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

Aleman, S.E.

This report documents a finite element code designed to model subsurface flow and contaminant transport, named FACT. FACT is a transient three-dimensional, finite element code designed to simulate isothermal groundwater flow, moisture movement, and solute transport in variably saturated and fully saturated subsurface porous media.

Robust Representation of Integrated Surface-subsurface Hydrology at Watershed Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Painter, S. L.; Tang, G.; Collier, N.; Jan, A.; Karra, S.

2015-12-01

A representation of integrated surface-subsurface hydrology is the central component to process-rich watershed models that are emerging as alternatives to traditional reduced complexity models. These physically based systems are important for assessing potential impacts of climate change and human activities on groundwater-dependent ecosystems and water supply and quality. Integrated surface-subsurface models typically couple three-dimensional solutions for variably saturated flow in the subsurface with the kinematic- or diffusion-wave equation for surface flows. The computational scheme for coupling the surface and subsurface systems is key to the robustness, computational performance, and ease-of-implementation of the integrated system. A new, robust approach for coupling the subsurface and surface systems is developed from the assumption that the vertical gradient in head is negligible at the surface. This tight-coupling assumption allows the surface flow system to be incorporated directly into the subsurface system; effects of surface flow and surface water accumulation are represented as modifications to the subsurface flow and accumulation terms but are not triggered until the subsurface pressure reaches a threshold value corresponding to the appearance of water on the surface. The new approach has been implemented in the highly parallel PFLOTRAN (www.pflotran.org) code. Several synthetic examples and three-dimensional examples from the Walker Branch Watershed in Oak Ridge TN demonstrate the utility and robustness of the new approach using unstructured computational meshes. Representation of solute transport in the new approach is also discussed. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC0500OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for the United States Government purposes.

Researchers Mine Information from Next-Generation Subsurface Flow Simulations

DOE PAGES

Gedenk, Eric D.

2015-12-01

A research team based at Virginia Tech University leveraged computing resources at the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge National Laboratory to explore subsurface multiphase flow phenomena that can't be experimentally observed. Using the Cray XK7 Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, the team took Micro-CT images of subsurface geologic systems and created two-phase flow simulations. The team's model development has implications for computational research pertaining to carbon sequestration, oil recovery, and contaminant transport.

Integrated surface/subsurface permafrost thermal hydrology: Model formulation and proof-of-concept simulations

DOE PAGES

Painter, Scott L.; Coon, Ethan T.; Atchley, Adam L.; ...

2016-08-11

The need to understand potential climate impacts and feedbacks in Arctic regions has prompted recent interest in modeling of permafrost dynamics in a warming climate. A new fine-scale integrated surface/subsurface thermal hydrology modeling capability is described and demonstrated in proof-of-concept simulations. The new modeling capability combines a surface energy balance model with recently developed three-dimensional subsurface thermal hydrology models and new models for nonisothermal surface water flows and snow distribution in the microtopography. Surface water flows are modeled using the diffusion wave equation extended to include energy transport and phase change of ponded water. Variation of snow depth in themore » microtopography, physically the result of wind scour, is also modeled heuristically with a diffusion wave equation. The multiple surface and subsurface processes are implemented by leveraging highly parallel community software. Fully integrated thermal hydrology simulations on the tilted open book catchment, an important test case for integrated surface/subsurface flow modeling, are presented. Fine-scale 100-year projections of the integrated permafrost thermal hydrological system on an ice wedge polygon at Barrow Alaska in a warming climate are also presented. Finally, these simulations demonstrate the feasibility of microtopography-resolving, process-rich simulations as a tool to help understand possible future evolution of the carbon-rich Arctic tundra in a warming climate.« less

Dynamic coupling of subsurface and seepage flows solved within a regularized partition formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marçais, J.; de Dreuzy, J.-R.; Erhel, J.

