of dipping layers of sedimentary rocks of the Lockatong and Stockton Formations. Hydraulic and solute-transport properties of the part of the aquifer composed of the Lockatong Formation were measured using aquifer tests and tracer tests. The heterogeneity of the rocks causes a wide range of values of each parameter measured. Transmissivity ranges from 95 to 1,300 feet squared per day; the storage coefficient ranges from 9 x 10-5 to 5 x 10-3; and the effective porosity ranges from 0.0003 to 0.002. The average linear velocity of contaminated ground water was determined for ambient conditions (when no wells at the site are pumped) using an existing ground-water-flow model, particle-tracking techniques, and the porosity values determined in this study. The average linear velocity of flow paths beginning at each contaminated well and ending at the streams where the flow paths terminate ranges from 0.08 to 130 feet per day. As a result of a change in the pump-and-treat system (adding a 165-foot-deep well pumped at 5 gallons per minute and reducing the pumping rate at a nearby 41-foot-deep well by the same amount), water in the vicinity of three 100- to 165-foot-deep wells flows to the deep well rather than the shallower well.

Chemical factors influencing colloid-facilitated transport of contaminants in porous media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roy, Sujoy B.; Dzombak, David A.

1997-01-01

The effects of colloids on the transport of two strongly sorbing solutesa hydrophobic organic compound, phenanthrene, and a metal ion, Ni2+were studied in sand-packed laboratory columns under different pH and ionic strength conditions. Two types of column experiments were performed as follows:  (i) sorption/mobilization experiments where the contaminant was first sorbed in the column under conditions where no colloids were released and mobilized under conditions where colloids were released as a result of ionic strength reduction in the influent; and (ii) transport experiments where the contaminant, dissolved or sorbed on colloids, was injected into columns packed with a strongly sorbing porous medium. In the first type of experiment, contaminant mobilization was significant only when all releasable colloids were flushed from the column. In all other cases, although high colloid particle concentrations were encountered, there was no marked effect on total contaminant concentrations. In the second type of experiment, colloid deposition efficiencies were shown to control the enhancement of transport. The deposition efficiency was a function of the pH (for a high organic content sand) and of the contaminant concentration (for a charged species such as Ni2+).

Co-transport of chlordecone and sulfadiazine in the presence of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes in soils.

PubMed

Zhang, Miaoyue; Engelhardt, Irina; Šimůnek, Jirka; Bradford, Scott A; Kasel, Daniela; Berns, Anne E; Vereecken, Harry; Klumpp, Erwin

2017-02-01

Batch and saturated soil column experiments were conducted to investigate sorption and mobility of two 14 C-labeled contaminants, the hydrophobic chlordecone (CLD) and the sulfadiazine (SDZ), in the absence or presence of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The transport behaviors of CLD, SDZ, and MWCNTs were studied at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1-10 mg L -1 ) and they were applied in the column studies at different times. The breakthrough curves and retention profiles were simulated using a numerical model that accounted for the advective-dispersive transport of all compounds, attachment/detachment of MWCNTs, equilibrium and kinetic sorption of contaminants, and co-transport of contaminants with MWCNTs. The experimental results indicated that the presence of mobile MWCNTs facilitated remobilization of previously deposited CLD and its co-transport into deeper soil layers, while retained MWCNTs enhanced SDZ deposition in the topsoil layers due to the increased adsorption capacity of the soil. The modeling results then demonstrated that the mobility of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment and the high affinity and entrapment of contaminants to ENPs were the main reasons for ENP-facilitated contaminant transport. On the other hand, immobile MWCNTs had a less significant impact on the contaminant transport, even though they were still able to enhance the adsorption capacity of the soil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advection within side-by-side liquid micro-cylinders in a cross-flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Qingming; Sau, Amalendu

2017-11-01

The gaseous SO2 entrainment from outer air stream and dispersion in binary and ternary liquid micro-cylinders appearing side-by-side are examined hereby. The separation/attachment regulated non-uniform interfacial momentum exchange creates main stream driven "primary" and shear reversed "secondary" vortices in the liquid cylinders. At separation points, the sense of rotation of the generated "primary-secondary" vortex pair remains inward directed. We define such a vortex pair as the "inflow" type. However, at stagnation or attachment points, the sense of rotation of a "primary-primary" or "secondary-secondary" vortex pair remains outward directed, and such a vortex pair is defined as the "outflow" type. For the coupled water cylinders facing an oncoming stream contaminated by gaseous SO2, its absorption and internal transport are effectively controlled by dominant "inflow" and "outflow" natured dynamics of the said vortex pairs, besides by diffusion. The evolving "inflow" natured "primary-secondary" vortex pairs at separation points actively entrain the outer SO2, whereas the "outflow" natured vortex-pairs oppose SO2 entry through the stagnation regions. Moreover, the blockage induced steady-symmetric, steady-deflected, and flip-flopping air-jets through gaps, for varied gap-ratio (1 ≤ G/R ≤ 4) and Reynolds number (30 ≤ Re ≤ 160), create distinctive impact both on quantitative SO2 absorption (mso2 ') and convective nature of the SO2 transport in upper, lower, and middle cylinders, by virtue of modified strength and size of the inflow and outflow paired vortices. The present study shows that the tiny "secondary vortices" play important roles in SO2 entrainment and in effectively controlling the local absorption rate Rs o2. The sudden acceleration and upward/downward deflection of gap-flows enhanced near-neck advective SO2 entrainment by suitably strengthening the "inflow" natured local vortex dynamics. Conversely, for the reduced size of secondary vortices

IMPACT OF REDOX DISEQUILIBRIA ON CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT AND REMEDIATION IN SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Partitioning to mineral surfaces exerts significant control on inorganic contaminant transport in subsurface systems. Remedial technologies for in-situ treatment of subsurface contamination are frequently designed to optimize the efficiency of contaminant partitioning to solid s...

BLT-EC (Breach, Leach and Transport-Equilibrium Chemistry) data input guide. A computer model for simulating release and coupled geochemical transport of contaminants from a subsurface disposal facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacKinnon, R.J.; Sullivan, T.M.; Kinsey, R.R.

1997-05-01

The BLT-EC computer code has been developed, implemented, and tested. BLT-EC is a two-dimensional finite element computer code capable of simulating the time-dependent release and reactive transport of aqueous phase species in a subsurface soil system. BLT-EC contains models to simulate the processes (container degradation, waste-form performance, transport, chemical reactions, and radioactive production and decay) most relevant to estimating the release and transport of contaminants from a subsurface disposal system. Water flow is provided through tabular input or auxiliary files. Container degradation considers localized failure due to pitting corrosion and general failure due to uniform surface degradation processes. Waste-form performancemore » considers release to be limited by one of four mechanisms: rinse with partitioning, diffusion, uniform surface degradation, and solubility. Transport considers the processes of advection, dispersion, diffusion, chemical reaction, radioactive production and decay, and sources (waste form releases). Chemical reactions accounted for include complexation, sorption, dissolution-precipitation, oxidation-reduction, and ion exchange. Radioactive production and decay in the waste form is simulated. To improve the usefulness of BLT-EC, a pre-processor, ECIN, which assists in the creation of chemistry input files, and a post-processor, BLTPLOT, which provides a visual display of the data have been developed. BLT-EC also includes an extensive database of thermodynamic data that is also accessible to ECIN. This document reviews the models implemented in BLT-EC and serves as a guide to creating input files and applying BLT-EC.« less

Contaminant transport in wetland flows with bulk degradation and bed absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ping; Chen, G. Q.

2017-09-01

Ecological degradation and absorption are ubiquitous and exert considerable influence on the contaminant transport in natural and constructed wetland flows. It creates an increased demand on models to accurately characterize the spatial concentration distribution of the transport process. This work extends a method of spatial concentration moments by considering the non-uniform longitudinal solute displacements along the vertical direction, and analytically determines the spatial concentration distribution in the very initial stage since source release with effects of bulk degradation and bed absorption. The present method is demonstrated to bear a more accurate prediction especially in the initial stage through convergence analysis of Hermite polynomials. Results reveal that contaminant cloud shows to be more contracted and reformed by bed absorption with increasing damping factor of wetland flows. Tremendous vertical concentration variation especially in the downstream of the contaminant cloud remains great even at asymptotic large times. Spatial concentration evolution by the extended method other than the mean by previous studies is potential for various implements associated with contaminant transport with strict environmental standards.

Steady-State and Transient Groundwater Flow and Advective Transport, Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory and Vicinity, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, J. C.; Ackerman, D. J.; Rousseau, J. P.; Rattray, G. W.

2009-12-01

Three-dimensional steady-state and transient models of groundwater flow and advective transport through the fractured basalts and interbedded sediments of the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy. The model domain covers an area of 1,940 square miles that includes most of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). A 50-year history of waste disposal at the INL has resulted in measurable concentrations of waste contaminants in the aquifer. Numerical models simulated 1980 steady-state conditions and transient flow for 1980-95. In the transient model, streamflow infiltration was the major stress. The models were calibrated using the parameter-estimation program incorporated in MODFLOW-2000. The steady-state model reasonably simulated the observed water-table altitude and gradients. Simulation of transient conditions reproduced changes in the flow system resulting from episodic infiltration from the Big Lost River. Analysis of simulations shows that flow is (1) dominantly horizontal through interflow zones in basalt, vertical anisotropy resulting from contrasts in hydraulic conductivity of different types of basalt and the interbedded sediments, (2) temporally variable due to streamflow infiltration from the Big Lost River, and (3) moving downward downgradient of the INL. Particle-tracking simulations were used to evaluate how simulated groundwater flow paths and travel times differ between the steady-state and transient flow models, and how well model-derived groundwater flow directions and velocities compare to independently-derived estimates. Particle tracking also was used to simulate the growth of tritium plumes originating at two INL facilities over a 16 year period under steady-state and transient flow conditions (1953-68). The shape, dimensions, and areal extent of these plumes were compared to a map of the plumes for 1968 from tritium releases beginning in 1952

Numerical modeling of coupled variably saturated fluid flow and reactive transport with fast and slow chemical reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Gour-Tsyh (George); Siegel, Malcolm D.; Li, Ming-Hsu

2001-02-01

The couplings among chemical reaction rates, advective and diffusive transport in fractured media or soils, and changes in hydraulic properties due to precipitation and dissolution within fractures and in rock matrix are important for both nuclear waste disposal and remediation of contaminated sites. This paper describes the development and application of LEHGC2.0, a mechanistically based numerical model for simulation of coupled fluid flow and reactive chemical transport, including both fast and slow reactions in variably saturated media. Theoretical bases and numerical implementations are summarized, and two example problems are demonstrated. The first example deals with the effect of precipitation/dissolution on fluid flow and matrix diffusion in a two-dimensional fractured media. Because of the precipitation and decreased diffusion of solute from the fracture into the matrix, retardation in the fractured medium is not as large as the case wherein interactions between chemical reactions and transport are not considered. The second example focuses on a complicated but realistic advective-dispersive-reactive transport problem. This example exemplifies the need for innovative numerical algorithms to solve problems involving stiff geochemical reactions.

Evaluating Transport and Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in the Vadose Zone for Aqueous Waste Disposal Sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Truex, Michael J.; Oostrom, Martinus; Tartakovsky, Guzel D.

An approach was developed for evaluating vadose zone transport and attenuation of aqueous wastes containing inorganic (non-volatile) contaminants that were disposed of at the land surface (i.e., directly to the ground in cribs, trenches, tile fields, etc.) and their effect on the underlying groundwater. The approach provides a structured method for estimating transport of contaminants through the vadose zone and the resulting temporal profile of groundwater contaminant concentrations. The intent of the approach is also to provide a means for presenting and explaining the results of the transport analysis in the context of the site-specific waste disposal conditions and sitemore » properties, including heterogeneities and other complexities. The document includes considerations related to identifying appropriate monitoring to verify the estimated contaminant transport and associated predictions of groundwater contaminant concentrations. While primarily intended for evaluating contaminant transport under natural attenuation conditions, the approach can also be applied to identify types of, and targets for, mitigation approaches in the vadose zone that would reduce the temporal profile of contaminant concentrations in groundwater, if needed.« less

Analytical and experimental analysis of solute transport in heterogeneous porous media.

PubMed

Wu, Lei; Gao, Bin; Tian, Yuan; Muñoz-Carpena, Rafael

2014-01-01

Knowledge of solute transport in heterogeneous porous media is crucial to monitor contaminant fate and transport in soil and groundwater systems. In this study, we present new findings from experimental and mathematical analysis to improve current understanding of solute transport in structured heterogeneous porous media. Three saturated columns packed with different sand combinations were used to examine the breakthrough behavior of bromide, a conservative tracer. Experimental results showed that bromide had different breakthrough responses in the three types of sand combinations, indicating that heterogeneity in hydraulic conductivity has a significant effect on the solute transport in structured heterogeneous porous media. Simulations from analytical solutions of a two-domain solute transport model matched experimental breakthrough data well for all the experimental conditions tested. Experimental and model results show that under saturated flow conditions, advection dominates solute transport in both fast-flow and slow-flow domains. The sand with larger hydraulic conductivity provided a preferential flow path for solute transport (fast-flow domain) that dominates the mass transfer in the heterogeneous porous media. Importantly, the transport in the slow-flow domain and mass exchange between the domains also contribute to the flow and solute transport processes and thus must be considered when investigating contaminant transport in heterogeneous porous media.

Chemical contaminants in the Wadden Sea: Sources, transport, fate and effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laane, R. W. P. M.; Vethaak, A. D.; Gandrass, J.; Vorkamp, K.; Köhler, A.; Larsen, M. M.; Strand, J.

2013-09-01

The Wadden Sea receives contaminants from various sources and via various transport routes. The contaminants described in this overview are various metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn) and various organic contaminants (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lindane (hexachlorocyclohexane, γ-HCH)). In addition, information is presented about other and emerging contaminants such as antifouling biocides (e.g. TBT and Irgarol), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), poly- and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). Special attention is given to biogeochemical processes that contribute to the mobilization of contaminants in the surface sediments of the Wadden Sea. Finally, the effects on organisms of contaminants are reviewed and discussed. The main source of contaminants in the Wadden Sea are the rivers Rhine (via de Dutch coastal zone), Elbe and Weser. The Wadden Sea is not a sink for contaminants and adsorbed contaminants are transported from east to west. The surface sediments of the Wadden Sea are an important source for contaminants to the water above. The input and concentration of most contaminants have significantly decreased in water, sediments, organisms (e.g., mussel, flounder and bird eggs) in various parts of the Wadden Sea in the last three decades. Remarkably, the Cd concentration in mussels is increasing the last decades. In recent decades, the effects of contaminants on organisms (e.g., flounder, seal) have fallen markedly. Most of the affected populations have recovered, except for TBT induced effects in snails. Little is known about the concentration and effects of most emerging contaminants and the complex environmental mixtures of contaminants. It is recommended to install an international coordinated monitoring programme for contaminants and their effects in the whole Wadden Sea and to identify the chemical contaminants that really cause the effect.

Magnetically advected winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contopoulos, I.; Kazanas, D.; Fukumura, K.

2017-11-01

Observations of X-ray absorption lines in magnetically driven disc winds around black hole binaries and active galactic nuclei yield a universal radial density profile ρ ∝ r-1.2 in the wind. This is in disagreement with the standard Blandford and Payne profile ρBP ∝ r-1.5 expected when the magnetic field is neither advected nor diffusing through the accretion disc. In order to account for this discrepancy, we establish a new paradigm for magnetically driven astrophysical winds according to which the large-scale ordered magnetic field that threads the disc is continuously generated by the Cosmic Battery around the inner edge of the disc and continuously diffuses outward. We obtain self-similar solutions of such magnetically advected winds (MAW) and discuss their observational ramifications.

Monitoring Potential Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in Shallow Ephemeral Channels: FY2015 and FY2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizell, Steve A; Miller, Julianne J; McCurdy, Greg

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is conducting a field assessment of the potential for contaminated soil to be transported from the Smoky Contamination Area (CA) as a result of storm runoff. This activity supports Nevada Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) efforts to complete regulatory closure of the Soils Corrective Action Unit (CAU) contamination areas. The work is intended to confirm the likely mechanism of transport and determine the meteorological conditions that might cause movement of contaminated soils, as well as determine the particle size fraction that is most closely associated with transported radionuclide-contaminated soils. These data will facilitate the appropriate closuremore » design and post-closure monitoring program.« less

Can contaminant transport models predict breakthrough?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peng, Wei-Shyuan; Hampton, Duane R.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Kambham, Kiran; Benegar, Jeffery J.

2000-01-01

A solute breakthrough curve measured during a two-well tracer test was successfully predicted in 1986 using specialized contaminant transport models. Water was injected into a confined, unconsolidated sand aquifer and pumped out 125 feet (38.3 m) away at the same steady rate. The injected water was spiked with bromide for over three days; the outflow concentration was monitored for a month. Based on previous tests, the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the thick aquifer varied by a factor of seven among 12 layers. Assuming stratified flow with small dispersivities, two research groups accurately predicted breakthrough with three-dimensional (12-layer) models using curvilinear elements following the arc-shaped flowlines in this test. Can contaminant transport models commonly used in industry, that use rectangular blocks, also reproduce this breakthrough curve? The two-well test was simulated with four MODFLOW-based models, MT3D (FD and HMOC options), MODFLOWT, MOC3D, and MODFLOW-SURFACT. Using the same 12 layers and small dispersivity used in the successful 1986 simulations, these models fit almost as accurately as the models using curvilinear blocks. Subtle variations in the curves illustrate differences among the codes. Sensitivities of the results to number and size of grid blocks, number of layers, boundary conditions, and values of dispersivity and porosity are briefly presented. The fit between calculated and measured breakthrough curves degenerated as the number of layers and/or grid blocks decreased, reflecting a loss of model predictive power as the level of characterization lessened. Therefore, the breakthrough curve for most field sites can be predicted only qualitatively due to limited characterization of the hydrogeology and contaminant source strength.

EVALUATION OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND FATE MODELING SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

Modeling approaches for evaluating the transport and fate of sediment and associated contaminants are briefly reviewed. The main emphasis is on: 1) the application of EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code), the state-of-the-art contaminated sediment transport and fate public do...

Advection modes by optimal mass transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iollo, Angelo; Lombardi, Damiano

2014-02-01

Classical model reduction techniques approximate the solution of a physical model by a limited number of global modes. These modes are usually determined by variants of principal component analysis. Global modes can lead to reduced models that perform well in terms of stability and accuracy. However, when the physics of the model is mainly characterized by advection, the nonlocal representation of the solution by global modes essentially reduces to a Fourier expansion. In this paper we describe a method to determine a low-order representation of advection. This method is based on the solution of Monge-Kantorovich mass transfer problems. Examples of application to point vortex scattering, Korteweg-de Vries equation, and hurricane Dean advection are discussed.

TRANSPORT AND FATE OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE SUBSURFACE

EPA Science Inventory

This publication is based on a series of t.technology Transfer seminars that were conducted in 1987 and 1988. The document provides an overview of many of the issues associated with the physical, chemical and biological processes that control contaminant transport in the subsurfa...

Solute transport in aquifers: The comeback of the advection dispersion equation and the First Order Approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiori, A.; Zarlenga, A.; Jankovic, I.; Dagan, G.

2017-12-01

Natural gradient steady flow of mean velocity U takes place in heterogeneous aquifers of random logconductivity Y = lnK , characterized by the normal univariate PDF f(Y) and autocorrelation ρY, of variance σY2 and horizontal integral scale I. Solute transport is quantified by the Breakthrough Curve (BTC) M at planes at distance x from the injection plane. The study builds on the extensive 3D numerical simulations of flow and transport of Jankovic et al. (2017) for different conductivity structures. The present study further explores the predictive capabilities of the Advection Dispersion Equation (ADE), with macrodispersivity αL given by the First Order Approximation (FOA), by checking in a quantitative manner its applicability. After a discussion on the suitable boundary conditions for ADE, we find that the ADE-FOA solution is a sufficiently accurate predictor for applications, the many other sources of uncertainty prevailing in practice notwithstanding. We checked by least squares and by comparison of travel time of quantiles of M that indeed the analytical Inverse Gaussian M with αL =σY2 I , is able to fit well the bulk of the simulated BTCs. It tends to underestimate the late arrival time of the thin and persistent tail. The tail is better reproduced by the semi-analytical MIMSCA model, which also allows for a physical explanation of the success of the Inverse Gaussian solution. Examination of the pertinent longitudinal mass distribution shows that it is different from the commonly used Gaussian one in the analysis of field experiments, and it captures the main features of the plume measurements of the MADE experiment. The results strengthen the confidence in the applicability of the ADE and the FOA to predicting longitudinal spreading in solute transport through heterogeneous aquifers of stationary random structure.

Monitoring Potential Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in Shallow Ephemeral Channels: FY2013 and FY2014 (revised)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizell, Steve A.; Miller, Julianne J.; McCurdy, Greg D.

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is conducting a field assessment of the potential for contaminated soil to be transported from the Smoky Contamination Area (CA) as a result of storm runoff, which supports National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) efforts to complete regulatory closure of the Soils Corrective Action Unit (CAU) contamination areas. The work is intended to confirm the likely mechanism of transport and determine the meteorological conditions that might cause movement of contaminated soils, as well as determine the particle size fraction that is most closely associated with transported radionuclide-contaminated soils. These data will facilitate the appropriate closure designmore » and post-closure monitoring program.« less

Evolution and advection of solar mesogranulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muller, Richard; Auffret, Herve; Roudier, Thierry; Vigneau, Jean; Simon, George W.; Frank, Zoe; Shine, Richard A.; Title, Alan M.

1992-01-01

A three-hour sequence of observations at the Pic du Midi observatory has been obtained which shows the evolution of solar mesogranules from appearance to disappearance with unprecedented clarity. It is seen that the supergranules, which are known to advect the granules with their convective motion, also advect the mesogranules to their boundaries. This process controls the evolution and disappearance of mesogranules.

Modeling the emission, transport and deposition of contaminated dust from a mine tailing site.

PubMed

Stovern, Michael; Betterton, Eric A; Sáez, A Eduardo; Villar, Omar Ignacio Felix; Rine, Kyle P; Russell, Mackenzie R; King, Matt

2014-01-01

Mining operations are potential sources of airborne particulate metal and metalloid contaminants through both direct smelter emissions and wind erosion of mine tailings. The warmer, drier conditions predicted for the Southwestern US by climate models may make contaminated atmospheric dust and aerosols increasingly important, due to potential deleterious effects on human health and ecology. Dust emissions and dispersion of contaminants from the Iron King Mine tailings in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona, a Superfund site, are currently being investigated through in situ field measurements and computational fluid dynamics modeling. These tailings are significantly contaminated with lead and arsenic with an average soil concentration of 1616 and 1420 ppm, respectively. Similar levels of these contaminants have also been measured in soil samples taken from the area surrounding the mine tailings. Using a computational fluid dynamics model, we have been able to model dust transport from the mine tailings to the surrounding region. The model includes a distributed Eulerian model to simulate fine aerosol transport and a Lagrangian approach to model fate and transport of larger particles. In order to improve the accuracy of the dust transport simulations both regional topographical features and local weather patterns have been incorporated into the model simulations.

PERFORMANCE AND ANALYSIS OF AQUIFER TESTS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

The scale-dependence of dispersivity values used in contaminant transport models to estimate the spreading of contaminant plumes by hydrodynamic dispersion processes was investigated and found to be an artifact of conventional modeling approaches (especially, vertically averaged ...

The influence of bottom boundary layer hydrodynamics on sediment focusing in a contaminated bay.

PubMed

Graham, Neil D; Bouffard, Damien; Loizeau, Jean-Luc

2016-12-01

Understanding the dynamics and fate of particle bound contaminants is important for mitigating potential environmental, economic and health impacts linked to their presence. Vidy Bay, Lake Geneva (Switzerland), is contaminated due to the outfall and overflow from the wastewater treatment plant of the City of Lausanne. This study was designed to investigate the fate of particle-bound contaminants with the goal of providing a more complete picture of contaminant pathways within the bay and their potential spread to the main basin. This goal was achieved by investigating the sediment transport dynamics, using sediment traps and radionuclide tracers, and ascertaining how local bottom-boundary hydrodynamic conditions (temperature, turbidity, current velocity and direction) influence these dynamics. Results of the study indicated that sedimentation rates and lateral advections increased vertically with proximity to the lakebed and laterally with proximity to shore, indicating the presence of sediment focusing in the bay. Hydrodynamic measurements showed the persistent influence of a gyre within the bay, extending down to the lake bed, while just outside of the bay circulation was influenced by the seasonal patterns of the main basin. Calculated mean displacement distances in the bay indicated that suspended particles can travel ∼3 km per month, which is 1.7 times the width of the Vidy Bay gyre. This results in a residence time of approximately 21 days for suspended particles, which is much greater than previously modelled results. The calculated mobility Shield parameter never exceeded the threshold shear stress needed for resuspension in deeper parts of the bay. In such, increased lateral advections to the bay are not likely due to local resuspension but rather external particle sources, such as main basin or shallow, littoral resuspensions. These external sources coupled with an increased residence time and decreased current velocity within the bay are the

THE IMPACT OF GROUND WATER-SURFACE WATER INTERACTIONS ON CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT AT CONTAMINATED SITES

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the dynamics of chemical processes that govern contaminant transport and speciation during water exchange across the GW/SW transition zone. A conceptual model of the GW/SW transition zone is defined to serve as a starting...

Natural attenuation model and biodegradation for 1,1,1-trichloroethane contaminant in shallow groundwater

PubMed Central

Lu, Qiang; Zhu, Rui-Li; Yang, Jie; Li, Hui; Liu, Yong-Di; Lu, Shu-Guang; Luo, Qi-Shi; Lin, Kuang-Fei

2015-01-01

Natural attenuation is an effective and feasible technology for controlling groundwater contamination. This study investigated the potential effectiveness and mechanisms of natural attenuation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) contaminants in shallow groundwater in Shanghai by using a column simulation experiment, reactive transport model, and 16S rRNA gene clone library. The results indicated that the majority of the contaminant mass was present at 2–6 m in depth, the contaminated area was approximately 1000 m × 1000 m, and natural attenuation processes were occurring at the site. The effluent breakthrough curves from the column experiments demonstrated that the effectiveness of TCA natural attenuation in the groundwater accorded with the advection-dispersion-reaction equation. The kinetic parameter of adsorption and biotic dehydrochlorination of TCA was 0.068 m3/kg and 0.0045 d–1. The contamination plume was predicted to diminish and the maximum concentration of TCA decreased to 280 μg/L. The bacterial community during TCA degradation in groundwater belonged to Trichococcus, Geobacteraceae, Geobacter, Mucilaginibacter, and Arthrobacter. PMID:26379629

Floc size distributions of suspended kaolinite in an advection transport dominated tank: measurements and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Xiaoteng; Maa, Jerome P.-Y.

2017-11-01

In estuaries and coastal waters, floc size and its statistical distributions of cohesive sediments are of primary importance, due to their effects on the settling velocity and thus deposition rates of cohesive aggregates. The development of a robust flocculation model that includes the predictions of floc size distributions (FSDs), however, is still in a research stage. In this study, a one-dimensional longitudinal (1-DL) flocculation model along a streamtube is developed. This model is based on solving the population balance equation to find the FSDs by using the quadrature method of moments. To validate this model, a laboratory experiment is carried out to produce an advection transport-dominant environment in a cylindrical tank. The flow field is generated by a marine pump mounted at the bottom center, with its outlet facing upward. This setup generates an axially symmetric flow which is measured by an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV). The measurement results provide the hydrodynamic input data required for this 1-DL model. The other measurement results, the FSDs, are acquired by using an automatic underwater camera system and the resulting images are analyzed to validate the predicted FSDs. This study shows that the FSDs as well as their representative sizes can be efficiently and reasonably simulated by this 1-DL model.

A stochastic-advective transport model for NAPL dissolution and degradation in non-uniform flows in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, T. P.; Govindaraju, Rao S.

2006-10-01

Remediation schemes for contaminated sites are often evaluated to assess their potential for source zone reduction of mass, or treatment of the contaminant between the source and a control plane (CP) to achieve regulatory limits. In this study, we utilize a stochastic stream tube model to explain the behavior of breakthrough curves (BTCs) across a CP. At the local scale, mass dissolution at the source is combined with an advection model with first-order decay for the dissolved plume. Field-scale averaging is then employed to account for spatial variation in mass within the source zone, and variation in the velocity field. Under the assumption of instantaneous mass transfer from the source to the moving liquid, semi-analytical expressions for the BTC and temporal moments are developed, followed by derivation of expressions for effective velocity, dispersion, and degradation coefficients using the method of moments. It is found that degradation strongly influences the behavior of moments and the effective parameters. While increased heterogeneity in the velocity field results in increased dispersion, degradation causes the center of mass of the plume to shift to earlier times, and reduces the dispersion of the BTC by lowering the concentrations in the tail. Modified definitions of effective parameters are presented for degrading solutes to account for the normalization constant (zeroth moment) that keeps changing with time or distance to the CP. It is shown that anomalous dispersion can result for high degradation rates combined with wide variation in velocity fluctuations. Implications of model results on estimating cleanup times and fulfillment of regulatory limits are discussed. Relating mass removal at the source to flux reductions past a control plane is confounded by many factors. Increased heterogeneity in velocity fields causes mass fluxes past a control plane to persist, however, aggressive remediation between the source and CP can reduce these fluxes.

On the anisotropic advection-diffusion equation with time dependent coefficients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hernandez-Coronado, Hector; Coronado, Manuel; Del-Castillo-Negrete, Diego B.

The advection-diffusion equation with time dependent velocity and anisotropic time dependent diffusion tensor is examined in regard to its non-classical transport features and to the use of a non-orthogonal coordinate system. Although this equation appears in diverse physical problems, particularly in particle transport in stochastic velocity fields and in underground porous media, a detailed analysis of its solutions is lacking. In order to study the effects of the time-dependent coefficients and the anisotropic diffusion on transport, we solve analytically the equation for an initial Dirac delta pulse. Here, we discuss the solutions to three cases: one based on power-law correlationmore » functions where the pulse diffuses faster than the classical rate ~t, a second case specically designed to display slower rate of diffusion than the classical one, and a third case to describe hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media« less

On the anisotropic advection-diffusion equation with time dependent coefficients

DOE PAGES

Hernandez-Coronado, Hector; Coronado, Manuel; Del-Castillo-Negrete, Diego B.

2017-02-01

The advection-diffusion equation with time dependent velocity and anisotropic time dependent diffusion tensor is examined in regard to its non-classical transport features and to the use of a non-orthogonal coordinate system. Although this equation appears in diverse physical problems, particularly in particle transport in stochastic velocity fields and in underground porous media, a detailed analysis of its solutions is lacking. In order to study the effects of the time-dependent coefficients and the anisotropic diffusion on transport, we solve analytically the equation for an initial Dirac delta pulse. Here, we discuss the solutions to three cases: one based on power-law correlationmore » functions where the pulse diffuses faster than the classical rate ~t, a second case specically designed to display slower rate of diffusion than the classical one, and a third case to describe hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media« less

Solution of the advection-dispersion equation: Continuous load of finite duration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkel, R.L.

1996-01-01

Field studies of solute fate and transport in streams and rivers often involve an. experimental release of solutes at an upstream boundary for a finite period of time. A review of several standard references on surface-water-quality modeling indicates that the analytical solution to the constant-parameter advection-dispersion equation for this type of boundary condition has been generally overlooked. Here an exact analytical solution that considers a continuous load of unite duration is compared to an approximate analytical solution presented elsewhere. Results indicate that the exact analytical solution should be used for verification of numerical solutions and other solute-transport problems wherein a high level of accuracy is required. ?? ASCE.

Assessment of applications of transport models on regional scale solute transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Z.; Fogg, G. E.; Henri, C.; Pauloo, R.

2017-12-01

Regional scale transport models are needed to support the long-term evaluation of groundwater quality and to develop management strategies aiming to prevent serious groundwater degradation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the capacity of previously-developed upscaling approaches to accurately describe main solute transport processes including the capture of late-time tails under changing boundary conditions. Advective-dispersive contaminant transport in a 3D heterogeneous domain was simulated and used as a reference solution. Equivalent transport under homogeneous flow conditions were then evaluated applying the Multi-Rate Mass Transfer (MRMT) model. The random walk particle tracking method was used for both heterogeneous and homogeneous-MRMT scenarios under steady state and transient conditions. The results indicate that the MRMT model can capture the tails satisfactorily for plume transported with ambient steady-state flow field. However, when boundary conditions change, the mass transfer model calibrated for transport under steady-state conditions cannot accurately reproduce the tailing effect observed for the heterogeneous scenario. The deteriorating impact of transient boundary conditions on the upscaled model is more significant for regions where flow fields are dramatically affected, highlighting the poor applicability of the MRMT approach for complex field settings. Accurately simulating mass in both mobile and immobile zones is critical to represent the transport process under transient flow conditions and will be the future focus of our study.

Simulation of Groundwater Contaminant Transport at a Decommissioned Landfill Site—A Case Study, Tainan City, Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chen, Chao-Shi; Tu, Chia-Huei; Chen, Shih-Jen; Chen, Cheng-Chung

2016-01-01

Contaminant transport in subsurface water is the major pathway for contamination spread from contaminated sites to groundwater supplies, to remediate a contaminated site. The aim of this paper was to set up the groundwater contaminant transport model for the Wang-Tien landfill site, in southwestern Taiwan, which exhibits high contamination of soil and groundwater and therefore represents a potential threat for the adjacent Hsu-Hsian Creek. Groundwater Modeling System software, which is the most sophisticated groundwater modeling tool available today, was used to numerically model groundwater flow and contaminant transport. In the simulation, the total mass of pollutants in the aquifer increased by an average of 72% (65% for ammonium nitrogen and 79% for chloride) after 10 years. The simulation produced a plume of contaminated groundwater that extends 80 m in length and 20 m in depth northeastward from the landfill site. Although the results show that the concentrations of ammonium nitrogen and chlorides in most parts are low, they are 3.84 and 467 mg/L, respectively, in the adjacent Hsu-Hsian Creek. PMID:27153078

Magnetic flux and heat losses by diffusive, advective, and Nernst effects in magnetized liner inertial fusion-like plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Velikovich, A. L.; Giuliani, J. L.; Zalesak, S. T.

The magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) approach to inertial confinement fusion [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010); Cuneo et al., IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 40, 3222 (2012)] involves subsonic/isobaric compression and heating of a deuterium-tritium plasma with frozen-in magnetic flux by a heavy cylindrical liner. The losses of heat and magnetic flux from the plasma to the liner are thereby determined by plasma advection and gradient-driven transport processes, such as thermal conductivity, magnetic field diffusion, and thermomagnetic effects. Theoretical analysis based on obtaining exact self-similar solutions of the classical collisional Braginskii's plasma transport equations in one dimension demonstratesmore » that the heat loss from the hot compressed magnetized plasma to the cold liner is dominated by transverse heat conduction and advection, and the corresponding loss of magnetic flux is dominated by advection and the Nernst effect. For a large electron Hall parameter (ω{sub e}τ{sub e}≫1), the effective diffusion coefficients determining the losses of heat and magnetic flux to the liner wall are both shown to decrease with ω{sub e}τ{sub e} as does the Bohm diffusion coefficient cT/(16eB), which is commonly associated with low collisionality and two-dimensional transport. We demonstrate how this family of exact solutions can be used for verification of codes that model the MagLIF plasma dynamics.« less

DNA-labeled micro- and nanoparticles: a new approach to study contaminant transport in the subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNew, C.; Wang, C.; Kocis, T. N.; Murphy, N. P.; Dahlke, H. E.

2017-12-01

Though our understanding of contaminant behavior in the subsurface has improved, our ability to measure and predict complex contaminant transport pathways at hillslope to watershed scales is still lacking. By utilizing bio-molecular nanotechnology developed for nano-medicines and drug delivery, we are able to produce DNA-labeled micro- and nanoparticles for use in a myriad of environmental systems. Control of the fabrication procedure allows us to produce particles of custom size, charge, and surface functionality to mimic the transport properties of the particulate contaminant or colloid of interest. The use of custom sequenced DNA allows for the fabrication of an enormous number of unique particle labels (approximately 1.61 x 1060 unique sequences) and the ability to discern between varied spatial and temporal applications, or the transport effect of varied particle size, charge, or surface properties. To date, this technology has been utilized to study contaminant transport from lab to field scales, including surface and open channel flow applications, transport in porous media, soil retention, and even subglacial flow pathways. Here, we present the technology for production and detection of the DNA-labeled particles along with the results from a current hillslope study at the Sierra Foothills Research and Extension Center (SFREC). This field study utilizes spatial and temporal variations in DNA-labeled particle applications to identify subsurface pollutant transport pathways through the four distinct soil horizons present at the SFREC site. Results from this and previous studies highlight the tremendous potential of the DNA-labeled particle technology for studying contaminant transport through the subsurface.

Technology and human purpose: the problem of solids transport on the Earth's surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haff, P. K.

2012-11-01

Displacement of mass of limited deformability ("solids") on the Earth's surface is opposed by friction and (the analog of) form resistance - impediments relaxed by rotational motion, self-powering of mass units, and transport infrastructure. These features of solids transport first evolved in the biosphere prior to the emergence of technology, allowing slope-independent, diffusion-like motion of discrete objects as massive as several tons, as illustrated by animal foraging and movement along game trails. However, high-energy-consumption technology powered by fossil fuels required a mechanism that could support fast advective transport of solids, i.e., long-distance, high-volume, high-speed, unidirectional, slope-independent transport across the land surface of materials like coal, containerized fluids, minerals, and economic goods. Pre-technology nature was able to sustain regional- and global-scale advection only in the limited form of piggybacking on geophysical flows of water (river sediment) and air (dust). The appearance of a mechanism for sustained advection of solids independent of fluid flows and gravity appeared only upon the emergence of human purpose. Purpose enables solids advection by, in effect, simulating a continuous potential gradient, otherwise lacking, between discrete and widely separated fossil-fuel energy sources and sinks. Invoking purpose as a mechanism in solids advection is an example of the need to import anthropic principles and concepts into the language and methodology of modern Earth system dynamics. As part of the emergence of a generalized solids advection mechanism, several additional transport requirements necessary to the function of modern large-scale technological systems were also satisfied. These include spatially accurate delivery of advected payload, targetability to essentially arbitrarily located destinations (such as cities), and independence of structure of advected payload from transport mechanism. The latter property

Technology and human purpose: the problem of solids transport on the earth's surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haff, P. K.

2012-05-01

Displacement of mass of limited deformability ("solids") on the Earth's surface is opposed by friction and (the analog of) form resistance - impediments relaxed by rotational motion, self-powering of mass units, and transport infrastructure. These features of solids transport first evolved in the biosphere prior to the emergence of technology, allowing slope-independent, diffusion-like motion of discrete objects as massive as several tons, as illustrated by animal foraging and movement along game trails. However, high-energy-consumption technology powered by fossil fuels required a mechanism that could support advective transport of solids, i.e., long-distance, high-volume, high-speed, unidirectional, slope independent transport across the land surface of materials like coal, containerized fluids, and minerals. Pre-technology nature was able to sustain large-scale, long-distance solids advection only in the limited form of piggybacking on geophysical flows of water (river sediment) and air (dust). The appearance of a generalized mechanism for advection of solids independent of fluid flows and gravity appeared only upon the emergence of human purpose. Purpose enables solids advection by, in effect, enabling a simulated continuous potential gradient, otherwise lacking, between discrete and widely separated fossil-fuel energy sources and sinks. Invoking purpose as a mechanism in solids advection is an example of the need to import anthropic principles and concepts into the language and methodology of modern Earth system dynamics. As part of the emergence of a generalized solids advection mechanism, several additional transport requirements necessary to the function of modern large-scale technological systems were also satisfied. These include spatially accurate delivery of advected payload, targetability to essentially arbitrarily located destinations (such as cities), and independence of structure of advected payload from transport mechanism. The latter property

Sensitivity of Age-of-Air Calculations to the Choice of Advection Scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eluszkiewicz, Janusz; Hemler, Richard S.; Mahlman, Jerry D.; Bruhwiler, Lori; Takacs, Lawrence L.

2000-01-01

The age of air has recently emerged as a diagnostic of atmospheric transport unaffected by chemical parameterizations, and the features in the age distributions computed in models have been interpreted in terms of the models' large-scale circulation field. This study shows, however, that in addition to the simulated large-scale circulation, three-dimensional age calculations can also be affected by the choice of advection scheme employed in solving the tracer continuity equation, Specifically, using the 3.0deg latitude X 3.6deg longitude and 40 vertical level version of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory SKYHI GCM and six online transport schemes ranging from Eulerian through semi-Lagrangian to fully Lagrangian, it will be demonstrated that the oldest ages are obtained using the nondiffusive centered-difference schemes while the youngest ages are computed with a semi-Lagrangian transport (SLT) scheme. The centered- difference schemes are capable of producing ages older than 10 years in the mesosphere, thus eliminating the "young bias" found in previous age-of-air calculations. At this stage, only limited intuitive explanations can be advanced for this sensitivity of age-of-air calculations to the choice of advection scheme, In particular, age distributions computed online with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model (MACCM3) using different varieties of the SLT scheme are substantially older than the SKYHI SLT distribution. The different varieties, including a noninterpolating-in-the-vertical version (which is essentially centered-difference in the vertical), also produce a narrower range of age distributions than the suite of advection schemes employed in the SKYHI model. While additional MACCM3 experiments with a wider range of schemes would be necessary to provide more definitive insights, the older and less variable MACCM3 age distributions can plausibly be interpreted as being due to the semi-implicit semi

Development and Implementation of a Transport Method for the Transport and Reaction Simulation Engine (TaRSE) based on the Godunov-Mixed Finite Element Method

USGS Publications Warehouse

James, Andrew I.; Jawitz, James W.; Munoz-Carpena, Rafael

2009-01-01

A model to simulate transport of materials in surface water and ground water has been developed to numerically approximate solutions to the advection-dispersion equation. This model, known as the Transport and Reaction Simulation Engine (TaRSE), uses an algorithm that incorporates a time-splitting technique where the advective part of the equation is solved separately from the dispersive part. An explicit finite-volume Godunov method is used to approximate the advective part, while a mixed-finite element technique is used to approximate the dispersive part. The dispersive part uses an implicit discretization, which allows it to run stably with a larger time step than the explicit advective step. The potential exists to develop algorithms that run several advective steps, and then one dispersive step that encompasses the time interval of the advective steps. Because the dispersive step is computationally most expensive, schemes can be implemented that are more computationally efficient than non-time-split algorithms. This technique enables scientists to solve problems with high grid Peclet numbers, such as transport problems with sharp solute fronts, without spurious oscillations in the numerical approximation to the solution and with virtually no artificial diffusion.

Surfzone alongshore advective accelerations: observations and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, J.; Raubenheimer, B.; Elgar, S.