2017-11-01

Hillslope response to precipitations is characterized by sharp transitions from purely subsurface flow dynamics to simultaneous surface and subsurface flows. Locally, the transition between these two regimes is triggered by soil saturation. Here we develop an integrative approach to simultaneously solve the subsurface flow, locate the potential fully saturated areas and deduce the generated saturation excess overland flow. This approach combines the different dynamics and transitions in a single partition formulation using discontinuous functions. We propose to regularize the system of partial differential equations and to use classic spatial and temporal discretization schemes. We illustrate our methodology on the 1D hillslope storage Boussinesq equations (Troch et al., 2003). We first validate the numerical scheme on previous numerical experiments without saturation excess overland flow. Then we apply our model to a test case with dynamic transitions from purely subsurface flow dynamics to simultaneous surface and subsurface flows. Our results show that discretization respects mass balance both locally and globally, converges when the mesh or time step are refined. Moreover the regularization parameter can be taken small enough to ensure accuracy without suffering of numerical artefacts. Applied to some hundreds of realistic hillslope cases taken from Western side of France (Brittany), the developed method appears to be robust and efficient.

A sprinkling experiment to quantify celerity-velocity differences at the hillslope scale.

PubMed

van Verseveld, Willem J; Barnard, Holly R; Graham, Chris B; McDonnell, Jeffrey J; Brooks, J Renée; Weiler, Markus

2017-01-01

Few studies have quantified the differences between celerity and velocity of hillslope water flow and explained the processes that control these differences. Here, we asses these differences by combining a 24-day hillslope sprinkling experiment with a spatially explicit hydrologic model analysis. We focused our work on Watershed 10 at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in western Oregon. Celerities estimated from wetting front arrival times were generally much faster than average vertical velocities of δ 2 H. In the model analysis, this was consistent with an identifiable effective porosity (fraction of total porosity available for mass transfer) parameter, indicating that subsurface mixing was controlled by an immobile soil fraction, resulting in the attenuation of the δ 2 H input signal in lateral subsurface flow. In addition to the immobile soil fraction, exfiltrating deep groundwater that mixed with lateral subsurface flow captured at the experimental hillslope trench caused further reduction in the δ 2 H input signal. Finally, our results suggest that soil depth variability played a significant role in the celerity-velocity responses. Deeper upslope soils damped the δ 2 H input signal, while a shallow soil near the trench controlled the δ 2 H peak in lateral subsurface flow response. Simulated exit time and residence time distributions with our hillslope hydrologic model showed that water captured at the trench did not represent the entire modeled hillslope domain; the exit time distribution for lateral subsurface flow captured at the trench showed more early time weighting.

A sprinkling experiment to quantify celerity-velocity differences at the hillslope scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Verseveld, Willem J.; Barnard, Holly R.; Graham, Chris B.; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Renée Brooks, J.; Weiler, Markus

2017-11-01

Few studies have quantified the differences between celerity and velocity of hillslope water flow and explained the processes that control these differences. Here, we asses these differences by combining a 24-day hillslope sprinkling experiment with a spatially explicit hydrologic model analysis. We focused our work on Watershed 10 at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in western Oregon. Celerities estimated from wetting front arrival times were generally much faster than average vertical velocities of δ2H. In the model analysis, this was consistent with an identifiable effective porosity (fraction of total porosity available for mass transfer) parameter, indicating that subsurface mixing was controlled by an immobile soil fraction, resulting in the attenuation of the δ2H input signal in lateral subsurface flow. In addition to the immobile soil fraction, exfiltrating deep groundwater that mixed with lateral subsurface flow captured at the experimental hillslope trench caused further reduction in the δ2H input signal. Finally, our results suggest that soil depth variability played a significant role in the celerity-velocity responses. Deeper upslope soils damped the δ2H input signal, while a shallow soil near the trench controlled the δ2H peak in lateral subsurface flow response. Simulated exit time and residence time distributions with our hillslope hydrologic model showed that water captured at the trench did not represent the entire modeled hillslope domain; the exit time distribution for lateral subsurface flow captured at the trench showed more early time weighting.

A Physically Based Distributed Hydrologic Model with a no-conventional terrain analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rulli, M.; Menduni, G.; Rosso, R.

2003-12-01

A physically based distributed hydrological model is presented. Starting from a contour-based terrain analysis, the model makes a no-conventional discretization of the terrain. From the maximum slope lines, obtained using the principles of minimum distance and orthogonality, the models obtains a stream tubes structure. The implemented model automatically can find the terrain morphological characteristics, e.g. peaks and saddles, and deal with them respecting the stream flow. Using this type of discretization, the model divides the elements in which the water flows in two classes; the cells, that are mixtilinear polygons where the overland flow is modelled as a sheet flow and channels, obtained by the interception of two or more stream tubes and whenever surface runoff occurs, the surface runoff is channelised. The permanent drainage paths can are calculated using one of the most common methods: threshold area, variable threshold area or curvature. The subsurface flow is modelled using the Simplified Bucket Model. The model considers three type of overland flow, depending on how it is produced:infiltration excess;saturation of superficial layer of the soil and exfiltration of sub-surface flow from upstream. The surface flow and the subsurface flow across a element are routed according with the mono-dimensional equation of the kinematic wave. The also model considers the spatial variability of the channels geometry with the flow. The channels have a rectangular section with length of the base decreasing with the distance from the outlet and depending on a power of the flow. The model was tested on the Rio Gallina and Missiaga catchments and the results showed model good performances.

Interpretation of Ground Temperature Anomalies in Hydrothermal Discharge Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, A. N.; Lindsey, C.; Fairley, J. P., Jr.

2017-12-01

Researchers have long noted the potential for shallow hydrothermal fluids to perturb near-surface temperatures. Several investigators have made qualitative or semi-quantitative use of elevated surface temperatures; for example, in snowfall calorimetry, or for tracing subsurface flow paths. However, little effort has been expended to develop a quantitative framework connecting surface temperature observations with conditions in the subsurface. Here, we examine an area of shallow subsurface flow at Burgdorf Hot Springs, in the Payette National Forest, north of McCall, Idaho USA. We present a simple analytical model that uses easily-measured surface data to infer the temperatures of laterally-migrating shallow hydrothermal fluids. The model is calibrated using shallow ground temperature measurements and overburden thickness estimates from seismic refraction studies. The model predicts conditions in the shallow subsurface, and suggests that the Biot number may place a more important control on the expression of near-surface thermal perturbations than previously thought. In addition, our model may have application in inferring difficult-to-measure parameters, such as shallow subsurface discharge from hydrothermal springs.

Improving National Water Modeling: An Intercomparison of two High-Resolution, Continental Scale Models, CONUS-ParFlow and the National Water Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tijerina, D.; Gochis, D.; Condon, L. E.; Maxwell, R. M.

2017-12-01

Development of integrated hydrology modeling systems that couple atmospheric, land surface, and subsurface flow is growing trend in hydrologic modeling. Using an integrated modeling framework, subsurface hydrologic processes, such as lateral flow and soil moisture redistribution, are represented in a single cohesive framework with surface processes like overland flow and evapotranspiration. There is a need for these more intricate models in comprehensive hydrologic forecasting and water management over large spatial areas, specifically the Continental US (CONUS). Currently, two high-resolution, coupled hydrologic modeling applications have been developed for this domain: CONUS-ParFlow built using the integrated hydrologic model ParFlow and the National Water Model that uses the NCAR Weather Research and Forecasting hydrological extension package (WRF-Hydro). Both ParFlow and WRF-Hydro include land surface models, overland flow, and take advantage of parallelization and high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities; however, they have different approaches to overland subsurface flow and groundwater-surface water interactions. Accurately representing large domains remains a challenge considering the difficult task of representing complex hydrologic processes, computational expense, and extensive data needs; both models have accomplished this, but have differences in approach and continue to be difficult to validate. A further exploration of effective methodology to accurately represent large-scale hydrology with integrated models is needed to advance this growing field. Here we compare the outputs of CONUS-ParFlow and the National Water Model to each other and with observations to study the performance of hyper-resolution models over large domains. Models were compared over a range of scales for major watersheds within the CONUS with a specific focus on the Mississippi, Ohio, and Colorado River basins. We use a novel set of approaches and analysis for this comparison to better understand differences in process and bias. This intercomparison is a step toward better understanding how much water we have and interactions between surface and subsurface. Our goal is to advance our understanding and simulation of the hydrologic system and ultimately improve hydrologic forecasts.