2014-12-01

The sources, magnitudes, and impacts of non-linear advective accelerations on alongshore surfzone currents are investigated with observations and a numerical model. Previous numerical modeling results have indicated that advective accelerations are an important contribution to the alongshore force balance, and are required to understand spatial variations in alongshore currents (which may result in spatially variable morphological change). However, most prior observational studies have neglected advective accelerations in the alongshore force balance. Using a numerical model (Delft3D) to predict optimal sensor locations, a dense array of 26 colocated current meters and pressure sensors was deployed between the shoreline and 3-m water depth over a 200 by 115 m region near Duck, NC in fall 2013. The array included 7 cross- and 3 alongshore transects. Here, observational and numerical estimates of the dominant forcing terms in the alongshore balance (pressure and radiation-stress gradients) and the advective acceleration terms will be compared with each other. In addition, the numerical model will be used to examine the force balance, including sources of velocity gradients, at a higher spatial resolution than possible with the instrument array. Preliminary numerical results indicate that at O(10-100 m) alongshore scales, bathymetric variations and the ensuing alongshore variations in the wave field and subsequent forcing are the dominant sources of the modeled velocity gradients and advective accelerations. Additional simulations and analysis of the observations will be presented. Funded by NSF and ASDR&E.

Time series analysis of contaminant transport in the subsurface: applications to conservative tracer and engineered nanomaterials.

PubMed

Bai, Chunmei; Li, Yusong

2014-08-01

Accurately predicting the transport of contaminants in the field is subject to multiple sources of uncertainty due to the variability of geological settings, the complexity of field measurements, and the scarcity of data. Such uncertainties can be amplified when modeling some emerging contaminants, such as engineered nanomaterials, when a fundamental understanding of their fate and transport is lacking. Typical field work includes collecting concentration at a certain location for an extended period of time, or measuring the movement of plume for an extended period time, which would result in a time series of observation data. This work presents an effort to evaluate the possibility of applying time series analysis, particularly, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, to forecast contaminant transport and distribution in the subsurface environment. ARIMA modeling was first assessed in terms of its capability to forecast tracer transport at two field sites, which had different levels of heterogeneity. After that, this study evaluated the applicability of ARIMA modeling to predict the transport of engineered nanomaterials at field sites, including field measured data of nanoscale zero valent iron and (nZVI) and numerically generated data for the transport of nano-fullerene aggregates (nC60). This proof-of-concept effort demonstrates the possibility of applying ARIMA to predict the contaminant transport in the subsurface environment. Like many other statistical models, ARIMA modeling is only descriptive and not explanatory. The limitation and the challenge associated with applying ARIMA modeling to contaminant transport in the subsurface are also discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time series analysis of contaminant transport in the subsurface: Applications to conservative tracer and engineered nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Chunmei; Li, Yusong

2014-08-01

Accurately predicting the transport of contaminants in the field is subject to multiple sources of uncertainty due to the variability of geological settings, the complexity of field measurements, and the scarcity of data. Such uncertainties can be amplified when modeling some emerging contaminants, such as engineered nanomaterials, when a fundamental understanding of their fate and transport is lacking. Typical field work includes collecting concentration at a certain location for an extended period of time, or measuring the movement of plume for an extended period time, which would result in a time series of observation data. This work presents an effort to evaluate the possibility of applying time series analysis, particularly, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, to forecast contaminant transport and distribution in the subsurface environment. ARIMA modeling was first assessed in terms of its capability to forecast tracer transport at two field sites, which had different levels of heterogeneity. After that, this study evaluated the applicability of ARIMA modeling to predict the transport of engineered nanomaterials at field sites, including field measured data of nanoscale zero valent iron and (nZVI) and numerically generated data for the transport of nano-fullerene aggregates (nC60). This proof-of-concept effort demonstrates the possibility of applying ARIMA to predict the contaminant transport in the subsurface environment. Like many other statistical models, ARIMA modeling is only descriptive and not explanatory. The limitation and the challenge associated with applying ARIMA modeling to contaminant transport in the subsurface are also discussed.

A laboratory study of sediment and contaminant release during gas ebullition.

PubMed

Yuan, Qingzhong; Valsaraj, Kalliat T; Reible, Danny D; Willson, Clinton S

2007-09-01

Significant quantities of gas are generated from labile organic matter in contaminated sediments. The implications for the gas generation and subsequent release of contaminants from sediments are unknown but may include enhanced direct transport such as pore water advection and diffusion. The behavior of gas in sediments and the resulting migration of a polyaromatic hydrocarbon, viz phenanthrene, were investigated in an experimental system with methane injection at the base of a sediment column. Hexane above the overlying water layer was used to trap any phenanthrene migrating out of the sediment layer. The rate of suspension of solid particulate matter from the sediment bed into the overlying water layer was also monitored. The experiments indicated that significant amounts of both solid particulate matter and contaminant can be released from a sediment bed by gas movement with the amount of release related to the volume of gas released. The effective mass transfer coefficient of gas bubble-facilitated contaminant release was estimated under field conditions, being around three orders of magnitude smaller than that of bioturbation. A thin sand-capping layer (2 cm) was found to dramatically reduce the amount of contaminant or particles released with the gas because it could prevent or at least reduce sediment suspension. Based on the experimental observations, gas bubble-facilitated contaminant transport pathways for both uncapped and capped systems were proposed. Sediment cores were sliced to obtain phenanthrene concentration. X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used to investigate the void space distribution in the sediment penetrated by gas bubbles. The results showed that gas bubble migration could redistribute the sediment void spaces and may facilitate pore water circulation in the sediment.

Assessing Groundwater Contamination Vulnerability at Public Water Supply Wells in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, J. E.; Hudson, B.; Dooher, B. P.; Leif, R.; Eaton, G. F.; Davisson, L.

2001-12-01

The California Aquifer Susceptibility project, sponsored by the California State Water Resources Control Board, uses a probabilistic approach to assess the vulnerability of public water supply wells to contamination by anthropogenic compounds. Sources of contamination to groundwater occur near the earth's surface, and have been present mostly since WWII. Therefore, wells that receive water that has recharged in the recent past are more likely to intercept contaminants transported by advection. The parameters that the study uses to rank wells according to vulnerability are groundwater age dates (using the tritium/helium method), stable isotopes of the water molecule (for water source determination), and analysis of low level Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Results of a pilot project in which 300 public water supply wells were tested for vulnerability will be presented. Basins sampled for the study include the Livermore Valley, Santa Clara Valley, and the Sacramento Basin. Methyl-tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) may be a useful time marker in groundwater basins, with water recharged after the 1980's showing traces of MTBE. Low-level detections of other VOCs such as TCE and PCE can give an early warning of a contaminant plume. When employed on a basin-scale, groundwater ages are an effective tool for identifying recharge areas, defining flowpaths, and determining the rate of transport of water and associated contaminants. Examination of these parameters also helps identify 'short circuits', whereby e.g., loss of integrity in well casing allows near surface contamination to reach 'old' (recharged >50 years ago) water. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-ENG-48.

Comparison of Contaminant Transport in Agricultural Drainage Water and Urban Stormwater Runoff

PubMed Central

Ranaivoson, Andry Z.; Feyereisen, Gary W.; Rosen, Carl J.; Moncrief, John F.

2016-01-01

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff. We measured flow rate and contaminant concentration in stormwater runoff from Willmar, Minnesota, USA, and in drainage water from subsurface-drained fields with surface inlets, namely, Unfertilized and Fertilized Fields. Commercial fertilizer and turkey litter manure were applied to the Fertilized Field based on agronomic requirements. Results showed that the City Stormwater transported significantly higher loads per unit area of ammonium, total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) than the Fertilized Field, but nitrate load was significantly lower. Nitrate load transport in drainage water from the Unfertilized Field was 58% of that from the Fertilized Field. Linear regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in flow depth resulted in a 1.05% increase of TSS load from the City Stormwater, a 1.07% increase in nitrate load from the Fertilized Field, and a 1.11% increase in TP load from the Fertilized Field. This indicates an increase in concentration with a rise in flow depth, revealing that concentration variation was a significant factor influencing the dynamics of load transport. Further regression analysis showed the importance of targeting high flows to reduce contaminant transport. In conclusion, for watersheds similar to this one, management practices should be directed to load reduction of ammonium and TSS from urban areas, and nitrate from cropland while TP should be a target for both. PMID:27930684

Comparison of Contaminant Transport in Agricultural Drainage Water and Urban Stormwater Runoff.

PubMed

Ghane, Ehsan; Ranaivoson, Andry Z; Feyereisen, Gary W; Rosen, Carl J; Moncrief, John F

2016-01-01

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff. We measured flow rate and contaminant concentration in stormwater runoff from Willmar, Minnesota, USA, and in drainage water from subsurface-drained fields with surface inlets, namely, Unfertilized and Fertilized Fields. Commercial fertilizer and turkey litter manure were applied to the Fertilized Field based on agronomic requirements. Results showed that the City Stormwater transported significantly higher loads per unit area of ammonium, total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) than the Fertilized Field, but nitrate load was significantly lower. Nitrate load transport in drainage water from the Unfertilized Field was 58% of that from the Fertilized Field. Linear regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in flow depth resulted in a 1.05% increase of TSS load from the City Stormwater, a 1.07% increase in nitrate load from the Fertilized Field, and a 1.11% increase in TP load from the Fertilized Field. This indicates an increase in concentration with a rise in flow depth, revealing that concentration variation was a significant factor influencing the dynamics of load transport. Further regression analysis showed the importance of targeting high flows to reduce contaminant transport. In conclusion, for watersheds similar to this one, management practices should be directed to load reduction of ammonium and TSS from urban areas, and nitrate from cropland while TP should be a target for both.

Simulation of solute transport across low-permeability barrier walls

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harte, P.T.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Hornberger, G.Z.

2006-01-01

Low-permeability, non-reactive barrier walls are often used to contain contaminants in an aquifer. Rates of solute transport through such barriers are typically many orders of magnitude slower than rates through the aquifer. Nevertheless, the success of remedial actions may be sensitive to these low rates of transport. Two numerical simulation methods for representing low-permeability barriers in a finite-difference groundwater-flow and transport model were tested. In the first method, the hydraulic properties of the barrier were represented directly on grid cells and in the second method, the intercell hydraulic-conductance values were adjusted to approximate the reduction in horizontal flow, allowing use of a coarser and computationally efficient grid. The alternative methods were tested and evaluated on the basis of hypothetical test problems and a field case involving tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination at a Superfund site in New Hampshire. For all cases, advective transport across the barrier was negligible, but preexisting numerical approaches to calculate dispersion yielded dispersive fluxes that were greater than expected. A transport model (MODFLOW-GWT) was modified to (1) allow different dispersive and diffusive properties to be assigned to the barrier than the adjacent aquifer and (2) more accurately calculate dispersion from concentration gradients and solute fluxes near barriers. The new approach yields reasonable and accurate concentrations for the test cases. ?? 2006.

Toxic Alexandrium blooms in the western Gulf of Maine: The plume advection hypothesis revisited

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, D.M.; Keafer, B.A.; Geyer, W.R.; Signell, R.P.; Loder, T.C.

2005-01-01

The plume advection hypothesis links blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense in the western Gulf of Maine (GOM) to a buoyant plume derived from river outflows. This hypothesis was examined with cruise and moored-instrument observations in 1993 when levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were high, and in 1994 when toxicity was low. A coupled physical-biological model simulated hydrography and A. fundyense distributions. Initial A. fundyense populations were restricted to low-salinity nearshore waters near Casco Bay, but also occurred in higher salinity waters along the plume boundary. This suggests two sources of cells - those from shallow-water cyst populations and those transported to shore from offshore blooms in the eastern segment of the Maine coastal current (EMCC). Observations confirm the role of the plume in A. fundyense transport and growth. Downwelling-favorable winds in 1993 transported the plume and its cells rapidly alongshore, enhancing toxicity and propagating PSP to the south. In 1994, sustained upwelling moved the plume offshore, resulting in low toxicity in intertidal shellfish. A. fundyense blooms were likely nutrient limited, leading to low growth rates and moderate cell abundances. These observations and mechanisms were reproduced by coupled physical-biological model simulations. The plume advection hypothesis provides a viable explanation for outbreaks of PSP in the western GOM, but should be refined to include two sources for cells that populate the plume and two major pathways for transport: one within the low-salinity plume and another where A. fundyense cells originating in the EMCC are transported along the outer boundary of the plume front with the western segment of the Maine coastal current.

Comparison of contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts including hypoxia and harmful algal blooms. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport from a subsurface-drain...

Transport of Chemotactic Bacteria in Porous Media with Structured Heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, R. M.; Wang, M.; Liu, J.; Long, T.

2008-12-01

Chemical contaminants that become trapped in low permeability zones (e.g. clay lenses) are difficult to remediate using conventional pump-and-treat approaches. Chemotactic bacteria that are transported by groundwater through more permeable regions may migrate toward these less permeable zones in response to chemical gradients created by contaminant diffusion from the low permeability source, thereby enhancing the remediation process by directing bacteria to the contaminants they degrade. What effect does the heterogeneity associated with coarse- and fine-grained layers that are characteristic of natural groundwater environments have on the transport of microorganisms and their chemotactic response? To address this question experiments were conducted over a range of scales from a single capillary tube to a laboratory- scale column in both static and flowing systems with and without chemoattractant gradients. In static capillary assays, motile bacteria accumulated at the interface between an aqueous solution and a suspension of agarose particulates. In microfluidic devices with an array of staggered cylinders, chemotactic bacteria migrated transverse to flow in response to a chemoattractant gradient. In sand columns packed with a coarse-grained core and surrounded by a fine-grained annulus, chemotactic bacteria migrated preferentially toward a chemoattractant source along the centerline. Mathematical models and computer simulations were developed to analyze the experimental observations in terms of transport parameters from the advection- disperson-sorption equation.

Magnetic method for stimulating transport in fluids

DOEpatents

Martin, James E.; Solis, Kyle J.

2016-10-18

A method for producing mass and heat transport in fluids, wherein the method does not rely on conventional convection, that is, it does not require gravity, a thermal gradient, or a magnetic field gradient. This method gives rise to a unique class of vigorous, field-controllable flow patterns termed advection lattices. The advection lattices can be used to transport heat and/or mass in any desired direction using only magnetic fields.

USER'S MANUAL FOR THE INSTREAM SEDIMENT-CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT MODEL SERATRA

EPA Science Inventory

This manual guides the user in applying the sediment-contaminant transport model SERATRA. SERATRA is an unsteady, two-dimensional code that uses the finite element computation method with the Galerkin weighted residual technique. The model has general convection-diffusion equatio...

CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT IN PARALLEL FRACTURED MEDIA: SUDICKY AND FRIND REVISITED

EPA Science Inventory

This paper is concerned with a modified, nondimensional form of the parallel fracture, contaminant transport model of Sudicky and Frind (1982). The modifications include the boundary condition at the fracture wall, expressed by a parameter, and the power-law relationship between...

CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT IN PARALLEL FRACTURED MEDIA: SUDICKY AND FRIND REVISITED

EPA Science Inventory

This paper is concerned with a modified, nondimensional form of the parallel fracture, contaminant transport model of Sudicky and Frind (1982). The modifications include the boundary condition at the fracture wall, expressed by a parameter , and the power-law relationship betwe...

Organic contaminant transport and fate in the subsurface: Evolution of knowledge and understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Essaid, Hedeff I.; Bekins, Barbara A.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.

2015-07-01

Toxic organic contaminants may enter the subsurface as slightly soluble and volatile nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) or as dissolved solutes resulting in contaminant plumes emanating from the source zone. A large body of research published in Water Resources Research has been devoted to characterizing and understanding processes controlling the transport and fate of these organic contaminants and the effectiveness of natural attenuation, bioremediation, and other remedial technologies. These contributions include studies of NAPL flow, entrapment, and interphase mass transfer that have advanced from the analysis of simple systems with uniform properties and equilibrium contaminant phase partitioning to complex systems with pore-scale and macroscale heterogeneity and rate-limited interphase mass transfer. Understanding of the fate of dissolved organic plumes has advanced from when biodegradation was thought to require oxygen to recognition of the importance of anaerobic biodegradation, multiple redox zones, microbial enzyme kinetics, and mixing of organic contaminants and electron acceptors at plume fringes. Challenges remain in understanding the impacts of physical, chemical, biological, and hydrogeological heterogeneity, pore-scale interactions, and mixing on the fate of organic contaminants. Further effort is needed to successfully incorporate these processes into field-scale predictions of transport and fate. Regulations have greatly reduced the frequency of new point-source contamination problems; however, remediation at many legacy plumes remains challenging. A number of fields of current relevance are benefiting from research advances from point-source contaminant research. These include geologic carbon sequestration, nonpoint-source contamination, aquifer storage and recovery, the fate of contaminants from oil and gas development, and enhanced bioremediation.

Organic contaminant transport and fate in the subsurface: evolution of knowledge and understanding

USGS Publications Warehouse

Essaid, Hedeff I.; Bekins, Barbara A.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.

2015-01-01

Toxic organic contaminants may enter the subsurface as slightly soluble and volatile nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) or as dissolved solutes resulting in contaminant plumes emanating from the source zone. A large body of research published in Water Resources Research has been devoted to characterizing and understanding processes controlling the transport and fate of these organic contaminants and the effectiveness of natural attenuation, bioremediation, and other remedial technologies. These contributions include studies of NAPL flow, entrapment, and interphase mass transfer that have advanced from the analysis of simple systems with uniform properties and equilibrium contaminant phase partitioning to complex systems with pore-scale and macroscale heterogeneity and rate-limited interphase mass transfer. Understanding of the fate of dissolved organic plumes has advanced from when biodegradation was thought to require oxygen to recognition of the importance of anaerobic biodegradation, multiple redox zones, microbial enzyme kinetics, and mixing of organic contaminants and electron acceptors at plume fringes. Challenges remain in understanding the impacts of physical, chemical, biological, and hydrogeological heterogeneity, pore-scale interactions, and mixing on the fate of organic contaminants. Further effort is needed to successfully incorporate these processes into field-scale predictions of transport and fate. Regulations have greatly reduced the frequency of new point-source contamination problems; however, remediation at many legacy plumes remains challenging. A number of fields of current relevance are benefiting from research advances from point-source contaminant research. These include geologic carbon sequestration, nonpoint-source contamination, aquifer storage and recovery, the fate of contaminants from oil and gas development, and enhanced bioremediation.

Plant-based plume-scale mapping of tritium contamination in desert soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andraski, Brian J.; Stonestrom, David A.; Michel, R.L.; Halford, K.J.; Radyk, J.C.

2005-01-01

Plant-based techniques were tested for field-scale evaluation of tritium contamination adjacent to a low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) facility in the Amargosa Desert, Nevada. Objectives were to (i) characterize and map the spatial variability of tritium in plant water, (ii) develop empirical relations to predict and map subsurface contamination from plant-water concentrations, and (iii) gain insight into tritium migration pathways and processes. Plant sampling [creosote bush, Larrea tridentata (Sessé & Moc. ex DC.) Coville] required one-fifth the time of soil water vapor sampling. Plant concentrations were spatially correlated to a separation distance of 380 m; measurement uncertainty accounted for <0.1% of the total variability in the data. Regression equations based on plant tritium explained 96 and 90% of the variation in root-zone and sub-root-zone soil water vapor concentrations, respectively. The equations were combined with kriged plant-water concentrations to map subsurface contamination. Mapping showed preferential lateral movement of tritium through a dry, coarse-textured layer beneath the root zone, with concurrent upward movement through the root zone. Analysis of subsurface fluxes along a transect perpendicular to the LLRW facility showed that upward diffusive-vapor transport dominates other transport modes beneath native vegetation. Downward advective-liquid transport dominates at one endpoint of the transect, beneath a devegetated road immediately adjacent to the facility. To our knowledge, this study is the first to document large-scale subsurface vapor-phase tritium migration from a LLRW facility. Plant-based methods provide a noninvasive, cost-effective approach to mapping subsurface tritium migration in desert areas.

High Order Semi-Lagrangian Advection Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaga, Carlos; Mandujano, Francisco; Becerra, Julian

2014-11-01

In most fluid phenomena, advection plays an important roll. A numerical scheme capable of making quantitative predictions and simulations must compute correctly the advection terms appearing in the equations governing fluid flow. Here we present a high order forward semi-Lagrangian numerical scheme specifically tailored to compute material derivatives. The scheme relies on the geometrical interpretation of material derivatives to compute the time evolution of fields on grids that deform with the material fluid domain, an interpolating procedure of arbitrary order that preserves the moments of the interpolated distributions, and a nonlinear mapping strategy to perform interpolations between undeformed and deformed grids. Additionally, a discontinuity criterion was implemented to deal with discontinuous fields and shocks. Tests of pure advection, shock formation and nonlinear phenomena are presented to show performance and convergence of the scheme. The high computational cost is considerably reduced when implemented on massively parallel architectures found in graphic cards. The authors acknowledge funding from Fondo Sectorial CONACYT-SENER Grant Number 42536 (DGAJ-SPI-34-170412-217).

Advecting Procedural Textures for 2D Flow Animation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, David; Pang, Alex; Moran, Pat (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper proposes the use of specially generated 3D procedural textures for visualizing steady state 2D flow fields. We use the flow field to advect and animate the texture over time. However, using standard texture advection techniques and arbitrary textures will introduce some undesirable effects such as: (a) expanding texture from a critical source point, (b) streaking pattern from the boundary of the flowfield, (c) crowding of advected textures near an attracting spiral or sink, and (d) absent or lack of textures in some regions of the flow. This paper proposes a number of strategies to solve these problems. We demonstrate how the technique works using both synthetic data and computational fluid dynamics data.

Evapotranspiration under advective conditions.

PubMed

Figuerola, Patricia I; Berliner, Pedro R

2005-07-01

Arid and semi-arid regions are heterogeneous landscapes in which irrigated fields are surrounded by arid areas. The advection of sensible heat flux from dry surfaces is a significant source of energy that has to be taken into consideration when evaluating the evaporation from crops growing in these areas. The basic requirement of most of the common methods for estimating evapotranspiration [Bowen ratio, aerodynamic and Penman-Monteith (PM) equation] is that the horizontal fluxes of sensible and latent heat are negligible when compared to the corresponding vertical fluxes. We carried out measurements above an irrigated tomato field in a desert area. Latent and sensible heat fluxes were measured using a four-level Bowen machine with aspirated psychrometers. Our results indicate that under advective conditions only measurements carried out in the lowest layer are satisfactory for the estimation of latent heat fluxes and that the use of the PM equation with an appropriately parameterized canopy resistance may be preferable.

Using Contaminant Transport Modeling to Determine Historical Discharges at the Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fogwell, T. W.

2013-12-01

When it is determined that a contaminated site needs to be remediated, the issue of who is going to pay for that remediation is an immediate concern. This means that there needs to be a determination of who the responsible parties are for the existing contamination. Seldom is it the case that records have been made and kept of the surface contaminant discharges. In many cases it is possible to determine the relative amount of contaminant discharge at the surface of the various responsible parties by employing a careful analysis of the history of contaminant transport through the surface, through the vadose zone, and within the saturated zone. The process begins with the development of a dynamic conceptual site model that takes into account the important features of the transport of the contaminants through the vadose zone and in the groundwater. The parameters for this model can be derived from flow data available for the site. The resulting contaminant transport model is a composite of the vadose zone transport model, together with the saturated zone (groundwater) flow model. Any calibration of the model should be carefully employed in order to avoid using information about the conclusions of the relative discharge amounts of the responsible parties in determining the calibrated parameters. Determination of the leading edge of the plume is an important first step. It is associated with the first discharges from the surface of the site. If there were several discharging parties at the same time, then it is important to establish a chemical or isotopic signature of the chemicals that were discharged. The time duration of the first discharger needs to be determined as accurately as possible in order to establish the appropriate characterization of the leading portion of the resulting plume in the groundwater. The information about the first discharger and the resulting part of the plume associated with this discharger serves as a basis for the determination of the

Attenuation of Selected Emerging Contaminants During River Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinhard, M.; Gross, B.; Hadeler, A.

2002-12-01

The ubiquitous occurrence of emerging (non-regulated) contaminants in the aquatic environment is of concern because some of these chemicals are biologically active at low concentrations and a potential threat to wildlife and human health.. Emerging contaminants include a diverse range of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, natural and synthetic hormones and industrial surfactants, such as alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) and their metabolites. To address the ecotoxicological impact of these chemicals, it is necessary to know their sources, removal efficiencies during wastewater treatment, and their behavior in the environment. In this study, the fate of selected emerging contaminants in the Santa Ana River (SAR) in Southern California was investigated. The SAR originates in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows 80 miles into the Pacific Ocean. The SAR flow stems mainly from storm runoff, wastewater treatment effluents and several other minor sources. During the dry season, SAR flow is dominated by effluent from public wastewater treatment plants. Input into the SAR was studied by analyzing samples from four major treatment plants that employ different tertiary treatment processes. To assess the fate during river water transport and during wetland treatment, samples from six sites along the river were analyzed. Effluent samples were analyzed every two months, river water every four months. River samples were taken considering the flow velocity, which is approximately 1 mile per hour. The analytical method involves solid-phase extraction using C-18 cartridges and extraction of three fractions. Samples were analyzed with and without further derivatization using GC/MS and GC/MS/MS. Results indicate significant contaminant removal during river transport, presumably by photochemical oxidation. Within a distance of nine miles, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, flame retardants, APEOs and metabolites were attenuated with removal rates ranging from 76% for a flame retardant

COLLOID MOBILIZATION AND TRANSPORT IN CONTAMINANT PLUMES: FILED EXPERIMENTS, LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS, AND MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

The major hypothesis driving this research, that the transport of colloids in a contaminant plume is limited by the advance of the chemical agent causing colloid mobilization, was tested by (1) examining the dependence of colloid transport and mobilization on chemical perturbatio...

INNOVATIVE IN-SITU REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS FOR SIMULTANEOUS CONTROL OF CONTAMINATION AND EROSION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knox, A; Michael Paller, M; Danny D. Reible, D

2007-11-28

that organoclays have high potential for controlling organic contaminants. Measured partitioning coefficients were used to model the time required for a contaminant to penetrate sediment caps composed of organoclay. The results showed that a thin layer of highly sorptive organoclay can lead to very long migration times, perhaps longer than the expected lifetime of the contaminant in the sediment environment. A one-dimensional numerical model was used to examine the diffusion of metals through several cap material based on measured and assumed material and transport properties. These studies showed that active caps composed of apatite or organoclay have the potential to delay contaminant breakthrough due to diffusion by hundreds of years or more compared with passive caps composed of sand. Advectively dominated column experiments are currently underway to define effective sorption related retardation factors in promising amendments for various hydrophobic organic compounds. Upon completion of these experiments, advection transient models will be used to estimate the time required for the breakthrough of various contaminants in caps composed of different experimental materials. Biopolymer products for inclusion in active caps were evaluated on the basis of resistance to biodegradation, sorption capacity for organic and inorganic contaminants, and potential for erosion control. More than 20 biopolymer products were evaluated resulting in the selection of chitosan/guar gum cross-linked with borax and xanthan/chitosan cross-linked with calcium chloride for inclusion in active caps to produce a barrier that resists mechanical disturbance. A process was developed for coating sand with cross-linked biopolymers to provide a means for delivery to the sediment surface. Properties of biopolymer coated sand such as carbon fraction (indicating biopolymer coverage), porosity, bulk density, and biodegradability have been evaluated, and experiments are currently underway to assess the

Simulating long term nitrate-N contamination processes in the Woodville Karst Plain using CFPv2 with UMT3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zexuan; Hu, Bill X.; Davis, Hal; Cao, Jianhua

2015-05-01

A research version of CFP (Conduit Flow Process) code, CFPv2, is applied with UMT3D to simulate long term (1966-2018) nitrate-N contamination transport processes in the Woodville Karst Plain (WKP), northern Florida, where karst conduit networks are well developed. Groundwater flow in the WKP limestone porous matrix is simulated using Darcy's law, and non-laminar flow within conduits is described by Darcy-Weisbach equation. Nitrate-N conduit transport and advective exchanges of groundwater and nitrate-N between conduits and limestone matrix are calculated by CFPv2 and UMT3D, instead of MODFLOW and MT3DMS since Reynolds numbers for flows in conduits are over the criteria of laminar flow. The developed numerical model is calibrated by field observations and then applied to simulate nitrate-N transport in the WKP. The numerical simulations verify the theories that two sprayfields near the City of Tallahassee and septic tanks in the rural area are major nitrate-N point sources within the WKP. High nitrate-N concentrations occur near Lost Creek Sink, and conduits of Wakulla Spring and Spring Creek Springs where aquifer discharge groundwater. Conduit networks control nitrate-N transport and regional contaminant distributions in the WKP, as nitrate-N is transported through conduits rapidly and spread over large areas.

Conditions and processes affecting radionuclide transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simmons, Ardyth M.; Neymark, Leonid A.

2012-01-01

Understanding of unsaturated-zone transport is based on laboratory and field-scale experiments. Fractures provide advective transport pathways. Sorption and matrix diffusion may contribute to retardation of radionuclides. Conversely, sorption onto mobile colloids may enhance radionuclide transport.

Modeling aeolian transport in response to succession, disturbance and future climate: Dynamic long-term risk assessment for contaminant redistribution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breshears, D.D.; Kirchner, T.B.; Whicker, J.J.; Field, J.P.; Allen, Craig D.

2012-01-01

Aeolian sediment transport is a fundamental process redistributing sediment, nutrients, and contaminants in dryland ecosystems. Over time frames of centuries or longer, horizontal sediment fluxes and associated rates of contaminant transport are likely to be influenced by succession, disturbances, and changes in climate, yet models of horizontal sediment transport that account for these fundamental factors are lacking, precluding in large part accurate assessment of human health risks associated with persistent soil-bound contaminants. We present a simple model based on empirical measurements of horizontal sediment transport (predominantly saltation) to predict potential contaminant transport rates for recently disturbed sites such as a landfill cover. Omnidirectional transport is estimated within vegetation that changes using a simple Markov model that simulates successional trajectory and considers three types of short-term disturbances (surface fire, crown fire, and drought-induced plant mortality) under current and projected climates. The model results highlight that movement of contaminated soil is sensitive to vegetation dynamics and increases substantially (e.g., > fivefold) when disturbance and/or future climate are considered. The time-dependent responses in horizontal sediment fluxes and associated contaminant fluxes were sensitive to variability in the timing of disturbance, with longer intervals between disturbance allowing woody plants to become dominant and crown fire and drought abruptly reducing woody plant cover. Our results, which have direct implications for contaminant transport and landfill management in the specific context of our assessment, also have general relevance because they highlight the need to more fully account for vegetation dynamics, disturbance, and changing climate in aeolian process studies.

CO2 transport over complex terrain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sun, Jielun; Burns, Sean P.; Delany, A.C.; Oncley, S.P.; Turnipseed, A.A.; Stephens, B.B.; Lenschow, D.H.; LeMone, M.A.; Monson, Russell K.; Anderson, D.E.

2007-01-01

CO2 transport processes relevant for estimating net ecosystem exchange (NEE) at the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux site in the front range of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, were investigated during a pilot experiment. We found that cold, moist, and CO2-rich air was transported downslope at night and upslope in the early morning at this forest site situated on a ???5% east-facing slope. We found that CO2 advection dominated the total CO2 transport in the NEE estimate at night although there are large uncertainties because of partial cancellation of horizontal and vertical advection. The horizontal CO2 advection captured not only the CO2 loss at night, but also the CO2 uptake during daytime. We found that horizontal CO2 advection was significant even during daytime especially when turbulent mixing was not significant, such as in early morning and evening transition periods and within the canopy. Similar processes can occur anywhere regardless of whether flow is generated by orography, synoptic pressure gradients, or surface heterogeneity as long as CO2 concentration is not well mixed by turbulence. The long-term net effect of all the CO2 budget terms on estimates of NEE needs to be investigated. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chaotic Advection in the Alboran Sea: Lagrangian Analysis of Transport Processes in and out of the Western Alboran Gyre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brett, G.; Rypina, I.; Pratt, L. J.

2016-12-01

The westernmost part of Mediterranean, the Alboran Sea, sits between the Iberian peninsula and Africa, just east of the Strait of Gibraltar. Atlantic water enters the Alboran through the strait in the form of the Atlantic Jet. After passing through the strait, this jet starts interacting with the Alboran recirculations, most notably with the Western Alboran Gyre - a persistent anticyclonic mesoscale eddy in the western Alboran. Past studies of Finite-Size Lyapunov Exponents in the Alboran (e.g. Sayol et. al 2013) have highlighted the periphery of the Western Alboran Gyre, implying that it has chaotic flow— motion characterized by exponential stretching and folding of fluid parcels. This work examines the near-surface exchange between the Atlantic Jet and the Western Alboran Gyre in a high-resolution regional run of the MIT general circulation model. We use Lagrangian methods from dynamical systems theory, specifically lobe analysis, to define the moving gyre boundary and quantify advective transport in and out of the gyre, avoiding spurious fluxes caused by the gyre moving across its time-mean boundaries. We also identify the stirring region, where exchanges with the Atlantic Jet occur, and the core of the gyre, where they do not. We demonstrate an intermittent path from the north-western upwelling region into the gyre, which may be important for the distribution of both temperature and plankton. Quantifying and qualifying the transport across the boundaries of this modeled mesoscale eddy may contribute to the future design of observational campaigns.

Biodegradation during contaminant transport in porous media: 1. mathematical analysis of controlling factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusseau, Mark L.; Xie, Lily H.; Li, Li

1999-04-01

Interest in coupled biodegradation and transport of organic contaminants has expanded greatly in the past several years. In a system in which biodegradation is coupled with solute transport, the magnitude and rate of biodegradation is influenced not only by properties of the microbial population and the substrate, but also by hydrodynamic properties (e.g., residence time, dispersivity). By nondimensionalizing the coupled-process equations for transport and nonlinear biodegradation, we show that transport behavior is controlled by three characteristic parameters: the effective maximum specific growth rate, the relative half-saturation constant, and the relative substrate-utilization coefficient. The impact on biodegradation and transport of these parameters, which constitute various combinations of factors reflecting the influences of biotic and hydraulic properties of the system, are examined numerically. A type-curve diagram based on the three characteristic parameters is constructed to illustrate the conditions under which steady and non-steady transport is observed, and the conditions for which the linear, first-order approximation is valid for representing biodegradation. The influence of constraints to microbial growth and substrate utilization on contaminant transport is also briefly discussed. Additionally, the impact of biodegradation, with and without biomass growth, on spatial solute distribution and moments is examined.

Generalized analytical solutions to multispecies transport equations with scale-dependent dispersion coefficients subject to time-dependent boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J. S.; Chiang, S. Y.; Liang, C. P.

2017-12-01

It is essential to develop multispecies transport analytical models based on a set of advection-dispersion equations (ADEs) coupled with sequential first-order decay reactions for the synchronous prediction of plume migrations of both parent and its daughter species of decaying contaminants such as radionuclides, dissolved chlorinated organic compounds, pesticides and nitrogen. Although several analytical models for multispecies transport have already been reported, those currently available in the literature have primarily been derived based on ADEs with constant dispersion coefficients. However, there have been a number of studies demonstrating that the dispersion coefficients increase with the solute travel distance as a consequence of variation in the hydraulic properties of the porous media. This study presents novel analytical models for multispecies transport with distance-dependent dispersion coefficients. The correctness of the derived analytical models is confirmed by comparing them against the numerical models. Results show perfect agreement between the analytical and numerical models. Comparison of our new analytical model for multispecies transport with scale-dependent dispersion to an analytical model with constant dispersion is made to illustrate the effects of the dispersion coefficients on the multispecies transport of decaying contaminants.

Sorption/Desorption and Transport of Trichloroethene in Freshly-amended, Synthetically- aged, and Field-contaminated Aquifer Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, G. R.; Norris, D. K.; Brusseau, M. L.

2008-12-01

This study investigates the effect of long-term contaminant aging on the sorption/desorption and transport of trichloroethene in a low organic-carbon content aquifer material collected from the source zone of a chlorinated-solvent contaminated federal Superfund site in Arizona. This was accomplished by comparing elution behavior for field-contaminated, synthetically-aged (contact times of approximately four years), and freshly-amended aquifer material. Elution of trichloroethene exhibited extensive low-concentration tailing, despite minimal retention of trichloroethene by the aquifer material. The observed nonideal behavior indicates significant mass-transfer constraints influenced trichloroethene transport in this aquifer material. The elution behavior of trichloroethene for the field-contaminated and aged treatments was essentially identical to that observed for the fresh treatments. In addition, the results of three independent mass- balance analyses, total mass eluted, solvent-extraction analysis of residual sorbed mass, and flow- interruption rebound, showed equivalent recoveries for the aged and fresh treatments. These results indicate that long-term contaminant aging did not significantly influence the transport and fate behavior of trichloroethene in this low organic-carbon aquifer material. The observed nonideal behavior of trichloroethene (i.e., nonlinear sorption and significantly rate-limited sorption/desorption) suggests physically condensed carbonaceous material, comprising 61% of this media's organic-carbon content, mediates the transport and fate behavior of trichloroethene in this low organic-carbon content aquifer material.

Advection and dispersion of bed load tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajeunesse, Eric; Devauchelle, Olivier; James, François

2018-05-01

We use the erosion-deposition model introduced by Charru et al. (2004) to numerically simulate the evolution of a plume of bed load tracers entrained by a steady flow. In this model, the propagation of the plume results from the stochastic exchange of particles between the bed and the bed load layer. We find a transition between two asymptotic regimes. The tracers, initially at rest, are gradually set into motion by the flow. During this entrainment regime, the plume is strongly skewed in the direction of propagation and continuously accelerates while spreading nonlinearly. With time, the skewness of the plume eventually reaches a maximum value before decreasing. This marks the transition to an advection-diffusion regime in which the plume becomes increasingly symmetrical, spreads linearly, and advances at constant velocity. We analytically derive the expressions of the position, the variance, and the skewness of the plume and investigate their asymptotic regimes. Our model assumes steady state. In the field, however, bed load transport is intermittent. We show that the asymptotic regimes become insensitive to this intermittency when expressed in terms of the distance traveled by the plume. If this finding applies to the field, it might provide an estimate for the average bed load transport rate.

A 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in black hole systems: a higher order polynomial approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Shubhrangshu

2017-09-01

The correlated and coupled dynamics of accretion and outflow around black holes (BHs) are essentially governed by the fundamental laws of conservation as outflow extracts matter, momentum and energy from the accretion region. Here we analyze a robust form of 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in BH systems. We solve the complete set of coupled MHD conservation equations self-consistently, through invoking a generalized polynomial expansion in two dimensions. We perform a critical analysis of the accretion-outflow region and provide a complete quasi-analytical family of solutions for advective flows. We obtain the physically plausible outflow solutions at high turbulent viscosity parameter α (≳ 0.3), and at a reduced scale-height, as magnetic stresses compress or squeeze the flow region. We found that the value of the large-scale poloidal magnetic field B P is enhanced with the increase of the geometrical thickness of the accretion flow. On the other hand, differential magnetic torque (-{r}2{\\bar{B}}\\varphi {\\bar{B}}z) increases with the increase in \\dot{M}. {\\bar{B}}{{P}}, -{r}2{\\bar{B}}\\varphi {\\bar{B}}z as well as the plasma beta β P get strongly augmented with the increase in the value of α, enhancing the transport of vertical flux outwards. Our solutions indicate that magnetocentrifugal acceleration plausibly plays a dominant role in effusing out plasma from the radial accretion flow in a moderately advective paradigm which is more centrifugally dominated. However in a strongly advective paradigm it is likely that the thermal pressure gradient would play a more contributory role in the vertical transport of plasma.

AN OPTIMAL ADAPTIVE LOCAL GRID REFINEMENT APPROACH TO MODELING CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

A Lagrangian-Eulerian method with an optimal adaptive local grid refinement is used to model contaminant transport equations. pplication of this approach to two bench-mark problems indicates that it completely resolves difficulties of peak clipping, numerical diffusion, and spuri...

Transport of Lactate-modified Nanoscale Iron Particles in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, K. R.

2012-12-01

Nanoscale iron particles (NIP) have recently shown to be effective for dehalogenation of recalcitrant organic contaminants such as pentachlorphenol (PCP) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) in the environment. However, effective transport of NIP into the contaminated subsurface zones is crucial for the success of in-situ remediation. Previous studies showed that the transport of NIP in soils is very limited and surface-modification of NIP is required to achieve adequate transport. This paper investigates the transport of NIP and lactate-modified NIP (LMNIP) through four different porous media (sands with different particle size and distribution). A series of laboratory column experiments was conducted to quantify the transport of NIP and LMNIP at two different slurry concentrations of 1 g/L and 4 g/L under two different flow velcoities. NIP used in this study possessed magentic properties, thus a magnetic susceptibility sensor system was used to monitor the changes in magnetic susceptibility (MS) along the length of the column at different times during the experiments. At the end of testing, the distribution of total Fe in the sand column was measured. Results showed a linear correlation between the Fe concentration and MS and it was used to assess the transient transport of NIP and LMNIP in the sand columns. Results showed that LMNIP transported better than bare NIP and higher concentration of 4 g/L LMNIP exhibited unform and greater transport compared to other tested conditions. Transport of NIP increased in the order from fine Ottawa sand > medium field sand > coarse field sand > coarse Ottawa sand. Filtration theory and advective-dispersion equation with reaction were applied to capture the transport response of NIP and LMNIP in the sand columns.

The role of advection and diffusion in waste disposal by sea urchin embryos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Aaron; Licata, Nicholas

2014-03-01

We determine the first passage probability for the absorption of waste molecules released from the microvilli of sea urchin embryos. We calculate a perturbative solution of the advection-diffusion equation for a linear shear profile similar to the fluid environment which the embryos inhabit. Rapid rotation of the embryo results in a concentration boundary layer of comparable thickness to the length of the microvilli. A comparison of the results to the regime of diffusion limited transport indicates that fluid flow is advantageous for efficient waste disposal.

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Aggregation, Deposition, and Enhanced Contaminant Transport.

PubMed

Alimi, Olubukola S; Farner Budarz, Jeffrey; Hernandez, Laura M; Tufenkji, Nathalie

2018-02-20

Plastic litter is widely acknowledged as a global environmental threat, and poor management and disposal lead to increasing levels in the environment. Of recent concern is the degradation of plastics from macro- to micro- and even to nanosized particles smaller than 100 nm in size. At the nanoscale, plastics are difficult to detect and can be transported in air, soil, and water compartments. While the impact of plastic debris on marine and fresh waters and organisms has been studied, the loads, transformations, transport, and fate of plastics in terrestrial and subsurface environments are largely overlooked. In this Critical Review, we first present estimated loads of plastics in different environmental compartments. We also provide a critical review of the current knowledge vis-à-vis nanoplastic (NP) and microplastic (MP) aggregation, deposition, and contaminant cotransport in the environment. Important factors that affect aggregation and deposition in natural subsurface environments are identified and critically analyzed. Factors affecting contaminant sorption onto plastic debris are discussed, and we show how polyethylene generally exhibits a greater sorption capacity than other plastic types. Finally, we highlight key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to improve our ability to predict the risks associated with these ubiquitous contaminants in the environment by understanding their mobility, aggregation behavior and their potential to enhance the transport of other pollutants.