Flow pathways in the Slapton Wood catchment using temperature as a tracer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkinshaw, Stephen J.; Webb, Bruce

2010-03-01

SummaryThis study investigates the potential of temperature as a tracer to provide insights into flow pathways. The approach couples fieldwork and modelling experiments for the Eastergrounds Hollow within the Slapton Wood catchment, South Devon, UK. Measurements in the Eastergrounds Hollow were carried out for soil temperature, spring temperature, and the stream temperature and use was made of an existing 1989-1991 data set for the entire Slapton Wood catchment. The predominant flow in this hollow is a result of subsurface stormflow, and previous work has suggested that the water flows vertically down through the soil and then subsurface stormflow occurs at the soil/bedrock interface where the water is deflected laterally. The depth of the subsurface stormflow was previously thought to be around 2.2 m. However, analysis of the new spring, stream and soil temperature data suggests a deeper pathway for the subsurface stormflow. Modelling of water flow and heat transport was carried out using SHETRAN and this was calibrated to reproduce the water flow in the entire Slapton Wood catchment and soil temperatures in the Eastergrounds Hollow. The model was tested for the entire Eastergrounds Hollow with two different soil depths. A depth of 2.2 m, based on previous knowledge, was unable to reproduce the Eastergrounds spring temperature. A depth of 3.7 m produced an excellent comparison between measured and simulated stream and spring temperatures in the Eastergrounds Hollow. This work suggests that the depth of the flow pathways that produce the subsurface stormflow are deeper than previously thought. It also provides a demonstration on the use of temperature as a tracer to understand flow pathways.

A field study of colloid transport in surface and subsurface flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Tang, Xiang-Yu; Xian, Qing-Song; Weisbrod, Noam; Yang, Jae E.; Wang, Hong-Lan

2016-11-01

Colloids have been recognized to enhance the migration of strongly-sorbing contaminants. However, few field investigations have examined combined colloid transport via surface runoff and subsurface flows. In a headwater catchment of the upper Yangtze River, a 6 m (L) by 4 m (W) sloping (6°) farmland plot was built by cement walls to form no-flow side boundaries. The plot was monitored in the summer of 2014 for the release and transport of natural colloids via surface runoff and subsurface flows (i.e., the interflow from the soil-mudrock interface and fracture flow from the mudrock-sandstone interface) in response to rain events. The water sources of the subsurface flows were apportioned to individual rain events using a two end-member model (i.e., mobile pre-event soil water extracted by a suction-cup sampler vs. rainwater (event water)) based on δ18O measurements. For rain events with high preceding soil moisture, mobile pre-event soil water was the main contributor (generally >60%) to the fracture flow. The colloid concentration in the surface runoff was 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than that in the subsurface flows. The lowest colloid concentration was found in the subsurface interflow, which was probably the result of pore-scale colloid straining mechanisms. The rainfall intensity and its temporal variation govern the dynamics of the colloid concentrations in both surface runoff and subsurface flows. The duration of the antecedent dry period affected not only the relative contributions of the rainwater and the mobile pre-event soil water to the subsurface flows but also the peak colloid concentration, particularly in the fracture flow. The <10 μm fine colloid size fraction accounted for more than 80% of the total suspended particles in the surface runoff, while the colloid size distributions of both the interflow and the fracture flow shifted towards larger diameters. These results highlight the need to avoid the application of strongly-sorbing agrochemicals (e.g., pesticides, phosphorus fertilizers) immediately before rainfall following a long no-rain period because their transport in association with colloids may occur rapidly over long distances via both surface runoff and subsurface flows with rainfall.

Evaluation of nutrient removal efficiency and microbial enzyme activity in a baffled subsurface-flow constructed wetland system

Treesearch

Lihua Cui; Ying Ouyang; Wenjie Gu; Weozhi Yang; Qiaoling Xu

2013-01-01

In this study, the enzyme activities and their relationships to domestic wastewater purification are investigated in four different types of subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (CWs), namely the traditional horizontal subsurface-flow, horizontal baffled subsurface-flow, vertical baffled subsurface-flow, and composite baffled subsurface-flow CWs. Results showed that...

A new solar cycle model including meridional circulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Y.-M.; Sheeley, N. R., Jr.; Nash, A. G.

1991-01-01

A kinematic model is presented for the solar cycle which includes not only the transport of magnetic flux by supergranular diffusion and a poleward bulk flow at the sun's surface, but also the effects of turbulent diffusion and an equatorward 'return flow' beneath the surface. As in the earlier models of Babcock and Leighton, the rotational shearing of a subsurface poloidal field generates toroidal flux that erupts at the surface in the form of bipolar magnetic regions. However, such eruptions do not result in any net loss of toroidal flux from the sun (as assumed by Babcock and Leighton); instead, the large-scale toroidal field is destroyed both by 'unwinding' as the local poloidal field reverses its polarity, and by diffusion as the toroidal flux is transported equatorward by the subsurface flow and merged with its opposite hemisphere counterpart. The inclusion of meridional circulation allows stable oscillations of the magnetic field, accompanied by the equatorward progression of flux eruptions, to be achieved even in the absence of a radial gradient in the angular velocity. An illustrative case in which a subsurface flow speed of order 1 m/s and subsurface diffusion rate of order 10 sq km/s yield 22-yr oscillations in qualitative agreement with observations.

Uncertainty in the modelling of spatial and temporal patterns of shallow groundwater flow paths: The role of geological and hydrological site information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodward, Simon J. R.; Wöhling, Thomas; Stenger, Roland

2016-03-01

Understanding the hydrological and hydrogeochemical responses of hillslopes and other small scale groundwater systems requires mapping the velocity and direction of groundwater flow relative to the controlling subsurface material features. Since point observations of subsurface materials and groundwater head are often the basis for modelling these complex, dynamic, three-dimensional systems, considerable uncertainties are inevitable, but are rarely assessed. This study explored whether piezometric head data measured at high spatial and temporal resolution over six years at a hillslope research site provided sufficient information to determine the flow paths that transfer nitrate leached from the soil zone through the shallow saturated zone into a nearby wetland and stream. Transient groundwater flow paths were modelled using MODFLOW and MODPATH, with spatial patterns of hydraulic conductivity in the three material layers at the site being estimated by regularised pilot point calibration using PEST, constrained by slug test estimates of saturated hydraulic conductivity at several locations. Subsequent Null Space Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis showed that this data was not sufficient to definitively determine the spatial pattern of hydraulic conductivity at the site, although modelled water table dynamics matched the measured heads with acceptable accuracy in space and time. Particle tracking analysis predicted that the saturated flow direction was similar throughout the year as the water table rose and fell, but was not aligned with either the ground surface or subsurface material contours; indeed the subsurface material layers, having relatively similar hydraulic properties, appeared to have little effect on saturated water flow at the site. Flow path uncertainty analysis showed that, while accurate flow path direction or velocity could not be determined on the basis of the available head and slug test data alone, the origin of well water samples relative to the material layers and site contour could still be broadly deduced. This study highlights both the challenge of collecting suitably informative field data with which to characterise subsurface hydrology, and the power of modern calibration and uncertainty modelling techniques to assess flow path uncertainty in hillslopes and other small scale systems.

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT MODELING FOR HYDROCARBON SPILLS INTO THE SUBSURFACE

EPA Science Inventory

Hydrocarbons which enter the subsurface through spills or leaks may create serious, long-lived ground-water contamination problems. onventional finite difference and finite element models of multiphase, multicomponent flow often have extreme requirements for both computer time an...

An intermediate-scale model for thermal hydrology in low-relief permafrost-affected landscapes

DOE PAGES

Jan, Ahmad; Coon, Ethan T.; Painter, Scott L.; ...