Advective transport of CO2 in permeable media induced by atmospheric pressure fluctuations: 1. An analytical model

Treesearch

W. J. Massman

2006-01-01

Advective flows within soils and snowpacks caused by pressure fluctuations at the upper surface of either medium can significantly influence the exchange rate of many trace gases from the underlying substrate to the atmosphere. Given the importance of many of these trace gases in understanding biogeochemical cycling and global change, it is crucial to quantify (as much...

A study for evaluation of contaminant transport characteristics through fine-grained soil.

PubMed

Kumar, Sunil; Mukherjee, S N; Ghosh, S; Ray, R

2006-10-01

Transport of soluble toxic substances through porous media lead to some significant geoenvironmental problems, for example, leachate migration from municipal and industrial solid waste resulting from unregulated disposal. Advection, dispersion, diffusion, and decay are reported to be the principal mechanisms in such phenomena. Geotechnical properties of the soil also play a significant role in this deterioration. In the present study, laboratory tests were conducted to formulate an appropriate method for assessment of migration of metal ions, such as nickel, through the soil. Relevant kinetic and process parameters, such as aquifer data, surface area, dielectric constant, pH of zero point charge (pHzpc), and permeability were also studied. One-dimensional mathematical modeling was used to describe the dynamics of the process. The present investigation was carried out at an ash pond site of a thermal power plant situated in West Bengal, India.

Advection of surface-derived organic carbon fuels microbial reduction in Bangladesh groundwater

PubMed Central

Mailloux, Brian J.; Trembath-Reichert, Elizabeth; Cheung, Jennifer; Watson, Marlena; Stute, Martin; Freyer, Greg A.; Ferguson, Andrew S.; Ahmed, Kazi Matin; Alam, Md. Jahangir; Buchholz, Bruce A.; Thomas, James; Layton, Alice C.; Zheng, Yan; Bostick, Benjamin C.; van Geen, Alexander

2013-01-01

Chronic exposure to arsenic (As) by drinking shallow groundwater causes widespread disease in Bangladesh and neighboring countries. The release of As naturally present in sediment to groundwater has been linked to the reductive dissolution of iron oxides coupled to the microbial respiration of organic carbon (OC). The source of OC driving this microbial reduction—carbon deposited with the sediments or exogenous carbon transported by groundwater—is still debated despite its importance in regulating aquifer redox status and groundwater As levels. Here, we used the radiocarbon (14C) signature of microbial DNA isolated from groundwater samples to determine the relative importance of surface and sediment-derived OC. Three DNA samples collected from the shallow, high-As aquifer and one sample from the underlying, low-As aquifer were consistently younger than the total sediment carbon, by as much as several thousand years. This difference and the dominance of heterotrophic microorganisms implies that younger, surface-derived OC is advected within the aquifer, albeit more slowly than groundwater, and represents a critical pool of OC for aquifer microbial communities. The vertical profile shows that downward transport of dissolved OC is occurring on anthropogenic timescales, but bomb 14C-labeled dissolved OC has not yet accumulated in DNA and is not fueling reduction. These results indicate that advected OC controls aquifer redox status and confirm that As release is a natural process that predates human perturbations to groundwater flow. Anthropogenic perturbations, however, could affect groundwater redox conditions and As levels in the future. PMID:23487743

Role of advection for the ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange of alpine grasslands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Peng; Wohlfahrt, Georg

2017-04-01

The neglect of the advection contribution could bring uncertainties to the estimation of the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) between ecosystems and the atmosphere, especially in complex terrain and stable atmospheric conditions. In order to quantify the advection flux of CO2, we carried out four monthly field campaigns at different grasslands in the mountainous areas of Italy, Austria, and Germany in 2015 and 2016. The measurement was based on the advection completed mass balance (ACMB) concept. A home-assembled solenoid valve system, together with multiple sampling inlets and a gas analyser, was used to measure CO2 concentration online at three heights on the four sides of a control volume of 20 m by 20 m. Advection of CO2 was then calculated from the measurement of wind components and CO2 gradients. The turbulent flux of CO2 was measured by the eddy-covariance technique. Three clear automatic chambers measured NEE as reference. Results showed that both the horizontal and vertical advection contributed more significantly to CO2 flux at night time than at daytime. At most sites, the horizontal advection played a more important role than the vertical advection. The above-canopy advection contributed more CO2 flux than within-canopy advection due to the short canopy heights. Large variability of NEE measured by the three chambers indicates the challenge of comparing chamber and micrometeorological fluxes resulting from the heterogeneity of the surface.

Transport and transformations of chlorinated-solvent contamination in a saprolite and fractured rock aquifer near a former wastewater-treatment plant, Greenville, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vroblesky, D.A.; Bradley, P.M.; Lane, J.W.; Robertson, J.F.

1997-01-01

The transport and fate of chlorinated-ethene contamination was investigated in a fractured-rock aquifer downgradient from a wastewater-treatment plant at a gas-turbine manufacturing facility in Greenville, South Carolina. A vapor-diffusion-sampler technique, developed for this investigation, located fracture zones that discharged contaminated ground water to surface water. The distribution of chlorinated compounds and sulfate, comparison of borehole geophysical data, driller's logs, and the aquifer response to pumpage allowed subsurface contaminant-transport pathways to be delineated.The probable contaminant-transport pathway from the former aeration lagoon was southward. The probable pathway of contaminant transport from the former sludge lagoon was southward to and beneath Little Rocky Creek. South of the creek, the major pathway of contaminant transport appeared to be at a depth of approximately 80 to 107 feet below land surface. The contaminant-transport pathway from the former industrial lagoon was not readily discernible from existing data. A laboratory investigation, as well as examination of ground- water-chemistry data collected during this investigation and concentrations of chlorinated compounds collected during previous investigations,indicates that higher chlorinated compounds are being degraded to lower-chlorinated compounds in the contaminated aquifer. The approaches used in this investigation, as well as the findings, have potential application to other fractured-rock aquifers contaminated by chlorinated ethenes.

Preliminary evaluation of the importance of existing hydraulic-head observation locations to advective-transport predictions, Death Valley regional flow system, California and Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, Mary C.; Ely, D. Matthew; Tiedeman, Claire; O'Brien, Grady M.; D'Agnese, Frank A.; Faunt, Claudia C.

2001-01-01

When a model is calibrated by nonlinear regression, calculated diagnostic statistics and measures of uncertainty provide a wealth of information about many aspects of the system. This report presents a method of ranking the likely importance of existing observation locations using measures of prediction uncertainty. It is suggested that continued monitoring is warranted at more important locations, and unwarranted or less warranted at less important locations. The report develops the methodology and then demonstrates it using the hydraulic-head observation locations of a three-layer model of the Death Valley regional flow system. The predictions of interest are subsurface transport from beneath Yucca Mountain and 14 Underground Test Areas. The advective component of transport is considered because it is the component most affected by the system dynamics represented by the scale model being used. The problem is addressed using the capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey computer program MODFLOW-2000, with its ADVective-Travel Observation (ADV) Package, and an additional computer program developed for this work. The methods presented in this report are used in three ways. (1) The ratings for individual observations are obtained by manipulating the measures of prediction uncertainty, and do not involve recalibrating the model. In this analysis, observation locations are each omitted individually and the resulting increase in uncertainty in the predictions is calculated. The uncertainty is quantified as standard deviations on the simulated advective transport. The increase in uncertainty is quantified as the percent increase in the standard deviations caused by omitting the one observation location from the calculation of standard deviations. In general, observation locations associated with larger increases are rated as more important. (2) Ratings for largely geographically based groups are obtained using a straightforward extension of the method used for

MATHEMATICAL MODEL, SERATRA, FOR SEDIMENT-CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT IN RIVERS AND ITS APPLICATION TO PESTICIDE TRANSPORT IN FOUR MILE AND WOLF CREEKS IN IOWA

EPA Science Inventory

The sediment-contaminant transport model SERATRA was used as an integral part of the Chemical Migration and Risk Assessment (CMRA) Methodology, which simulates migration and fate of a contaminant over the land surface and in receiving streams, to assess potential short- and long-...

Comment on "Advective transport in heterogeneous aquifers: Are proxy models predictive?" by A. Fiori, A. Zarlenga, H. Gotovac, I. Jankovic, E. Volpi, V. Cvetkovic, and G. Dagan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuman, Shlomo P.

2016-07-01

Fiori et al. (2015) examine the predictive capabilities of (among others) two "proxy" non-Fickian transport models, MRMT (Multi-Rate Mass Transfer) and CTRW (Continuous-Time Random Walk). In particular, they compare proxy model predictions of mean breakthrough curves (BTCs) at a sequence of control planes with near-ergodic BTCs generated through two- and three-dimensional simulations of nonreactive, mean-uniform advective transport in single realizations of stationary, randomly heterogeneous porous media. The authors find fitted proxy model parameters to be nonunique and devoid of clear physical meaning. This notwithstanding, they conclude optimistically that "i. Fitting the proxy models to match the BTC at [one control plane] automatically ensures prediction at downstream control planes [and thus] ii. … the measured BTC can be used directly for prediction, with no need to use models underlain by fitting." I show that (a) the authors' findings follow directly from (and thus confirm) theoretical considerations discussed earlier by Neuman and Tartakovsky (2009), which (b) additionally demonstrate that proxy models will lack similar predictive capabilities under more realistic, non-Markovian flow and transport conditions that prevail under flow through nonstationary (e.g., multiscale) media in the presence of boundaries and/or nonuniformly distributed sources, and/or when flow/transport are conditioned on measurements.

Prediction of contaminant fate and transport in potable water systems using H2OFate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devarakonda, Venkat; Manickavasagam, Sivakumar; VanBlaricum, Vicki; Ginsberg, Mark

2009-05-01

BlazeTech has recently developed a software called H2OFate to predict the fate and transport of chemical and biological contaminants in water distribution systems. This software includes models for the reactions of these contaminants with residual disinfectant in bulk water and at the pipe wall, and their adhesion/reactions with the pipe walls. This software can be interfaced with sensors through SCADA systems to monitor water distribution networks for contamination events and activate countermeasures, as needed. This paper presents results from parametric calculations carried out using H2OFate for a simulated contaminant release into a sample water distribution network.

Study on Contaminant Transportation of a Typical Chemical Industry Park Based on GMS Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, LinXian; Liu, GuoZhen; Xing, LiTing; Liu, BenHua; Xu, ZhengHe; Yang, LiZhi; Zhu, HebgHua

2018-03-01

The groundwater solute transport model can effectively simulated the transport path, the transport scope, and the concentration of contaminant which can provide quantitative data for groundwater pollution repair and groundwater resource management. In this study, we selected biological modern technology research base of Shandong province as research objective and simulated the pollution characteristic of typicalcontaminant cis-1, 3-dichloropropene under different operating conditions by using GMS software.

VAC: Versatile Advection Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tóth, Gábor; Keppens, Rony

2012-07-01

The Versatile Advection Code (VAC) is a freely available general hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic simulation software that works in 1, 2 or 3 dimensions on Cartesian and logically Cartesian grids. VAC runs on any Unix/Linux system with a Fortran 90 (or 77) compiler and Perl interpreter. VAC can run on parallel machines using either the Message Passing Interface (MPI) library or a High Performance Fortran (HPF) compiler.

The effect of coupled transport phenomena in the Opalinus Clay and implications for radionuclide transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soler, Josep M.

2001-12-01

In this study, the potential effects of coupled transport phenomena on radionuclide transport in the vicinity of a repository for vitrified high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SF) hosted by the Opalinus Clay in Switzerland, at times equal to or greater than the expected lifetime of the waste canisters (about 1000 years), are addressed. The solute fluxes associated with advection, chemical diffusion, thermal and chemical osmosis, hyperfiltration and thermal diffusion have been incorporated into a simple one-dimensional transport equation. The analytical solution of this equation, with appropriate parameters, shows that thermal osmosis is the only coupled transport mechanism that could, on its own, have a strong effect on repository performance. Based on the results from the analytical model, two-dimensional finite-difference models incorporating advection and thermal osmosis, and taking conservation of fluid mass into account, have been formulated. The results show that, under the conditions in the vicinity of the repository at the time scales of interest, and due to the constraints imposed by conservation of fluid mass, the advective component of flow will oppose and cancel the thermal-osmotic component. The overall conclusion is that coupled phenomena will only have a very minor impact on radionuclide transport in the Opalinus Clay, in terms of fluid and solute fluxes, at least under the conditions prevailing at times equal to or greater than the expected lifetime of the waste canisters (about 1000 years).

Grand challenge problems in environmental modeling and remediation: groundwater contaminant transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Todd Arbogast; Steve Bryant; Clint N. Dawson

1998-08-31

This report describes briefly the work of the Center for Subsurface Modeling (CSM) of the University of Texas at Austin (and Rice University prior to September 1995) on the Partnership in Computational Sciences Consortium (PICS) project entitled Grand Challenge Problems in Environmental Modeling and Remediation: Groundwater Contaminant Transport.

Are reactive transport models reliable tools for reconstructing historical contamination scenarios?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clement, P.

2009-12-01

This presentation will be based on a recent project effort that I completed while serving as a member of National Academy of Sciences and Engineering panel. The primary goal of this congressionally-mandated project effort was to review scientific evidence on the association between adverse health effect s and exposure to a contaminated water supply system at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (CLJ) in North Carolina. The detailed NRC study report was released in June 2009, and is available at this NRC weblink: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12618. Multiple water supply systems at this Marine Base were contaminated with harmful chemicals, such as PCE, TCE and other waste products, since the early 50s. In 1982, a routine water quality survey completed at the site indicated the presence of several volatile organic compounds including PCE and TCE. Further investigations revealed that there are several waste disposal facilities located on-site that have discharged TCE and other waste products into groundwater systems. In addition, there was also an off-site dry cleaning facility located close to the Tarawa Terrace in-take well locations that disposed PCE into the subsurface environment. The dry cleaner has been using PCE since 1953 and disposed various forms of PCE-contaminated wastes in a septic tank and in several shallow pits. Therefore, the residents who lived in Tarawa Terrace on-site family housing units had the potential to be exposed to these harmful environmental contaminants through the drinking water source. In late 1980s, the concerns raised by CLJ public lead to an epidemiological study to evaluate the potential associations of utero and infant exposures to the VOCs and childhood cancers and birth defects. The study included births occurring during the period of 1968-1985 to women who were pregnant while they resided at the base. Since there was no monitoring data available for the study period (1968-1982), researchers used reactive transport

Integrating Hydrogeological, Microbiological, and Geochemical Data Using a Multi-Component Reactive Transport Model: Quantifying the Biogeochemical Evolution of Redox Zones in a Contaminated Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGuire, J. T.; Phanikumar, M. S.; Long, D. T.; Hyndman, D. W.

2003-12-01

Hydrogeological, microbiological, and geochemical processes operating in a shallow sandy aquifer contaminated by waste fuels and chlorinated solvents were integrated using high-resolution mechanistic models. A 3-D, transient, reactive transport model was developed to quantitatively describe coupled processes via thermodynamic and kinetic arguments. The model was created by linking the hydrodynamic model MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1988), with advection, dispersion and user defined kinetic reactions based on RT3D 2.0, (Clement and Jones, 1998) and geochemical model PHREEQC (Parkhurst and Appelo, 1999). This model, BGTK3D 2.0, describes 1) the biodegradation of organic matter based on the influence of transport processes on microbial growth, 2) the complex suite of biogeochemical reactions operating in the aquifer, and 3) sharp chemical gradients. Some key features of this model are an ability to incorporate realistic solid phases to test hypotheses regarding mineral-water interactions, and an ability to accurately describe small-scale biogeochemical cycling (cm variability) observed in the field without oscillations or excessive numerical damping. BGTK3D was used to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of redox chemistry in a contaminated aquifer. The conceptual model that terminal electron accepting processes (TEAPs) distribute themselves sequentially into redox zones down flow path in aqueous systems is often used to interpret how and at what rates organic compounds will be degraded in the environment. Geochemical and microbiological data collected from a mixed contaminant plume at the former Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda, Michigan suggests that under steady-state, mature plume conditions, traditional redox zonation may not be a realistic model of the distribution of TEAPs and therefore may not be the best model to evaluate the potential degradation of organic compounds. Based on these data, a conceptual model of TEAP evolution in contaminated systems was

Diffusional Transport of Organic Solutes in Subsurface Clay Lenses and Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demond, A. H.; Ayral, D.; Goltz, M. N.

2009-12-01

The storage of organic solvents in clay lenses and layers in the subsurface creates long-term contaminant sources. Because of the low hydraulic conductivities of clay, it is thought that organic movement into clay lenses occurs through the process of diffusion. The ratio of the effective diffusion coefficient in the porous medium and the diffusion coefficient in bulk water is usually given by the tortuosity factor which accounts for the reduced area and the increased path length in the porous medium. However, there is field evidence which suggests that the concentrations in these lenses exceed that which can be accounted for by simple diffusion. There are reports, for example, of tortuosity factors greater than 1.0, which theoretically is not possible. Clays such as montmorillonite or bentonite shrink and swell depending on water content, and similar behavior can occur in the presence of organic solvents. In fact, research has shown that the basal spacing of bentonite can decrease by 50% when permeated with heptane. Such contraction of the clay structure can lead to the formation of cracks and macropores, with a concomitant alteration of the diffusional pathways that solutes follow. Models formulated for diffusional transport in soil are available to calculate the tortuosity factor as a function of water content. In addition, models are available to simulate phenomena in which the diffusion coefficient is concentration dependent. However, calculations of diffusional transport using such models show that they may not adequately reflect the impact of the alteration of the clay structure. However, modeling the transport of organic solutes in clay as a dual-domain system with some minimal advective transport in macropores can yield tortuosity factors greater than 1.0. Thus, it appears the cracking of clay in contact with organic solvents and a resultant advective component to transport of the solute may be an explanation of field observations.

NIGHTHAWK - A Program for Modeling Saturated Batch and Column Experiments Incorporating Equilibrium and Kinetic Biogeochemistry

EPA Science Inventory

NIGHTHAWK simulates the fate and transport of biogeochemically reactive contaminants in the saturated subsurface. Version 1.2 supports batch and one- dimensional advective-dispersive-reactive transport involving a number of biogeochemical processes, including: microbially-mediate...

Transport of contaminants by Arctic sea ice and surface ocean currents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pfirman, S.

1995-12-31

Sea ice and ocean currents transport contaminants in the Arctic from source areas on the shelves, to biologically active regions often more than a thousand kilometers away. Coastal regions along the Siberian margin are polluted by discharges of agricultural, industrial and military wastes in river runoff, from atmospheric deposition and ocean dumping. The Kara Sea is of particular concern because of deliberate dumping of radioactive waste, as well as the large input of polluted river water. Contaminants are incorporated in ice during suspension freezing on the shelves, and by atmospheric deposition during drift. Ice releases its contaminant load through brinemore » drainage, surface runoff of snow and meltwater, and when the floe disintegrates. The marginal ice zone, a region of intense biological activity, may also be the site of major contaminant release. Potentially contaminated ice from the Kara Sea is likely to influence the marginal ice zones of the Barents and Greenland seas. From studies conducted to date it appears that sea ice from the Kara Sea does not typically enter the Beaufort Gyre, and thus is unlikely to affect the northern Canadian and Alaskan margins.« less

Aquifer Reclamation Design: The Use of Contaminant Transport Simulation Combined With Nonlinear Programing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorelick, Steven M.; Voss, Clifford I.; Gill, Philip E.; Murray, Walter; Saunders, Michael A.; Wright, Margaret H.

1984-04-01

A simulation-management methodology is demonstrated for the rehabilitation of aquifers that have been subjected to chemical contamination. Finite element groundwater flow and contaminant transport simulation are combined with nonlinear optimization. The model is capable of determining well locations plus pumping and injection rates for groundwater quality control. Examples demonstrate linear or nonlinear objective functions subject to linear and nonlinear simulation and water management constraints. Restrictions can be placed on hydraulic heads, stresses, and gradients, in addition to contaminant concentrations and fluxes. These restrictions can be distributed over space and time. Three design strategies are demonstrated for an aquifer that is polluted by a constant contaminant source: they are pumping for contaminant removal, water injection for in-ground dilution, and a pumping, treatment, and injection cycle. A transient model designs either contaminant plume interception or in-ground dilution so that water quality standards are met. The method is not limited to these cases. It is generally applicable to the optimization of many types of distributed parameter systems.

Monitoring Potential Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in Shallow Ephemeral Channels: FY2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizell, Steve A.; Campbell, Scott A.; McCurdy, Greg

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is conducting a field assessment of the potential for contaminated soil to be transported from the Smoky Site Contamination Area (CA) as a result of storm runoff. This activity supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Nevada Program (EM-NV) efforts to establish post-closure monitoring plans for the Smoky Site Soils Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 550. The work is intended to confirm the likely mechanism of transport and determine the meteorological conditions that might cause the movement of contaminated soils, as well as determine the particle size fraction that is most closely associated with transportedmore » radionuclide-contaminated soils. These data will facilitate the design of the appropriate post-closure monitoring program. In 2011, DRI installed a meteorological monitoring station on the west side of the Smoky Site CA and a hydrologic (runoff) monitoring station within the CA, near the east side. Air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, barometric pressure, soil temperature, and soil water content are collected at the meteorological station. The maximum, minimum, and average or total values (as appropriate) for each of these parameters are recorded for each 10-minute interval. The maximum, minimum, and average water depth in the flume installed at the hydrology station are also recorded for every 10-minute interval. This report presents data collected from these stations during fiscal year (FY) 2017.« less

Flow and contaminant transport in an airliner cabin induced by a moving body: Model experiments and CFD predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poussou, Stephane B.; Mazumdar, Sagnik; Plesniak, Michael W.; Sojka, Paul E.; Chen, Qingyan

2010-08-01

The effects of a moving human body on flow and contaminant transport inside an aircraft cabin were investigated. Experiments were performed in a one-tenth scale, water-based model. The flow field and contaminant transport were measured using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) techniques, respectively. Measurements were obtained with (ventilation case) and without (baseline case) the cabin environmental control system (ECS). The PIV measurements show strong intermittency in the instantaneous near-wake flow. A symmetric downwash flow was observed along the vertical centerline of the moving body in the baseline case. The evolution of this flow pattern is profoundly perturbed by the flow from the ECS. Furthermore, a contaminant originating from the moving body is observed to convect to higher vertical locations in the presence of ventilation. These experimental data were used to validate a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model. The CFD model can effectively capture the characteristic flow features and contaminant transport observed in the small-scale model.

An enriched finite element method to fractional advection-diffusion equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luan, Shengzhi; Lian, Yanping; Ying, Yuping; Tang, Shaoqiang; Wagner, Gregory J.; Liu, Wing Kam

2017-08-01

In this paper, an enriched finite element method with fractional basis [ 1,x^{α }] for spatial fractional partial differential equations is proposed to obtain more stable and accurate numerical solutions. For pure fractional diffusion equation without advection, the enriched Galerkin finite element method formulation is demonstrated to simulate the exact solution successfully without any numerical oscillation, which is advantageous compared to the traditional Galerkin finite element method with integer basis [ 1,x] . For fractional advection-diffusion equation, the oscillatory behavior becomes complex due to the introduction of the advection term which can be characterized by a fractional element Peclet number. For the purpose of addressing the more complex numerical oscillation, an enriched Petrov-Galerkin finite element method is developed by using a dimensionless fractional stabilization parameter, which is formulated through a minimization of the residual of the nodal solution. The effectiveness and accuracy of the enriched finite element method are demonstrated by a series of numerical examples of fractional diffusion equation and fractional advection-diffusion equation, including both one-dimensional and two-dimensional, steady-state and time-dependent cases.

Applying model abstraction techniques to optimize monitoring networks for detecting subsurface contaminant transport

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving strategies for monitoring subsurface contaminant transport includes performance comparison of competing models, developed independently or obtained via model abstraction. Model comparison and parameter discrimination involve specific performance indicators selected to better understand s...

Verification of Advective Bar Elements Implemented in the Aria Thermal Response Code.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mills, Brantley

2016-01-01

A verification effort was undertaken to evaluate the implementation of the new advective bar capability in the Aria thermal response code. Several approaches to the verification process were taken : a mesh refinement study to demonstrate solution convergence in the fluid and the solid, visually examining the mapping of the advective bar element nodes to the surrounding surfaces, and a comparison of solutions produced using the advective bars for simple geometries with solutions from commercial CFD software . The mesh refinement study has shown solution convergence for simple pipe flow in both temperature and velocity . Guidelines were provided tomore » achieve appropriate meshes between the advective bar elements and the surrounding volume. Simulations of pipe flow using advective bars elements in Aria have been compared to simulations using the commercial CFD software ANSYS Fluent (r) and provided comparable solutions in temperature and velocity supporting proper implementation of the new capability. Verification of Advective Bar Elements iv Acknowledgements A special thanks goes to Dean Dobranich for his guidance and expertise through all stages of this effort . His advice and feedback was instrumental to its completion. Thanks also goes to Sam Subia and Tolu Okusanya for helping to plan many of the verification activities performed in this document. Thank you to Sam, Justin Lamb and Victor Brunini for their assistance in resolving issues encountered with running the advective bar element model. Finally, thanks goes to Dean, Sam, and Adam Hetzler for reviewing the document and providing very valuable comments.« less

Upscaling of U (VI) desorption and transport from decimeter‐scale heterogeneity to plume‐scale modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtis, Gary P.; Kohler, Matthias; Kannappan, Ramakrishnan; Briggs, Martin A.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.

2015-01-01

Scientifically defensible predictions of field scale U(VI) transport in groundwater requires an understanding of key processes at multiple scales. These scales range from smaller than the sediment grain scale (less than 10 μm) to as large as the field scale which can extend over several kilometers. The key processes that need to be considered include both geochemical reactions in solution and at sediment surfaces as well as physical transport processes including advection, dispersion, and pore-scale diffusion. The research summarized in this report includes both experimental and modeling results in batch, column and tracer tests. The objectives of this research were to: (1) quantify the rates of U(VI) desorption from sediments acquired from a uranium contaminated aquifer in batch experiments;(2) quantify rates of U(VI) desorption in column experiments with variable chemical conditions, and(3) quantify nonreactive tracer and U(VI) transport in field tests.

Mass-conserving advection-diffusion Lattice Boltzmann model for multi-species reacting flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseini, S. A.; Darabiha, N.; Thévenin, D.

2018-06-01

Given the complex geometries usually found in practical applications, the Lattice Boltzmann (LB) method is becoming increasingly attractive. In addition to the simple treatment of intricate geometrical configurations, LB solvers can be implemented on very large parallel clusters with excellent scalability. However, reacting flows and especially combustion lead to additional challenges and have seldom been studied by LB methods. Indeed, overall mass conservation is a pressing issue in modeling multi-component flows. The classical advection-diffusion LB model recovers the species transport equations with the generalized Fick approximation under the assumption of an incompressible flow. However, for flows involving multiple species with different diffusion coefficients and density fluctuations - as is the case with weakly compressible solvers like Lattice Boltzmann -, this approximation is known not to conserve overall mass. In classical CFD, as the Fick approximation does not satisfy the overall mass conservation constraint a diffusion correction velocity is usually introduced. In the present work, a local expression is first derived for this correction velocity in a LB framework. In a second step, the error due to the incompressibility assumption is also accounted for through a modified equilibrium distribution function. Theoretical analyses and simulations show that the proposed scheme performs much better than the conventional advection-diffusion Lattice Boltzmann model in terms of overall mass conservation.

BIODEGRADATION DURING CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT IN POROUS MEDIA: 1. MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF CONTROLLING FACTORS. (R825415)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

Interest in coupled biodegradation and transport of organic contaminants has expanded greatly in the past several years. In a system in which biodegradation is coupled with solute transport, the magnitude and rate of biodegradation is influenced not only by pr...

Assessing lateral flows and solute transport during floods in a conduit-flow-dominated karst system using the inverse problem for the advection-diffusion equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cholet, Cybèle; Charlier, Jean-Baptiste; Moussa, Roger; Steinmann, Marc; Denimal, Sophie

2017-07-01

The aim of this study is to present a framework that provides new ways to characterize the spatio-temporal variability of lateral exchanges for water flow and solute transport in a karst conduit network during flood events, treating both the diffusive wave equation and the advection-diffusion equation with the same mathematical approach, assuming uniform lateral flow and solute transport. A solution to the inverse problem for the advection-diffusion equations is then applied to data from two successive gauging stations to simulate flows and solute exchange dynamics after recharge. The study site is the karst conduit network of the Fourbanne aquifer in the French Jura Mountains, which includes two reaches characterizing the network from sinkhole to cave stream to the spring. The model is applied, after separation of the base from the flood components, on discharge and total dissolved solids (TDSs) in order to assess lateral flows and solute concentrations and compare them to help identify water origin. The results showed various lateral contributions in space - between the two reaches located in the unsaturated zone (R1), and in the zone that is both unsaturated and saturated (R2) - as well as in time, according to hydrological conditions. Globally, the two reaches show a distinct response to flood routing, with important lateral inflows on R1 and large outflows on R2. By combining these results with solute exchanges and the analysis of flood routing parameters distribution, we showed that lateral inflows on R1 are the addition of diffuse infiltration (observed whatever the hydrological conditions) and localized infiltration in the secondary conduit network (tributaries) in the unsaturated zone, except in extreme dry periods. On R2, despite inflows on the base component, lateral outflows are observed during floods. This pattern was attributed to the concept of reversal flows of conduit-matrix exchanges, inducing a complex water mixing effect in the saturated zone

COLLOIDAL-FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN GROUND WATER: PART I. SAMPLING CONSIDERATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Investigations at Pinal Creek, Arizona, evaluated routine sampling procedures for determination of aqueous inorganic geochemistry and assessment of contaminant transport by colloidal mobility. Sampling variables included pump type and flow rate, collection under air or nitrogen,...

PREDICTING SUBSURFACE CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT AND TRANSFORMATION: CONSIDERATIONS FOR MODEL SELECTION AND FIELD VALIDATION

EPA Science Inventory

Predicting subsurface contaminant transport and transformation requires mathematical models based on a variety of physical, chemical, and biological processes. The mathematical model is an attempt to quantitatively describe observed processes in order to permit systematic forecas...

Groundwater contamination from waste management sites: The interaction between risk-based engineering design and regulatory policy: 1. Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massmann, Joel; Freeze, R. Allan

1987-02-01

This paper puts in place a risk-cost-benefit analysis for waste management facilities that explicitly recognizes the adversarial relationship that exists in a regulated market economy between the owner/operator of a waste management facility and the government regulatory agency under whose terms the facility must be licensed. The risk-cost-benefit analysis is set up from the perspective of the owner/operator. It can be used directly by the owner/operator to assess alternative design strategies. It can also be used by the regulatory agency to assess alternative regulatory policy, but only in an indirect manner, by examining the response of an owner/operator to the stimuli of various policies. The objective function is couched in terms of a discounted stream of benefits, costs, and risks over an engineering time horizon. Benefits are in the form of revenues for services provided; costs are those of construction and operation of the facility. Risk is defined as the cost associated with the probability of failure, with failure defined as the occurrence of a groundwater contamination event that violates the licensing requirements established for the facility. Failure requires a breach of the containment structure and contaminant migration through the hydrogeological environment to a compliance surface. The probability of failure can be estimated on the basis of reliability theory for the breach of containment and with a Monte-Carlo finite-element simulation for the advective contaminant transport. In the hydrogeological environment the hydraulic conductivity values are defined stochastically. The probability of failure is reduced by the presence of a monitoring network operated by the owner/operator and located between the source and the regulatory compliance surface. The level of reduction in the probability of failure depends on the probability of detection of the monitoring network, which can be calculated from the stochastic contaminant transport simulations. While

Advection of nematic liquid crystals by chaotic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Náraigh, Lennon

2017-04-01

Consideration is given to the effects of inhomogeneous shear flow (both regular and chaotic) on nematic liquid crystals in a planar geometry. The Landau-de Gennes equation coupled to an externally prescribed flow field is the basis for the study: this is solved numerically in a periodic spatial domain. The focus is on a limiting case where the advection is passive, such that variations in the liquid-crystal properties do not feed back into the equation for the fluid velocity. The main tool for analyzing the results (both with and without flow) is the identification of the fixed points of the dynamical equations without flow, which are relevant (to varying degrees) when flow is introduced. The fixed points are classified as stable/unstable and further as either uniaxial or biaxial. Various models of passive shear flow are investigated. When tumbling is present, the flow is shown to have a strong effect on the liquid-crystal morphology; however, the main focus herein is on the case without tumbling. Accordingly, the main result of the work is that only the biaxial fixed point survives as a solution of the Q-tensor dynamics under the imposition of a general flow field. This is because the Q-tensor experiences not only transport due to advection but also co-rotation relative to the local vorticity field. A second result is that all families of fixed points survive for certain specific velocity fields, which we classify. We single out for close study those velocity fields for which the influence of co-rotation effectively vanishes along the Lagrangian trajectories of the imposed velocity field. In this scenario, the system exhibits coarsening arrest, whereby the liquid-crystal domains are "frozen in" to the flow structures, and the growth in their size is thus limited.

Surfactant-enhanced remediation of a trichloroethene-contaminated aquifer. 2. Transport of TCE

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sahoo, D.; Smith, J.A.; Imbrigiotta, T.E.; Mclellan, H.M.

1998-01-01

Field studies were conducted under an induced gradient in a trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated aquifer at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, to study (a) the rate-limited desorption of TCE from aquifer sediments to water and (b) the effect of a surfactant (Triton X-100) on the desorption and transport of TCE. Clean water was injected into the contaminated aquifer for 206 day. Triton X-100 was added for a 36-day period (days 36-71 from the start of clean water injection). The effect of Triton X-100 on the desorption and transport of TCE in the field was examined by observing the concentrations of these two solutes in four monitoring wells 3-9 m from the injection wells. These data show a small but discernible increase in the TCE concentration in two of the wells corresponding approximately to the time when surfactant reaches the wells; in the other two monitoring wells, the increase in TCE concentration is negligible. A solute transport model that assumes local sorption equilibrium and used a laboratory-derived distribution coefficient could not adequately describe TCE desorption and transport observed in the aquifer. Two model formulations that accounted for rate-limited sorption - two-site and multisite models - fit the data well. TCE concentrations after surfactant injection were underpredicted by the models unless mass transfer rate was increased to account for the effect of surfactant on the rate of TCE desorption. The concentration data from the two wells and the model analysis suggest that the rate of TCE desorption is increased (by approximately 30%) as a result of Triton X-100 injection.Field studies were conducted under an induced gradient in a trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated aquifer at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, to study (a) the rate-limited desorption of TCE from aquifer sediments to water and (b) the effect of a surfactant (Triton X-100) on the desorption and transport of TCE. Clean water was injected into the contaminated aquifer for 206 day. Triton X-100 was added

Evaluation of wastewater contaminant transport in surface waters using verified Lagrangian sampling.

PubMed

Antweiler, Ronald C; Writer, Jeffrey H; Murphy, Sheila F

2014-02-01

Contaminants released from wastewater treatment plants can persist in surface waters for substantial distances. Much research has gone into evaluating the fate and transport of these contaminants, but this work has often assumed constant flow from wastewater treatment plants. However, effluent discharge commonly varies widely over a 24-hour period, and this variation controls contaminant loading and can profoundly influence interpretations of environmental data. We show that methodologies relying on the normalization of downstream data to conservative elements can give spurious results, and should not be used unless it can be verified that the same parcel of water was sampled. Lagrangian sampling, which in theory samples the same water parcel as it moves downstream (the Lagrangian parcel), links hydrologic and chemical transformation processes so that the in-stream fate of wastewater contaminants can be quantitatively evaluated. However, precise Lagrangian sampling is difficult, and small deviations - such as missing the Lagrangian parcel by less than 1h - can cause large differences in measured concentrations of all dissolved compounds at downstream sites, leading to erroneous conclusions regarding in-stream processes controlling the fate and transport of wastewater contaminants. Therefore, we have developed a method termed "verified Lagrangian" sampling, which can be used to determine if the Lagrangian parcel was actually sampled, and if it was not, a means for correcting the data to reflect the concentrations which would have been obtained had the Lagrangian parcel been sampled. To apply the method, it is necessary to have concentration data for a number of conservative constituents from the upstream, effluent, and downstream sites, along with upstream and effluent concentrations that are constant over the short-term (typically 2-4h). These corrections can subsequently be applied to all data, including non-conservative constituents. Finally, we show how data

Evaluation of wastewater contaminant transport in surface waters using verified Lagrangian sampling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Antweiler, Ronald C.; Writer, Jeffrey H.; Murphy, Sheila F.

2014-01-01

Contaminants released from wastewater treatment plants can persist in surface waters for substantial distances. Much research has gone into evaluating the fate and transport of these contaminants, but this work has often assumed constant flow from wastewater treatment plants. However, effluent discharge commonly varies widely over a 24-hour period, and this variation controls contaminant loading and can profoundly influence interpretations of environmental data. We show that methodologies relying on the normalization of downstream data to conservative elements can give spurious results, and should not be used unless it can be verified that the same parcel of water was sampled. Lagrangian sampling, which in theory samples the same water parcel as it moves downstream (the Lagrangian parcel), links hydrologic and chemical transformation processes so that the in-stream fate of wastewater contaminants can be quantitatively evaluated. However, precise Lagrangian sampling is difficult, and small deviations – such as missing the Lagrangian parcel by less than 1 h – can cause large differences in measured concentrations of all dissolved compounds at downstream sites, leading to erroneous conclusions regarding in-stream processes controlling the fate and transport of wastewater contaminants. Therefore, we have developed a method termed “verified Lagrangian” sampling, which can be used to determine if the Lagrangian parcel was actually sampled, and if it was not, a means for correcting the data to reflect the concentrations which would have been obtained had the Lagrangian parcel been sampled. To apply the method, it is necessary to have concentration data for a number of conservative constituents from the upstream, effluent, and downstream sites, along with upstream and effluent concentrations that are constant over the short-term (typically 2–4 h). These corrections can subsequently be applied to all data, including non-conservative constituents. Finally, we

Analytical framework for modeling of long-range transport of fungal plant epidemics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogan, Oleg; O'Keeffe, Kevin; Schneider, David; Myers, Christopher; Analytical FrameworksInfectious Disease Dynamics Team

2015-03-01

A new framework for the study of long-range transport of fungal plant epidemics is proposed. The null nonlinear model includes advective transport through the free atmosphere, spore production on the ground, and transfer of spores between the ground and the advective atmospheric layer. The competition between the growth wave on the ground and the effect of the wind is most strongly reflected in upwind fronts, which can propagate into the wind for exponential initial conditions. If the rate of spore transfer into the advective layer is below critical, this happens for initital conditions with arbitrary steepness. Upwind fronts from localized initial conditions will propagate in the direction of the wind above this critical parameter, and will not propagate below it. On the other hand, the speed of the downwind front does not have a strong dependence on the rate of spore transfer between the advective layer and the ground. Thus, even vanishingly small, but finite transfer rates result in a substantial epidemic wave in the direction of the wind. We also consider the effect of an additional, random-walk like mechanism of transport through the near-ground atmospheric boundary layer, and attempt to understand which route dominates the transport over long distances.

Application of multiple tracers (SF6 and chloride) to identify the transport by characteristics of contaminant at two separate contaminated sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K. K.; Lee, S. S.; Kim, H. H.; Koh, E. H.; Kim, M. O.; Lee, K.; Kim, H. J.

2016-12-01

Multiple tracers were applied for source and pathway detection at two different sites. CO2 gas injected in the subsurface for a shallow-depth CO2 injection and leak test can be regarded as a potential contaminant source. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the migration pattern of CO2 gas. Also, at a DNAPL contaminated site, it is important to figure out the characteristics of plume evolution from the source zone. In this study, multiple tracers (SF6 and chloride) were used to evaluate the applicability of volatile and non-volatile tracers and to identify the characteristics of contaminant transport at each CO2 injection and leak test site and DNAPL contaminated site. Firstly, at the CO2 test site, multiple tracers were used to perform the single well push-drift-pull tracer test at total 3 specific depth zones. As results of tests, volatile and non-volatile tracers showed different mass recovery percentage. Most of chloride mass was recovered but less than half of SF6 mass was recovered due to volatile property. This means that only gaseous SF6 leak out to unsaturated zone. However, breakthrough curves of both tracers indicated similar peak time, effective porosity, and regional groundwater velocity. Also, at both contaminated sites, natural gradient tracer tests were performed with multiple tracers. With the results of natural gradient tracer test, it was possible to confirm the applicability of multiple tracers and to understand the contaminant transport in highly heterogeneous aquifer systems through the long-term monitoring of tracers. Acknowledgement: financial support was provided by the R&D Project on Environmental Management of Geologic CO2 Storage)" from the KEITI (Project Number: 2014001810003) and Korea Ministry of Environment as "The GAIA project (2014000540010)".

Non-local transport in turbulent MHD convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miesch, Mark; Brandenburg, Axel; Zweibel, Ellen; Toomre, Juri

1995-01-01

The nonlocal non-diffusive transport of passive scalars in turbulent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) convection is investigated using transilient matrices. These matrices describe the probability that a tracer particle beginning at one position in a flow will be advected to another position after some time. A method for the calculation of these matrices from simulation data which involves following the trajectories of passive tracer particles and calculating their transport statistics, is presented. The method is applied to study the transport in several simulations of turbulent, rotating, three dimensional compressible, penetrative MDH convection. Transport coefficients and other diagnostics are used to quantify the transport, which is found to resemble advection more closely than diffusion. Some of the results are found to have direct relevance to other physical problems, such as the light element depletion in sun-type stars. The large kurtosis found for downward moving particles at the base of the convection zone implies several extreme events.

Spurious sea ice formation caused by oscillatory ocean tracer advection schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naughten, Kaitlin A.; Galton-Fenzi, Benjamin K.; Meissner, Katrin J.; England, Matthew H.; Brassington, Gary B.; Colberg, Frank; Hattermann, Tore; Debernard, Jens B.