2017-07-10

Integrated surface/subsurface models for simulating the thermal hydrology of permafrost-affected regions in a warming climate have recently become available, but computational demands of those new process-rich simu- lation tools have thus far limited their applications to one-dimensional or small two-dimensional simulations. We present a mixed-dimensional model structure for efficiently simulating surface/subsurface thermal hydrology in low-relief permafrost regions at watershed scales. The approach replaces a full three-dimensional system with a two-dimensional overland thermal hydrology system and a family of one-dimensional vertical columns, where each column represents a fully coupled surface/subsurface thermal hydrology system without lateral flow. The system is then operatormore » split, sequentially updating the overland flow system without sources and the one-dimensional columns without lateral flows. We show that the app- roach is highly scalable, supports subcycling of different processes, and compares well with the corresponding fully three-dimensional representation at significantly less computational cost. Those advances enable recently developed representations of freezing soil physics to be coupled with thermal overland flow and surface energy balance at scales of 100s of meters. Furthermore developed and demonstrated for permafrost thermal hydrology, the mixed-dimensional model structure is applicable to integrated surface/subsurface thermal hydrology in general.« less

High Resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements at the laboratory scale to model porosity and permeability in the Miami Limestone in South Florida.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mount, G. J.; Comas, X.

2015-12-01

Subsurface water flow within the Biscayne aquifer is controlled by the heterogeneous distribution of porosity and permeability in the karst Miami Limestone and the presence of numerous dissolution and mega-porous features. The dissolution features and other high porosity areas can create preferential flow paths and direct recharge to the aquifer, which may not be accurately conceptualized in groundwater flow models. As hydrologic conditions are undergoing restoration in the Everglades, understanding the distribution of these high porosity areas within the subsurface would create a better understanding of subsurface flow. This research utilizes ground penetrating radar to estimate the spatial variability of porosity and dielectric permittivity of the Miami Limestone at centimeter scale resolution at the laboratory scale. High frequency GPR antennas were used to measure changes in electromagnetic wave velocity through limestone samples under varying volumetric water contents. The Complex Refractive Index Model (CRIM) was then applied in order to estimate porosity and dielectric permittivity of the solid phase of the limestone. Porosity estimates ranged from 45.2-66.0% from the CRIM model and correspond well with estimates of porosity from analytical and digital image techniques. Dielectric permittivity values of the limestone solid phase ranged from 7.0 and 13.0, which are similar to values in the literature. This research demonstrates the ability of GPR to identify the cm scale spatial variability of aquifer properties that influence subsurface water flow which could have implications for groundwater flow models in the Biscayne and potentially other shallow karst aquifers.

Modifying WEPP to improve streamflow simulation in a Pacific Northwest watershed

Treesearch

A. Srivastava; M. Dobre; J. Q. Wu; W. J. Elliot; E. A. Bruner; S. Dun; E. S. Brooks; I. S. Miller

2013-01-01

The assessment of water yield from hillslopes into streams is critical in managing water supply and aquatic habitat. Streamflow is typically composed of surface runoff, subsurface lateral flow, and groundwater baseflow; baseflow sustains the stream during the dry season. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model simulates surface runoff, subsurface lateral flow...

Subsurface Flow and Moisture Dynamics in Response to Swash Motions: Effects of Beach Hydraulic Conductivity and Capillarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Xiaolong; Heiss, James W.; Michael, Holly A.; Boufadel, Michel C.