2017-08-01

Tracer advection schemes used by ocean models are susceptible to artificial oscillations: a form of numerical error whereby the advected field alternates between overshooting and undershooting the exact solution, producing false extrema. Here we show that these oscillations have undesirable interactions with a coupled sea ice model. When oscillations cause the near-surface ocean temperature to fall below the freezing point, sea ice forms for no reason other than numerical error. This spurious sea ice formation has significant and wide-ranging impacts on Southern Ocean simulations, including the disappearance of coastal polynyas, stratification of the water column, erosion of Winter Water, and upwelling of warm Circumpolar Deep Water. This significantly limits the model's suitability for coupled ocean-ice and climate studies. Using the terrain-following-coordinate ocean model ROMS (Regional Ocean Modelling System) coupled to the sea ice model CICE (Community Ice CodE) on a circumpolar Antarctic domain, we compare the performance of three different tracer advection schemes, as well as two levels of parameterised diffusion and the addition of flux limiters to prevent numerical oscillations. The upwind third-order advection scheme performs better than the centered fourth-order and Akima fourth-order advection schemes, with far fewer incidents of spurious sea ice formation. The latter two schemes are less problematic with higher parameterised diffusion, although some supercooling artifacts persist. Spurious supercooling was eliminated by adding flux limiters to the upwind third-order scheme. We present this comparison as evidence of the problematic nature of oscillatory advection schemes in sea ice formation regions, and urge other ocean/sea-ice modellers to exercise caution when using such schemes.

Analytical Solution for Transport with Bimolecular Reactions in Fracture-Matrix Systems with Application to In-Situ Chemical Oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajaram, H.; Arshadi, M.

2016-12-01

In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is an effective strategy for remediation of DNAPL contamination in fractured rock. During ISCO, an oxidant (e.g. permanganate) is typically injected through fractures and is consumed by bimolecular reactions with DNAPLs such as TCE and natural organic matter in the fracture and the adjacent rock matrix. Under these conditions, moving reaction fronts form and propagate along the fracture and into the rock matrix. The propagation of these reaction fronts is strongly influenced by the heterogeneity/discontinuity across the fracture-matrix interface (advective transport dominates in the fractures, while diffusive transport dominates in the rock matrix). We present analytical solutions for the concentrations of the oxidant, TCE and natural organic matter; and the propagation of the reaction fronts in a fracture-matrix system. Our approximate analytical solutions assume advection and reaction dominate over diffusion/dispersion in the fracture and neglect the latter. Diffusion and reaction with both TCE and immobile natural organic matter in the rock matrix are considered. The behavior of the reaction-diffusion equations in the rock matrix is posed as a Stefan problem where the diffusing oxidant reacts with both diffusing (TCE) and immobile (natural organic matter) reductants. Our analytical solutions establish that the reaction fronts propagate diffusively (i.e. as the square root of time) in both the matrix and the fracture. Our analytical solutions agree very well with numerical simulations for the case of uniform advection in the fracture. We also present extensions of our analytical solutions to non-uniform flows in the fracture by invoking a travel-time transformation. The non-uniform flow solutions are relevant to field applications of ISCO. The approximate analytical solutions are relevant to a broad class of reactive transport problems in fracture-matrix systems where moving reaction fronts occur.

Transport mechanisms of contaminants released from fine sediment in rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Pengda; Zhu, Hongwei; Zhong, Baochang; Wang, Daozeng

2015-12-01

Contaminants released from sediment into rivers are one of the main problems to study in environmental hydrodynamics. For contaminants released into the overlying water under different hydrodynamic conditions, the mechanical mechanisms involved can be roughly divided into convective diffusion, molecular diffusion, and adsorption/desorption. Because of the obvious environmental influence of fine sediment (D_{90}= 0.06 mm), non-cohesive fine sediment, and cohesive fine sediment are researched in this paper, and phosphorus is chosen for a typical adsorption of a contaminant. Through theoretical analysis of the contaminant release process, according to different hydraulic conditions, the contaminant release coupling mathematical model can be established by the N-S equation, the Darcy equation, the solute transport equation, and the adsorption/desorption equation. Then, the experiments are completed in an open water flume. The simulation results and experimental results show that convective diffusion dominates the contaminant release both in non-cohesive and cohesive fine sediment after their suspension, and that they contribute more than 90 % of the total release. Molecular diffusion and desorption have more of a contribution for contaminant release from unsuspended sediment. In unsuspension sediment, convective diffusion is about 10-50 times larger than molecular diffusion during the initial stages under high velocity; it is close to molecular diffusion in the later stages. Convective diffusion is about 6 times larger than molecular diffusion during the initial stages under low velocity, it is about a quarter of molecular diffusion in later stages, and has a similar level with desorption/adsorption. In unsuspended sediment, a seepage boundary layer exists below the water-sediment interface, and various release mechanisms in that layer mostly dominate the contaminant release process. In non-cohesive fine sediment, the depth of that layer increases linearly with shear

Contaminant transport and accumulation in Massachusetts Bay and Boston Harbor; a summary of U.S. Geological Survey studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford; Bothner, Michael H.; Hathaway, J.C.; Jenter, H.L.; Knebel, H.J.; Manheim, F.T.; Signell, R.P.

1992-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting studies in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and Cape Cod Bay designed to define the geologic framework of the region and to understand the transport and accumulation of contaminated sediments. The region is being studied because of environmental problems caused by the introduction of wastes for a long time, because a new ocean outfall (to begin operation in 1995) will change the location for disposal of treated Boston sewage from Boston Harbor into Massachusetts Bay, and because of the need to understand the transport of sediments and associated contaminants in order to address a wide range of management questions. The USGS effort complements and is closely coordinated with the research and monitoring studies supported by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, the Massachusetts Bays Program, and by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. The USGS study includes (1) geologic mapping, (2) circulation studies, (3) long-term current and sediment transport observations, (4) measurements of contaminant inventories and rates of sediment mixing and accumulation, (5) circulation modeling, (6) development of a contaminated sediments data base, and (7) information exchange. A long-term objective of the program is to develop a predictive capability for sediment transport and accumulation.

Multimodel analysis of anisotropic diffusive tracer-gas transport in a deep arid unsaturated zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Green, Christopher T.; Walvoord, Michelle Ann; Andraski, Brian J.; Striegl, Robert G.; Stonestrom, David A.

2015-01-01

Gas transport in the unsaturated zone affects contaminant flux and remediation, interpretation of groundwater travel times from atmospheric tracers, and mass budgets of environmentally important gases. Although unsaturated zone transport of gases is commonly treated as dominated by diffusion, the characteristics of transport in deep layered sediments remain uncertain. In this study, we use a multimodel approach to analyze results of a gas-tracer (SF6) test to clarify characteristics of gas transport in deep unsaturated alluvium. Thirty-five separate models with distinct diffusivity structures were calibrated to the tracer-test data and were compared on the basis of Akaike Information Criteria estimates of posterior model probability. Models included analytical and numerical solutions. Analytical models provided estimates of bulk-scale apparent diffusivities at the scale of tens of meters. Numerical models provided information on local-scale diffusivities and feasible lithological features producing the observed tracer breakthrough curves. The combined approaches indicate significant anisotropy of bulk-scale diffusivity, likely associated with high-diffusivity layers. Both approaches indicated that diffusivities in some intervals were greater than expected from standard models relating porosity to diffusivity. High apparent diffusivities and anisotropic diffusivity structures were consistent with previous observations at the study site of rapid lateral transport and limited vertical spreading of gas-phase contaminants. Additional processes such as advective oscillations may be involved. These results indicate that gases in deep, layered unsaturated zone sediments can spread laterally more quickly, and produce higher peak concentrations, than predicted by homogeneous, isotropic diffusion models.

Evaluation Of The Physical Stability, Ground Water Seepage Control, And Faunal Changes Associated With An AquaBlok® Sediment Cap

EPA Science Inventory

Active sediment caps are being considered for addressing contaminated sediment areas in surface-water bodies. A demonstration of an active cap designed to reduce advective transport of contaminants using AquaBlok^® (active cap material) was initiated in a small study a...

Flow and Transport in Complex Microporous Carbonates as a Consequence of Separation of Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijeljic, B.; Raeini, A. Q.; Lin, Q.; Blunt, M. J.

2017-12-01

Some of the most important examples of flow and transport in complex pore structures are found in subsurface applications such as contaminant hydrology, carbon storage and enhanced oil recovery. Carbonate rock structures contain most of the world's oil reserves, considerable amount of water reserves, and potentially hold a storage capacity for carbon dioxide. However, this type of pore space is difficult to represent due to complexities associated with a wide range of pore sizes and variation in connectivity which poses a considerable challenge for quantitative predictions of transport across multiple scales.A new concept unifying X-ray tomography experiment and direct numerical simulation has been developed that relies on full description flow and solute transport at the pore scale. Differential imaging method (Lin et al. 2016) provides rich information in microporous space, while advective and diffusive mass transport are simulated on micro-CT images of pore-space: Navier-Stokes equations are solved for flow in the image voxels comprising the pore space, streamline-based simulation is used to account for advection, and diffusion is superimposed by random walk.Quantitative validation has been done on analytical solutions for diffusion and by comparing the model predictions versus the experimental NMR measurements in the dual porosity beadpack. Furthermore, we discriminate signatures of multi-scale transport behaviour for a range of carbonate rock (Figure 1), dependent on the heterogeneity of the inter- and intra-grain pore space, heterogeneity in the flow field, and the mass transfer characteristics of the porous media. Finally, we demonstrate the predictive capabilities of the model through an analysis that includes a number of probability density functions flow and transport (PDFs) measures of non-Fickian transport on the micro-CT i935mages. In complex porous media separation of scales exists, leading to flow and transport signatures that need to be described by

Transport of contaminants in the planetary boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, I. Y.; Swan, P. R.

1978-01-01

A planetary boundary layer model is described and used to simulate PBL phenomena including cloud formation and pollution transport in the San Francisco Bay Area. The effect of events in the PBL on air pollution is considered, and governing equations for the average momentum, potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and air contaminants are presented. These equations are derived by integrating the basic equations vertically through the mixed layer. Characteristics of the day selected for simulation are reported, and the results suggest that the diurnally cyclic features of the mesoscale motion, including clouds and air pollution, can be simulated in a readily interpretable way with the model.

THE ONSITE ON-LINE CALCULATORS AND TRAINING FOR SUBSURFACE CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT SITE ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has developed a suite of on-line calculators called "OnSite" for assessing transport of environmental contaminants in the subsurface. The purpose of these calculators is to provide methods and data for common calculations used in assessing impacts from subsurface contaminatio...

Differentiating transpiration from evaporation in seasonal agricultural wetlands and the link to advective fluxes in the root zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bachand, P.A.M.; S. Bachand,; Fleck, Jacob A.; Anderson, Frank E.; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie

2014-01-01

The current state of science and engineering related to analyzing wetlands overlooks the importance of transpiration and risks data misinterpretation. In response, we developed hydrologic and mass budgets for agricultural wetlands using electrical conductivity (EC) as a natural conservative tracer. We developed simple differential equations that quantify evaporation and transpiration rates using flowrates and tracer concentrations atwetland inflows and outflows. We used two ideal reactormodel solutions, a continuous flowstirred tank reactor (CFSTR) and a plug flow reactor (PFR), to bracket real non-ideal systems. From those models, estimated transpiration ranged from 55% (CFSTR) to 74% (PFR) of total evapotranspiration (ET) rates, consistent with published values using standard methods and direct measurements. The PFR model more appropriately represents these nonideal agricultural wetlands in which check ponds are in series. Using a fluxmodel, we also developed an equation delineating the root zone depth at which diffusive dominated fluxes transition to advective dominated fluxes. This relationship is similar to the Peclet number that identifies the dominance of advective or diffusive fluxes in surface and groundwater transport. Using diffusion coefficients for inorganic mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) we calculated that during high ET periods typical of summer, advective fluxes dominate root zone transport except in the top millimeters below the sediment–water interface. The transition depth has diel and seasonal trends, tracking those of ET. Neglecting this pathway has profound implications: misallocating loads along different hydrologic pathways; misinterpreting seasonal and diel water quality trends; confounding Fick's First Law calculations when determining diffusion fluxes using pore water concentration data; and misinterpreting biogeochemicalmechanisms affecting dissolved constituent cycling in the root zone. In addition,our understanding of internal

Wind-induced contaminant transport in near-surface soils with application to radon entry into buildings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, William Jowett

1996-05-01

Indoor air exposures to gaseous contaminants originating in soil can cause large human health risks. To predict and control these exposures, the mechanisms that affect vapor transport in near-surface soils need to be understood. In particular, radon exposure is a concern since average indoor radon concentrations lead to much higher risks than are generally accepted for exposure to other environmental contaminants. This dissertation examines an important component of the indoor radon problem: the impacts of wind on soil-gas and radon transport and entry into buildings. The research includes experimental and modeling studies of wind`s interactions with a building`s superstructure andmore » the resulting soil-gas and radon flows in the surrounding soil. In addition to exploring the effects of steady winds, a novel modeling technique is developed to examine the impacts of fluctuating winds on soil-gas and radon transport.« less

Upscaling of U(VI) Desorption and Transport from Decimeter-Scale Heterogeneity to Plume-Scale Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Curtis, Gary P.; Kohler, Matthias; Kannappan, Ramakrishnan

2015-02-24

Scientifically defensible predictions of field scale U(VI) transport in groundwater requires an understanding of key processes at multiple scales. These scales range from smaller than the sediment grain scale (less than 10 μm) to as large as the field scale which can extend over several kilometers. The key processes that need to be considered include both geochemical reactions in solution and at sediment surfaces as well as physical transport processes including advection, dispersion, and pore-scale diffusion. The research summarized in this report includes both experimental and modeling results in batch, column and tracer tests. The objectives of this research weremore » to: (1) quantify the rates of U(VI) desorption from sediments acquired from a uranium contaminated aquifer in batch experiments;(2) quantify rates of U(VI) desorption in column experiments with variable chemical conditions, and(3) quantify nonreactive tracer and U(VI) transport in field tests.« less

Evolution of Advection Upstream Splitting Method Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Meng-Sing

2010-01-01

This paper focuses on the evolution of advection upstream splitting method(AUSM) schemes. The main ingredients that have led to the development of modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods have been reviewed, thus the ideas behind AUSM. First and foremost is the concept of upwinding. Second, the use of Riemann problem in constructing the numerical flux in the finite-volume setting. Third, the necessity of including all physical processes, as characterised by the linear (convection) and nonlinear (acoustic) fields. Fourth, the realisation of separating the flux into convection and pressure fluxes. The rest of this review briefly outlines the technical evolution of AUSM and more details can be found in the cited references. Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics methods, hyperbolic systems, advection upstream splitting method, conservation laws, upwinding, CFD

Release of aged contaminants from weathered sediments: Effects of sorbate speciation on scaling of reactive transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chorover, Jon; Perdrial, Nico; Mueller, Karl

2012-11-05

Hanford sediments impacted by hyperalkaline high level radioactive waste have undergone incongruent silicate mineral weathering concurrent with contaminant uptake. In this project, we studied the impact of background pore water (BPW) on strontium, cesium and iodine desorption and transport in Hanford sediments that were experimentally weathered by contact with simulated hyperalkaline tank waste leachate (STWL) solutions. Using those lab-weathered Hanford sediments (HS) and model precipitates formed during nucleation from homogeneous STWL solutions (HN), we (i) provided thorough characterization of reaction products over a matrix of field-relevant gradients in contaminant concentration, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and reaction time; (ii) improvedmore » molecular-scale understanding of how sorbate speciation controls contaminant desorption from weathered sediments upon removal of caustic sources; and (iii) developed a mechanistic, predictive model of meso- to field-scale contaminant reactive transport under these conditions. In this final report, we provide detailed descriptions of our results from this three-year study, completed in 2012 following a one-year no cost extension.« less

Release of Aged Contaminants from weathered sediments: Effects of sorbate speciation on scaling of reactive transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chorover, Jon; Perdrial, Nico; Mueller, Karl

2012-08-14

Hanford sediments impacted by hyperalkaline high level radioactive waste have undergone incongruent silicate mineral weathering concurrent with contaminant uptake (Chorover et al., 2008). In this project, we studied the impact of background pore water (BPW) on strontium, cesium and iodine desorption and transport in Hanford sediments that were experimentally weathered by contact with simulated hyperalkaline tank waste leachate (STWL) solutions. Using those lab-weathered Hanford sediments (HS) and model precipitates formed during nucleation from homogeneous STWL solutions (HN), we (i) provided thorough characterization of reaction products over a matrix of field-relevant gradients in contaminant concentration, P CO2, and reaction time; (ii)more » improved molecular-scale understanding of how sorbate speciation controls contaminant desorption from weathered sediments upon removal of caustic sources; and (iii) developed a mechanistic, predictive model of meso- to field-scale contaminant reactive transport under these conditions. Below, we provide some detailed descriptions of our results from this three year study, recently completed following a one-year no cost extension.« less

Estimates of advection and diffusion in the Potomac estuary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, A.J.

1976-01-01

A two-layered dispersion model, suitable for application to partially-mixed estuaries, has been developed to provide hydrological interpretation of the results of biological sampling. The model includes horizontal and vertical advection plus both horizontal and vertical diffusion. A pseudo-geostrophic method, which includes a damping factor to account for internal eddy friction, is used to estimate the horizontal advective fluxes and the results are compared with field observations. A salt balance model is then used to estimate the effective diffusivities in the Potomac estuary during the Spring of 1974.

Modeling the combined influence of host dispersal and waterborne fate and transport on pathogen spread in complex landscapes

PubMed Central

Lu, Ding; McDowell, Julia Z.; Davis, George M.; Spear, Robert C.; Remais, Justin V.

2012-01-01

Environmental models, often applied to questions on the fate and transport of chemical hazards, have recently become important in tracing certain environmental pathogens to their upstream sources of contamination. These tools, such as first order decay models applied to contaminants in surface waters, offer promise for quantifying the fate and transport of pathogens with multiple environmental stages and/or multiple hosts, in addition to those pathogens whose environmental stages are entirely waterborne. Here we consider the fate and transport capabilities of the human schistosome Schistosoma japonicum, which exhibits two waterborne stages and is carried by an amphibious intermediate snail host. We present experimentally-derived dispersal estimates for the intermediate snail host and fate and transport estimates for the passive downstream diffusion of cercariae, the waterborne, human-infective parasite stage. Using a one dimensional advective transport model exhibiting first-order decay, we simulate the added spatial reach and relative increase in cercarial concentrations that dispersing snail hosts contribute to downstream sites. Simulation results suggest that snail dispersal can substantially increase the concentrations of cercariae reaching downstream locations, relative to no snail dispersal, effectively putting otherwise isolated downstream sites at increased risk of exposure to cercariae from upstream sources. The models developed here can be applied to other infectious diseases with multiple life-stages and hosts, and have important implications for targeted ecological control of disease spread. PMID:23162675

Development and validation of a model of bio-barriers for remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aquifers using laboratory column experiments.

PubMed

Shashidhar, T; Bhallamudi, S Murty; Philip, Ligy

2007-07-16

Bench scale transport and biotransformation experiments and mathematical model simulations were carried out to study the effectiveness of bio-barriers for the containment of hexavalent chromium in contaminated confined aquifers. Experimental results showed that a 10cm thick bio-barrier with an initial biomass concentration of 0.205mg/g of soil was able to completely contain a Cr(VI) plume of 25mg/L concentration. It was also observed that pore water velocity and initial biomass concentration are the most significant parameters in the containment of Cr(VI). The mathematical model developed is based on one-dimensional advection-dispersion reaction equations for Cr(VI) and molasses in saturated, homogeneous porous medium. The transport of Cr(VI) and molasses is coupled with adsorption and Monod's inhibition kinetics for immobile bacteria. It was found that, in general, the model was able to simulate the experimental results satisfactorily. However, there was disparity between the numerically simulated and experimental breakthrough curves for Cr(VI) and molasses in cases where there was high clay content and high microbial activity. The mathematical model could contribute towards improved designs of future bio-barriers for the remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aquifers.

Modeling effects of moisture content and advection on odor causing VOCs volatilization from stored swine manure.

PubMed

Liao, C M; Liang, H M

2000-05-01

Two models for evaluating the contents and advection of manure moisture on odor causing volatile organic compounds (VOC-odor) volatilization from stored swine manure were studied for their ability to predict the volatilization rate (indoor air concentration) and cumulative exposure dose: a MJ-I model and a MJ-II model. Both models simulating depletion of source contaminant via volatilization and degradation based on an analytical model adapted from the behavior assessment model of Jury et al. In the MJ-I model, manure moisture movement was negligible, whereas in the MJ-II model, time-dependent indoor air concentrations was a function of constant manure moisture contents and steady-state moisture advection. Predicted indoor air concentrations and inhaled doses for the study VOC-odors of p-cresol, toluene, and p-xylene varied by up to two to three orders of magnitude depending on the manure moisture conditions. The sensitivity analysis of both models suggests that when manure moisture movement exists, simply MJ-I model is inherently not sufficient to represent a more generally volatilization process, which can even become stringent as moisture content increases. The conclusion illustrates how one needs to include a wide variety of manure moisture values in order to fully assess the complex volatilization mechanisms that are present in a real situation.

Sources of Salmonella on broiler carcasses during transportation and processing: modes of contamination and methods of control.

PubMed

Corry, Janet E L; Allen, V M; Hudson, W R; Breslin, M F; Davies, R H

2002-01-01

The prevalence and types of salmonella in broiler chickens during transportation and during slaughter and dressing were studied. This was part of a comprehensive investigation of salmonellas in two UK poultry companies, which aimed to find the origins and mechanisms of salmonella contamination. Salmonellas were isolated using cultural methods. Serovars of Salmonella detected during rearing were usually also found in a small proportion of birds on the day of slaughter and on the carcasses at various points during processing. There was little evidence of salmonellas spreading to large numbers of carcasses during processing. Many serovars found in the feedmills or hatcheries were also detected in the birds during rearing and/or slaughter. Transport crates were contaminated with salmonellas after washing and disinfection. Prevalence of salmonellas fell in the two companies during this survey. A small number of serovars predominated in the processing plants of each company. These serovars originated from the feed mills. Reasons for transport crate contamination were: (1) inadequate cleaning, resulting in residual faecal soiling; (2) disinfectant concentration and temperature of disinfectant too low; (3) contaminated recycled flume water used to soak the crates. Efforts to control salmonella infection in broilers need to concentrate on crate cleaning and disinfection and hygiene in the feed mills.

A semi-Lagrangian advection scheme for radioactive tracers in a regional spectral model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, E.-C.; Yoshimura, K.

2015-06-01

In this study, the non-iteration dimensional-split semi-Lagrangian (NDSL) advection scheme is applied to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) regional spectral model (RSM) to alleviate the Gibbs phenomenon. The Gibbs phenomenon is a problem wherein negative values of positive-definite quantities (e.g., moisture and tracers) are generated by the spectral space transformation in a spectral model system. To solve this problem, the spectral prognostic specific humidity and radioactive tracer advection scheme is replaced by the NDSL advection scheme, which considers advection of tracers in a grid system without spectral space transformations. A regional version of the NDSL is developed in this study and is applied to the RSM. Idealized experiments show that the regional version of the NDSL is successful. The model runs for an actual case study suggest that the NDSL can successfully advect radioactive tracers (iodine-131 and cesium-137) without noise from the Gibbs phenomenon. The NDSL can also remove negative specific humidity values produced in spectral calculations without losing detailed features.

A finite-volume ELLAM for three-dimensional solute-transport modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Russell, T.F.; Heberton, C.I.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Hornberger, G.Z.

2003-01-01

A three-dimensional finite-volume ELLAM method has been developed, tested, and successfully implemented as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) MODFLOW-2000 ground water modeling package. It is included as a solver option for the Ground Water Transport process. The FVELLAM uses space-time finite volumes oriented along the streamlines of the flow field to solve an integral form of the solute-transport equation, thus combining local and global mass conservation with the advantages of Eulerian-Lagrangian characteristic methods. The USGS FVELLAM code simulates solute transport in flowing ground water for a single dissolved solute constituent and represents the processes of advective transport, hydrodynamic dispersion, mixing from fluid sources, retardation, and decay. Implicit time discretization of the dispersive and source/sink terms is combined with a Lagrangian treatment of advection, in which forward tracking moves mass to the new time level, distributing mass among destination cells using approximate indicator functions. This allows the use of large transport time increments (large Courant numbers) with accurate results, even for advection-dominated systems (large Peclet numbers). Four test cases, including comparisons with analytical solutions and benchmarking against other numerical codes, are presented that indicate that the FVELLAM can usually yield excellent results, even if relatively few transport time steps are used, although the quality of the results is problem-dependent.

A Warming Surface but a Cooling Top of Atmosphere Associated with Warm, Moist Air Mass Advection over the Ice and Snow Covered Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedlar, J.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric advection of heat and moisture from lower latitudes to the high-latitude Arctic is a critical component of Earth's energy cycle. Large-scale advective events have been shown to make up a significant portion of the moist static energy budget of the Arctic atmosphere, even though such events are typically infrequent. The transport of heat and moisture over surfaces covered by ice and snow results in dynamic changes to the boundary layer structure, stability and turbulence, as well as to diabatic processes such as cloud distribution, microphysics and subsequent radiative effects. Recent studies have identified advection into the Arctic as a key mechanism for modulating the melt and freeze of snow and sea ice, via modification to all-sky longwave radiation. This paper examines the radiative impact during summer of such Arctic advective events at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), considering also the important role they play for the surface energy budget. Using infrared sounder measurements from the AIRS satellite, the summer frequency of significantly stable and moist advective events from 2003-2014 are characterized; justification of AIRS profiles over the Arctic are made using radiosoundings during a 3-month transect (ACSE) across the Eastern Arctic basin. One such event was observed within the East Siberian Sea in August 2014 during ACSE, providing in situ verification on the robustness and capability of AIRS to monitor advective cases. Results will highlight the important surface warming aspect of stable, moist instrusions. However a paradox emerges as such events also result in a cooling at the TOA evident on monthly mean TOA radiation. Thus such events have a climatic importance over ice and snow covered surfaces across the Arctic. ERA-Interim reanalyses are examined to provide a longer term perspective on the frequency of such events as well as providing capability to estimate meridional fluxes of moist static energy.

Effective Stochastic Model for Reactive Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tartakovsky, A. M.; Zheng, B.; Barajas-Solano, D. A.

2017-12-01

We propose an effective stochastic advection-diffusion-reaction (SADR) model. Unlike traditional advection-dispersion-reaction models, the SADR model describes mechanical and diffusive mixing as two separate processes. In the SADR model, the mechanical mixing is driven by random advective velocity with the variance given by the coefficient of mechanical dispersion. The diffusive mixing is modeled as a fickian diffusion with the effective diffusion coefficient. Both coefficients are given in terms of Peclet number (Pe) and the coefficient of molecular diffusion. We use the experimental results of to demonstrate that for transport and bimolecular reactions in porous media the SADR model is significantly more accurate than the traditional dispersion model, which overestimates the mass of the reaction product by as much as 25%.

Advection and resulting CO2 exchange uncertainty in a tall forest in central Germany.

PubMed

Kutsch, Werner L; Kolle, Olaf; Rebmann, Corinna; Knohl, Alexander; Ziegler, Waldemar; Schulze, Ernst-Detlef

2008-09-01

Potential losses by advection were estimated at Hainich Forest, Thuringia, Germany, where the tower is located at a gentle slope. Three approaches were used: (1) comparing nighttime eddy covariance fluxes to an independent value of total ecosystem respiration by bottom-up modeling of the underlying processes, (2) direct measurements of a horizontal CO2 gradient and horizontal wind speed at 2 m height in order to calculate horizontal advection, and (3) direct measurements of a vertical CO2 gradient and a three-dimensional wind profile in order to calculate vertical advection. In the first approach, nighttime eddy covariance measurements were compared to independent values of total ecosystem respiration by means of bottom-up modeling of the underlying biological processes. Turbulent fluxes and storage term were normalized to the fluxes calculated by the bottom-up model. Below a u(*) threshold of 0.6 m/s the normalized turbulent fluxes decreased with decreasing u(*), but the flux to the storage increased only up to values less than 20% of the modeled flux at low turbulence. Horizontal advection was measured by a horizontal CO2 gradient over a distance of 130 m combined with horizontal wind speed measurements. Horizontal advection occurred at most of the evenings independently of friction velocity above the canopy. Nevertheless, horizontal advection was higher when u(*) was low. The peaks of horizontal advection correlated with changes in temperature. A full mass balance including turbulent fluxes, storage, and horizontal and vertical advection resulted in an increase of spikes and scatter but seemed to generally improve the results from the flux measurements. The comparison of flux data with independent bottom-up modeling results as well as the direct measurements resulted in strong indications that katabatic flows along the hill slope during evening and night reduces the measured apparent ecosystem respiration rate. In addition, anabatic flows may occur during the

Numerical simulation of large-scale bed load particle tracer advection-dispersion in rivers with free bars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iwasaki, Toshiki; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Shimizu, Yasuyuki; Parker, Gary

2017-01-01

Asymptotic characteristics of the transport of bed load tracer particles in rivers have been described by advection-dispersion equations. Here we perform numerical simulations designed to study the role of free bars, and more specifically single-row alternate bars, on streamwise tracer particle dispersion. In treating the conservation of tracer particle mass, we use two alternative formulations for the Exner equation of sediment mass conservation: the flux-based formulation, in which bed elevation varies with the divergence of the bed load transport rate, and the entrainment-based formulation, in which bed elevation changes with the net deposition rate. Under the condition of no net bed aggradation/degradation, a 1-D flux-based deterministic model that does not describe free bars yields no streamwise dispersion. The entrainment-based 1-D formulation, on the other hand, models stochasticity via the probability density function (PDF) of particle step length, and as a result does show tracer dispersion. When the formulation is generalized to 2-D to include free alternate bars, however, both models yield almost identical asymptotic advection-dispersion characteristics, in which streamwise dispersion is dominated by randomness inherent in free bar morphodynamics. This randomness can result in a heavy-tailed PDF of waiting time. In addition, migrating bars may constrain the travel distance through temporary burial, causing a thin-tailed PDF of travel distance. The superdiffusive character of streamwise particle dispersion predicted by the model is attributable to the interaction of these two effects.

Numerical simulation of large-scale bed load particle tracer advection-dispersion in rivers with free bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Toshiki; Nelson, Jonathan; Shimizu, Yasuyuki; Parker, Gary

2017-04-01

Asymptotic characteristics of the transport of bed load tracer particles in rivers have been described by advection-dispersion equations. Here we perform numerical simulations designed to study the role of free bars, and more specifically single-row alternate bars, on streamwise tracer particle dispersion. In treating the conservation of tracer particle mass, we use two alternative formulations for the Exner equation of sediment mass conservation: the flux-based formulation, in which bed elevation varies with the divergence of the bed load transport rate, and the entrainment-based formulation, in which bed elevation changes with the net deposition rate. Under the condition of no net bed aggradation/degradation, a 1-D flux-based deterministic model that does not describe free bars yields no streamwise dispersion. The entrainment-based 1-D formulation, on the other hand, models stochasticity via the probability density function (PDF) of particle step length, and as a result does show tracer dispersion. When the formulation is generalized to 2-D to include free alternate bars, however, both models yield almost identical asymptotic advection-dispersion characteristics, in which streamwise dispersion is dominated by randomness inherent in free bar morphodynamics. This randomness can result in a heavy-tailed PDF of waiting time. In addition, migrating bars may constrain the travel distance through temporary burial, causing a thin-tailed PDF of travel distance. The superdiffusive character of streamwise particle dispersion predicted by the model is attributable to the interaction of these two effects.

Impact of Temporally Variable and Uniform Pumping Regimes on Contaminant Transport in Heterogeneous Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libera, A.; de Barros, F.; Guadagnini, A.

2015-12-01

We study and compare the effect of temporally variable and uniform pumping regimes on key features of contaminant transport in a randomly heterogeneous aquifer. Pumping wells are used for groundwater supply in the context of urban, agricultural, and industrial activities. Groundwater management agencies typically schedule groundwater extraction through a predefined sequence of pumping periods to balance benefits to anthropogenic activities and environmental needs. The impact of the spatial variability of aquifer hydraulic properties, such as hydraulic conductivity, on contaminant transport and associated solute residence times are widely studied. Only a limited number of studies address the way a given pumping schedule affects contaminant plume behavior in heterogeneous aquifers. In this context, the feedback between a transient pumping regime and contaminant breakthrough curves is largely unexplored. Our goal is to investigate the way diverse groundwater extraction strategies affect the history of solute concentration recovered at the well while accounting for the natural variability of the geological system, in the presence of incomplete information on hydraulic conductivity distribution. Considering the joint effects of spatially heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and temporally varying well pumping rates, this work offers a realistic evaluation of groundwater contamination risk. The latter is here considered in the context of human health and is quantified in terms of the probability that harm will result from exposure to a contaminant found in groundwater. Two scenarios are considered: a pumping well that extracts a given amount of water operating (a) at a constant pumping rate and (b) under transient conditions. The analysis is performed within a numerical Monte Carlo framework. We probe the impact of diverse geostatistical structures to describe aquifer heterogeneity on solute breakthrough curves and the statistics of target environmental performance

Influence of bioturbation on sediment respiration in advection- and diffusion-dominated systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranov, Viktor; Krause, Stefan; Lewandowski, Jörg

2017-04-01

Ecosystem engineers are organisms, whose impact on ecosystem functioning is large compared to their abundance and biomass. Classic examples of ecosystem engineers are burrowing organisms whose activity is affecting the sediment matrix and pore solutes in aquatic sediments; this is called bioturbation. Constant reworking of the sediment matrix and transport of solutes caused by activities of sediment-dwelling organisms are modifying habitats and resource availability. Despite that progress of studies on the interactions between the animal bioturbation and the sediment respiration was rather slow, mostly due to the existing methodological limitations. Conceptual framework, formulated by Mermelloid-Blondin and Rosenberg (2006) is suggesting that impact of bioturbation on the sediment biogeochemistry will be much larger in sediments with low hydraulic conductivities (diffusion-dominated) than in sediments with high hydraulic conductivities (advection-dominated). In order to test this hypothesis in application to the sediment respiration, we have used the resazurin-resorufin bioreactive tracer system, which allowed us to decouple respiration of the sediment of microbiota. Our work has shown that in diffusion-dominated sediments (organic rich lake sediments) bioturbator's (bloodworms, larvae of Diptera, Chironomidae) activity could increase sediment aerobic respiration by 300%. In addition to that, impact of the bioturbators on the diffusion-dominated sediments respiration is growing with increasing temperature. Total oxygen consumption (TOU) in such sediments is also increasing by about 50% in bioturbated sediments in comparison with uninhabited sediments. On the other hand, in advection-dominated sediments (sandy sediments from marine tidal flats, bioturbated by brittlestars) we have observed no increase in TOU, and only slight (25%) increase in aerobic respiration in the presence of bioturbators. It became evident that due to the high hydraulic conductivity of

Investigating redox processes under diffusive and advective flow conditions using a coupled omics and synchrotron approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemner, K. M.; Boyanov, M.; Flynn, T. M.; O'Loughlin, E. J.; Antonopoulos, D. A.; Kelly, S.; Skinner, K.; Mishra, B.; Brooks, S. C.; Watson, D. B.; Wu, W. M.

2015-12-01

FeIII- and SO42--reducing microorganisms and the mineral phases they produce have profound implications for many processes in aquatic and terrestrial systems. In addition, many of these microbially-catalysed geochemical transformations are highly dependent upon introduction of reactants via advective and diffusive hydrological transport. We have characterized microbial communities from a set of static microcosms to test the effect of ethanol diffusion and sulfate concentration on UVI-contaminated sediment. The spatial distribution, valence states, and speciation of both U and Fe were monitored in situ throughout the experiment by synchrotron x-ray absorption spectroscopy, in parallel with solution measurements of pH and the concentrations of sulfate, ethanol, and organic acids. After reaction initiation, a ~1-cm thick layer of sediment near the sediment-water (S-W) interface became visibly dark. Fe XANES spectra of the layer were consistent with the formation of FeS. Over the 4 year duration of the experiment, U LIII-edge XANES indicated reduction of U, first in the dark layer and then throughout the sediment. Next, the microcosms were disassembled and samples were taken from the overlying water and different sediment regions. We extracted DNA and characterized the microbial community by sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons with the Illumina MiSeq platform and found that the community evolved from its originally homogeneous composition, becoming significantly spatially heterogeneous. We have also developed an x-ray accessible column to probe elemental transformations as they occur along the flow path in a porous medium with the purpose of refining reactive transport models (RTMs) that describe coupled physical and biogeochemical processes in environmental systems. The elemental distribution dynamics and the RTMs of the redox driven processes within them will be presented.

Diffusion Dominant Solute Transport Modelling in Fractured Media Under Deep Geological Environment - 12211

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kwong, S.; Jivkov, A.P.

2012-07-01

Deep geologic disposal of high activity and long-lived radioactive waste is gaining increasing support in many countries, where suitable low permeability geological formation in combination with engineered barriers are used to provide long term waste contaminant and minimise the impacts to the environment and risk to the biosphere. This modelling study examines the solute transport in fractured media under low flow velocities that are relevant to a deep geological environment. In particular, reactive solute transport through fractured media is studied using a 2-D model, that considers advection and diffusion, to explore the coupled effects of kinetic and equilibrium chemical processes.more » The effects of water velocity in the fracture, matrix porosity and diffusion on solute transport are investigated and discussed. Some illustrative modelled results are presented to demonstrate the use of the model to examine the effects of media degradation on solute transport, under the influences of hydrogeological (diffusion dominant) and microbially mediated chemical processes. The challenges facing the prediction of long term degradation such as cracks evolution, interaction and coalescence are highlighted. The potential of a novel microstructure informed modelling approach to account for these effects is discussed, particularly with respect to investigating multiple phenomena impact on material performance. The GRM code is used to examine the effects of media degradation for a geological waste disposal package, under the combined hydrogeological (diffusion dominant) and chemical effects in low groundwater flow conditions that are typical of deep geological disposal systems. An illustrative reactive transport modelling application demonstrates the use of the code to examine the interplay of kinetic controlled biogeochemical reactive processes with advective and diffusive transport, under the influence of media degradation. The initial model results are encouraging which

Accommodating permafrost in contaminant transport modeling, a preliminary approach to modify the TREECS modeling tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryder, J. L.; Dortch, M. S.; Johnson, B. E.

2017-12-01

Efforts are underway to adapt TREECS (Training Range Environmental Evaluation and Characterization System) for use in arctic or subarctic conditions where the extent and duration of snowpack and frozen ground may influence the development and concentration of contaminant plumes. TREECS is a multi-media model designed to aid facility managers in the long term stewardship of Army properties. TREECS includes sub-models for mass loading, soil, vadose zone, aquifer, and stream transport. Potential changes to the sub-models to improve the ability to model contaminant transport in areas with permafrost include accurately representing the dissolution of contaminants over a wider range of temperatures, estimating snow depth and ablation for both the hydrology and thermal conditions, determining ground freeze/thaw state and an average active layer depth, a more precise method to estimate a vertical transport time to a water table, and a soil interflow routine that adapts for permafrost condition. In this presentation we will show three sub-model comparisons 1) the use of the National Weather Service SNOW-17 model and the current TREECS snowmelt routines for input hydrology, 2) a Continuous Frozen Ground Index (CFGI) model and the Geophysical Institute Permafrost Lab model (GIPL 1.0) for determining active layer depth and summer season length, and 3) the use of HYDRUS-1D and the current TREECS vadose zone model for transport to the water table. The performance vs input needs, assumptions, and limitations of each approach, as well as the physical system uncertainties will also be discussed.

Experimental tsunami deposits: Linking hydrodynamics to sediment entrainment, advection lengths and downstream fining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Joel P. L.; Delbecq, Katie; Kim, Wonsuck; Mohrig, David

2016-01-01

A goal of paleotsunami research is to quantitatively reconstruct wave hydraulics from sediment deposits in order to better understand coastal hazards. Simple models have been proposed to predict wave heights and velocities, based largely on deposit grain size distributions (GSDs). Although seemingly consistent with some recent tsunamis, little independent data exist to test these equations. We conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate inversion assumptions and uncertainties. A computer-controlled lift gate instantaneously released 6.5 m3 of water into a 32 m flume with shallow ponded water, creating a hydraulic bore that transported sand from an upstream source dune. Differences in initial GSDs and ponded water depths influenced entrainment, transport, and deposition. While the source dune sand was fully suspendable based on size alone, experimental tsunamis produced deposits dominated by bed load sand transport in the upstream 1/3 of the flume and suspension-dominated transport downstream. The suspension deposits exhibited downstream fining and thinning. At 95% confidence, a published advection-settling model predicts time-averaged flow depths to approximately a factor of two, and time-averaged downstream flow velocities to within a factor of 1.5. Finally, reasonable scaling is found between flume and field cases by comparing flow depths, inundation distances, Froude numbers, Rouse numbers and grain size trends in suspension-dominated tsunami deposits, justifying laboratory study of sediment transport and deposition by tsunamis.

Theoretical and Numerical Modeling of Transport of Land Use-Specific Fecal Source Identifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bombardelli, F. A.; Sirikanchana, K. J.; Bae, S.; Wuertz, S.

2008-12-01

Microbial contamination in coastal and estuarine waters is of particular concern to public health officials. In this work, we advocate that well-formulated and developed mathematical and numerical transport models can be combined with modern molecular techniques in order to predict continuous concentrations of microbial indicators under diverse scenarios of interest, and that they can help in source identification of fecal pollution. As a proof of concept, we present initially the theory, numerical implementation and validation of one- and two-dimensional numerical models aimed at computing the distribution of fecal source identifiers in water bodies (based on Bacteroidales marker DNA sequences) coming from different land uses such as wildlife, livestock, humans, dogs or cats. These models have been developed to allow for source identification of fecal contamination in large bodies of water. We test the model predictions using diverse velocity fields and boundary conditions. Then, we present some preliminary results of an application of a three-dimensional water quality model to address the source of fecal contamination in the San Pablo Bay (SPB), United States, which constitutes an important sub-embayment of the San Francisco Bay. The transport equations for Bacteroidales include the processes of advection, diffusion, and decay of Bacteroidales. We discuss the validation of the developed models through comparisons of numerical results with field campaigns developed in the SPB. We determine the extent and importance of the contamination in the bay for two decay rates obtained from field observations, corresponding to total host-specific Bacteroidales DNA and host-specific viable Bacteroidales cells, respectively. Finally, we infer transport conditions in the SPB based on the numerical results, characterizing the fate of outflows coming from the Napa, Petaluma and Sonoma rivers.

Impact of Transport Crate Reuse and of Catching and Processing on Campylobacter and Salmonella Contamination of Broiler Chickens

PubMed Central

Slader, J.; Domingue, G.; Jørgensen, F.; McAlpine, K.; Owen, R. J.; Bolton, F. J.; Humphrey, T. J.