2017-12-01

A combined field and numerical study was conducted to investigate dynamics of subsurface flow and moisture response to waves in the swash zone of a sandy beach located on Cape Henlopen, DE. A density-dependent variably saturated flow model MARUN was used to simulate subsurface flow beneath the swash zone. Values of hydraulic conductivity (K) and characteristic pore size (α, a capillary fringe property) were varied to evaluate their effects on subsurface flow and moisture dynamics in response to swash motions in beach aquifers. The site-specific modeling results were validated against spatiotemporal measurements of moisture and pore pressure in the beach. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the hydraulic conductivity and capillary fringe thickness of the beach greatly influenced groundwater flow pathways and associated transit times in the swash zone. A higher value of K enhanced swash-induced seawater infiltration into the beach, thereby resulting in a faster expansion of a wedge of high moisture content induced by swash cycles, and a flatter water table mound beneath the swash zone. In contrast, a thicker capillary fringe retained higher moisture content near the beach surface, and thus, significantly reduced the available pore space for infiltration of seawater. This attenuated wave effects on pore water flow in the unsaturated zone of the beach. Also, a thicker capillary fringe enhanced horizontal flow driven by the larger-scale hydraulic gradient caused by tides.

Integrated surface-subsurface model to investigate the role of groundwater in headwater catchment runoff generation: A minimalist approach to parameterisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ala-aho, Pertti; Soulsby, Chris; Wang, Hailong; Tetzlaff, Doerthe

2017-04-01

Understanding the role of groundwater for runoff generation in headwater catchments is a challenge in hydrology, particularly so in data-scarce areas. Fully-integrated surface-subsurface modelling has shown potential in increasing process understanding for runoff generation, but high data requirements and difficulties in model calibration are typically assumed to preclude their use in catchment-scale studies. We used a fully integrated surface-subsurface hydrological simulator to enhance groundwater-related process understanding in a headwater catchment with a rich background in empirical data. To set up the model we used minimal data that could be reasonably expected to exist for any experimental catchment. A novel aspect of our approach was in using simplified model parameterisation and including parameters from all model domains (surface, subsurface, evapotranspiration) in automated model calibration. Calibration aimed not only to improve model fit, but also to test the information content of the observations (streamflow, remotely sensed evapotranspiration, median groundwater level) used in calibration objective functions. We identified sensitive parameters in all model domains (subsurface, surface, evapotranspiration), demonstrating that model calibration should be inclusive of parameters from these different model domains. Incorporating groundwater data in calibration objectives improved the model fit for groundwater levels, but simulations did not reproduce well the remotely sensed evapotranspiration time series even after calibration. Spatially explicit model output improved our understanding of how groundwater functions in maintaining streamflow generation primarily via saturation excess overland flow. Steady groundwater inputs created saturated conditions in the valley bottom riparian peatlands, leading to overland flow even during dry periods. Groundwater on the hillslopes was more dynamic in its response to rainfall, acting to expand the saturated area extent and thereby promoting saturation excess overland flow during rainstorms. Our work shows the potential of using integrated surface-subsurface modelling alongside with rigorous model calibration to better understand and visualise the role of groundwater in runoff generation even with limited datasets.

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.

An analysis of a mixed convection associated with thermal heating in contaminated porous media.

PubMed

Krol, Magdalena M; Johnson, Richard L; Sleep, Brent E

2014-11-15

The occurrence of subsurface buoyant flow during thermal remediation was investigated using a two dimensional electro-thermal model (ETM). The model incorporated electrical current flow associated with electrical resistance heating, energy and mass transport, and density dependent water flow. The model was used to examine the effects of heating on sixteen subsurface scenarios with different applied groundwater fluxes and soil permeabilities. The results were analyzed in terms of the ratio of Rayleigh to thermal Peclet numbers (the buoyancy ratio). It was found that when the buoyancy number was greater than unity and the soil permeability greater than 10(-12) m(2), buoyant flow and contaminant transport were significant. The effects of low permeability layers and electrode placement on heat and mass transport were also investigated. Heating under a clay layer led to flow stagnation zones resulting in the accumulation of contaminant mass and transport into the low permeability layer. The results of this study can be used to develop dimensionless number-based guidelines for site management during subsurface thermal activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3DHYDROGEOCHEM: A 3-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF DENSITY-DEPENDENT SUBSURFACE FLOW AND THERMAL MULTISPECIES-MULTICOMPONENT HYDROGEOCHEMICAL TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents a three-dimensional finite-element numerical model designed to simulate chemical transport in subsurface systems with temperature effect taken into account. The three-dimensional model is developed to provide (1) a tool of application, with which one is able...