2002-01-01

The influence of transport, catching, and processing on contamination of broiler chickens with Salmonella and Campylobacter was investigated. Transport crates were reused with high frequency and were often still contaminated with Salmonella and Campylobacter when they arrived at the farm despite the fact that they were washed at the factory, and thus they were a potential route of infection. These organisms contaminated the feathers of previously Campylobacter- and Salmonella-negative birds going to the processing plant and were isolated from processed carcasses, albeit at a low frequency. The Campylobacter types which were the predominant organisms on the live birds when they arrived at the processing plant were not necessarily the types that were most frequently isolated from processed carcasses. This finding may reflect cross-contamination that occurred during processing or differences in the tolerance of the strains to the hostile environments that the bacteria experienced. The process of catching and putting the birds in crates significantly increased the chance of contamination with Campylobacter (P < 0.001). PMID:11823211

Photospheric Magnetic Flux Transport - Supergranules Rule

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hathaway, David H.; Rightmire-Upton, Lisa

2012-01-01

Observations of the transport of magnetic flux in the Sun's photosphere show that active region magnetic flux is carried far from its origin by a combination of flows. These flows have previously been identified and modeled as separate axisymmetric processes: differential rotation, meridional flow, and supergranule diffusion. Experiments with a surface convective flow model reveal that the true nature of this transport is advection by the non-axisymmetric cellular flows themselves - supergranules. Magnetic elements are transported to the boundaries of the cells and then follow the evolving boundaries. The convective flows in supergranules have peak velocities near 500 m/s. These flows completely overpower the superimposed 20 m/s meridional flow and 100 m/s differential rotation. The magnetic elements remain pinned at the supergranule boundaries. Experiments with and without the superimposed axisymmetric photospheric flows show that the axisymmetric transport of magnetic flux is controlled by the advection of the cellular pattern by underlying flows representative of deeper layers. The magnetic elements follow the differential rotation and meridional flow associated with the convection cells themselves -- supergranules rule!

PREDICTION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE MAURICE RIVER-UNION LAKE, NEW JERSEY, USA

EPA Science Inventory

This paper describes a sediment and contaminant transport model and its application to the Maurice River-Union Lake system in southern New Jersey, USA for the purpose of characterizing and forecasting sediment and arsenic distributions before and after proposed dredging activitie...

Simulation of phosphate transport in sewage-contaminated groundwater, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stollenwerk, K.G.

1996-01-01

Sewage-contaminated groundwater currently discharges to Ashumet Pond, located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts Phosphate concentrations as high as 60 ??mol l-1 have been measured in groundwater entering Ashumet Pond, and there is concern that the rate of eutrophication could increase. Phosphate in the sewage plume is sorbed by aquifer sediment; the amount is a function of phosphate concentration and pH. A nonelectrostatic surface-complexation model coupled with a one-dimensional solute-transport code was used to simulate sorption and desorption of phosphate in laboratory column experiments. The model simulated sorption of phosphate reasonably well, although the slow rate of approach to complete breakthrough indicated a nonequilibrium process that was not accounted for in the solute-transport model The rate of phosphate desorption in the column experiments was relatively slow Phosphate could still be measured in effluent after 160 pore volumes of uncontaminated groundwater had been flushed through the columns. Desorption was partly a function of the slowly decreasing pH in the columns and could be modeled quantitatively. Disposal of sewage at this site is scheduled to stop in 1995; however, a large reservoir of sorbed phosphate exists on aquifer sediment upgradient from Ashumet Pond. Computer simulations predict that desorption of phosphate could result in contamination of Ashumet Pond for decades.

Assessing the vulnerability of a municipal well field to contamination in a karst aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Renken, R.A.; Cunningham, K.J.; Zygnerski, M.R.; Wacker, M.A.; Shapiro, A.M.; Harvey, R.W.; Metge, D.W.; Osborn, C.L.; Ryan, J.N.

2005-01-01

Proposed expansion of extractive lime-rock mines near the Miami-Dade County Northwest well field and Everglades wetland areas has garnered intense scrutiny by government, public, environmental stakeholders, and the media because of concern that mining will increase the risk of pathogen contamination. Rock mines are excavated to the same depth as the well field's primary producing zone. The underlying karst Biscayne aquifer is a triple-porosity system characterized by (1) a matrix of interparticle porosity and separate vug porosity; (2) touching-vug porosity that forms preferred, stratiform passageways; and, less commonly, (3) conduit porosity formed by thin solution pipes, bedding-plane vugs, and cavernous vugs. Existing ground-water flow and particle tracking models do not provide adequate information regarding the ability the aquifer to limit the advective movement of pathogens and other contaminants. Chemical transport and colloidal mobility properties have been delineated using conservative and microsphere-surrogate tracers for Cryptosporidium parvum. Forced-gradient tests were executed by introducing conservative tracers into injection wells located 100 m (328 ft) from a municipal-supply well. Apparent mean advective velocity between the wells is one to two orders of magnitude greater than previously measured. Touching-vug, stratiform flow zones are efficient pathways for tracer movement at the well field. The effective porosity for a continuum model between the point of injection and tracer recovery ranges from 2 to 4 percent and is an order of magnitude smaller than previously assumed. Existing well-field protection zones were established using porosity estimates based on specific yield. The effective, or kinematic, porosity of a Biscayne aquifer continuum model is lower than the total porosity, because high velocities occur along preferential flow paths that result in faster times of travel than can be represented with the ground-water flow equation. Tracer

Evaluating the mobility of polymer-stabilised zero-valent iron nanoparticles and their potential to co-transport contaminants in intact soil cores.

PubMed

Chekli, L; Brunetti, G; Marzouk, E R; Maoz-Shen, A; Smith, E; Naidu, R; Shon, H K; Lombi, E; Donner, E

2016-09-01

The use of zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) has been advocated for the remediation of both soils and groundwater. A key parameter affecting nZVI remediation efficacy is the mobility of the particles as this influences the reaction zone where remediation can occur. However, by engineering nZVI particles with increased stability and mobility we may also inadvertently facilitate nZVI-mediated contaminant transport away from the zone of treatment. Previous nZVI mobility studies have often been limited to model systems as the presence of background Fe makes detection and tracking of nZVI in real systems difficult. We overcame this problem by synthesising Fe-59 radiolabelled nZVI. This enabled us to detect and quantify the leaching of nZVI-derived Fe-59 in intact soil cores, including a soil contaminated by Chromated-Copper-Arsenate. Mobility of a commercially available nZVI was also tested. The results showed limited mobility of both nanomaterials; <1% of the injected mass was eluted from the columns and most of the radiolabelled nZVI remained in the surface soil layers (the primary treatment zone in this contaminated soil). Nevertheless, the observed breakthrough of contaminants and nZVI occurred simultaneously, indicating that although the quantity transported was low in this case, nZVI does have the potential to co-transport contaminants. These results show that direct injection of nZVI into the surface layers of contaminated soils may be a viable remediation option for soils such as this one, in which the mobility of nZVI below the injection/remediation zone was very limited. This Fe-59 experimental approach can be further extended to test nZVI transport in a wider range of contaminated soil types and textures and using different application methods and rates. The resulting database could then be used to develop and validate modelling of nZVI-facilitated contaminant transport on an individual soil basis suitable for site specific risk assessment prior to n

Evolution of passive movement in advective environments: General boundary condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Peng; Zhao, Xiao-Qiang

2018-03-01

In a previous work [16], Lou et al. studied a Lotka-Volterra competition-diffusion-advection system, where two species are supposed to differ only in their advection rates and the environment is assumed to be spatially homogeneous and closed (no-flux boundary condition), and showed that weaker advective movements are more beneficial for species to win the competition. In this paper, we aim to extend this result to a more general situation, where the environmental heterogeneity is taken into account and the boundary condition at the downstream end becomes very flexible including the standard Dirichlet, Neumann and Robin type conditions as special cases. Our main approaches are to exclude the existence of co-existence (positive) steady state and to provide a clear picture on the stability of semi-trivial steady states, where we introduced new ideas and techniques to overcome the emerging difficulties. Based on these two aspects and the theory of abstract competitive systems, we achieve a complete understanding on the global dynamics.

Phase I Contaminant Transport Parameters for the Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Model of Corrective Action Unit 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Revision 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John McCord

2007-09-01

This report documents transport data and data analyses for Yucca Flat/Climax Mine CAU 97. The purpose of the data compilation and related analyses is to provide the primary reference to support parameterization of the Yucca Flat/Climax Mine CAU transport model. Specific task objectives were as follows: • Identify and compile currently available transport parameter data and supporting information that may be relevant to the Yucca Flat/Climax Mine CAU. • Assess the level of quality of the data and associated documentation. • Analyze the data to derive expected values and estimates of the associated uncertainty and variability. The scope of thismore » document includes the compilation and assessment of data and information relevant to transport parameters for the Yucca Flat/Climax Mine CAU subsurface within the context of unclassified source-term contamination. Data types of interest include mineralogy, aqueous chemistry, matrix and effective porosity, dispersivity, matrix diffusion, matrix and fracture sorption, and colloid-facilitated transport parameters.« less

Biogeochemical Factors Influencing the Transport and Fate of Colloids and Colloid-Associated Contaminants in the Vadose Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradford, S. A.

2016-12-01

The vadose zone exhibits large spatial and temporal variability in many physical, chemical, and biological factors that strongly influence the transport and fate of colloids (e.g., microbes, nanoparticles, clays, and dissolved organic matter) and colloid-associated contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, radionuclides, pesticides, and antibiotics). This presentation highlights our research activities to better understand and predict the influence of specific biogeochemical processes on colloid and colloid-facilitated transport. Results demonstrate the sensitivity of colloid transport, retention, release, and clogging to transients in solution chemistry (e.g., ionic strength, pH, cation and anion type, and surfactants), water velocity and saturation, and preferential flow. Mathematical modeling at interface-, pore-, and continuum-scales is shown to be a critical tool to quantify the relative importance and coupling of these biogeochemical factors on colloid and contaminant transport and fate, which otherwise might be experimentally intractable. Existing gaps in knowledge and model limitations are identified.

The impact of non-isothermal soil moisture transport on evaporation fluxes in a maize cropland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Wei; Coenders-Gerrits, Miriam; Judge, Jasmeet; Zeng, Yijian; Su, Ye

2018-06-01

The process of evaporation interacts with the soil, which has various comprehensive mechanisms. Multiphase flow models solve air, vapour, water, and heat transport equations to simulate non-isothermal soil moisture transport of both liquid water and vapor flow, but are only applied in non-vegetated soils. For (sparsely) vegetated soils often energy balance models are used, however these lack the detailed information on non-isothermal soil moisture transport. In this study we coupled a multiphase flow model with a two-layer energy balance model to study the impact of non-isothermal soil moisture transport on evaporation fluxes (i.e., interception, transpiration, and soil evaporation) for vegetated soils. The proposed model was implemented at an experimental agricultural site in Florida, US, covering an entire maize-growing season (67 days). As the crops grew, transpiration and interception became gradually dominated, while the fraction of soil evaporation dropped from 100% to less than 20%. The mechanisms of soil evaporation vary depending on the soil moisture content. After precipitation the soil moisture content increased, exfiltration of the liquid water flow could transport sufficient water to sustain evaporation from soil, and the soil vapor transport was not significant. However, after a sufficient dry-down period, the soil moisture content significantly reduced, and the soil vapour flow significantly contributed to the upward moisture transport in topmost soil. A sensitivity analysis found that the simulations of moisture content and temperature at the soil surface varied substantially when including the advective (i.e., advection and mechanical dispersion) vapour transport in simulation, including the mechanism of advective vapour transport decreased soil evaporation rate under wet condition, while vice versa under dry condition. The results showed that the formulation of advective soil vapor transport in a soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer continuum can

PREDICTION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE MAURICE RIVER-UNION LAKE, NEW JERSEY, USA

EPA Science Inventory

A sediment and contaminant transport model and its application to the Maurice River-Union Lake system in southern New Jersey, USA is described. The application is meant to characterize and forecast sediment and arsenic (As) distributions before and after proposed dredging activit...

Techniques to better understand complex epikarst hydrogeology and contaminant transport in telogenetic karst settings

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The movement of autogenic recharge through the shallow epikarstic zone in soil-mantled karst aquifers is important in understanding recharge areas and rates, groundwater storage, and contaminant transport processes. The groundwater flow in agricultural karst areas, such as Kentucky’s Pennyroyal Plat...

Final Project Report: Release of aged contaminants from weathered sediments: Effects of sorbate speciation on scaling of reactive transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jon Chorover, University of Arizona; Peggy O'€™Day, University of California, Merced; Karl Mueller, Penn State University

2012-10-01

Hanford sediments impacted by hyperalkaline high level radioactive waste have undergone incongruent silicate mineral weathering concurrent with contaminant uptake. In this project, we studied the impact of background pore water (BPW) on strontium, cesium and iodine desorption and transport in Hanford sediments that were experimentally weathered by contact with simulated hyperalkaline tank waste leachate (STWL) solutions. Using those lab-weathered Hanford sediments (HS) and model precipitates formed during nucleation from homogeneous STWL solutions (HN), we (i) provided detailed characterization of reaction products over a matrix of field-relevant gradients in contaminant concentration, PCO2, and reaction time; (ii) improved molecular-scale understanding of howmore » sorbate speciation controls contaminant desorption from weathered sediments upon removal of caustic sources; and (iii) developed a mechanistic, predictive model of meso- to field-scale contaminant reactive transport under these conditions.« less

Modeling flow and solute transport in irrigation furrows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper presents an internally coupled flow and solute transport model for free-draining irrigation furrows. Furrow hydraulics is simulated with a numerical zero-inertia model and solute transport is computed with a model based on a numerical solution of the cross-section averaged advection-dispe...

Altimetric lagrangian advection to reconstruct Pacific Ocean fine scale surface tracer fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogé, Marine; Morrow, Rosemary; Dencausse, Guillaume

2015-04-01

In past studies, lagrangian stirring of surface tracer fields by altimetric surface geostrophic currents has been performed in different mid to high-latitude regions, showing good results in reconstructing finer-scale tracer patterns. Here we apply the technique to three different regions in the eastern and western tropical Pacific, and in the subtropical southwest Pacific. Initial conditions are derived from weekly gridded temperature and salinity fields, based on hydrographic data and Argo. Validation of the improved fine-scale surface tracer fields is performed using satellite AMSRE SST data, and high-resolution ship thermosalinograph data. We test two kinds of lagrangian advection. The standard one-way advection is shown to introduce an increased tracer bias as the advection time increases. Indeed, since we only use passive stirring, a bias is introduced from the missing physics, such as air-sea fluxes or mixing. A second "backward-forward" advection technique is shown to reduce the seasonal bias, but more data is lost around coasts and islands, a strong handicap in the tropical Pacific with many small islands. In the subtropical Pacific Ocean, the mesoscale temperature and salinity fronts are well represented by the one-way advection over a 10-day advection time, including westward propagating features not apparent in the initial fields. In the tropics, the results are less clear. The validation is hampered by the complex vertical stratification, and the technique is limited by the lack of accurate surface currents for the stirring - the gridded altimetric fields poorly represent the meridional currents, and are not detecting the fast tropical instability waves, nor the wind-driven circulation. We suggest that the passive lateral stirring technique is efficient in regions with moderate the high mesoscale energy and correlated mesoscale surface temperature and surface height. In other regions, more complex dynamical processes may need to be included.

Quantification of Stokes Drift as a Mechanism for Surface Oil Advection in the DWH Oil Spill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, M.

2013-12-01

Stokes drift has previously been qualitatively shown to be a factor in ocean surface particle transport, but has never been comprehensively quantified. In addition, most operational ocean particle advection models used during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill do not explicitly account for Stokes drift, instead using a simple parameterization based on wind drift (or ignoring it completely). This research works to quantify Stokes drift via direct calculation, with a focus on shallow water, where Stokes drift is more likely to have a relatively large impact compared to other transport processes such as ocean currents. For this study, WaveWatch III modeled waves in the Gulf of Mexico are used, from which Stokes drift is calculated using the peak wave period and significant wave height outputs. Trajectories are also calculated to examine the role Stokes drift plays in bringing surface particles (and specifically surface oil slicks) onshore. The impact of Stokes drift is compared to transport by currents and traditional estimates of wind drift.

A locally conservative non-negative finite element formulation for anisotropic advective-diffusive-reactive systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mudunuru, M. K.; Shabouei, M.; Nakshatrala, K.

2015-12-01

Advection-diffusion-reaction (ADR) equations appear in various areas of life sciences, hydrogeological systems, and contaminant transport. Obtaining stable and accurate numerical solutions can be challenging as the underlying equations are coupled, nonlinear, and non-self-adjoint. Currently, there is neither a robust computational framework available nor a reliable commercial package known that can handle various complex situations. Herein, the objective of this poster presentation is to present a novel locally conservative non-negative finite element formulation that preserves the underlying physical and mathematical properties of a general linear transient anisotropic ADR equation. In continuous setting, governing equations for ADR systems possess various important properties. In general, all these properties are not inherited during finite difference, finite volume, and finite element discretizations. The objective of this poster presentation is two fold: First, we analyze whether the existing numerical formulations (such as SUPG and GLS) and commercial packages provide physically meaningful values for the concentration of the chemical species for various realistic benchmark problems. Furthermore, we also quantify the errors incurred in satisfying the local and global species balance for two popular chemical kinetics schemes: CDIMA (chlorine dioxide-iodine-malonic acid) and BZ (Belousov--Zhabotinsky). Based on these numerical simulations, we show that SUPG and GLS produce unphysical values for concentration of chemical species due to the violation of the non-negative constraint, contain spurious node-to-node oscillations, and have large errors in local and global species balance. Second, we proposed a novel finite element formulation to overcome the above difficulties. The proposed locally conservative non-negative computational framework based on low-order least-squares finite elements is able to preserve these underlying physical and mathematical properties

Conservative and bounded volume-of-fluid advection on unstructured grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivey, Christopher B.; Moin, Parviz

2017-12-01

This paper presents a novel Eulerian-Lagrangian piecewise-linear interface calculation (PLIC) volume-of-fluid (VOF) advection method, which is three-dimensional, unsplit, and discretely conservative and bounded. The approach is developed with reference to a collocated node-based finite-volume two-phase flow solver that utilizes the median-dual mesh constructed from non-convex polyhedra. The proposed advection algorithm satisfies conservation and boundedness of the liquid volume fraction irrespective of the underlying flux polyhedron geometry, which differs from contemporary unsplit VOF schemes that prescribe topologically complicated flux polyhedron geometries in efforts to satisfy conservation. Instead of prescribing complicated flux-polyhedron geometries, which are prone to topological failures, our VOF advection scheme, the non-intersecting flux polyhedron advection (NIFPA) method, builds the flux polyhedron iteratively such that its intersection with neighboring flux polyhedra, and any other unavailable volume, is empty and its total volume matches the calculated flux volume. During each iteration, a candidate nominal flux polyhedron is extruded using an iteration dependent scalar. The candidate is subsequently intersected with the volume guaranteed available to it at the time of the flux calculation to generate the candidate flux polyhedron. The difference in the volume of the candidate flux polyhedron and the actual flux volume is used to calculate extrusion during the next iteration. The choice in nominal flux polyhedron impacts the cost and accuracy of the scheme; however, it does not impact the methods underlying conservation and boundedness. As such, various robust nominal flux polyhedron are proposed and tested using canonical periodic kinematic test cases: Zalesak's disk and two- and three-dimensional deformation. The tests are conducted on the median duals of a quadrilateral and triangular primal mesh, in two-dimensions, and on the median duals of a

Application of SPARROW modeling to understanding contaminant fate and transport from uplands to streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ator, Scott; Garcia, Ana Maria.

2016-01-01

Understanding spatial variability in contaminant fate and transport is critical to efficient regional water-quality restoration. An approach to capitalize on previously calibrated spatially referenced regression (SPARROW) models to improve the understanding of contaminant fate and transport was developed and applied to the case of nitrogen in the 166,000 km2 Chesapeake Bay watershed. A continuous function of four hydrogeologic, soil, and other landscape properties significant (α = 0.10) to nitrogen transport from uplands to streams was evaluated and compared among each of the more than 80,000 individual catchments (mean area, 2.1 km2) in the watershed. Budgets (including inputs, losses or net change in storage in uplands and stream corridors, and delivery to tidal waters) were also estimated for nitrogen applied to these catchments from selected upland sources. Most (81%) of such inputs are removed, retained, or otherwise processed in uplands rather than transported to surface waters. Combining SPARROW results with previous budget estimates suggests 55% of this processing is attributable to denitrification, 23% to crop or timber harvest, and 6% to volatilization. Remaining upland inputs represent a net annual increase in landscape storage in soils or biomass exceeding 10 kg per hectare in some areas. Such insights are important for planning watershed restoration and for improving future watershed models.

Distribution and transport of sediment-bound metal contaminants in the rio grande de tarcoles, costa rica (Central America)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuller, C.C.; Davis, J.A.; Cain, D.J.; Lamothe, P.J.; Fries Fernandez, T.L.G.; Vargas, J.A.; Murillo, M.M.

1990-01-01

A reconnaissance survey of the extent of metal contamination in the Rio Grande de Tarcoles river system of Costa Rica indicated high levels of chromium (Cr) in the fine-grain bed sediments (83 times Cr background or 3000->5000 ??g/g). In the main channel of the river downstream of the San Jose urban area, Cr contamination in sediments was 4-6 times background and remained relatively constant over 50 km to the mouth of the river. Sediment from a mangrove swamp at the river mouth had Cr levels 2-3 times above background. Similar patterns of dilution were observed for lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) sediment contamination, although the contamination levels were lower. The high affinity of Cr towards particulate phases, probably as Cr(III), allows the use of Cr contamination levels for delineating regions of deposition of fine-grained sediments and dilution of particle associated contaminants during transport and deposition.A reconnaissance survey of the extent of metal contamination in the Rio Grande de Tarcoles river system of Costa Rica indicated high levels of chromium (Cr) in the fine-grain bed sediments (83 times Cr background or 3000->5000 ??g/g). In the main channel of the river downstream of the San Jose urban area, Cr contamination in sediments was 4-6 times background and remained relatively constant over 50 km to the mouth of the river. Sediments from a mangrove swamp at the river mouth had Cr levels 2-3 times above background. Similar patterns of dilution were observed for lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) sediment contamination, although the contamination levels were lower. The high affinity of Cr towards particulate phases, probably as Cr(III), allows the use of Cr contamination levels for delineating regions of deposition of fine-grained sediments and dilution of particle associated contaminants during transport and deposition.

First-Order Hyperbolic System Method for Time-Dependent Advection-Diffusion Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazaheri, Alireza; Nishikawa, Hiroaki

2014-01-01

A time-dependent extension of the first-order hyperbolic system method for advection-diffusion problems is introduced. Diffusive/viscous terms are written and discretized as a hyperbolic system, which recovers the original equation in the steady state. The resulting scheme offers advantages over traditional schemes: a dramatic simplification in the discretization, high-order accuracy in the solution gradients, and orders-of-magnitude convergence acceleration. The hyperbolic advection-diffusion system is discretized by the second-order upwind residual-distribution scheme in a unified manner, and the system of implicit-residual-equations is solved by Newton's method over every physical time step. The numerical results are presented for linear and nonlinear advection-diffusion problems, demonstrating solutions and gradients produced to the same order of accuracy, with rapid convergence over each physical time step, typically less than five Newton iterations.

Simulations of eddy kinetic energy transport in barotropic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grooms, Ian

2017-11-01

Eddy energy transport in rotating two-dimensional turbulence is investigated using numerical simulation. Stochastic forcing is used to generate an inhomogeneous field of turbulence and the time-mean energy profile is diagnosed. An advective-diffusive model for the transport is fit to the simulation data by requiring the model to accurately predict the observed time-mean energy distribution. Isotropic harmonic diffusion of energy is found to be an accurate model in the case of uniform, solid-body background rotation (the f plane), with a diffusivity that scales reasonably well with a mixing-length law κ ∝V ℓ , where V and ℓ are characteristic eddy velocity and length scales. Passive tracer dynamics are added and it is found that the energy diffusivity is 75 % of the tracer diffusivity. The addition of a differential background rotation with constant vorticity gradient β leads to significant changes to the energy transport. The eddies generate and interact with a mean flow that advects the eddy energy. Mean advection plus anisotropic diffusion (with reduced diffusivity in the direction of the background vorticity gradient) is moderately accurate for flows with scale separation between the eddies and mean flow, but anisotropic diffusion becomes a much less accurate model of the transport when scale separation breaks down. Finally, it is observed that the time-mean eddy energy does not look like the actual eddy energy distribution at any instant of time. In the future, stochastic models of the eddy energy transport may prove more useful than models of the mean transport for predicting realistic eddy energy distributions.

An implicit dispersive transport algorithm for the US Geological Survey MOC3D solute-transport model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kipp, K.L.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Hornberger, G.Z.

1998-01-01

This report documents an extension to the U.S. Geological Survey MOC3D transport model that incorporates an implicit-in-time difference approximation for the dispersive transport equation, including source/sink terms. The original MOC3D transport model (Version 1) uses the method of characteristics to solve the transport equation on the basis of the velocity field. The original MOC3D solution algorithm incorporates particle tracking to represent advective processes and an explicit finite-difference formulation to calculate dispersive fluxes. The new implicit procedure eliminates several stability criteria required for the previous explicit formulation. This allows much larger transport time increments to be used in dispersion-dominated problems. The decoupling of advective and dispersive transport in MOC3D, however, is unchanged. With the implicit extension, the MOC3D model is upgraded to Version 2. A description of the numerical method of the implicit dispersion calculation, the data-input requirements and output options, and the results of simulator testing and evaluation are presented. Version 2 of MOC3D was evaluated for the same set of problems used for verification of Version 1. These test results indicate that the implicit calculation of Version 2 matches the accuracy of Version 1, yet is more efficient than the explicit calculation for transport problems that are characterized by a grid Peclet number less than about 1.0.

A novel finite volume discretization method for advection-diffusion systems on stretched meshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrick, D. G.; Malan, A. G.; van Rooyen, J. A.

2018-06-01

This work is concerned with spatial advection and diffusion discretization technology within the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In this context, a novel method is proposed, which is dubbed the Enhanced Taylor Advection-Diffusion (ETAD) scheme. The model equation employed for design of the scheme is the scalar advection-diffusion equation, the industrial application being incompressible laminar and turbulent flow. Developed to be implementable into finite volume codes, ETAD places specific emphasis on improving accuracy on stretched structured and unstructured meshes while considering both advection and diffusion aspects in a holistic manner. A vertex-centered structured and unstructured finite volume scheme is used, and only data available on either side of the volume face is employed. This includes the addition of a so-called mesh stretching metric. Additionally, non-linear blending with the existing NVSF scheme was performed in the interest of robustness and stability, particularly on equispaced meshes. The developed scheme is assessed in terms of accuracy - this is done analytically and numerically, via comparison to upwind methods which include the popular QUICK and CUI techniques. Numerical tests involved the 1D scalar advection-diffusion equation, a 2D lid driven cavity and turbulent flow case. Significant improvements in accuracy were achieved, with L2 error reductions of up to 75%.

Positivity-preserving numerical schemes for multidimensional advection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leonard, B. P.; Macvean, M. K.; Lock, A. P.

1993-01-01

This report describes the construction of an explicit, single time-step, conservative, finite-volume method for multidimensional advective flow, based on a uniformly third-order polynomial interpolation algorithm (UTOPIA). Particular attention is paid to the problem of flow-to-grid angle-dependent, anisotropic distortion typical of one-dimensional schemes used component-wise. The third-order multidimensional scheme automatically includes certain cross-difference terms that guarantee good isotropy (and stability). However, above first-order, polynomial-based advection schemes do not preserve positivity (the multidimensional analogue of monotonicity). For this reason, a multidimensional generalization of the first author's universal flux-limiter is sought. This is a very challenging problem. A simple flux-limiter can be found; but this introduces strong anisotropic distortion. A more sophisticated technique, limiting part of the flux and then restoring the isotropy-maintaining cross-terms afterwards, gives more satisfactory results. Test cases are confined to two dimensions; three-dimensional extensions are briefly discussed.

First-Order Hyperbolic System Method for Time-Dependent Advection-Diffusion Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

accuracy, with rapid convergence over each physical time step, typically less than five Newton iter - ations. 1 Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Hyperbolic...however, we employ the Gauss - Seidel (GS) relaxation, which is also an O(N) method for the discretization arising from hyperbolic advection-diffusion system...advection-diffusion scheme. The linear dependency of the iterations on Table 1: Boundary layer problem ( Convergence criteria: Residuals < 10−8.) log10Re

COLLOID MOBILIZATION AND TRANSPORT IN CONTAMINANT PLUMES: FIELD EXPERIMENTS, LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS, AND MODELING (EPA/600/S-99/001)

EPA Science Inventory

The major hypothesis driving this research, that the transport of colloids in a contaminant plume is limited by the advance of the chemical agent causing colloid mobilization, was tested by (1) examining the dependence of colloid transport and mobilization on chemical perturbatio...

A Fast Fourier transform stochastic analysis of the contaminant transport problem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deng, F.W.; Cushman, J.H.; Delleur, J.W.

1993-01-01

A three-dimensional stochastic analysis of the contaminant transport problem is developed in the spirit of Naff (1990). The new derivation is more general and simpler than previous analysis. The fast Fourier transformation is used extensively to obtain numerical estimates of the mean concentration and various spatial moments. Data from both the Borden and Cape Cod experiments are used to test the methodology. Results are comparable to results obtained by other methods, and to the experiments themselves.

Assessing conceptual models for subsurface reactive transport of inorganic contaminants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, James A.; Yabusaki, Steven B.; Steefel, Carl; Zachara, John M.; Curtis, Gary P.; Redden, George D.; Criscenti, Louise J.; Honeyman, Bruce D.

2004-01-01

In many subsurface situations where human health and environmental quality are at risk (e.g., contaminant hydrogeology petroleum extraction, carbon sequestration, etc.),scientists and engineers are being asked by federal agency decision-makers to predict the fate of chemical species under conditions where both reactions and transport are processes of first-order importance.In 2002, a working group (WG) was formed by representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Agriculture, and Army Engineer Research and Development Center to assess the role of reactive transport modeling (RTM) in addressing these situations. Specifically the goals of the WG are to (1) evaluate the state of the art in conceptual model development and parameterization for RTM, as applied to soil,vadose zone, and groundwater systems, and (2) prioritize research directions that would enhance the practical utility of RTM.

Interannual Variation in Offshore Advection of Amazon-Orinoco Plume Waters: Observations, Forcing Mechanisms, and Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fournier, S.; Vandemark, D.; Gaultier, L.; Lee, T.; Jonsson, B.; Gierach, M. M.

2017-11-01

This study investigates sea surface salinity (SSS) and sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the tropical Atlantic east of the Lesser Antilles, a region where freshwater advection from the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, may potentially impact air-sea interaction. Observations are used to document later-summer variability and evaluate offshore riverine transport from 2010 to 2014. During this period, the largest difference in plume-affected areas, defined as the extent covered by SSS lower than 35.5 pss, is found between 2011 and 2014. Plume waters covered 92% of the study region in 2011 and 60% in 2014, with the average SSS in the study region being 2 pss lower in 2011. Lagrangian particle tracking based on satellite-derived ocean currents is used to diagnose the impact of the river plumes on SSS and SST from 2010 to 2014. Northward freshwater flux in summer 2014 was significantly weaker than fluxes in 2010-2013. This difference is not due to interannual discharge variability, but to significant changes in eddy-driven transport and cross-shore winds. In particular, the stronger cross-shore wind in May 2014 restricted offshore freshwater flow and lead to a smaller plume-affected area. Persistent SST gradients are often found near the plume edge, which may have implications for ocean-atmosphere coupling associated with atmospheric convection. SST in the study region was 1°C higher in 2010 compared to other years, and is related to basin-scale ocean-atmosphere processes. Interannual variation in Amazon advective pathways and the associated SSS changes are also influenced by changes in the ITCZ position between 2011 and 2014.

Horizontal Advection and Mixing of Pollutants in the Urban Atmospheric Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magnusson, S. P.; Entekhabi, D.; Britter, R.; Norford, L.; Fernando, H. J.

2013-12-01

Although urban air quality and its impacts on the public health have long been studied, the increasing urbanization is raising concerns on how to better control and mitigate these health impacts. A necessary element in predicting exposure levels is fundamental understanding of flow and dispersion in urban canyons. The complex topology of building structures and roads requires the resolution of turbulence phenomena within urban canyons. The use of dense and low porosity construction material can lead to rapid heating in response to direct solar exposure due to large thermal mass. Hence thermal and buoyancy effects may be as important as mechanically-forced or shear-induced flows. In this study, the transport of pollutants within the urban environment, as well as the thermal and advection effects, are investigated. The focus is on the horizontal transport or the advection effects within the urban environment. With increased urbanization and larger and more spread cities, concern about how the upstream air quality situation can affect downstream areas. The study also examines the release and the dispersion of hazardous material. Due to the variety and complexity of urban areas around the world, the urban environment is simplified into adjacent two-dimensional urban street canyons. Pollutants are released inside each canyon. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are applied to evaluate and quantify the flow rate out of each canyon and also the exchange of pollutants between the canyons. Imagine a row of ten adjacent urban street canyons of aspect ratio 1 with horizontal flow perpendicular to it as shown in the attached figure. C is the concentration of pollutants. The first digit indicates in what canyon the pollutant is released and the second digit indicates the location of that pollutant. For example, C3,4 is the concentration of pollutant released inside canyon 3 measured in canyon 4. The same amount of pollution is released inside the ten street canyons

Tracer transport by the diabatic circulation deduced from satellite observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, S.; Kiehl, J. T.; Garcia, R. R.; Grose, W.

1986-01-01

Nimbus-7 sensor data were used to track the diabatic circulation in the stratosphere to study the advective transport of CH4 and N2O as tracer species. Advective transport by the mean circulation was found to be a function of the temperature field and associated deviations from radiative equilibrium. A photochemical model was applied to account for the disappearance of the tracer species from the stratosphere. Comparisons between the SAMS data and modeling on the basis of the chemical loss rates of the tracers and the LIMS circulation data showed that the model predictions underestimated the resident abundances, although the global distributions and circulations exhibited a good match.

Aspects of numerical and representational methods related to the finite-difference simulation of advective and dispersive transport of freshwater in a thin brackish aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merritt, M.L.

1993-01-01

The simulation of the transport of injected freshwater in a thin brackish aquifer, overlain and underlain by confining layers containing more saline water, is shown to be influenced by the choice of the finite-difference approximation method, the algorithm for representing vertical advective and dispersive fluxes, and the values assigned to parametric coefficients that specify the degree of vertical dispersion and molecular diffusion that occurs. Computed potable water recovery efficiencies will differ depending upon the choice of algorithm and approximation method, as will dispersion coefficients estimated based on the calibration of simulations to match measured data. A comparison of centered and backward finite-difference approximation methods shows that substantially different transition zones between injected and native waters are depicted by the different methods, and computed recovery efficiencies vary greatly. Standard and experimental algorithms and a variety of values for molecular diffusivity, transverse dispersivity, and vertical scaling factor were compared in simulations of freshwater storage in a thin brackish aquifer. Computed recovery efficiencies vary considerably, and appreciable differences are observed in the distribution of injected freshwater in the various cases tested. The results demonstrate both a qualitatively different description of transport using the experimental algorithms and the interrelated influences of molecular diffusion and transverse dispersion on simulated recovery efficiency. When simulating natural aquifer flow in cross-section, flushing of the aquifer occurred for all tested coefficient choices using both standard and experimental algorithms. ?? 1993.

Distinguishing advective and powered motion in self-propelled colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, Young-Moo; Lammert, Paul E.; Hong, Yiying; Sen, Ayusman; Crespi, Vincent H.

2017-11-01

Self-powered motion in catalytic colloidal particles provides a compelling example of active matter, i.e. systems that engage in single-particle and collective behavior far from equilibrium. The long-time, long-distance behavior of such systems is of particular interest, since it connects their individual micro-scale behavior to macro-scale phenomena. In such analyses, it is important to distinguish motion due to subtle advective effects—which also has long time scales and length scales—from long-timescale phenomena that derive from intrinsically powered motion. Here, we develop a methodology to analyze the statistical properties of the translational and rotational motions of powered colloids to distinguish, for example, active chemotaxis from passive advection by bulk flow.

Convective instability and boundary driven oscillations in a reaction-diffusion-advection model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidal-Henriquez, Estefania; Zykov, Vladimir; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Gholami, Azam

2017-10-01

In a reaction-diffusion-advection system, with a convectively unstable regime, a perturbation creates a wave train that is advected downstream and eventually leaves the system. We show that the convective instability coexists with a local absolute instability when a fixed boundary condition upstream is imposed. This boundary induced instability acts as a continuous wave source, creating a local periodic excitation near the boundary, which initiates waves travelling both up and downstream. To confirm this, we performed analytical analysis and numerical simulations of a modified Martiel-Goldbeter reaction-diffusion model with the addition of an advection term. We provide a quantitative description of the wave packet appearing in the convectively unstable regime, which we found to be in excellent agreement with the numerical simulations. We characterize this new instability and show that in the limit of high advection speed, it is suppressed. This type of instability can be expected for reaction-diffusion systems that present both a convective instability and an excitable regime. In particular, it can be relevant to understand the signaling mechanism of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum that may experience fluid flows in its natural habitat.

3D Flow Visualization Using Texture Advection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, David; Zhang, Bing; Kim, Kwansik; Pang, Alex; Moran, Pat (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Texture advection is an effective tool for animating and investigating 2D flows. In this paper, we discuss how this technique can be extended to 3D flows. In particular, we examine the use of 3D and 4D textures on 3D synthetic and computational fluid dynamics flow fields.

Fractional vector calculus for fractional advection dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meerschaert, Mark M.; Mortensen, Jeff; Wheatcraft, Stephen W.

2006-07-01

We develop the basic tools of fractional vector calculus including a fractional derivative version of the gradient, divergence, and curl, and a fractional divergence theorem and Stokes theorem. These basic tools are then applied to provide a physical explanation for the fractional advection-dispersion equation for flow in heterogeneous porous media.

The effect of metal (hydr)oxide nano-enabling on intraparticle mass transport of organic contaminants in hybrid granular activated carbon.

PubMed

Garcia, Jose; Markovski, Jasmina; McKay Gifford, J; Apul, Onur; Hristovski, Kiril D

2017-05-15

The overarching goal of this study was to ascertain the changes in intraparticle mass transport rates for organic contaminants resulting from nano-enabled hybridization of commercially available granular activated carbon (GAC). Three different nano-enabled hybrid media were fabricated by in-situ synthesizing titanium dioxide nanoparticles inside the pores of GAC sorbent, characterized, and evaluated for removal of two model organic contaminants under realistic conditions to obtain the intraparticle mass transport (pore and surface diffusion) coefficients. The results validated the two hypotheses that: (H1) the pore diffusion rates of organic contaminants linearly decrease with decrease in cumulative pore volume caused by increase in metal (hydr)oxide nanoparticle content inside the pores of the hybrid GAC sorbent; and (H2) introduction of metal (hydr)oxide nanoparticles initially increases surface diffusivity, but additional loading causes its decrease as the increase in metal (hydr)oxide nanoparticles content continues to reduce the porosity of the GAC sorbent. Nano-enabled hybridization of commercially available GAC with metal (hydr)oxides has the potential to significantly increase the intraparticle mass transport limitations for organic contaminants. Introduction of metal (hydr)oxide nanoparticles inside the pores of a pristine sorbent causes the pore diffusion rates of organic contaminants to decrease as the cumulative pore volume is reduced. In contrast, the introduction of limited amounts of metal (hydr)oxide nanoparticles appears to facilitate the surface diffusion rates of these contaminants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Safety analysis report for packaging, onsite, long-length contaminated equipment transport system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCormick, W.A.

1997-05-09

This safety analysis report for packaging describes the components of the long-length contaminated equipment (LLCE) transport system (TS) and provides the analyses, evaluations, and associated operational controls necessary for the safe use of the LLCE TS on the Hanford Site. The LLCE TS will provide a standardized, comprehensive approach for the disposal of approximately 98% of LLCE scheduled to be removed from the 200 Area waste tanks.

A finite-volume Eulerian-Lagrangian Localized Adjoint Method for solution of the advection-dispersion equation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, R.W.; Russell, T.F.

1993-01-01

A new mass-conservative method for solution of the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation is derived and discussed. Test results demonstrate that the finite-volume Eulerian-Lagrangian localized adjoint method (FVELLAM) outperforms standard finite-difference methods, in terms of accuracy and efficiency, for solute transport problems that are dominated by advection. For dispersion-dominated problems, the performance of the method is similar to that of standard methods. Like previous ELLAM formulations, FVELLAM systematically conserves mass globally with all types of boundary conditions. FVELLAM differs from other ELLAM approaches in that integrated finite differences, instead of finite elements, are used to approximate the governing equation. This approach, in conjunction with a forward tracking scheme, greatly facilitates mass conservation. The mass storage integral is numerically evaluated at the current time level, and quadrature points are then tracked forward in time to the next level. Forward tracking permits straightforward treatment of inflow boundaries, thus avoiding the inherent problem in backtracking, as used by most characteristic methods, of characteristic lines intersecting inflow boundaries. FVELLAM extends previous ELLAM results by obtaining mass conservation locally on Lagrangian space-time elements. Details of the integration, tracking, and boundary algorithms are presented. Test results are given for problems in Cartesian and radial coordinates.

Solution of the advection-dispersion equation by a finite-volume eulerian-lagrangian local adjoint method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, R.W.; Russell, T.F.

1992-01-01

A finite-volume Eulerian-Lagrangian local adjoint method for solution of the advection-dispersion equation is developed and discussed. The method is mass conservative and can solve advection-dominated ground-water solute-transport problems accurately and efficiently. An integrated finite-difference approach is used in the method. A key component of the method is that the integral representing the mass-storage term is evaluated numerically at the current time level. Integration points, and the mass associated with these points, are then forward tracked up to the next time level. The number of integration points required to reach a specified level of accuracy is problem dependent and increases as the sharpness of the simulated solute front increases. Integration points are generally equally spaced within each grid cell. For problems involving variable coefficients it has been found to be advantageous to include additional integration points at strategic locations in each well. These locations are determined by backtracking. Forward tracking of boundary fluxes by the method alleviates problems that are encountered in the backtracking approaches of most characteristic methods. A test problem is used to illustrate that the new method offers substantial advantages over other numerical methods for a wide range of problems.

Numerical solution of transport equation for applications in environmental hydraulics and hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashidul Islam, M.; Hanif Chaudhry, M.

1997-04-01

The advective term in the one-dimensional transport equation, when numerically discretized, produces artificial diffusion. To minimize such artificial diffusion, which vanishes only for Courant number equal to unity, transport owing to advection has been modeled separately. The numerical solution of the advection equation for a Gaussian initial distribution is well established; however, large oscillations are observed when applied to an initial distribution with sleep gradients, such as trapezoidal distribution of a constituent or propagation of mass from a continuous input. In this study, the application of seven finite-difference schemes and one polynomial interpolation scheme is investigated to solve the transport equation for both Gaussian and non-Gaussian (trapezoidal) initial distributions. The results obtained from the numerical schemes are compared with the exact solutions. A constant advective velocity is assumed throughout the transport process. For a Gaussian distribution initial condition, all eight schemes give excellent results, except the Lax scheme which is diffusive. In application to the trapezoidal initial distribution, explicit finite-difference schemes prove to be superior to implicit finite-difference schemes because the latter produce large numerical oscillations near the steep gradients. The Warming-Kutler-Lomax (WKL) explicit scheme is found to be better among this group. The Hermite polynomial interpolation scheme yields the best result for a trapezoidal distribution among all eight schemes investigated. The second-order accurate schemes are sufficiently accurate for most practical problems, but the solution of unusual problems (concentration with steep gradient) requires the application of higher-order (e.g. third- and fourth-order) accurate schemes.

Combining Deterministic structures and stochastic heterogeneity for transport modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zech, Alraune; Attinger, Sabine; Dietrich, Peter; Teutsch, Georg

2017-04-01

Contaminant transport in highly heterogeneous aquifers is extremely challenging and subject of current scientific debate. Tracer plumes often show non-symmetric but highly skewed plume shapes. Predicting such transport behavior using the classical advection-dispersion-equation (ADE) in combination with a stochastic description of aquifer properties requires a dense measurement network. This is in contrast to the available information for most aquifers. A new conceptual aquifer structure model is presented which combines large-scale deterministic information and the stochastic approach for incorporating sub-scale heterogeneity. The conceptual model is designed to allow for a goal-oriented, site specific transport analysis making use of as few data as possible. Thereby the basic idea is to reproduce highly skewed tracer plumes in heterogeneous media by incorporating deterministic contrasts and effects of connectivity instead of using unimodal heterogeneous models with high variances. The conceptual model consists of deterministic blocks of mean hydraulic conductivity which might be measured by pumping tests indicating values differing in orders of magnitudes. A sub-scale heterogeneity is introduced within every block. This heterogeneity can be modeled as bimodal or log-normal distributed. The impact of input parameters, structure and conductivity contrasts is investigated in a systematic manor. Furthermore, some first successful implementation of the model was achieved for the well known MADE site.

A meshless method for solving two-dimensional variable-order time fractional advection-diffusion equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tayebi, A.; Shekari, Y.; Heydari, M. H.

2017-07-01

Several physical phenomena such as transformation of pollutants, energy, particles and many others can be described by the well-known convection-diffusion equation which is a combination of the diffusion and advection equations. In this paper, this equation is generalized with the concept of variable-order fractional derivatives. The generalized equation is called variable-order time fractional advection-diffusion equation (V-OTFA-DE). An accurate and robust meshless method based on the moving least squares (MLS) approximation and the finite difference scheme is proposed for its numerical solution on two-dimensional (2-D) arbitrary domains. In the time domain, the finite difference technique with a θ-weighted scheme and in the space domain, the MLS approximation are employed to obtain appropriate semi-discrete solutions. Since the newly developed method is a meshless approach, it does not require any background mesh structure to obtain semi-discrete solutions of the problem under consideration, and the numerical solutions are constructed entirely based on a set of scattered nodes. The proposed method is validated in solving three different examples including two benchmark problems and an applied problem of pollutant distribution in the atmosphere. In all such cases, the obtained results show that the proposed method is very accurate and robust. Moreover, a remarkable property so-called positive scheme for the proposed method is observed in solving concentration transport phenomena.

[Contamination with Sphingomonas paucimobilis: about seven cases isolated in conservation and transport mediums of corneal grafts].

PubMed

Bourigault, C; Daniel, L; Jourdain, S; Hardy, E; Heriaud, K; Virmaux, M; Eniafe-Eveillard, B; Lejeune, B

2007-03-01

From September to December 2004, contaminations were found in fifteen conservation and transport mediums of corneal grafts at the tissue bank of Brest, including seven by Sphingomonas paucimobilis. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis made it possible to establish the genotypic profiles of each strain and to compare them. Similarities were found between certain strains of the contaminated mediums and those of the thermostated double boiler of the tissue bank. The link between the contamination and the defrosting of the mediums in the double boiler was thus established. Measures of prevention are currently proposed to defrost the bottles like the use of a dry bath to replace the current one.

A semi-Lagrangian advection scheme for radioactive tracers in the NCEP Regional Spectral Model (RSM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, E.-C.; Yoshimura, K.

2015-10-01

In this study, the non-iteration dimensional-split semi-Lagrangian (NDSL) advection scheme is applied to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Regional Spectral Model (RSM) to alleviate the Gibbs phenomenon. The Gibbs phenomenon is a problem wherein negative values of positive-definite quantities (e.g., moisture and tracers) are generated by the spectral space transformation in a spectral model system. To solve this problem, the spectral prognostic specific humidity and radioactive tracer advection scheme is replaced by the NDSL advection scheme, which considers advection of tracers in a grid system without spectral space transformations. A regional version of the NDSL is developed in this study and is applied to the RSM. Idealized experiments show that the regional version of the NDSL is successful. The model runs for an actual case study suggest that the NDSL can successfully advect radioactive tracers (iodine-131 and cesium-137) without noise from the Gibbs phenomenon. The NDSL can also remove negative specific humidity values produced in spectral calculations without losing detailed features.

Scale-Dependent Fracture-Matrix Interactions And Their Impact on Radionuclide Transport - Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Detwiler, Russell

Matrix diffusion and adsorption within a rock matrix are widely regarded as important mechanisms for retarding the transport of radionuclides and other solutes in fractured rock (e.g., Neretnieks, 1980; Tang et al., 1981; Maloszewski and Zuber, 1985; Novakowski and Lapcevic, 1994; Jardine et al., 1999; Zhou and Xie, 2003; Reimus et al., 2003a,b). When remediation options are being evaluated for old sources of contamination, where a large fraction of contaminants reside within the rock matrix, slow diffusion out of the matrix greatly increases the difficulty and timeframe of remediation. Estimating the rates of solute exchange between fractures and the adjacentmore » rock matrix is a critical factor in quantifying immobilization and/or remobilization of DOE-relevant contaminants within the subsurface. In principle, the most rigorous approach to modeling solute transport with fracture-matrix interaction would be based on local-scale coupled advection-diffusion/dispersion equations for the rock matrix and in discrete fractures that comprise the fracture network (Discrete Fracture Network and Matrix approach, hereinafter referred to as DFNM approach), fully resolving aperture variability in fractures and matrix property heterogeneity. However, such approaches are computationally demanding, and thus, many predictive models rely upon simplified models. These models typically idealize fracture rock masses as a single fracture or system of parallel fractures interacting with slabs of porous matrix or as a mobile-immobile or multi-rate mass transfer system. These idealizations provide tractable approaches for interpreting tracer tests and predicting contaminant mobility, but rely upon a fitted effective matrix diffusivity or mass-transfer coefficients. However, because these fitted parameters are based upon simplified conceptual models, their effectiveness at predicting long-term transport processes remains uncertain. Evidence of scale dependence of effective matrix

From analytical solutions of solute transport equations to multidimensional time-domain random walk (TDRW) algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodin, Jacques

2015-03-01

In this study, new multi-dimensional time-domain random walk (TDRW) algorithms are derived from approximate one-dimensional (1-D), two-dimensional (2-D), and three-dimensional (3-D) analytical solutions of the advection-dispersion equation and from exact 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D analytical solutions of the pure-diffusion equation. These algorithms enable the calculation of both the time required for a particle to travel a specified distance in a homogeneous medium and the mass recovery at the observation point, which may be incomplete due to 2-D or 3-D transverse dispersion or diffusion. The method is extended to heterogeneous media, represented as a piecewise collection of homogeneous media. The particle motion is then decomposed along a series of intermediate checkpoints located on the medium interface boundaries. The accuracy of the multi-dimensional TDRW method is verified against (i) exact analytical solutions of solute transport in homogeneous media and (ii) finite-difference simulations in a synthetic 2-D heterogeneous medium of simple geometry. The results demonstrate that the method is ideally suited to purely diffusive transport and to advection-dispersion transport problems dominated by advection. Conversely, the method is not recommended for highly dispersive transport problems because the accuracy of the advection-dispersion TDRW algorithms degrades rapidly for a low Péclet number, consistent with the accuracy limit of the approximate analytical solutions. The proposed approach provides a unified methodology for deriving multi-dimensional time-domain particle equations and may be applicable to other mathematical transport models, provided that appropriate analytical solutions are available.

Modeling of Convective-Stratiform Precipitation Processes: Sensitivity to Partitioning Methods and Numerical Advection Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, Steve; Tao, W.-K.; Simpson, J.; Ferrier, B.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Six different convective-stratiform separation techniques, including a new technique that utilizes the ratio of vertical and terminal velocities, are compared and evaluated using two-dimensional numerical simulations of a tropical [Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE)] and midlatitude continental [Preliminary Regional Experiment for STORM-Central (PRESTORM)] squall line. The simulations are made using two different numerical advection schemes: 4th order and positive definite advection. Comparisons are made in terms of rainfall, cloud coverage, mass fluxes, apparent heating and moistening, mean hydrometeor profiles, CFADs (Contoured Frequency with Altitude Diagrams), microphysics, and latent heating retrieval. Overall, it was found that the different separation techniques produced results that qualitatively agreed. However, the quantitative differences were significant. Observational comparisons were unable to conclusively evaluate the performance of the techniques. Latent heating retrieval was shown to be sensitive to the use of separation technique mainly due to the stratiform region for methods that found very little stratiform rain. The midlatitude PRESTORM simulation was found to be nearly invariant with respect to advection type for most quantities while for TOGA COARE fourth order advection produced numerous shallow convective cores and positive definite advection fewer cells that were both broader and deeper penetrating above the freezing level.

A combined PHREEQC-2/parallel fracture model for the simulation of laminar/non-laminar flow and contaminant transport with reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masciopinto, Costantino; Volpe, Angela; Palmiotta, Domenico; Cherubini, Claudia

2010-09-01

A combination of a parallel fracture model with the PHREEQC-2 geochemical model was developed to simulate sequential flow and chemical transport with reactions in fractured media where both laminar and turbulent flows occur. The integration of non-laminar flow resistances in one model produced relevant effects on water flow velocities, thus improving model prediction capabilities on contaminant transport. The proposed conceptual model consists of 3D rock-blocks, separated by horizontal bedding plane fractures with variable apertures. Particle tracking solved the transport equations for conservative compounds and provided input for PHREEQC-2. For each cluster of contaminant pathways, PHREEQC-2 determined the concentration for mass-transfer, sorption/desorption, ion exchange, mineral dissolution/precipitation and biodegradation, under kinetically controlled reactive processes of equilibrated chemical species. Field tests have been performed for the code verification. As an example, the combined model has been applied to a contaminated fractured aquifer of southern Italy in order to simulate the phenol transport. The code correctly fitted the field available data and also predicted a possible rapid depletion of phenols as a result of an increased biodegradation rate induced by a simulated artificial injection of nitrates, upgradient to the sources.

Simulation of Helical Flow Hydrodynamics in Meanders and Advection-Turbulent Diffusion Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusti, T. P.; Hertanti, D. R.; Bahsan, E.; Soeryantono, H.

2013-12-01

Particle-based numerical methods, such as Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), may be able to simulate some hydrodynamic and morphodynamic behaviors better than grid-based numerical methods. This study simulates hydrodynamics in meanders and advection and turbulent diffusion in straight river channels using Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic. The simulators generate three-dimensional data for hydrodynamics and one-dimensional data for advection-turbulent diffusion. Fluid at rest, sloshing, and helical flow are simulated in the river meanders. Spill loading and step loading are done to simulate concentration patterns associated with advection-turbulent diffusion. Results indicate that helical flow is formed due to disturbance in morphology and particle velocity in the stream and the number of particles does not have a significant effect on the pattern of advection-turbulent diffusion concentration.

Anomalous scaling of a scalar field advected by turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraichnan, R.H.

Recent work leading to deduction of anomalous scaling exponents for the inertial range of an advected passive field from the equations of motion is reviewed. Implications for other turbulence problems are discussed.

Long-term environmental and health implications of morphological change and sediment transport with respect to contaminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sneddon, Christopher; Copplestone, David; Tyler, Andrew; Hunter, Peter; Smith, Nick

2014-05-01

The EPSRC-funded Adaptation and Resilience of Coastal Energy Supply (ARCoES) project encompasses four research strands, involving 14 institutions and six PhD studentships. ARCoES aims to determine the threats posed to future energy generation and the distribution network by flooding and erosion, changing patterns of coastal sedimentation, water temperature and the distribution of plants and animals in the coastal zone. Whilst this research has direct benefits for the operation of coastal power stations, ARCoES aims to have a wider stakeholder engagement through assessing how the resilience of coastal communities may be altered by five hundred years of coastal evolution. Coastal evolution will have substantial implications for the energy sector of the North West of England as former waste storage sites are eroded and remobilised within the intertidal environment. The current intertidal environmental stores of radioactivity will also experience reworking as ocean chemistry changes and saltmarsh chronologies are reworked in response to rising sea levels. There is a duel requirement to understand mass sediment movement along the North West coast of England as understanding the sediment transport dynamics is key to modelling long term coastal change and understanding how the environmental store of radioactivity will be reworked. The University of Stirling is researching the long-term environmental and health implications of remobilisation and transport of contaminated sediments around the UK coastline. Using a synergy of hyperspectral and topographic information the mobilisation of sediment bound contaminants within the coastal environment will be investigated. Potential hazards posed by contaminants are determined by a set of environmental impact test criteria which evaluate the bio-accessibility and ionising dose of contaminants. These test criteria will be used to comment on the likely environmental impact of modelled sediment transport and anticipated changes in

Use of dissolved and vapor‐phase gases to investigate methanogenic degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in the subsurface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amos, Richard T.; Mayer, K. Ulrich; Bekins, Barbara A.; Delin, Geoffrey N.; Williams, Randi L.

2005-01-01

At many sites contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, methanogenesis is a significant degradation pathway. Techniques to estimate CH4 production, consumption, and transport processes are needed to understand the geochemical system, provide a complete carbon mass balance, and quantify the hydrocarbon degradation rate. Dissolved and vapor‐phase gas data collected at a petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated site near Bemidji, Minnesota, demonstrate that naturally occurring nonreactive or relatively inert gases such as Ar and N2 can be effectively used to better understand and quantify physical and chemical processes related to methanogenic activity in the subsurface. In the vadose zone, regions of Ar and N2 depletion and enrichment are indicative of methanogenic and methanotrophic zones, and concentration gradients between the regions suggest that reaction‐induced advection can be an important gas transport process. In the saturated zone, dissolved Ar and N2 concentrations are used to quantify degassing driven by methanogenesis and also suggest that attenuation of methane along the flow path, into the downgradient aquifer, is largely controlled by physical processes. Slight but discernable preferential depletion of N2 over Ar, in both the saturated and unsaturated zones near the free‐phase oil, suggests reactivity of N2 and is consistent with other evidence indicating that nitrogen fixation by microbial activity is taking place at this site.

Heavy tailed bacterial motor switching statistics define macroscopic transport properties during upstream contamination by E. coli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueroa-Morales, N.; Rivera, A.; Altshuler, E.; Darnige, T.; Douarche, C.; Soto, R.; Lindner, A.; Clément, E.

The motility of E. Coli bacteria is described as a run and tumble process. Changes of direction correspond to a switch in the flagellar motor rotation. The run time distribution is described as an exponential decay of characteristic time close to 1s. Remarkably, it has been demonstrated that the generic response for the distribution of run times is not exponential, but a heavy tailed power law decay, which is at odds with the motility findings. We investigate the consequences of the motor statistics in the macroscopic bacterial transport. During upstream contamination processes in very confined channels, we have identified very long contamination tongues. Using a stochastic model considering bacterial dwelling times on the surfaces related to the run times, we are able to reproduce qualitatively and quantitatively the evolution of the contamination profiles when considering the power law run time distribution. However, the model fails to reproduce the qualitative dynamics when the classical exponential run and tumble distribution is considered. Moreover, we have corroborated the existence of a power law run time distribution by means of 3D Lagrangian tracking. We then argue that the macroscopic transport of bacteria is essentially determined by the motor rotation statistics.

Evaluation of Baltic Sea transport properties using particle tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dargahi, Bijan; Cvetkovic, Vladimir

2014-05-01

Particle tracking model (PTM) is an effective tool for quantifying transport properties of large water bodies such as the Baltic Sea. We have applied PTM to our fully calibrated and validated Baltic Sea 3D hydrodynamic model for a 10-years period (2000-9). One hundred particles were released at a constant rate during an initial 10-days period from all the Baltic Sea sub-basins, the major rivers, and the open boundary in the Arkona Basin. In each basin, the particles were released at two different depths corresponding to the deep water and middle water layers. The objectives of the PTM simulations were to analyse the intra-exchange processes between the Baltic Sea basins and to estimate the arrival times and the paths of particles released from the rivers. The novel contribution of this study is determining the paths and arrival times of deeper water masses rather than the surface masses. Advective and diffusive transport processes in the Bornholm and Arkona basins are both driven by the interacting flows of the northern basins of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Particles released from Arkona basin flows northwards along the Stople Channel. The Gotland basins are the major contributors to the exchange process in the Baltic Sea. We find high values of the advection ratio, indicative of a forced advective transport process. The Bay of Gdansk is probably the most vulnerable region in the Baltic Sea. This is despite the fact that the main exchanging basins are the Bornholm Sea and the Easter Gotland Basin. The main reason is the intensive supply of the particles from the northern basins that normally take about 3000 days to reach the Bay of Gdansk. The process maintains a high level of particle concentration (90%) along its coastlines even after the 10-years period. Comparing the particle paths in the Western and Eastern Gotland basins two interesting features were found. Particles travelled in all four directions in the former basin and the middle layer particles

Advection by ocean currents modifies phytoplankton size structure.

PubMed

Font-Muñoz, Joan S; Jordi, Antoni; Tuval, Idan; Arrieta, Jorge; Anglès, Sílvia; Basterretxea, Gotzon

2017-05-01

Advection by ocean currents modifies phytoplankton size structure at small scales (1-10 cm) by aggregating cells in different regions of the flow depending on their size. This effect is caused by the inertia of the cells relative to the displaced fluid. It is considered that, at larger scales (greater than or equal to 1 km), biological processes regulate the heterogeneity in size structure. Here, we provide observational evidence of heterogeneity in phytoplankton size structure driven by ocean currents at relatively large scales (1-10 km). Our results reveal changes in the phytoplankton size distribution associated with the coastal circulation patterns. A numerical model that incorporates the inertial properties of phytoplankton confirms the role of advection on the distribution of phytoplankton according to their size except in areas with enhanced nutrient inputs where phytoplankton dynamics is ruled by other processes. The observed preferential concentration mechanism has important ecological consequences that range from the phytoplankton level to the whole ecosystem. © 2017 The Author(s).

Characterization of Uranium Contamination, Transport, and Remediation at Rocky Flats - Across Remediation into Post-Closure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janecky, D. R.; Boylan, J.; Murrell, M. T.

2009-12-01

The Rocky Flats Site is a former nuclear weapons production facility approximately 16 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado. Built in 1952 and operated by the Atomic Energy Commission and then Department of Energy, the Site was remediated and closed in 2005, and is currently undergoing long-term surveillance and monitoring by the DOE Office of Legacy Management. Areas of contamination resulted from roughly fifty years of operation. Of greatest interest, surface soils were contaminated with plutonium, americium, and uranium; groundwater was contaminated with chlorinated solvents, uranium, and nitrates; and surface waters, as recipients of runoff and shallow groundwater discharge, have been contaminated by transport from both regimes. A region of economic mineralization that has been referred to as the Colorado Mineral Belt is nearby, and the Schwartzwalder uranium mine is approximately five miles upgradient of the Site. Background uranium concentrations are therefore elevated in many areas. Weapons-related activities included work with enriched and depleted uranium, contributing anthropogenic content to the environment. Using high-resolution isotopic analyses, Site-related contamination can be distinguished from natural uranium in water samples. This has been instrumental in defining remedy components, and long-term monitoring and surveillance strategies. Rocky Flats hydrology interlinks surface waters and shallow groundwater (which is very limited in volume and vertical and horizontal extent). Surface water transport pathways include several streams, constructed ponds, and facility surfaces. Shallow groundwater has no demonstrated connection to deep aquifers, and includes natural preferential pathways resulting primarily from porosity in the Rocky Flats alluvium, weathered bedrock, and discontinuous sandstones. In addition, building footings, drains, trenches, and remedial systems provide pathways for transport at the site. Removal of impermeable surfaces (buildings

49 CFR 176.715 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contamination control. 176.715 Section 176.715 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... Requirements for Radioactive Materials § 176.715 Contamination control. Each hold, compartment, or deck area...

49 CFR 176.715 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Contamination control. 176.715 Section 176.715 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... Requirements for Radioactive Materials § 176.715 Contamination control. Each hold, compartment, or deck area...

49 CFR 176.715 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contamination control. 176.715 Section 176.715 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... Requirements for Radioactive Materials § 176.715 Contamination control. Each hold, compartment, or deck area...

49 CFR 176.715 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Contamination control. 176.715 Section 176.715 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... Requirements for Radioactive Materials § 176.715 Contamination control. Each hold, compartment, or deck area...

Capturing inertial particle transport in turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stott, Harry; Lawrie, Andrew; Szalai, Robert

2017-11-01

The natural world is replete with examples of particle advection; mankind is both a beneficiary from and sufferer of the consequences. As such, the study of inertial particle dynamics, both aerosol and bubble, is vitally important. In many interesting examples such as cloud microphysics, sedimentation, or sewage transport, many millions of particles are advected in a relatively small volume of fluid. It is impossible to model these processes computationally and simulate every particle. Instead, we advect the probability density field of particle positions allowing unbiased sampling of particle behaviour across the domain. Given a 3-dimensional space discretised into cubes, we construct a transport operator that encodes the flow of particles through the faces of the cubes. By assuming that the dynamics of the particles lie close to an inertial manifold, it is possible to preserve the majority of the inertial properties of the particles between the time steps. We demonstrate the practical use of this method in a pair of instances: the first is an analogue to cloud microphysics- the turbulent breakdown of Taylor Green vortices; the second example is the case of a turbulent jet which has application both in sewage pipe outflow and pesticide spray dynamics. EPSRC.

Understanding transport pathways in a river system - Monitoring sediments contaminated by an incident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietrich, S.; Kleisinger, C.; Hillebrand, G.; Claus, E.; Schwartz, R.; Carls, I.; Winterscheid, A.; Schubert, B.

2016-12-01

Experiments to trace transport of sediments and suspended particulate matter on a river scale are an expensive and difficult venture, since it causes a lot of official requirements. In spring 2015, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were released during restoration works at a bridge in the upper part of the Elbe River, near the Czech-German border. In this study, the particle-bound PCB-transport is applied as a tracer for monitoring transport pathways of suspended solids (SS) along a whole river stretch over 700 km length. The incident was monitored by concentration measurements of seven indicator PCB congeners along the inland part of the Elbe River as well as in the Elbe estuary. Data from 15 monitoring stations (settling tanks) as well as from two longitudinal campaigns (grab samples) along the river in July and August 2015 are considered. The total PCB load is calculated for all stations on the basis of monthly contaminant concentrations and daily suspended sediment concentrations. Monte-Carlo simulations assess the uncertainties of the calculated load. 1D water levels and GIS analysis were used to locate temporal storage areas for the SS. It is shown that the ratio of high versus low chlorinated PCB congeners is a suitable tracer to distinguish the PCB load of the incident from the long-term background signal. Furthermore, the reduction of total PCB load within the upper Elbe indicates that roughly 24% of the SS were transported with the water by wash load. Approximately 600 km downstream of the incident site, the PCB-marked wash load was first identified in July 2015. PCB load transported intermittently in suspension was detected roughly 400 km downstream of the incident site by August 2015. In the Elbe Estuary, PCB-marked SS were only found upstream of the steep slope of water depth (approx. 4 to 15 m) within Hamburg harbor that acts as a major sediment sink. Here, SS from the inland Elbe are mixed with lowly contaminated marine material, which may mask the

Oxygen transport and pyrite oxidation in unsaturated coal-mine spoil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guo, Weixing; Cravotta, Charles A.

1996-01-01

An understanding of the mechanisms of oxygen (02) transport in unsaturated mine spoil is necessary to design and implement effective measures to exclude 02 from pyritic materials and to control the formation of acidic mine drainage. Partial pressure of oxygen (Po2) in pore gas, chemistry of pore water, and temperature were measured at different depths in unsaturated spoil at two reclaimed surface coal mines in Pennsylvania. At mine 1, where spoil was loose, blocky sandstone, Po2 changed little with depth, decreasing from 21 volume percent (vol%) at the ground surface to a minimum of about 18 vol% at 10 m depth. At mine 2, where spoil was compacted, friable shale, Po2 decreased to less than 2 vol% at depth of about 10 m. Although pore-water chemistry and temperature data indicate that acid-forming reactions were active at both mines, the pore-gas data indicate that mechanisms for 0 2 transport were different at each mine. A numerical model was developed to simulate 02 transport and pyrite oxidation in unsaturated mine spoil. The results of the numerical simulations indicate that differences in 02 transport at the two mines can be explained by differences in the air permeability of spoil. Po2 changes little with depth if advective transport of 02 dominates as at mine 1, but decreases greatly with depth if diffusive transport of 02 dominates, as in mine 2. Model results also indicate that advective transport becomes significant if the air permeability of spoil is greater than 10-9 m2, which is expected for blocky sandstone spoil. In the advective-dominant system, thermally-induced convective air flow, as a consequence of the exothermic oxidation of pyrite, supplies the 02 to maintain high Po2 within the deep unsaturated zone.

Advection in polar and sub-polar environments: Impacts on high latitude marine ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, George L.; Drinkwater, Kenneth F.; Arrigo, Kevin; Berge, Jørgen; Daly, Kendra L.; Danielson, Seth; Daase, Malin; Hop, Haakon; Isla, Enrique; Karnovsky, Nina; Laidre, Kristin; Mueter, Franz J.; Murphy, Eugene J.; Renaud, Paul E.; Smith, Walker O.; Trathan, Philip; Turner, John; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter

2016-12-01

We compare and contrast the ecological impacts of atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns on polar and sub-polar marine ecosystems. Circulation patterns differ strikingly between the north and south. Meridional circulation in the north provides connections between the sub-Arctic and Arctic despite the presence of encircling continental landmasses, whereas annular circulation patterns in the south tend to isolate Antarctic surface waters from those in the north. These differences influence fundamental aspects of the polar ecosystems from the amount, thickness and duration of sea ice, to the types of organisms, and the ecology of zooplankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Meridional flows in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans transport heat, nutrients, and plankton northward into the Chukchi Sea, the Barents Sea, and the seas off the west coast of Greenland. In the North Atlantic, the advected heat warms the waters of the southern Barents Sea and, with advected nutrients and plankton, supports immense biomasses of fish, seabirds and marine mammals. On the Pacific side of the Arctic, cold waters flowing northward across the northern Bering and Chukchi seas during winter and spring limit the ability of boreal fish species to take advantage of high seasonal production there. Southward flow of cold Arctic waters into sub-Arctic regions of the North Atlantic occurs mainly through Fram Strait with less through the Barents Sea and the Canadian Archipelago. In the Pacific, the transport of Arctic waters and plankton southward through Bering Strait is minimal. In the Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and its associated fronts are barriers to the southward dispersal of plankton and pelagic fishes from sub-Antarctic waters, with the consequent evolution of Antarctic zooplankton and fish species largely occurring in isolation from those to the north. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current also disperses biota throughout the Southern Ocean

The role of advection for CO2 exchange flux over a moutainous grassland in the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Peng; Hammerle, Albin; Wohlfahrt, Georg

2016-04-01

The inclusion of the advection contribution can improve the quantification of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) budget. However, advection observation is challenging and the role of advection is thus often ignored in the literature. In this study, a field campaign was conducted on the basis of the advection completed mass balance (ACMB) concept. The observation took place in October 2015 at the FLUXNET site Monte Bondone, which was located on a permanent alpine meadow in a mountainous area in Northern Italy. A home-assembled solenoid valve system, together with multiple tubes and a gas analyser, was used to analyse CO2 concentration at multiple positions across the faces at three heights of the control volume. Horizontal advection of CO2 was thus calculated from the measurement of wind components and CO2 gradients, from which the storage term can be derived as well. Vertical flux of CO2 was measured by eddy-covariance technique. Three automatic chambers measured NEE as reference. Data post-processing is still in progress and preliminary results will come soon.

49 CFR 173.443 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Contamination control. 173.443 Section 173.443 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials § 173.443 Contamination control. (a) The level of...

49 CFR 173.443 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contamination control. 173.443 Section 173.443 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials § 173.443 Contamination control. (a) The level of...

49 CFR 173.443 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Contamination control. 173.443 Section 173.443 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials § 173.443 Contamination control. (a) The level of...

49 CFR 173.443 - Contamination control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contamination control. 173.443 Section 173.443 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials § 173.443 Contamination control. (a) The level of...

Variational optimization analysis of temperature and moisture advection in a severe storm environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcfarland, M. J.

1975-01-01

Horizontal wind components, potential temperature, and mixing ratio fields associated with a severe storm environment in the south central U.S. were analyzed from synoptic upper air observations with a nonhomogeneous, anisotropic weighting function. Each data field was filtered with variational optimization analysis techniques. Variational optimization analysis was also performed on the vertical motion field and was used to produce advective forecasts of the potential temperature and mixing ratio fields. Results show that the dry intrusion is characterized by warm air, the advection of which produces a well-defined upward motion pattern. A corresponding downward motion pattern comprising a deep vertical circulation in the warm air sector of the low pressure system was detected. The axes alignment of maximum dry and warm advection with the axis of the tornado-producing squall line also resulted.

Modeling water exchange and contaminant transport through a Baltic coastal region.

PubMed

Engqvist, Anders; Döös, Kristofer; Andrejev, Oleg

2006-12-01

The water exchange of the Baltic coastal zone is characterized by its seasonally varying regimes. In the safety assessment of a potential repository for spent nuclear fuel, it is important to assess the consequences of a hypothetical leak of radionuclides through the seabed into a waterborne transport phase. In particular, estimates of the associated residence times in the near-shore coastal zone are of interest. There are several methods to quantify such measures, of which three are presented here. Using the coastal location of Forsmark (Sweden) as an example, methods based on passive tracers, particle trajectories, and the average age distribution of exogeneous water parcels are compared for a representative one-year cycle. Tracer-based methods can simulate diffusivity more realistically than the other methods. Trajectory-based methods can handle Lagrangian dispersion processes due to advection but neglect diffusion on the sub-grid scale. The method based on the concept of average age (AvA) of exogeneous water can include all such sources simultaneously not only boundary water bodies but also various (fresh)-water discharges. Due to the inclusion of sub-grid diffusion this method gives a smoother measure of the water renewal. It is shown that backward in time trajectories and AvA-times are basically equipollent methods, yielding correlated results within the limits set by the diffusivity.

A performance comparison of scalar, vector, and concurrent vector computers including supercomputers for modeling transport of reactive contaminants in groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Vijay S.; Yeh, G. T.

1993-06-01

Sophisticated and highly computation-intensive models of transport of reactive contaminants in groundwater have been developed in recent years. Application of such models to real-world contaminant transport problems, e.g., simulation of groundwater transport of 10-15 chemically reactive elements (e.g., toxic metals) and relevant complexes and minerals in two and three dimensions over a distance of several hundred meters, requires high-performance computers including supercomputers. Although not widely recognized as such, the computational complexity and demand of these models compare with well-known computation-intensive applications including weather forecasting and quantum chemical calculations. A survey of the performance of a variety of available hardware, as measured by the run times for a reactive transport model HYDROGEOCHEM, showed that while supercomputers provide the fastest execution times for such problems, relatively low-cost reduced instruction set computer (RISC) based scalar computers provide the best performance-to-price ratio. Because supercomputers like the Cray X-MP are inherently multiuser resources, often the RISC computers also provide much better turnaround times. Furthermore, RISC-based workstations provide the best platforms for "visualization" of groundwater flow and contaminant plumes. The most notable result, however, is that current workstations costing less than $10,000 provide performance within a factor of 5 of a Cray X-MP.

BIOPLUME III

EPA Science Inventory

Bioplume II is a two-dimensional finite difference and Method of Characteristics (MOC) model for simulating the natural attenuation of organic contaminants in ground water due to the processes of advection, dispersion, sorption and biodegradation. The transport simulation in Biop...

Environmental Studies: Mathematical, Computational and Statistical Analyses

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-03

mathematical analysis addresses the seasonally and longitudinally averaged circulation which is under the influence of a steady forcing located asymmetrically...employed, as has been suggested for some situations. A general discussion of how interfacial phenomena influence both the original contamination process...describing the large-scale advective and dispersive behaviour of contaminants transported by groundwater and the uncertainty associated with field-scale

The Effects of Subsurface Bioremediation on Soil Structure, Colloid Formation, and Contaminant Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Liang, X.; Zhuang, J.; Radosevich, M.

2016-12-01

Anaerobic bioremediation is widely applied to create anaerobic subsurface conditions designed to stimulate microorganisms that degrade organic contaminants and immobilize toxic metals in situ. Anaerobic conditions that accompany such techniques also promotes microbially mediated Fe(III)-oxide mineral reduction. The reduction of Fe(III) could potentially cause soil structure breakdown, formation of clay colloids, and alternation of soil surface chemical properties. These processes could then affect bioremediation and the migration of contaminants. Column experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of anaerobic bioreduction on soil structure, hydraulic properties, colloid formation, and transport of three tracers (bromide, DFBA, and silica shelled silver nanoparticles). Columns packed with inoculated water stable soil aggregates were placed in anaerobic glovebox, and artificial groundwater media was pumped into the columns to simulate anaerobic bioreduction process for four weeks. Decent amount of soluble Fe(II) accompanied by colloids were detected in the effluent from bioreduction columns a week after initiation of bioreduction treatment, which demonstrated bioreduction of Fe(III) and formation of colloids. Transport experiments were performed in the columns before and after bioreduction process to assess the changes of hydraulic and surface chemical properties through bioreduction treatment. Earlier breakthrough of bromide and DFBA after treatment indicated alterations in flow paths (formation of preferential flow paths). Less dispersion of bromide and DFBA, and less tailing of DFBA after treatment implied breakdown of soil aggregates. Dramatically enhanced transport and early breakthrough of silica shelled silver nanoparticles after treatment supported the above conclusion of alterations in flow paths, and indicated changes of soil surface chemical properties.

A serpentine laminating micromixer combining splitting/recombination and advection.

PubMed

Kim, Dong Sung; Lee, Se Hwan; Kwon, Tai Hun; Ahn, Chong H

2005-07-01

Mixing enhancement has drawn great attention from designers of micromixers, since the flow in a microchannel is usually characterized by a low Reynolds number (Re) which makes the mixing quite a difficult task to accomplish. In this paper, a novel integrated efficient micromixer named serpentine laminating micromixer (SLM) has been designed, simulated, fabricated and fully characterized. In the SLM, a high level of efficient mixing can be achieved by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms: splitting/recombination and chaotic advection. The splitting and recombination (in other terms, lamination) mechanism is obtained by the successive arrangement of "F"-shape mixing units in two layers. The advection is induced by the overall three-dimensional serpentine path of the microchannel. The SLM was realized by SU-8 photolithography, nickel electroplating, injection molding and thermal bonding. Mixing performance of the SLM was fully characterized numerically and experimentally. The numerical mixing simulations show that the advection acts favorably to realize the ideal vertical lamination of fluid flow. The mixing experiments based on an average mixing color intensity change of phenolphthalein show a high level of mixing performance was obtained with the SLM. Numerical and experimental results confirm that efficient mixing is successfully achieved from the SLM over the wide range of Re. Due to the simple and mass producible geometry of the efficient micromixer, SLM proposed in this study, the SLM can be easily applied to integrated microfluidic systems, such as micro-total-analysis-systems or lab-on-a-chip systems.

Influence of advection on measurements of the net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CO2 from a very tall tower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, C.; Davis, K. J.; Bakwin, P. S.; Berger, B. W.; Marr, L. C.

2000-04-01

In most studies of the net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CO2 (NEE) using tower-based eddy covariance (EC) systems it has been assumed that advection is negligible. In this study we use a scalar conservation budget method to estimate the contribution of advection to NEE measurements from a very tall tower in northern Wisconsin. We examine data for June-August 1997. Measured NEE0, calculated as the sum of the EC flux plus the rate of change of storage below the EC measurement level, is expected to be constant with measurement height, and we take the differences between levels as a measure of advection. We find that the average difference in total advection ΔFCadtot between 30 and 122 m is as large as 6 μmol m-2s-1 during the morning transition from stable to convective conditions and the average difference ΔFCadtot between 122 and 396 m is as large as 4 μmol m-2s-1 during daytime. For the month of July, advection between 30 and 122 m is 27% of the diurnally integrated NEE0 at 122 m, and advection between 122 and 396 m accounts for 5% of the NEE0 observed at 396 m. The observed differences of advection often have significant correlation with the vertical integral of wind speed within the same layer. This indicates that the horizontal advection contribution to NEE could be significant. Direct observations of the vertical gradient in CO2 show that ΔFCadtot cannot be explained by vertical advection alone. It is hypothesized that differing flux footprints and pooling of CO2 in the heterogeneous landscape causes the advection contribution. The magnitudes of the total advection component FCadtot of NEE at the 30 m level are roughly estimated by a linear extrapolation. A peak in FCadtot at 30 m of ˜ 3 μmol m-2 s-1 during the morning transition is predicted for all three months. The July integrated FCadtot is estimated to be 10% of the diurnally integrated NEE0 at 30 m.

CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT RESULTING FROM MULTICOMPONENT NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUID POOL DISSOLUTION IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL SUBSURFACE FORMATIONS (R823579)

EPA Science Inventory

A semi-analytical method for simulating transient contaminant transport originating from the dissolution of multicomponent nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) pools in three-dimensional, saturated, homogeneous porous media is presented. Each dissolved component may undergo first-order...

Analytical Modeling of Aquifer Decontamination by Pulsed Pumping When Contaminant Transport is Affected by Rate-Limited Sorption and Desorption

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT IS AFFECTED BY RATE-LIMITED SORPTION AND DESORPTION IgIntroduction Groundwater is the source of drinking water for...depend upon groundwater as their drinking water source [Wentz, 1989:271] . Historically, groundwater has been considered an unlimited and safe source...of drinking water. However, the widespread contamination of groundwater due to years of accidental or deliberate dumping of various synthetic organic

SEBAL-A: A remote sensing ET algorithm that accounts for advection with limited data. Part II: Test for transferability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Because the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) tends to underestimate ET under conditions of advection, the model was modified by incorporating an advection component as part of the energy usable for crop evapotranspiration (ET). The modification involved the estimation of advected en...

Advection and dispersion heat transport mechanisms in the quantification of shallow geothermal resources and associated environmental impacts.

PubMed

Alcaraz, Mar; García-Gil, Alejandro; Vázquez-Suñé, Enric; Velasco, Violeta

2016-02-01

Borehole Heat Exchangers (BHEs) are increasingly being used to exploit shallow geothermal energy. This paper presents a new methodology to provide a response to the need for a regional quantification of the geothermal potential that can be extracted by BHEs and the associated environmental impacts. A set of analytical solutions facilitates accurate calculation of the heat exchange of BHEs with the ground and its environmental impacts. For the first time, advection and dispersion heat transport mechanisms and the temporal evolution from the start of operation of the BHE are taken into account in the regional estimation of shallow geothermal resources. This methodology is integrated in a GIS environment, which facilitates the management of input and output data at a regional scale. An example of the methodology's application is presented for Barcelona, in Spain. As a result of the application, it is possible to show the strengths and improvements of this methodology in the development of potential maps of low temperature geothermal energy as well as maps of environmental impacts. The minimum and maximum energy potential values for the study site are 50 and 1800 W/m(2) for a drilled depth of 100 m, proportionally to Darcy velocity. Regarding to thermal impacts, the higher the groundwater velocity and the energy potential, the higher the size of the thermal plume after 6 months of exploitation, whose length ranges from 10 to 27 m long. A sensitivity analysis was carried out in the calculation of heat exchange rate and its impacts for different scenarios and for a wide range of Darcy velocities. The results of this analysis lead to the conclusion that the consideration of dispersion effects and temporal evolution of the exploitation prevent significant differences up to a factor 2.5 in the heat exchange rate accuracy and up to several orders of magnitude in the impacts generated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coliform contamination of a coastal embayment: Sources and transport pathways

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weiskel, P.K.; Howes, B.L.; Heufelder, G.R.

1996-01-01

Fecal bacterial contamination of nearshore waters has direct economic impacts to coastal communities through the loss of shellfisheries and restrictions of recreational uses. We conducted seasonal measurements of fecal coliform (FC) sources and transport pathways contributing to FC contamination of Buttermilk Bay, a shallow embayment adjacent to Buzzards Bay, MA. Typical of most coastal embayments, there were no direct sewage discharges (i.e., outfalls), and fecal bacteria from human, domestic animal, and wildlife pools entered open waters primarily through direct deposition or after transport through surface waters or groundwaters. Direct fecal coliform inputs to bay waters occurred primarily in winter (December-March) from waterfowl, ~33 x 1012 FC yr-1 or ~67% of the total annual loading. Effects of waterfowl inputs on bay FC densities were mitigated by their seasonality, wide distribution across the bay surface, and the apparent limited dispersal from fecal pellets. On-site disposal of sewage by septic systems was the single largest FC source in the watershed-embayment system, 460 x 1012 FC yr-1, but due to attenuation during subsurface transport only a minute fraction, < 0.006 x 1012 FC yr-1, reached bay waters (<0.01% of annual input to bay). Instead, surface water flows, via storm drains and natural streams under both wet- and dry-weather conditions, contributed the major terrestrial input, 12 x 1012 FC yr-1 (24% of annual input), all from animal sources. Since most of the surface water FC inputs were associated with periodic, short-duration rain events with discharge concentrated in nearshore zones, wet-weather flows were found to have a disproportionately high impact on nearshore FC levels. Elution of FC from shoreline deposits of decaying vegetation (wrack) comprised an additional coliform source. Both laboratory and field experiments suggest significant elution of bacteria from wrack, ~3 x 1012 FC yr-1 on a bay-wide basis (6% of annual input), primarily

Cirrus and Water Vapor Transport in the Tropical Tropopause Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinh, Tra Phuong

Simulations of tropical-tropopause-layer (TTL) cirrus under the influence of a large-scale equatorial Kelvin wave have been performed in two dimensions. These simulations show that, even under the influence of the large-scale wave, radiatively induced dynamics in TTL cirrus plays an important role in the transport of water vapor in the vertical direction. In a typical TTL cirrus, the heating that results from absorption of radiation by ice crystals induces a mesoscale circulation. Advection of ice and water vapor by the radiatively induced circulation leads to the persistence of the cloud and upward advection of the cloudy air. Upward advection of the cloudy air is equivalent to upward transport of water vapor when the air above the cloud is drier than the cloudy air, and downward transport otherwise. In TTL cirrus, microphysical processes also contribute to transport of water vapor in the vertical direction. Ice nucleation and growth, followed by sedimentation and sublimation, always lead to downward transport of water vapor. The magnitude of the downward transport by microphysical processes increases with the relative humidity of the air surrounding the cloud. Moisture in the surrounding environment is important because there is continuous interactions between the cloudy and environmental air throughout the cloud boundary. In our simulations, when the air surrounding the cloud is subsaturated, hence drier than the cloudy air, the magnitude of the downward transport due to microphysical processes is smaller than that of the upward transport due to the radiatively induced advection of water vapor. The net result is upward transport of water vapor, and equivalently hydration of the lower stratosphere. On the other hand, when the surrounding air is supersaturated, hence moister than the cloudy air, microphysical and radiatively induced dynamical processes work in concert to induce downward transport of water vapor, that is dehydration of the lower stratosphere. TTL

Quantifying Enhanced Microbial Dehalogenation Impacting the Fate and Transport of Organohalide Mixtures in Contaminated Sediments

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

supplying Anacostia River sediment, Dr. Matti Verta, Finnish Environment Institute, for providing Kymijoki River sediment, and the Meadowlands...dehalogenating activity; 2) Characterize the effect of sedimentary conditions on the ( bio )transformation rates of organohalide mixtures and their...the fate and transport of organohalide contaminants, co-amendments and ( bio )transformation products under various bioremediation scenarios. The

Modeling Np and Pu transport with a surface complexation model and spatially variant sorption capacities: Implications for reactive transport modeling and performance assessments of nuclear waste disposal sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glynn, P.D.

2003-01-01

One-dimensional (1D) geochemical transport modeling is used to demonstrate the effects of speciation and sorption reactions on the ground-water transport of Np and Pu, two redox-sensitive elements. Earlier 1D simulations (Reardon, 1981) considered the kinetically limited dissolution of calcite and its effect on ion-exchange reactions (involving 90Sr, Ca, Na, Mg and K), and documented the spatial variation of a 90Sr partition coefficient under both transient and steady-state chemical conditions. In contrast, the simulations presented here assume local equilibrium for all reactions, and consider sorption on constant potential, rather than constant charge, surfaces. Reardon's (1981) seminal findings on the spatial and temporal variability of partitioning (of 90Sr) are reexamined and found partially caused by his assumption of a kinetically limited reaction. In the present work, sorption is assumed the predominant retardation process controlling Pu and Np transport, and is simulated using a diffuse-double-layer-surface-complexation (DDLSC) model. Transport simulations consider the infiltration of Np- and Pu-contaminated waters into an initially uncontaminated environment, followed by the cleanup of the resultant contamination with uncontaminated water. Simulations are conducted using different spatial distributions of sorption capacities (with the same total potential sorption capacity, but with different variances and spatial correlation structures). Results obtained differ markedly from those that would be obtained in transport simulations using constant Kd, Langmuir or Freundlich sorption models. When possible, simulation results (breakthrough curves) are fitted to a constant K d advection-dispersion transport model and compared. Functional differences often are great enough that they prevent a meaningful fit of the simulation results with a constant K d (or even a Langmuir or Freundlich) model, even in the case of Np, a weakly sorbed radionuclide under the

Biogeochemical Attributes That Affect the Fate and Transport of Military Relevant Contaminants Under Freeze-thaw Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeMonte, J.; Price, C. L.; Seiter, J.; Crocker, F. H.; Douglas, T.; Chappell, M. A.

2017-12-01

The roles and missions that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) undertakes in the Arctic are being reshaped by significant changes in the operational environment as a result of rising global temperatures and increased development of the vast training ranges available in Alaska. The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth resulting in changing seasonality and precipitation patterns that, in turn, are leading to alterations in above ground vegetation, permafrost stability and summer sea ice extent. Collectively, these poorly defined ecosystem changes play critical roles in affecting the transport and eventual fate of persistent military relevant contaminants through unique Arctic and Subarctic terrestrial environments. As a result, management of military contaminants in a changing Arctic represents a unique and potentially significant liability to the Army and the DoD. The United States footprint in the Arctic region falls within the state of Alaska and U.S. Army Alaska manages 10% of all active Army training lands worldwide, which cover nearly 2,500 square miles in total land area. Primary recalcitrant contaminants of concern at active training ranges and at legacy sites include energetics (i.e. RDX and 2,4-dinitrotoluene) and heavy metals (i.e. antimony and lead). Through a series of field sampling and laboratory experiments, the objectives of this work are to: 1) quantify soil biogeochemical attributes that effect the physical fate and transport of military relevant contaminants in Arctic and subarctic soils under freeze-thaw conditions with a focus on near surface processes, and 2) quantify microbial diversity in Arctic and subarctic soils and the environmental constraints on community activity while exploring the effects of amendments on community function as they relate to contaminant transformation.

Source water assessment and nonpoint sources of acutely toxic contaminants: A review of research related to survival and transport of Cryptosporidium parvum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Mark J.; Montemagno, Carlo D.; Jenkins, Michael B.

1998-12-01

Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (PL-930123) in 1996 required that public water supply managers identify potential sources of contamination within contributing areas. Nonpoint sources of acutely toxic microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium parvum, challenge current approaches to source identification and management as a first step toward developing management plans for public water supply protection. Little may be known about survival and transport in the field environment, prescribed practices may not be designed to manage such substances, and infective stages may be present in vast numbers and may resist water treatment and disinfection processes. This review summarizes research related to survival and transport of C. parvum oocysts, as an example of an acutely toxic contaminant with nonpoint sources in animal agriculture. It discusses ∥1) significance of infected domesticated animals as potential sources of C. parvum, (2) laboratory and field studies of survival and transport, and (3) approaches to source control in the context of public health protection.

Assessing the value of different data sets and modeling schemes for flow and transport simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyndman, D. W.; Dogan, M.; Van Dam, R. L.; Meerschaert, M. M.; Butler, J. J., Jr.; Benson, D. A.

2014-12-01

Accurate modeling of contaminant transport has been hampered by an inability to characterize subsurface flow and transport properties at a sufficiently high resolution. However mathematical extrapolation combined with different measurement methods can provide realistic three-dimensional fields of highly heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity (K). This study demonstrates an approach to evaluate the time, cost, and efficiency of subsurface K characterization. We quantify the value of different data sets at the highly heterogeneous Macro Dispersion Experiment (MADE) Site in Mississippi, which is a flagship test site that has been used for several macro- and small-scale tracer tests that revealed non-Gaussian tracer behavior. Tracer data collected at the site are compared to models that are based on different types and resolution of geophysical and hydrologic data. We present a cost-benefit analysis of several techniques including: 1) flowmeter K data, 2) direct-push K data, 3) ground penetrating radar, and 4) two stochastic methods to generate K fields. This research provides an initial assessment of the level of data necessary to accurately simulate solute transport with the traditional advection dispersion equation; it also provides a basis to design lower cost and more efficient remediation schemes at highly heterogeneous sites.

A composite numerical model for assessing subsurface transport of oily wastes and chemical constituents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panday, S.; Wu, Y. S.; Huyakorn, P. S.; Wade, S. C.; Saleem, Z. A.

1997-02-01

Subsurface fate and transport models are utilized to predict concentrations of chemicals leaching from wastes into downgradient receptor wells. The contaminant concentrations in groundwater provide a measure of the risk to human health and the environment. The level of potential risk is currently used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine whether management of the wastes should conform to hazardous waste management standards. It is important that the transport and fate of contaminants is simulated realistically. Most models in common use are inappropriate for simulating the migration of wastes containing significant fractions of nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs). The migration of NAPL and its dissolved constituents may not be reliably predicted using conventional aqueous-phase transport simulations. To overcome this deficiency, an efficient and robust regulatory assessment model incorporating multiphase flow and transport in the unsaturated and saturated zones of the subsurface environment has been developed. The proposed composite model takes into account all of the major transport processes including infiltration and ambient flow of NAPL, entrapment of residual NAPL, adsorption, volatilization, degradation, dissolution of chemical constituents, and transport by advection and hydrodynamic dispersion. Conceptually, the subsurface is treated as a composite unsaturated zone-saturated zone system. The composite simulator consists of three major interconnected computational modules representing the following components of the migration pathway: (1) vertical multiphase flow and transport in the unsaturated zone; (2) areal movement of the free-product lens in the saturated zone with vertical equilibrium; and (3) three-dimensional aqueous-phase transport of dissolved chemicals in ambient groundwater. Such a composite model configuration promotes computational efficiency and robustness (desirable for regulatory assessment applications). Two examples are

Advection-dominated Inflow/Outflows from Evaporating Accretion Disks.

PubMed

Turolla; Dullemond

2000-03-01

In this Letter we investigate the properties of advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) fed by the evaporation of a Shakura-Sunyaev accretion disk (SSD). In our picture, the ADAF fills the central cavity evacuated by the SSD and extends beyond the transition radius into a coronal region. We find that, because of global angular momentum conservation, a significant fraction of the hot gas flows away from the black hole, forming a transsonic wind, unless the injection rate depends only weakly on radius (if r2sigma&d2;~r-xi, xi<1&solm0;2). The Bernoulli number of the inflowing gas is negative if the transition radius is less, similar100 Schwarzschild radii, so matter falling into the hole is gravitationally bound. The ratio of inflowing to outflowing mass is approximately 1/2, so in these solutions the accretion rate is of the same order as in standard ADAFs and much larger than in advection-dominated inflow/outflow models. The possible relevance of evaporation-fed solutions to accretion flows in black hole X-ray binaries is briefly discussed.

Excess surface area in bioelectrochemical systems causes ion transport limitations.

PubMed

Harrington, Timothy D; Babauta, Jerome T; Davenport, Emily K; Renslow, Ryan S; Beyenal, Haluk

2015-05-01

We investigated ion transport limitations on 3D graphite felt electrodes by growing Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms with advection to eliminate external mass transfer limitations. We characterized ion transport limitations by: (i) showing that serially increasing NaCl concentration up to 200 mM increased current linearly up to a total of +273% vs. 0 mM NaCl under advective conditions; (ii) growing the biofilm with a starting concentration of 200 mM NaCl, which led to a maximum current increase of 400% vs. current generation without NaCl, and (iii) showing that un-colonized surface area remained even after steady-state current was reached. After accounting for iR effects, we confirmed that the excess surface area existed despite a non-zero overpotential. The fact that the biofilm was constrained from colonizing and producing further current under these conditions confirmed the biofilms under study here were ion transport-limited. Our work demonstrates that the use of high surface area electrodes may not increase current density when the system design allows ion transport limitations to become dominant. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Black Swans and the Effectiveness of Remediating Groundwater Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, D. I.; Otz, M. H.; Otz, I.

2013-12-01

Black swans, outliers, dominate science far more than do predictable outcomes. Predictable success constitutes the Black Swan in groundwater remediation. Even the National Research Council concluded that remediating groundwater to drinking water standards has failed in typically complex hydrogeologic settings where heterogeneities and preferential flow paths deflect flow paths obliquely to hydraulic gradients. Natural systems, be they biological or physical, build upon a combination of large-scale regularity coupled to chaos at smaller scales. We show through a review of over 25 case studies that groundwater remediation efforts are best served by coupling parsimonious site characterization to natural and induced geochemical tracer tests to at least know where contamination advects with groundwater in the subsurface. In the majority of our case studies, actual flow paths diverge tens of degrees from anticipated flow paths because of unrecognized heterogeneities in the horizontal direction of transport, let alone the vertical direction. Consequently, regulatory agencies would better serve both the public and the environment by recognizing that long-term groundwater cleanup probably is futile in most hydrogeologic settings except to relaxed standards similar to brownfielding. A Black Swan

Effects of thinning on transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection and solar radiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Advective energy occurring in edge environments may increase tree water use. In humid agricultural landscapes, advection-enhanced transpiration in riparian buffers may provide hydrologic regulation; however, research in humid environments is lacking. The objectives of this study were to determine ho...

Steady-state and transient models of groundwater flow and advective transport, Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory and vicinity, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ackerman, Daniel J.; Rousseau, Joseph P.; Rattray, Gordon W.; Fisher, Jason C.

2010-01-01

Three-dimensional steady-state and transient models of groundwater flow and advective transport in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy. The steady-state and transient flow models cover an area of 1,940 square miles that includes most of the 890 square miles of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). A 50-year history of waste disposal at the INL has resulted in measurable concentrations of waste contaminants in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Model results can be used in numerical simulations to evaluate the movement of contaminants in the aquifer. Saturated flow in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer was simulated using the MODFLOW-2000 groundwater flow model. Steady-state flow was simulated to represent conditions in 1980 with average streamflow infiltration from 1966-80 for the Big Lost River, the major variable inflow to the system. The transient flow model simulates groundwater flow between 1980 and 1995, a period that included a 5-year wet cycle (1982-86) followed by an 8-year dry cycle (1987-94). Specified flows into or out of the active model grid define the conditions on all boundaries except the southwest (outflow) boundary, which is simulated with head-dependent flow. In the transient flow model, streamflow infiltration was the major stress, and was variable in time and location. The models were calibrated by adjusting aquifer hydraulic properties to match simulated and observed heads or head differences using the parameter-estimation program incorporated in MODFLOW-2000. Various summary, regression, and inferential statistics, in addition to comparisons of model properties and simulated head to measured properties and head, were used to evaluate the model calibration. Model parameters estimated for the steady-state calibration included hydraulic conductivity for seven of nine hydrogeologic zones and a global value of vertical anisotropy. Parameters

Multiscale modelling of dual-porosity porous media; a computational pore-scale study for flow and solute transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, Enno T.; Raoof, Amir; van Genuchten, Martinus Th.

2017-07-01

Many environmental and agricultural applications involve the transport of water and dissolved constituents through aggregated soil profiles, or porous media that are structured, fractured or macroporous in other ways. During the past several decades, various process-based macroscopic models have been used to simulate contaminant transport in such media. Many of these models consider advective-dispersive transport through relatively large inter-aggregate pore domains, while exchange with the smaller intra-aggregate pores is assumed to be controlled by diffusion. Exchange of solute between the two domains is often represented using a first-order mass transfer coefficient, which is commonly obtained by fitting to observed data. This study aims to understand and quantify the solute exchange term by applying a dual-porosity pore-scale network model to relatively large domains, and analysing the pore-scale results in terms of the classical dual-porosity (mobile-immobile) transport formulation. We examined the effects of key parameters (notably aggregate porosity and aggregate permeability) on the main dual-porosity model parameters, i.e., the mobile water fraction (ϕm) and the mass transfer coefficient (α). Results were obtained for a wide range of aggregate porosities (between 0.082 and 0.700). The effect of aggregate permeability was explored by varying pore throat sizes within the aggregates. Solute breakthrough curves (BTCs) obtained with the pore-scale network model at several locations along the domain were analysed using analytical solutions of the dual-porosity model to obtain estimates of ϕm and α. An increase in aggregate porosity was found to decrease ϕm and increase α, leading to considerable tailing in the BTCs. Changes in the aggregate pore throat size affected the relative flow velocity between the intra- and inter-aggregate domains. Higher flow velocities within the aggregates caused a change in the transport regime from diffusion dominated to more

Reductive dissolution and reactive solute transport in a sewage-contaminated glacial outwash aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, R.W.; Bennett, P.C.

1998-01-01

Contamination of shallow ground water by sewage effluent typically contains reduced chemical species that consume dissolved oxygen, developing either a low oxygen geochemical environment or an anaerobic geochemical environment. Based on the load of reduced chemical species discharged to shallow ground water and the amounts of reactants in the aquifer matrix, it should be possible to determine chemical processes in the aquifer and compare observed results to predicted ones. At the Otis Air Base research site (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) where sewage effluent has infiltrated the shallow aquifer since 1936, bacterially mediated processes such as nitrification, denitrification, manganese reduction, and iron reduction have been observed in the contaminant plume. In specific areas of the plume, dissolved manganese and iron have increased significantly where local geochemical conditions are favorable for reduction and transport of these constituents from the aquifer matrix. Dissolved manganese and iron concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 7.3 mg/L, and 0.001 to 13.0 mg/L, respectively, for 21 samples collected from 1988 to 1989. Reduction of manganese and iron is linked to microbial oxidation of sewage carbon, producing bicarbonate and the dissolved metal ions as by-products. Calculated production and flux of CO2 through the unsaturated zone from manganese reduction in the aquifer was 0.035 g/m2/d (12% of measured CO2 flux during winter). Manganese is limited in the aquifer, however. A one-dimensional, reaction-coupled transport model developed for the mildly reducing conditions in the sewage plume nearest the source beds showed that reduction, transport, and removal of manganese from the aquifer sediments should result in iron reduction where manganese has been depleted.

High-resolution stochastic downscaling of climate models: simulating wind advection, cloud cover and precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peleg, Nadav; Fatichi, Simone; Burlando, Paolo

2015-04-01

A new stochastic approach to generate wind advection, cloud cover and precipitation fields is presented with the aim of formulating a space-time weather generator characterized by fields with high spatial and temporal resolution (e.g., 1 km x 1 km and 5 min). Its use is suitable for stochastic downscaling of climate scenarios in the context of hydrological, ecological and geomorphological applications. The approach is based on concepts from the Advanced WEather GENerator (AWE-GEN) presented by Fatichi et al. (2011, Adv. Water Resour.), the Space-Time Realizations of Areal Precipitation model (STREAP) introduced by Paschalis et al. (2013, Water Resour. Res.), and the High-Resolution Synoptically conditioned Weather Generator (HiReS-WG) presented by Peleg and Morin (2014, Water Resour. Res.). Advection fields are generated on the basis of the 500 hPa u and v wind direction variables derived from global or regional climate models. The advection velocity and direction are parameterized using Kappa and von Mises distributions respectively. A random Gaussian fields is generated using a fast Fourier transform to preserve the spatial correlation of advection. The cloud cover area, total precipitation area and mean advection of the field are coupled using a multi-autoregressive model. The approach is relatively parsimonious in terms of computational demand and, in the context of climate change, allows generating many stochastic realizations of current and projected climate in a fast and efficient way. A preliminary test of the approach is presented with reference to a case study in a complex orography terrain in the Swiss Alps.

Effects of thinning on transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection and solar radiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Advective energy occurring in edge environments may increase tree water use (e.g., latent heat loss, LE > net radiation, Rn). In humid agricultural landscapes, advection-enhanced transpiration in riparian buffers may provide hydrologic regulation and flood control benefits; however, research in humi...

Bioturbation, advection, and diffusion of a conserved tracer in a laboratory flume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Work, P. A.; Moore, P. R.; Reible, D. D.

2002-06-01

Laboratory experiments indicating the relative influences of advection, diffusion, and bioturbation on transport of NaCl tracer between a stream and streambed are described. Data were collected in a recirculating flume housing a box filled with test sediments. Peclet numbers ranged from 0 to 1.5. Sediment components included a medium sand (d50 = 0.31 mm), kaolinite, and topsoil. Lumbriculus variegatus were introduced as bioturbators. Conductivity probes were employed to document the flux of the tracer solution out of the bed. Measurements are compared to one-dimensional effective diffusion models assuming one or two horizontal sediment layers. These simple models provide a good indication of tracer half-life in the bed if a suitable effective diffusion coefficient is chosen but underpredict initial flux and overpredict flux at long times. Organism activity was limited to the upper reaches of the sediment test box but eventually exerts a secondary influence on flux from deeper regions.

Alteration of chaotic advection in blood flow around partial blockage zone: Role of hematocrit concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiti, Soumyabrata; Chaudhury, Kaustav; DasGupta, Debabrata; Chakraborty, Suman

2013-01-01

Spatial distributions of particles carried by blood exhibit complex filamentary pattern under the combined effects of geometrical irregularities of the blood vessels and pulsating pumping by the heart. This signifies the existence of so called chaotic advection. In the present article, we argue that the understanding of such pathologically triggered chaotic advection is incomplete without giving due consideration to a major constituent of blood: abundant presence of red blood cells quantified by the hematocrit (HCT) concentration. We show that the hematocrit concentration in blood cells can alter the filamentary structures of the spatial distribution of advected particles in an intriguing manner. Our results reveal that there primarily are two major impacts of HCT concentrations towards dictating the chaotic dynamics of blood flow: changing the zone of influence of chaotic mixing and determining the enhancement of residence time of the advected particles away from the wall. This, in turn, may alter the extent of activation of platelets or other reactive biological entities, bearing immense consequence towards dictating the biophysical mechanisms behind possible life-threatening diseases originating in the circulatory system.

Wind Tunnel Measurement of Turbulent and Advective Scalar Fluxes: A Case Study on Intersection Ventilation

PubMed Central

Kukačka, Libor; Nosek, Štĕpán; Kellnerová, Radka; Jurčáková, Klára; Jaňour, Zbyněk

2012-01-01

The objective of this study is to determine processes of pollution ventilation in the X-shaped street intersection in an idealized symmetric urban area for the changing approach flow direction. A unique experimental setup for simultaneous wind tunnel measurement of the flow velocity and the tracer gas concentration in a high temporal resolution is assembled. Advective horizontal and vertical scalar fluxes are computed from averaged measured velocity and concentration data within the street intersection. Vertical advective and turbulent scalar fluxes are computed from synchronized velocity and concentration signals measured in the plane above the intersection. All the results are obtained for five approach flow directions. The influence of the approach flow on the advective and turbulent fluxes is determined. The contribution of the advective and turbulent flux to the ventilation is discussed. Wind direction with the best dispersive conditions in the area is found. The quadrant analysis is applied to the synchronized signals of velocity and concentration fluctuation to determine events with the dominant contribution to the momentum flux and turbulent scalar flux. PMID:22649290

Wind tunnel measurement of turbulent and advective scalar fluxes: a case study on intersection ventilation.

PubMed

Kukačka, Libor; Nosek, Štĕpán; Kellnerová, Radka; Jurčáková, Klára; Jaňour, Zbyněk

2012-01-01

The objective of this study is to determine processes of pollution ventilation in the X-shaped street intersection in an idealized symmetric urban area for the changing approach flow direction. A unique experimental setup for simultaneous wind tunnel measurement of the flow velocity and the tracer gas concentration in a high temporal resolution is assembled. Advective horizontal and vertical scalar fluxes are computed from averaged measured velocity and concentration data within the street intersection. Vertical advective and turbulent scalar fluxes are computed from synchronized velocity and concentration signals measured in the plane above the intersection. All the results are obtained for five approach flow directions. The influence of the approach flow on the advective and turbulent fluxes is determined. The contribution of the advective and turbulent flux to the ventilation is discussed. Wind direction with the best dispersive conditions in the area is found. The quadrant analysis is applied to the synchronized signals of velocity and concentration fluctuation to determine events with the dominant contribution to the momentum flux and turbulent scalar flux.

Analytical solutions for a soil vapor extraction model that incorporates gas phase dispersion and molecular diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Junqi; Goltz, Mark N.

2017-06-01

To greatly simplify their solution, the equations describing radial advective/dispersive transport to an extraction well in a porous medium typically neglect molecular diffusion. While this simplification is appropriate to simulate transport in the saturated zone, it can result in significant errors when modeling gas phase transport in the vadose zone, as might be applied when simulating a soil vapor extraction (SVE) system to remediate vadose zone contamination. A new analytical solution for the equations describing radial gas phase transport of a sorbing contaminant to an extraction well is presented. The equations model advection, dispersion (including both mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion), and rate-limited mass transfer of dissolved, separate phase, and sorbed contaminants into the gas phase. The model equations are analytically solved by using the Laplace transform with respect to time. The solutions are represented by confluent hypergeometric functions in the Laplace domain. The Laplace domain solutions are then evaluated using a numerical Laplace inversion algorithm. The solutions can be used to simulate the spatial distribution and the temporal evolution of contaminant concentrations during operation of a soil vapor extraction well. Results of model simulations show that the effect of gas phase molecular diffusion upon concentrations at the extraction well is relatively small, although the effect upon the distribution of concentrations in space is significant. This study provides a tool that can be useful in designing SVE remediation strategies, as well as verifying numerical models used to simulate SVE system performance.

Advective and Conductive Heat Flow Budget Across the Wagner Basin, Northern Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, F.; Negrete-Aranda, R.; Contreras, J.; Müller, C.; Hutnak, M.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, A.; Harris, R. N.; Sclater, J. G.

2015-12-01

In May 2015, we conducted a cruise across the northern Gulf of California, an area of continental rift basin formation and rapid deposition of sediments. The cruise was undertaken aboard the R/V Alpha Helix; our goal was to study variation in superficial conductive heat flow, lateral changes in the shallow thermal conductivity structure, and advective transport of heat across the Wagner basin. We used a Fielax heat flow probe with 22 thermistors that can penetrate up to 6 m into the sediment cover. The resulting data set includes 53 new heat flow measurements collected along three profiles. The longest profile (42 km) contains 30 measurements spaced 1-2 km apart. The western part of the Wagner basin (hanging wall block) exhibit low to normal conductive heat flow whereas the eastern part of the basin (foot wall block) heat flow is high to very high (up to 2500 mWm-2). Two other short profiles (12 km long each) focused on resolving an extremely high heat flow anomaly up to 15 Wm-2 located near the intersection between the Wagner bounding fault system and the Cerro Prieto fault. We hypothesize that the contrasting heat flow values observed across the Wagner basin are due to horizontal water circulation through sand layers and fault pathways of high permeability. Circulation appears to be from west (recharge zone) to east (discharge zone). Additionally, our results reveal strong vertical advection of heat due to dehydration reactions and compaction of fine grained sediments.

49 CFR 177.843 - Contamination of vehicles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contamination of vehicles. 177.843 Section 177.843... and Unloading § 177.843 Contamination of vehicles. (a) Each motor vehicle used for transporting Class... surface contamination is not greater than the level prescribed in § 173.443(a) of this subchapter. (b...

The vapor-phase multi-stage CMD test for characterizing contaminant mass discharge associated with VOC sources in the vadose zone: Application to three sites in different lifecycle stages of SVE operations.

PubMed

Brusseau, M L; Mainhagu, J; Morrison, C; Carroll, K C

2015-08-01

Vapor-phase multi-stage contaminant mass discharge (CMD) tests were conducted at three field sites to measure mass discharge associated with contaminant sources located in the vadose zone. The three sites represent the three primary stages of the soil vapor extraction (SVE) operations lifecycle-pre/initial-SVE, mid-lifecycle, and near-closure. A CMD of 32g/d was obtained for a site at which soil vapor SVE has been in operation for approximately 6years, and for which mass removal is currently in the asymptotic stage. The contaminant removal behavior exhibited for the vapor extractions conducted at this site suggests that there is unlikely to be a significant mass of non-vapor-phase contaminant (e.g., DNAPL, sorbed phase) remaining in the advective domains, and that most remaining mass is likely located in poorly accessible domains. Given the conditions for this site, this remaining mass is hypothesized to be associated with the low-permeability (and higher water saturation) region in the vicinity of the saturated zone and capillary fringe. A CMD of 25g/d was obtained for a site wherein SVE has been in operation for several years but concentrations and mass-removal rates are still relatively high. A CMD of 270g/d was obtained for a site for which there were no prior SVE operations. The behavior exhibited for the vapor extractions conducted at this site suggest that non-vapor-phase contaminant mass (e.g., DNAPL) may be present in the advective domains. Hence, the asymptotic conditions observed for this site most likely derive from a combination of rate-limited mass transfer from DNAPL (and sorbed) phases present in the advective domain as well as mass residing in lower-permeability ("non-advective") regions. The CMD values obtained from the tests were used in conjunction with a recently developed vapor-discharge tool to evaluate the impact of the measured CMDs on groundwater quality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of fast advective flows on pattern formation of Dictyostelium discoideum

PubMed Central

Bae, Albert; Zykov, Vladimir; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2018-01-01

We report experimental and numerical results on pattern formation of self-organizing Dictyostelium discoideum cells in a microfluidic setup under a constant buffer flow. The external flow advects the signaling molecule cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) downstream, while the chemotactic cells attached to the solid substrate are not transported with the flow. At high flow velocities, elongated cAMP waves are formed that cover the whole length of the channel and propagate both parallel and perpendicular to the flow direction. While the wave period and transverse propagation velocity are constant, parallel wave velocity and the wave width increase linearly with the imposed flow. We also observe that the acquired wave shape is highly dependent on the wave generation site and the strength of the imposed flow. We compared the wave shape and velocity with numerical simulations performed using a reaction-diffusion model and found excellent agreement. These results are expected to play an important role in understanding the process of pattern formation and aggregation of D. discoideum that may experience fluid flows in its natural habitat. PMID:29590179

Advective, Diffusive and Eruptive Leakage of CO2 and Brine within Fault Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, N. H.; Han, W. S.

2014-12-01

This study investigated a natural analogue for CO2 leakage near the Green River, Utah, aiming to understand the influence of various factors on CO2 leakage and to reliably predict underground CO2 behavior after injection for geologic CO2 sequestration. Advective, diffusive, and eruptive characteristics of CO2 leakage were assessed via a soil CO2 flux survey and numerical modeling. The field results show anomalous CO2 fluxes (> 10 g m-2 d-1) along the faults, particularly adjacent to CO2-driven cold springs and geysers (e.g., 36,259 g m-2 d-1 at Crystal Geyser), ancient travertines (e.g., 5,917 g m-2 d-1), joint zones in sandstone (e.g., 120 g m-2 d-1), and brine discharge zones (e.g., 5,515 g m-2 d-1). Combined to similar isotopic ratios of gas and progressive evolution of brine chemistry at springs and geysers, a gradual decrease of soil CO2 flux from the Little Grand Wash (LGW; ~36,259 g m-2 d-1) to Salt Wash (SW; ~1,428 g m-2 d-1) fault zones reveals the same CO2 origin and potential southward transport of CO2 over 10-20 km. The numerical simulations overtly exhibit lateral transport of free CO2 and CO2-rich brine from the LGW to SW fault zones through the regional aquifers (e.g., Entrada, Navajo, Kayenta, Wingate, White Rim). CO2 travels predominantly as an aqueous phase (Xco2=~0.045) as previously suggested, giving rise to the convective instability that further accelerates CO2 dissolution. While the buoyant free CO2 always tends to ascend, a fraction of dense CO2-rich brine flows laterally into the aquifer and mixes with the formation fluids during upward migration along the fault. The fault always enhances advective CO2 transport regardless of its permeability (k). However, only the low-k fault scenario engenders development of CO2 anticlinal trap within the shallow aquifers (Entrada and Navajo), concentrating high CO­­­2 fluxes (~1,273 g m-2 d-1) within the northern footwall of the LGW fault similar to the field. Moreover, eruptive CO2 leakage at a well

Solution of the advection-dispersion equation in two dimensions by a finite-volume Eulerian-Lagrangian localized adjoint method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, R.W.; Russell, T.F.

1998-01-01

We extend the finite-volume Eulerian-Lagrangian localized adjoint method (FVELLAM) for solution of the advection-dispersion equation to two dimensions. The method can conserve mass globally and is not limited by restrictions on the size of the grid Peclet or Courant number. Therefore, it is well suited for solution of advection-dominated ground-water solute transport problems. In test problem comparisons with standard finite differences, FVELLAM is able to attain accurate solutions on much coarser space and time grids. On fine grids, the accuracy of the two methods is comparable. A critical aspect of FVELLAM (and all other ELLAMs) is evaluation of the mass storage integral from the preceding time level. In FVELLAM this may be accomplished with either a forward or backtracking approach. The forward tracking approach conserves mass globally and is the preferred approach. The backtracking approach is less computationally intensive, but not globally mass conservative. Boundary terms are systematically represented as integrals in space and time which are evaluated by a common integration scheme in conjunction with forward tracking through time. Unlike the one-dimensional case, local mass conservation cannot be guaranteed, so slight oscillations in concentration can develop, particularly in the vicinity of inflow or outflow boundaries. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Modeling, Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis of Spacecraft Air Contaminants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez, W. Fred; Skliar, Mikhail; Narayan, Anand; Morgenthaler, George W.; Smith, Gerald J.

1996-01-01

Progress and results in the development of an integrated air quality modeling, monitoring, fault detection, and isolation system are presented. The focus was on development of distributed models of the air contaminants transport, the study of air quality monitoring techniques based on the model of transport process and on-line contaminant concentration measurements, and sensor placement. Different approaches to the modeling of spacecraft air contamination are discussed, and a three-dimensional distributed parameter air contaminant dispersion model applicable to both laminar and turbulent transport is proposed. A two-dimensional approximation of a full scale transport model is also proposed based on the spatial averaging of the three dimensional model over the least important space coordinate. A computer implementation of the transport model is considered and a detailed development of two- and three-dimensional models illustrated by contaminant transport simulation results is presented. The use of a well established Kalman filtering approach is suggested as a method for generating on-line contaminant concentration estimates based on both real time measurements and the model of contaminant transport process. It is shown that high computational requirements of the traditional Kalman filter can render difficult its real-time implementation for high-dimensional transport model and a novel implicit Kalman filtering algorithm is proposed which is shown to lead to an order of magnitude faster computer implementation in the case of air quality monitoring.

Transport and modeling of estrogenic hormones in a dairy farm effluent through undisturbed soil lysimeters.

PubMed

Steiner, Laure D; Bidwell, Vincent J; Di, Hong J; Cameron, Keith C; Northcott, Grant L

2010-04-01

The presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including estrone (E1) and 17beta-estradiol (E2), in surface waters has been associated with physiological dysfunction in a number of aquatic organisms. One source of surface and groundwater contamination with E1 and E2 is the land application of animal wastes. The processes involved in the transport of these hormones in the soil, when applied with animal wastes, are still unclear. Therefore, a field-transport experiment was carried out, where a dairy farm effluent spiked with E1 and E2 was applied on large (50 cm diameter and 70 cm depth) undisturbed soil lysimeters. The concentrations of E1 and E2 in the leachate were monitored over a 3-month period, during which irrigation was applied. The experimental data suggest that E1 and E2 were transported through preferential/macropore flow pathways. The data from the experiment also show that E1 and E2 are leached earlier than the inert tracer (bromide). This observation can be explained either by the presence of antecedent concentrations in the soil or by an enhanced transport of E1 and E2 through the soil. A state-space mixing-cell model was further developed in order to describe the transport of E1 and E2 by three transport processes in parallel. The inverse modeling of the leaching data did not support the hypothesis that antecedent concentrations of estrogens could be responsible for the observed breakthrough curves but confirmed that estrogens were transported mainly via preferential/macropore flow and also via an enhanced transport. The parameter values that characterized this enhanced transport strongly suggest that this enhanced transport is mediated by colloids. For the first time, the simultaneous transport of E1 and E2 was modeled under transient conditions, taking into account the advection-dispersion, preferential/macropore flow, and colloidal-enhanced transport processes as well as E1 and E2 dissipation in the soil. These findings have major implications in

OMNIgene.SPUTUM suppresses contaminants while maintaining Mycobacterium tuberculosis viability and obviates cold-chain transport.

PubMed

Azam, Khalide; Cadir, Nureisha; Madeira, Carla; Gillespie, Stephen H; Sabiiti, Wilber

2018-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics are centralised, requiring long-distance transportation of specimens in most resource-limited settings. We evaluated the ability of OMNIgene.SPUTUM (OM-S) to obviate cold-chain transport of TB specimens. A two-arm (same-day and after 5 days sample processing) study was conducted to assess contamination rates and Mycobacterium tuberculosis viability in OM-S-treated samples against the standard decontamination procedure (SDP) in Mozambique, using Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) and mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture and molecular bacterial load assay. 270 specimens were processed using OM-S and SDP in same-day and 5-day arms. Contamination was lower in OM-S-treated than SDP-treated cultures: 12% versus 15% and 2% versus 27% in the same-day and 5-day arms, respectively. M. tuberculosis recovery in OM-S-treated LJ cultures was 10% and 56% higher in the same-day and 5-day arms, respectively, than SDP-treated cultures, but lower in MGIT (52% and 28% lower in the same-day and 5-day arms, respectively). M. tuberculosis viable count was 1log estimated CFU·mL -1 lower in 5-day OM-S-treated sputa. OM-S was more effective at liquefying sputum with a shorter sample processing time: 22 min for culture. OM-S is simple to use and has demonstrated a high potency to suppress contaminants, maintenance of viability at ambient temperatures and higher M. tuberculosis recovery, particularly in the solid LJ cultures. Optimisation of OM-S to achieve higher MGIT culture positivity and shorter time to result will increase its application and utility in the clinical management of TB.

OMNIgene.SPUTUM suppresses contaminants while maintaining Mycobacterium tuberculosis viability and obviates cold-chain transport

PubMed Central

Azam, Khalide; Cadir, Nureisha; Madeira, Carla; Gillespie, Stephen H.; Sabiiti, Wilber

2018-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics are centralised, requiring long-distance transportation of specimens in most resource-limited settings. We evaluated the ability of OMNIgene.SPUTUM (OM-S) to obviate cold-chain transport of TB specimens. A two-arm (same-day and after 5 days sample processing) study was conducted to assess contamination rates and Mycobacterium tuberculosis viability in OM-S-treated samples against the standard decontamination procedure (SDP) in Mozambique, using Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) and mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture and molecular bacterial load assay. 270 specimens were processed using OM-S and SDP in same-day and 5-day arms. Contamination was lower in OM-S-treated than SDP-treated cultures: 12% versus 15% and 2% versus 27% in the same-day and 5-day arms, respectively. M. tuberculosis recovery in OM-S-treated LJ cultures was 10% and 56% higher in the same-day and 5-day arms, respectively, than SDP-treated cultures, but lower in MGIT (52% and 28% lower in the same-day and 5-day arms, respectively). M. tuberculosis viable count was 1log estimated CFU·mL−1 lower in 5-day OM-S-treated sputa. OM-S was more effective at liquefying sputum with a shorter sample processing time: 22 min for culture. OM-S is simple to use and has demonstrated a high potency to suppress contaminants, maintenance of viability at ambient temperatures and higher M. tuberculosis recovery, particularly in the solid LJ cultures. Optimisation of OM-S to achieve higher MGIT culture positivity and shorter time to result will increase its application and utility in the clinical management of TB. PMID:29479537

Evaluating Potential Exposures to Ecological Receptors Due to Transport of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in Subsurface Systems (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) announced the release of the final report, Evaluating Potential Exposures to Ecological Receptors Due to Transport of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in Subsurface Systems. This technical paper recommends several ty...

Evaluating the hydraulic and transport properties of peat soil using pore network modeling and X-ray micro computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharedaghloo, Behrad; Price, Jonathan S.; Rezanezhad, Fereidoun; Quinton, William L.

2018-06-01

Micro-scale properties of peat pore space and their influence on hydraulic and transport properties of peat soils have been given little attention so far. Characterizing the variation of these properties in a peat profile can increase our knowledge on the processes controlling contaminant transport through peatlands. As opposed to the common macro-scale (or bulk) representation of groundwater flow and transport processes, a pore network model (PNM) simulates flow and transport processes within individual pores. Here, a pore network modeling code capable of simulating advective and diffusive transport processes through a 3D unstructured pore network was developed; its predictive performance was evaluated by comparing its results to empirical values and to the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. This is the first time that peat pore networks have been extracted from X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) images of peat deposits and peat pore characteristics evaluated in a 3D approach. Water flow and solute transport were modeled in the unstructured pore networks mapped directly from μCT images. The modeling results were processed to determine the bulk properties of peat deposits. Results portray the commonly observed decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth, which was attributed to the reduction of pore radius and increase in pore tortuosity. The increase in pore tortuosity with depth was associated with more decomposed peat soil and decreasing pore coordination number with depth, which extended the flow path of fluid particles. Results also revealed that hydraulic conductivity is isotropic locally, but becomes anisotropic after upscaling to core-scale; this suggests the anisotropy of peat hydraulic conductivity observed in core-scale and field-scale is due to the strong heterogeneity in the vertical dimension that is imposed by the layered structure of peat soils. Transport simulations revealed that for a given solute, the effective

Modelling of terrain-induced advective flow in Tibet: Implications for assessment of crustal heat flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hochstein, M.P.; Yang Zhongke

1992-01-01

In steep terrain the effect of advective flow can be significant, as it can distort the temperature field in the upper brittle crust. The effect was studied by modeling advective flow across a large valley system in Tibet which is associated with several geothermal hot spring systems, the Yanbajing Valley. It was found that, in this setting, all near-surface temperature gradients are significantly disturbed, attaining values differing by up to half an order of magnitude from those resulting from conductive heat transfer. Allowing for advective effects, it was found that the crustal heat flux within the Himalayan Geothermal Belt liesmore » within the range of 60 to 90 mW/m{sup 2} in the Lhasa-Yanbajing area.« less

Particulate export vs lateral advection in the Antarctic Polar Front (Southern Pacific Ocean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesi, T.; Langone, L.; Ravaioli, M.; Capotondi, L.; Giglio, F.

2012-04-01

The overarching goal of our study was to describe and quantify the influence of lateral advection relative to the vertical export in the Antarctic Polar Front (Southern Pacific Ocean). In areas where lateral advection of particulate material is significant, budgets of bioactive elements can be inaccurate if fluxes through the water column and to the seabed are exclusively interpreted as passive sinking of particles. However, detailed information on the influence of lateral advection in the water column in the southern ocean is lacking. With this in mind, our study focused between the twilight zone (i.e. mesopelagic) and the benthic nepheloid layer to understand the relative importance of lateral flux with increasing water depth. Measurements were performed south of the Antarctic Polar Front for 1 year (January 10th 1999-January 3rd 2000) at 900, 1300, 2400, and 3700 m from the sea surface. The study was carried out using a 3.5 km long mooring line instrumented with sediment traps, current meters and sensors of temperature and conductivity. Sediment trap samples were characterized via several parameters including total mass flux, elemental composition (organic carbon, total nitrogen, biogenic silica, and calcium carbonate), concentration of metals (aluminum, iron, barium, and manganese), 210Pb activity, and foraminifera taxonomy. High fluxes of biogenic particles were observed in both summer 1999 and 2000 as a result of seasonal algal blooms associated with sea ice retreat and water column stratification. During no-productive periods, several high energy events occurred and resulted in advecting resuspended biogenic particles from flat-topped summits of the Pacific Antarctic Ridge. Whereas the distance between seabed and uppermost sediment traps was sufficient to avoid lateral advection processes, resuspension was significant in the lowermost sediment traps accounting for ~60 and ~90% of the material caught at 2400 and 3700 m, respectively. Samples collected during

Modeling Sediment Detention Ponds Using Reactor Theory and Advection-Diffusion Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Bruce N.; Barfield, Billy J.

1985-04-01

An algorithm is presented to model the sedimentation process in detention ponds. This algorithm is based on a mass balance for an infinitesimal layer that couples reactor theory concepts with advection-diffusion processes. Reactor theory concepts are used to (1) determine residence time of sediment particles and to (2) mix influent sediment with previously stored flow. Advection-diffusion processes are used to model the (1) settling characteristics of sediment and the (2) vertical diffusion of sediment due to turbulence. Predicted results of the model are compared to those observed on two pilot scale ponds for a total of 12 runs. The average percent error between predicted and observed trap efficiency was 5.2%. Overall, the observed sedimentology values were predicted with reasonable accuracy.

Analysis of moisture advection during explosive cyclogenesis over North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordóñez, Paulina; Liberato, Margarida L. R.; Pinto, Joaquim G.; Trigo, Ricardo M.

2013-04-01

The development of a mid-latitude cyclone may strongly be amplified by the presence of a very warm and moist air mass within its warm sector through enhanced latent heat release. In this work, a lagrangian approach is applied to examine the contribution of moisture advection to the deepening of cyclones over the North Atlantic Ocean. The warm sector is represented by a 5°x5° longitude/latitude moving box comprising the centre of the cyclone and its south-eastern area is defined for the tracks of different cyclones computed at 6-hourly intervals. Using the lagrangian particle model FLEXPART we evaluated the fresh water flux (E - P) along 2-days back-trajectories of the particles residing on the total column over the defined boxes for case studies occurring during winter months from 1980 to 2000. FLEXPART simulations were performed using one degree resolution and 60 model vertical levels available in ERA40 Reanalyses at 00, 06, 12, 18 UTC for each case. Sensitivity studies on the dimensions of the target area - chosen boxes representing the warm sector -, and on its relative position to the center, were performed. We have applied this methodology to several case studies of independent North Atlantic cyclones with notorious characteristics (e.g. deepening rate, wind speed, surface damages). Results indicate that the moisture transport is particularly relevant in what concerns the fast/explosive development stage of these extratropical cyclones. In particular, the advection of moist air from the subtropics towards the cyclone core is clearly associated with the warm conveyor belt of the cyclone. This methodology can be generalized to a much larger number of mid-latitude cyclones, providing a unique opportunity to analyze the moisture behavior associated with the explosive development. Acknowledgments: This work was partially supported by FEDER (Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional) funds through the COMPETE (Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade

Shuttle/spacelab contamination environment and effects handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bareiss, L. E.; Payton, R. M.; Papazian, H. A.

1986-01-01

This handbook is intended to assist users of the Spacelab/Space Transportation System by providing contamination environments and effects information that may be of value in planning, designing, manufacturing, and operating a space flight experiment. A summary of available molecular and particulate contamination data on the Space Transportation System and its facilities is presented. Contamination models, contamination effects, and protection methods information are also presented. In addition to contamination, the effects of the space environments at STS altitudes on spacecraft materials are included. Extensive references, bibliographies, and contacts are provided.

A ternary age-mixing model to explain contaminant occurrence in a deep supply well

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jurgens, Bryant; Bexfield, Laura M.; Eberts, Sandra

2014-01-01

The age distribution of water from a public-supply well in a deep alluvial aquifer was estimated and used to help explain arsenic variability in the water. The age distribution was computed using a ternary mixing model that combines three lumped parameter models of advection-dispersion transport of environmental tracers, which represent relatively recent recharge (post- 1950s) containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), old intermediate depth groundwater (about 6500 years) that was free of drinking-water contaminants, and very old, deep groundwater (more than 21,000 years) containing arsenic above the USEPA maximum contaminant level of 10 µg/L. The ternary mixing model was calibrated to tritium, chloroflorocarbon-113, and carbon-14 (14C) concentrations that were measured in water samples collected on multiple occasions. Variability in atmospheric 14C over the past 50,000 years was accounted for in the interpretation of 14C as a tracer. Calibrated ternary models indicate the fraction of deep, very old groundwater entering the well varies substantially throughout the year and was highest following long periods of nonoperation or infrequent operation, which occured during the winter season when water demand was low. The fraction of young water entering the well was about 11% during the summer when pumping peaked to meet water demand and about 3% to 6% during the winter months. This paper demonstrates how collection of multiple tracers can be used in combination with simplified models of fluid flow to estimate the age distribution and thus fraction of contaminated groundwater reaching a supply well under different pumping conditions.

A Ternary Age-Mixing Model to Explain Contaminant Occurrence in a Deep Supply Well

PubMed Central

Jurgens, Bryant C; Bexfield, Laura M; Eberts, Sandra M

2014-01-01

The age distribution of water from a public-supply well in a deep alluvial aquifer was estimated and used to help explain arsenic variability in the water. The age distribution was computed using a ternary mixing model that combines three lumped parameter models of advection-dispersion transport of environmental tracers, which represent relatively recent recharge (post-1950s) containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), old intermediate depth groundwater (about 6500 years) that was free of drinking-water contaminants, and very old, deep groundwater (more than 21,000 years) containing arsenic above the USEPA maximum contaminant level of 10 µg/L. The ternary mixing model was calibrated to tritium, chloroflorocarbon-113, and carbon-14 (14C) concentrations that were measured in water samples collected on multiple occasions. Variability in atmospheric 14C over the past 50,000 years was accounted for in the interpretation of 14C as a tracer. Calibrated ternary models indicate the fraction of deep, very old groundwater entering the well varies substantially throughout the year and was highest following long periods of nonoperation or infrequent operation, which occured during the winter season when water demand was low. The fraction of young water entering the well was about 11% during the summer when pumping peaked to meet water demand and about 3% to 6% during the winter months. This paper demonstrates how collection of multiple tracers can be used in combination with simplified models of fluid flow to estimate the age distribution and thus fraction of contaminated groundwater reaching a supply well under different pumping conditions. PMID:24597520

Eulerian Lagrangian Adaptive Fup Collocation Method for solving the conservative solute transport in heterogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gotovac, Hrvoje; Srzic, Veljko

2014-05-01

Contaminant transport in natural aquifers is a complex, multiscale process that is frequently studied using different Eulerian, Lagrangian and hybrid numerical methods. Conservative solute transport is typically modeled using the advection-dispersion equation (ADE). Despite the large number of available numerical methods that have been developed to solve it, the accurate numerical solution of the ADE still presents formidable challenges. In particular, current numerical solutions of multidimensional advection-dominated transport in non-uniform velocity fields are affected by one or all of the following problems: numerical dispersion that introduces artificial mixing and dilution, grid orientation effects, unresolved spatial and temporal scales and unphysical numerical oscillations (e.g., Herrera et al, 2009; Bosso et al., 2012). In this work we will present Eulerian Lagrangian Adaptive Fup Collocation Method (ELAFCM) based on Fup basis functions and collocation approach for spatial approximation and explicit stabilized Runge-Kutta-Chebyshev temporal integration (public domain routine SERK2) which is especially well suited for stiff parabolic problems. Spatial adaptive strategy is based on Fup basis functions which are closely related to the wavelets and splines so that they are also compactly supported basis functions; they exactly describe algebraic polynomials and enable a multiresolution adaptive analysis (MRA). MRA is here performed via Fup Collocation Transform (FCT) so that at each time step concentration solution is decomposed using only a few significant Fup basis functions on adaptive collocation grid with appropriate scales (frequencies) and locations, a desired level of accuracy and a near minimum computational cost. FCT adds more collocations points and higher resolution levels only in sensitive zones with sharp concentration gradients, fronts and/or narrow transition zones. According to the our recent achievements there is no need for solving the large

Partitioned coupling of advection-diffusion-reaction systems and Brinkman flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenarda, Pietro; Paggi, Marco; Ruiz Baier, Ricardo

2017-09-01

We present a partitioned algorithm aimed at extending the capabilities of existing solvers for the simulation of coupled advection-diffusion-reaction systems and incompressible, viscous flow. The space discretisation of the governing equations is based on mixed finite element methods defined on unstructured meshes, whereas the time integration hinges on an operator splitting strategy that exploits the differences in scales between the reaction, advection, and diffusion processes, considering the global system as a number of sequentially linked sets of partial differential, and algebraic equations. The flow solver presents the advantage that all unknowns in the system (here vorticity, velocity, and pressure) can be fully decoupled and thus turn the overall scheme very attractive from the computational perspective. The robustness of the proposed method is illustrated with a series of numerical tests in 2D and 3D, relevant in the modelling of bacterial bioconvection and Boussinesq systems.

Numerical and analytical approaches to an advection-diffusion problem at small Reynolds number and large Péclet number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, Nathaniel J.; Licata, Nicholas A.

2018-05-01

Obtaining a detailed understanding of the physical interactions between a cell and its environment often requires information about the flow of fluid surrounding the cell. Cells must be able to effectively absorb and discard material in order to survive. Strategies for nutrient acquisition and toxin disposal, which have been evolutionarily selected for their efficacy, should reflect knowledge of the physics underlying this mass transport problem. Motivated by these considerations, in this paper we discuss the results from an undergraduate research project on the advection-diffusion equation at small Reynolds number and large Péclet number. In particular, we consider the problem of mass transport for a Stokesian spherical swimmer. We approach the problem numerically and analytically through a rescaling of the concentration boundary layer. A biophysically motivated first-passage problem for the absorption of material by the swimming cell demonstrates quantitative agreement between the numerical and analytical approaches. We conclude by discussing the connections between our results and the design of smart toxin disposal systems.

Improving estimates of ecosystem metabolism by reducing effects of tidal advection on dissolved oxygen time series-Abstract

EPA Science Inventory

Continuous time series of dissolved oxygen (DO) have been used to compute estimates of metabolism in aquatic ecosystems. Central to this open water or "Odum" method is the assumption that the DO time is not strongly affected by advection and that effects due to advection or mixin...

Fractal continuum model for tracer transport in a porous medium.

PubMed

Herrera-Hernández, E C; Coronado, M; Hernández-Coronado, H

2013-12-01

A model based on the fractal continuum approach is proposed to describe tracer transport in fractal porous media. The original approach has been extended to treat tracer transport and to include systems with radial and uniform flow, which are cases of interest in geoscience. The models involve advection due to the fluid motion in the fractal continuum and dispersion whose mathematical expression is taken from percolation theory. The resulting advective-dispersive equations are numerically solved for continuous and for pulse tracer injection. The tracer profile and the tracer breakthrough curve are evaluated and analyzed in terms of the fractal parameters. It has been found in this work that anomalous transport frequently appears, and a condition on the fractal parameter values to predict when sub- or superdiffusion might be expected has been obtained. The fingerprints of fractality on the tracer breakthrough curve in the explored parameter window consist of an early tracer breakthrough and long tail curves for the spherical and uniform flow cases, and symmetric short tailed curves for the radial flow case.

Modeling the influence of variable pH on the transport of zinc in a contaminated aquifer using semiempirical surface complexation models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kent, D.B.; Abrams, R.H.; Davis, J.A.; Coston, J.A.; LeBlanc, D.R.

2000-01-01

Land disposal of sewage effluent resulted in contamination of a sand and gravel aquifer (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) with zinc (Zn). The distribution of Zn was controlled by pH‐dependent adsorption; the Zn extended 15 m into the 30‐m‐thick sewage plume within approximately 100 m of the source but only 2–4 m into the plume between 100 and 400 m downgradient. A two‐dimensional vertical cross section model coupling groundwater flow with solute transport and equilibrium adsorption is used to simulate the influence of pH on Zn transport. Adsorption is described using semiempirical surface complexation models (SCM) by writing chemical reactions between dissolved Zn and mineral surface sites. SCM parameters were determined in independent laboratory experiments. A 59‐year simulation with a one‐site SCM describes the influence of pH on Zn transport well, with greater mobility at the low pH values near the upper sewage plume boundary than at the higher pH values deeper in the sewage‐contaminated zone. Simulation with a two‐site SCM describes both the sharpness and approximate location of the leading edge of the Zn‐contaminated region. Temporal variations in pH of incoming groundwater can result in large increases in Zn concentration and mobility. The influence of spatial and temporal variability in pH on adsorption and transport of Zn was accomplished much more easily with the semiempirical SCM approach than could be achieved with distribution coefficients or adsorption isotherms.

Design and laboratory testing of a chamber device to measure total flux of volatile organic compounds from the unsaturated zone under natural conditions.

PubMed

Tillman, Fred D; Smith, James A

2004-11-01

To determine if an aquifer contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has potential for natural remediation, all natural processes affecting the fate and transport of VOCs in the subsurface must be identified and quantified. This research addresses the quantification of air-phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) leaving the unsaturated zone soil gas and entering the atmosphere-including the additional flux provided by advective soil-gas movement induced by barometric pumping. A simple and easy-to-use device for measuring VOC flux under natural conditions is presented. The vertical flux chamber (VFC) was designed using numerical simulations and evaluated in the laboratory. Mass-balance numerical simulations based on continuously stirred tank reactor equations (CSTR) provided information on flux measurement performance of several sampling configurations with the final chamber configuration measuring greater than 96% of model-simulated fluxes. A laboratory device was constructed to evaluate the flux chamber under both diffusion-only and advection-plus-diffusion transport conditions. The flux chamber measured an average of 82% of 15 diffusion-only fluxes and an average of 95% of 15 additional advection-plus-diffusion flux experiments. The vertical flux chamber has the capability of providing reliable measurement of VOC flux from the unsaturated zone under both diffusion and advection transport conditions.

Pore and Continuum Scale Study of the Effect of Subgrid Transport Heterogeneity on Redox Reaction Rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Yuanyuan; Liu, Chongxuan; Zhang, Changyong

2015-08-01

A micromodel system with a pore structure for heterogeneous flow and transport was used to investigate the effect of subgrid transport heterogeneity on redox reaction rates. Hematite reductive dissolution by injecting a reduced form of flavin mononucleotide (FMNH2) at variable flow rates was used as an example to probe the variations of redox reaction rates in different subgrid transport domains. Experiments, pore-scale simulations, and macroscopic modeling were performed to measure and simulate in-situ hematite reduction and to evaluate the scaling behavior of the redox reaction rates from the pore to macroscopic scales. The results indicated that the measured pore-scale ratesmore » of hematite reduction were consistent with the predictions from a pore scale reactive transport model. A general trend is that hematite reduction followed reductant transport pathways, starting from the advection-dominated pores toward the interior of diffusion-dominated domains. Two types of diffusion domains were considered in the micromodel: a micropore diffusion domain, which locates inside solid grains or aggregates where reactant transport is limited by diffusion; and a macropore diffusion domain, which locates at wedged, dead-end pore spaces created by the grain-grain contacts. The rate of hematite reduction in the advection-dominated domain was faster than those in the diffusion-controlled domains, and the rate in the macropore diffusion domain was faster than that in the micropore domain. The reduction rates in the advection and macropore diffusion domains increased with increasing flow rate, but were affected by different mechanisms. The rate increase in the advection domain was controlled by the mass action effect as a faster flow supplied more reactants, and the rate increase in the macropore domain was more affected by the rate of mass exchange with the advection domain, which increased with increasing flow rate. The hematite reduction rate in the micropore domain was

Impact of climate change on acid mine drainage generation and contaminant transport in water ecosystems of semi-arid and arid mining areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anawar, Hossain Md.

Disposal of untreated and treated mining wastes and tailings exerts a significant threat and hazard for environmental contamination including groundwater, surface water, wetlands, land, food chain and animals. In order to facilitate remediation techniques, it is important to understand the oxidation of sulfidic minerals, and the hydrolysis of the oxidation products that result in production of acid mine drainage (AMD), toxic metals, low pH, SO42- and Fe. This review has summarized the impacts of climate change on geochemical reactions, AMD generation, and water quality in semi-arid/arid mining environments. Besides this, the study included the effects of hydrological, seasonal and climate change on composition of AMD, contaminant transport in watersheds and restoration of mining sites. Different models have different types of limitations and benefits that control their adaptability and suitability of application in various mining environments. This review has made a comparative discussion of a few most potential and widely used reactive transport models that can be applied to simulate the effect of climate change on sulfide oxidation and AMD production from mining waste, and contaminant transport in surface and groundwater systems.

Reduction of spatial distribution of risk factors for transportation of contaminants released by coal mining activities.

PubMed

Karan, Shivesh Kishore; Samadder, Sukha Ranjan

2016-09-15

It is reported that water-energy nexus composes two of the biggest development and human health challenges. In the present study we presented a Risk Potential Index (RPI) model which encapsulates Source, Vector (Transport), and Target risks for forecasting surface water contamination. The main aim of the model is to identify critical surface water risk zones for an open cast mining environment, taking Jharia Coalfield, India as the study area. The model also helps in feasible sampling design. Based on spatial analysis various risk zones were successfully delineated. Monthly RPI distribution revealed that the risk of surface water contamination was highest during the monsoon months. Surface water samples were analysed to validate the model. A GIS based alternative management option was proposed to reduce surface water contamination risk and observed 96% and 86% decrease in the spatial distribution of very high risk areas for the months June and July respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directed Fluid Transport with Biomimetic ``Silia'' Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shields, A. R.; Evans, B. A.; Carstens, B. L.; Falvo, M. R.; Washburn, S.; Superfine, R.

2008-10-01

We present results on the long-range, directed fluid transport produced by the collective beating of arrays of biomimetic ``silia.'' Silia are arrays of free-standing nanorods roughly the size of biological cilia, which we fabricate from a polymer-magnetic nanoparticle composite material. With external permanent magnets we actuate our silia such that their motion mimics the beating of biological cilia. Biological cilia have evolved to produce microscale fluid transport and are increasingly being recognized as critical components in a wide range of biological systems. However, despite much effort cilia generated fluid flows remain an area of active study. In the last decade, cilia-driven fluid flow in the embryonic node of vertebrates has been implicated as the initial left-right symmetry breaking event in these embryos. With silia we generate directional fluid transport by mimicking the tilted conical beating of these nodal cilia and seek to answer open questions about the nature of particle advection in such a system. By seeding fluorescent microparticles into the fluid we have noted the existence of two distinct flow regimes. The fluid flow is directional and coherent above the tips of the silia, while between the silia tips and floor particle motion is complicated and suggestive of chaotic advection.

A continuous time random walk model for Darcy-scale anomalous transport in heterogeneous porous media.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comolli, Alessandro; Hakoun, Vivien; Dentz, Marco

2017-04-01

Achieving the understanding of the process of solute transport in heterogeneous porous media is of crucial importance for several environmental and social purposes, ranging from aquifers contamination and remediation, to risk assessment in nuclear waste repositories. The complexity of this aim is mainly ascribable to the heterogeneity of natural media, which can be observed at all the scales of interest, from pore scale to catchment scale. In fact, the intrinsic heterogeneity of porous media is responsible for the arising of the well-known non-Fickian footprints of transport, including heavy-tailed breakthrough curves, non-Gaussian spatial density profiles and the non-linear growth of the mean squared displacement. Several studies investigated the processes through which heterogeneity impacts the transport properties, which include local modifications to the advective-dispersive motion of solutes, mass exchanges between some mobile and immobile phases (e.g. sorption/desorption reactions or diffusion into solid matrix) and spatial correlation of the flow field. In the last decades, the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model has often been used to describe solute transport in heterogenous conditions and to quantify the impact of point heterogeneity, spatial correlation and mass transfer on the average transport properties [1]. Open issues regarding this approach are the possibility to relate measurable properties of the medium to the parameters of the model, as well as its capability to provide predictive information. In a recent work [2] the authors have shed new light on understanding the relationship between Lagrangian and Eulerian dynamics as well as on their evolution from arbitrary initial conditions. On the basis of these results, we derive a CTRW model for the description of Darcy-scale transport in d-dimensional media characterized by spatially random permeability fields. The CTRW approach models particle velocities as a spatial Markov process, which is

Reactive-Diffusive-Advective Traveling Waves in a Family of Degenerate Nonlinear Equations.

PubMed

Sánchez-Garduño, Faustino; Pérez-Velázquez, Judith

This paper deals with the analysis of existence of traveling wave solutions (TWS) for a diffusion-degenerate (at D (0) = 0) and advection-degenerate (at h '(0) = 0) reaction-diffusion-advection (RDA) equation. Diffusion is a strictly increasing function and the reaction term generalizes the kinetic part of the Fisher-KPP equation. We consider different forms of the convection term h ( u ): (1)   h '( u ) is constant k , (2)   h '( u ) = ku with k > 0, and (3) it is a quite general form which guarantees the degeneracy in the advective term. In Case 1, we prove that the task can be reduced to that for the corresponding equation, where k = 0, and then previous results reported from the authors can be extended. For the other two cases, we use both analytical and numerical tools. The analysis we carried out is based on the restatement of searching TWS for the full RDA equation into a two-dimensional dynamical problem. This consists of searching for the conditions on the parameter values for which there exist heteroclinic trajectories of the ordinary differential equations (ODE) system in the traveling wave coordinates. Throughout the paper we obtain the dynamics by using tools coming from qualitative theory of ODE.

Reactive-Diffusive-Advective Traveling Waves in a Family of Degenerate Nonlinear Equations

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Garduño, Faustino

2016-01-01

This paper deals with the analysis of existence of traveling wave solutions (TWS) for a diffusion-degenerate (at D(0) = 0) and advection-degenerate (at h′(0) = 0) reaction-diffusion-advection (RDA) equation. Diffusion is a strictly increasing function and the reaction term generalizes the kinetic part of the Fisher-KPP equation. We consider different forms of the convection term h(u): (1)  h′(u) is constant k, (2)  h′(u) = ku with k > 0, and (3) it is a quite general form which guarantees the degeneracy in the advective term. In Case 1, we prove that the task can be reduced to that for the corresponding equation, where k = 0, and then previous results reported from the authors can be extended. For the other two cases, we use both analytical and numerical tools. The analysis we carried out is based on the restatement of searching TWS for the full RDA equation into a two-dimensional dynamical problem. This consists of searching for the conditions on the parameter values for which there exist heteroclinic trajectories of the ordinary differential equations (ODE) system in the traveling wave coordinates. Throughout the paper we obtain the dynamics by using tools coming from qualitative theory of ODE. PMID:27689131

Warm-Core Intensification Through Horizontal Eddy Heat Transports into the Eye

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braun, Scott A.; Montgomery, Michael T.; Fulton, John; Nolan, David S.; Starr, David OC (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A simulation of Hurricane Bob (1991) using the PSU/NCAR MM5 mesoscale model with a finest mesh spacing of 1.3 km is used to diagnose the heat budget of the hurricane. Heat budget terms, including latent and radiative heating, boundary layer forcing, and advection terms were output directly from the model for a 6-h period with 2-min frequency. Previous studies of warm core formation have emphasized the warming associated with gentle subsidence within the eye. The simulation of Hurricane Bob confirms subsidence warming as a major factor for eye warming, but also shows a significant contribution from horizontal advective terms. When averaged over the area of the eye, subsidence is found to strongly warm the mid-troposphere (2-9 km) while horizontal advection warms the mid to upper troposphere (5-13 km) with about equal magnitude. Partitioning of the horizontal advective terms into azimuthal mean and eddy components shows that the mean radial circulation does not, as expected, generally contribute to this warming, but that it is produced almost entirely by the horizontal eddy transport of heat into the eye. A further breakdown of the eddy components into azimuthal wave numbers 1, 2, and higher indicates that the warming is dominated by wave number 1 asymmetries, with smaller coming from higher wave numbers. Warming by horizontal eddy transport is consistent with idealized modeling of vortex Rossby waves and work is in progress to identify and clarify the role of vortex Rossby waves in warm-core intensification in both the full-physics model and idealized models.

A three-dimensional method-of-characteristics solute-transport model (MOC3D)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konikow, Leonard F.; Goode, D.J.; Hornberger, G.Z.

1996-01-01

This report presents a model, MOC3D, that simulates three-dimensional solute transport in flowing ground water. The model computes changes in concentration of a single dissolved chemical constituent over time that are caused by advective transport, hydrodynamic dispersion (including both mechanical dispersion and diffusion), mixing (or dilution) from fluid sources, and mathematically simple chemical reactions (including linear sorption, which is represented by a retardation factor, and decay). The transport model is integrated with MODFLOW, a three-dimensional ground-water flow model that uses implicit finite-difference methods to solve the transient flow equation. MOC3D uses the method of characteristics to solve the transport equation on the basis of the hydraulic gradients computed with MODFLOW for a given time step. This implementation of the method of characteristics uses particle tracking to represent advective transport and explicit finite-difference methods to calculate the effects of other processes. However, the explicit procedure has several stability criteria that may limit the size of time increments for solving the transport equation; these are automatically determined by the program. For improved efficiency, the user can apply MOC3D to a subgrid of the primary MODFLOW grid that is used to solve the flow equation. However, the transport subgrid must have uniform grid spacing along rows and columns. The report includes a description of the theoretical basis of the model, a detailed description of input requirements and output options, and the results of model testing and evaluation. The model was evaluated for several problems for which exact analytical solutions are available and by benchmarking against other numerical codes for selected complex problems for which no exact solutions are available. These test results indicate that the model is very accurate for a wide range of conditions and yields minimal numerical dispersion for advection

Surfactant-enhanced flushing enhances colloid transport and alters macroporosity in diesel-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Guan, Zhuo; Tang, Xiang-Yu; Nishimura, Taku; Katou, Hidetaka; Liu, Hui-Yun; Qing, Jing

2018-02-01

Soil contamination by diesel has been often reported as a result of accidental spillage, leakage and inappropriate use. Surfactant-enhanced soil flushing is a common remediation technique for soils contaminated by hydrophobic organic chemicals. In this study, soil flushing with linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS, an anionic surfactant) was conducted for intact columns (15cm in diameter and 12cm in length) of diesel-contaminated farmland purple soil aged for one year in the field. Dynamics of colloid concentration in column outflow during flushing, diesel removal rate and resulting soil macroporosity change by flushing were analyzed. Removal rate of n-alkanes (representing the diesel) varied with the depth of the topsoil in the range of 14%-96% while the n-alkanes present at low concentrations in the subsoil were completely removed by LAS-enhanced flushing. Much higher colloid concentrations and larger colloid sizes were observed during LAS flushing in column outflow compared to water flushing. The X-ray micro-computed tomography analysis of flushed and unflushed soil cores showed that the proportion of fine macropores (30-250μm in diameter) was reduced significantly by LAS flushing treatment. This phenomenon can be attributed to enhanced clogging of fine macropores by colloids which exhibited higher concentration due to better dispersion by LAS. It can be inferred from this study that the application of LAS-enhanced flushing technique in the purple soil region should be cautious regarding the possibility of rapid colloid-associated contaminant transport via preferential pathways in the subsurface and the clogging of water-conducting soil pores. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Osmium isotopes demonstrate distal transport of contaminated sediments in Chesapeake Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helz, G.R.; Adelson, J.M.; Miller, C.V.; Cornwell, J.C.; Hill, J.M.; Horan, M.; Walker, R.J.

2000-01-01

Because the isotopic composition of anthropogenic Os is normally distinctive in comparison to continental crust and is precisely measurable, this platinum-group element is attractive as a tracer of transport pathways for contaminated sediments in estuaries. Evidence herein and elsewhere suggest that biomedical research institutions are the chief source of anthropogenic Os. In the Chesapeake Bay region, uncontaminated sediments bear a crustal 187Os/188Os signature of 0.73 ?? 0.10. Slightly higher 187Os/188Os ratios occur in Re-rich Coastal Plain deposits due to post- Miocene 187Re decay. The upper Susquehanna Basin yields sediments also with higher 187Os/188Os. Beginning in the late 1970s, this signal was overprinted by a low 187Os/188Os (anthropogenic) source in the lower Susquehanna Basin. In the vicinity of Baltimore, which is a major center of heavy industry as well as biomedical research, anthropogenic Os has been found only in sediments impacted by the principal wastewater treatment plant. Surprisingly, a mid-Bay site distant from anthropogenic sources contains the strongest anthropogenic Os signal in the data set, having received anthropogenic Os sporadically since the mid-20th Century. Transport of particles to this site overrode the northward flowing bottom currents. Finding anthropogenic Os at this site cautions that other particle-borne substances, including hazardous ones, could be dispersed broadly in this estuary.Because the isotopic composition of anthropogenic Os is normally distinctive in comparison to continental crust and is precisely measurable, this platinum-group element is attractive as a tracer of transport pathways for contaminated sediments in estuaries. Evidence herein and elsewhere suggest that biomedical research institutions are the chief source of anthropogenic Os. In the Chesapeake Bay region, uncontaminated sediments bear a crustal 187Os/188Os signature of 0.73 ?? 0.10. Slightly higher 187Os/188Os ratios occur in Re-rich Coastal

Tidal and meteorological forcing of sediment transport in tributary mudflat channels.

PubMed

Ralston, David K; Stacey, Mark T

2007-06-01

Field observations of flow and sediment transport in a tributary channel through intertidal mudflats indicate that suspended sediment was closely linked to advection and dispersion of a tidal salinity front. During calm weather when tidal forcing was dominant, high concentrations of suspended sediment advected up the mudflat channel in the narrow region between salty water from San Francisco Bay and much fresher runoff from the small local watershed. Salinity and suspended sediment dispersed at similar rates through each tidal inundation, such that during receding ebbs the sediment pulse had spread spatially and maximum concentrations had decreased. Net sediment transport was moderately onshore during the calm weather, as asymmetries in stratification due to tidal straining of the salinity front enhanced deposition, particularly during weaker neap tidal forcing. Sediment transport by tidal forcing was periodically altered by winter storms. During storms, strong winds from the south generated wind waves and temporarily increased suspended sediment concentrations. Increased discharge down the tributary channels due to precipitation had more lasting impact on sediment transport, supplying both buoyancy and fine sediment to the system. Net sediment transport depended on the balance between calm weather tidal forcing and perturbations by episodic storms. Net transport in the tributary channel was generally off-shore during storms and during calm weather spring tides, and on-shore during calm weather neap tides.

Tidal and meteorological forcing of sediment transport in tributary mudflat channels

PubMed Central

Ralston, David K.; Stacey, Mark T.

2011-01-01

Field observations of flow and sediment transport in a tributary channel through intertidal mudflats indicate that suspended sediment was closely linked to advection and dispersion of a tidal salinity front. During calm weather when tidal forcing was dominant, high concentrations of suspended sediment advected up the mudflat channel in the narrow region between salty water from San Francisco Bay and much fresher runoff from the small local watershed. Salinity and suspended sediment dispersed at similar rates through each tidal inundation, such that during receding ebbs the sediment pulse had spread spatially and maximum concentrations had decreased. Net sediment transport was moderately onshore during the calm weather, as asymmetries in stratification due to tidal straining of the salinity front enhanced deposition, particularly during weaker neap tidal forcing. Sediment transport by tidal forcing was periodically altered by winter storms. During storms, strong winds from the south generated wind waves and temporarily increased suspended sediment concentrations. Increased discharge down the tributary channels due to precipitation had more lasting impact on sediment transport, supplying both buoyancy and fine sediment to the system. Net sediment transport depended on the balance between calm weather tidal forcing and perturbations by episodic storms. Net transport in the tributary channel was generally off-shore during storms and during calm weather spring tides, and on-shore during calm weather neap tides. PMID:21499572

The prediction of sea-surface temperature variations by means of an advective mixed-layer ocean model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atlas, R. M.

1976-01-01

An advective mixed layer ocean model was developed by eliminating the assumption of horizontal homogeneity in an already existing mixed layer model, and then superimposing a mean and anomalous wind driven current field. This model is based on the principle of conservation of heat and mechanical energy and utilizes a box grid for the advective part of the calculation. Three phases of experiments were conducted: evaluation of the model's ability to account for climatological sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the cooling and heating seasons, sensitivity tests in which the effect of hypothetical anomalous winds was evaluated, and a thirty-day synoptic calculation using the model. For the case studied, the accuracy of the predictions was improved by the inclusion of advection, although nonadvective effects appear to have dominated.

Enhanced Retention of Chemotactic Bacteria in a Pore Network with Residual NAPL Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, R.; Wang, X.

2013-12-01

Nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants are difficult to eliminate from natural aquifers due, in part, to the heterogeneous structure of the soil matrix. Residual NAPL ganglia remain trapped in regions where the hydraulic conductivity is relatively low. Bioremediation processes depend on adequate mixing of microbial populations and the groundwater contaminants that they degrade. The ability of bacteria to sense a chemical gradient and swim preferentially toward locations of higher concentration, known as chemotaxis, can enhance the mixing of bacteria with contaminant sources that may not be readily accessible by advection and dispersion alone. The impact of chemotaxis on bacterial abundance within a low conductivity NAPL-contaminated region of a well-characterized porous matrix was investigated. A microfluidic device was designed to mimic heterogeneous features of a contaminated groundwater system. NAPL ganglia (toluene) were trapped within a fine pore network, and bacteria were injected into the system through a highly conductive adjacent channel. Chemotactic bacteria (P. putida F1) migrated preferentially towards and accumulated in the vicinity of NAPL contaminant sources. The accumulation of chemotactic bacteria was 15% greater in comparison to a nonchemotactic mutant (P. putida F1 CheA). Bacteria in the microfluidic device were subjected to different flow velocities from 0.25 to 5 m/d encompassing the range of typical groundwater flow rates. Chemotactic bacteria exhibited greater accumulation near the intersection between the macrochannel and the porous network at a flow velocity of 0.5 m/d than both the nonchemotactic mutant control and the chemotactic bacteria at a higher flow velocity of 5 m/d. Breakthrough curves observed at the outlet provided indirect evidence that chemotactic bacteria were retained within the contaminated low permeable region for a longer time than the nonchemotactic bacteria at a flow velocity of 0.25 m/d. This retention was

Interaction of environmental contaminants with zebrafish organic anion transporting polypeptide, Oatp1d1 (Slco1d1)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popovic, Marta; Zaja, Roko; Fent, Karl

Polyspecific transporters from the organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP/Oatp) superfamily mediate the uptake of a wide range of compounds. In zebrafish, Oatp1d1 transports conjugated steroid hormones and cortisol. It is predominantly expressed in the liver, brain and testes. In this study we have characterized the transport of xenobiotics by the zebrafish Oatp1d1 transporter. We developed a novel assay for assessing Oatp1d1 interactors using the fluorescent probe Lucifer yellow and transient transfection in HEK293 cells. Our data showed that numerous environmental contaminants interact with zebrafish Oatp1d1. Oatp1d1 mediated the transport of diclofenac with very high affinity, followed by high affinity towardsmore » perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), nonylphenol, gemfibrozil and 17α-ethinylestradiol; moderate affinity towards carbaryl, diazinon and caffeine; and low affinity towards metolachlor. Importantly, many environmental chemicals acted as strong inhibitors of Oatp1d1. A strong inhibition of Oatp1d1 transport activity was found by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), chlorpyrifos-methyl, estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2), followed by moderate to low inhibition by diethyl phthalate, bisphenol A, 7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl-1,2,3,4 tetrahydronapthalene and clofibrate. In this study we identified Oatp1d1 as a first Solute Carrier (SLC) transporter involved in the transport of a wide range of xenobiotics in fish. Considering that Oatps in zebrafish have not been characterized before, our work on zebrafish Oatp1d1 offers important new insights on the understanding of uptake processes of environmental contaminants, and contributes to the better characterization of zebrafish as a model species. - Highlights: • We optimized a novel assay for determination of Oatp1d1 interactors • Oatp1d1 is the first SLC characterized fish xenobiotic transporter • PFOS, nonylphenol, diclofenac, EE2, caffeine are high affinity Oatp1d1substrates • PFOA

Advection of Karenia brevis blooms from the Florida Panhandle towards Mississippi coastal waters.

PubMed

Soto, Inia M; Cambazoglu, Mustafa Kemal; Boyette, Adam D; Broussard, Kristina; Sheehan, Drew; Howden, Stephan D; Shiller, Alan M; Dzwonkowski, Brian; Hode, Laura; Fitzpatrick, Patrick J; Arnone, Robert A; Mickle, Paul F; Cressman, Kimberly

2018-02-01

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) of Karenia brevis have been documented along coastal waters of every state bordering the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Some Gulf Coast locations, such as Florida and Texas, suffer from recurrent intense and spatially large blooms, while others such as Mississippi seem to rarely observe them. The main objective of this work is to understand the dynamics that led to the K. brevis bloom in Mississippi coastal waters in fall 2015. Blooms of K. brevis from the Florida Panhandle region are often advected westward towards the Mississippi-Alabama coast; however there is interannual variability in their presence and intensity in Mississippi coastal waters. The 2015 K. brevis bloom was compared to the 2007 Florida Panhandle K. brevis bloom, which showed a westward advection pattern, but did not intensify along the Mississippi coast. Cell counts and flow cytometry were obtained from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Alabama Department of Public Health, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and The University of Southern Mississippi. Ocean color satellite imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer onboard the Aqua satellite was used to detect and delineate the blooms in 2007 and 2015. Two different regional applications of NCOM-Navy Coastal Ocean Model (1-km resolution NCOM-GoM/Gulf of Mexico and 6-km resolution NCOM-IASNFS/Intra Americas Sea Nowcast Forecast System) were used to understand the circulation and transport pathways. A Lagrangian particle tracking software was used to track the passive movement of particles released at different locations for both bloom events. Ancillary data (e.g., nutrients, wind, salinity, river discharge) from local buoys, monitoring stations and coincident oceanographic cruises were also included in the analysis. The blooms of K. brevis reached the Mississippi coast both years; however, the bloom in 2007 lasted only a few days and there is no evidence that it entered the

Chemical mass transport between fluid fine tailings and the overlying water cover of an oil sands end pit lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dompierre, Kathryn A.; Barbour, S. Lee; North, Rebecca L.; Carey, Sean K.; Lindsay, Matthew B. J.

2017-06-01

Fluid fine tailings (FFT) are a principal by-product of the bitumen extraction process at oil sands mines. Base Mine Lake (BML)—the first full-scale demonstration oil sands end pit lake (EPL)—contains approximately 1.9 × 108 m3 of FFT stored under a water cover within a decommissioned mine pit. Chemical mass transfer from the FFT to the water cover can occur via two key processes: (1) advection-dispersion driven by tailings settlement; and (2) FFT disturbance due to fluid movement in the water cover. Dissolved chloride (Cl) was used to evaluate the water cover mass balance and to track mass transport within the underlying FFT based on field sampling and numerical modeling. Results indicated that FFT was the dominant Cl source to the water cover and that the FFT is exhibiting a transient advection-dispersion mass transport regime with intermittent disturbance near the FFT-water interface. The advective pore water flux was estimated by the mass balance to be 0.002 m3 m-2 d-1, which represents 0.73 m of FFT settlement per year. However, the FFT pore water Cl concentrations and corresponding mass transport simulations indicated that advection rates and disturbance depths vary between sample locations. The disturbance depth was estimated to vary with location between 0.75 and 0.95 m. This investigation provides valuable insight for assessing the geochemical evolution of the water cover and performance of EPLs as an oil sands reclamation strategy.

Limit Theorems and Their Relation to Solute Transport in Simulated Fractured Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeves, D. M.; Benson, D. A.; Meerschaert, M. M.

2003-12-01

Solute particles that travel through fracture networks are subject to wide velocity variations along a restricted set of directions. This may result in super-Fickian dispersion along a few primary scaling directions. The fractional advection-dispersion equation (FADE), a modification of the original advection-dispersion equation in which a fractional derivative replaces the integer-order dispersion term, has the ability to model rapid, non-Gaussian solute transport. The FADE assumes that solute particle motions converge to either α -stable or operator stable densities, which are modeled by spatial fractional derivatives. In multiple dimensions, the multi-fractional dispersion derivative dictates the order and weight of differentiation in all directions, which correspond to the statistics of large particle motions in all directions. This study numerically investigates the presence of super- Fickian solute transport through simulated two-dimensional fracture networks. An ensemble of networks is gen

Enhanced transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection in a humid temperate agricultural landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hernandez-Santana, V.; Asbjornsen, H.; Sauer, T.; Isenhart, T.; Schilling, K.; Schultz, Ronald

2011-01-01

Riparian buffers are designed as management practices to increase infiltration and reduce surface runoff and transport of sediment and nonpoint source pollutants from crop fields to adjacent streams. Achieving these ecosystem service goals depends, in part, on their ability to remove water from the soil via transpiration. In these systems, edges between crop fields and trees of the buffer systems can create advection processes, which could influence water use by trees. We conducted a field study in a riparian buffer system established in 1994 under a humid temperate climate, located in the Corn Belt region of the Midwestern U.S. (Iowa). The goals were to estimate stand level transpiration by the riparian buffer, quantify the controls on water use by the buffer system, and determine to what extent advective energy and tree position within the buffer system influence individual tree transpiration rates. We primarily focused on the water use response (determined with the Heat Ratio Method) of one of the dominant species (Acer saccharinum) and a subdominant (Juglans nigra). A few individuals of three additional species (Quercus bicolor, Betula nigra, Platanus occidentalis) were monitored over a shorter time period to assess the generality of responses. Meteorological stations were installed along a transect across the riparian buffer to determine the microclimate conditions. The differences found among individuals were attributed to differences in species sap velocities and sapwood depths, location relative to the forest edge and prevailing winds and canopy exposure and dominance. Sapflow rates for A. saccharinum trees growing at the SE edge (prevailing winds) were 39% greater than SE interior trees and 30% and 69% greater than NW interior and edge trees, respectively. No transpiration enhancement due to edge effect was detected in the subdominant J. nigra. The results were interpreted as indicative of advection effects from the surrounding crops. Further, significant

Contamination, Transport, and Exposure Mapping and Assessment of Karst Groundwater Systems in Northern Puerto Rico Using GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, J.; Schifman, L. A.; Irrizary, C.; Torres, P.; Padilla, I. Y.

2011-12-01

Ground waters from karst aquifer systems are one of the most important sources of freshwater worldwide and are highly vulnerable to both natural and anthropogenic contamination. Contaminants released into karst groundwater systems move through complex pathways from their sources to discharge areas of potential exposure. Points of exposure can include wells, springs, and surface waters that serve as drinking water sources. In Puerto Rico, the North Coast Limestone Aquifer System, which extends 90 miles across the north coast with an area of nearly 700 sq. miles, provides more than 50% of the potable water demand for industrial and drinking purposes. Historical reports from the 1980s revealed that volatile organic compounds, phthalates, and metals were close to or exceeded maximum contaminant levels. Exposure to such contaminants has been reported to cause reproductive and developmental issues, such as preterm birth. Since there is minimal understanding of the extent of contamination it is important to identify areas of potential concern. Preliminary analysis of 20 groundwater/springs and 20 tap water sites within the North Coast suggest that contamination is still a major concern. In addition, mixed effects models analyses suggest that >60% of pre-term birth rates may be explained by the presence of sites contaminated with volatile organic compounds, phthalates, and metals within the North Coast region. This presentation will focus primarily on how GIS was used as a tool for developing sampling strategies for collecting groundwater and tap water sources within the North Coast Limestone Aquifer System of Puerto Rico. In addition, the linkage of contamination, transport, and exposure to volatile organic compounds and phthalates will be addressed.