Watershed models for instructional films

Treesearch

Peter E. Black; Raymond E. Leonard

1970-01-01

Watershed models, with a special sponge material that simulates soil drainage, were used to make an instructional film on subsurface flow and stream flow. Construction of the models and filming techniques are described.

Export of nutrients and major ionic solutes from a rain forest catchment in the Central Amazon Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesack, Lance F. W.

1993-03-01

The relative roles of base flow runoff versus storm flow runoff versus subsurface outflow in controlling total export of solutes from a 23.4-ha catchment of undisturbed rain forest in the central Amazon Basin were evaluated from water and solute flux measurements performed over a 1 year period. Solutes exported via 173 storms during the study were estimated from stream water samples collected during base flow conditions and during eight storms, and by utilizing a hydrograph separation technique in combination with a mixing model to partition storm flow from base flow fluxes. Solutes exported by subsurface outflow were estimated from groundwater samples from three nests of piezometers installed into the streambed, and concurrent measurements of hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic head gradients. Base flow discharge represented 92% of water outflow from the basin and was the dominant pathway of solute export. Although storm flow discharge represented only 5% of total water outflow, storm flow solute fluxes represented up to 25% of the total annual export flux, though for many solutes the portion was less. Subsurface outflow represented only 2.5% of total water outflow, and subsurface solute fluxes never represented more than 5% of the total annual export flux. Measurement errors were relatively high for storm flow and subsurface outflow fluxes, but cumulative measurement errors associated with the total solute fluxes exported from the catchment, in most cases, ranged from only ±7% to 14% because base flow fluxes were measured relatively well. The export fluxes of most solutes are substantially less than previously reported for comparable small catchments in the Amazon basin, and these differences cannot be reconciled by the fact that storm flow and subsurface outflows were not appropriately measured in previous studies.

Modeling Phosphorus Losses through Surface Runoff and Subsurface Drainage Using ICECREAM.

PubMed

Qi, Hongkai; Qi, Zhiming; Zhang, T Q; Tan, C S; Sadhukhan, Debasis

2018-03-01

Modeling soil phosphorus (P) losses by surface and subsurface flow pathways is essential in developing successful strategies for P pollution control. We used the ICECREAM model to simultaneously simulate P losses in surface and subsurface flow, as well as to assess effectiveness of field practices in reducing P losses. Monitoring data from a mineral-P-fertilized clay loam field in southwestern Ontario, Canada, were used for calibration and validation. After careful adjustment of model parameters, ICECREAM was shown to satisfactorily simulate all major processes of surface and subsurface P losses. When the calibrated model was used to assess tillage and fertilizer management scenarios, results point to a 10% reduction in total P losses by shifting autumn tillage to spring, and a 25.4% reduction in total P losses by injecting fertilizer rather than broadcasting. Although the ICECREAM model was effective in simulating surface and subsurface P losses when thoroughly calibrated, further testing is needed to confirm these results with manure P application. As illustrated here, successful use of simulation models requires careful verification of model routines and comprehensive calibration to ensure that site-specific processes are accurately represented. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Modeling Aspect Controlled Formation of Seasonally Frozen Ground on Montane Hillslopes: a Case Study from Gordon Gulch, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rush, M.; Rajaram, H.; Anderson, R. S.; Anderson, S. P.

2017-12-01

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013) warns that high-elevation ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to climate change due to short growing seasons, thin soils, sparse vegetation, melting glaciers, and thawing permafrost. Many permafrost-free regions experience seasonally frozen ground. The spatial distribution of frozen soil exerts a strong control on subsurface flow and transport processes by reducing soil permeability and impeding infiltration. Accordingly, evolution of the extent and duration of frozen ground may alter streamflow seasonality, groundwater flow paths, and subsurface storage, presenting a need for coupled thermal-hydrologic models to project hydrologic responses to climate warming in high-elevation regions. To be useful as predictive tools, such models should incorporate the heterogeneity of solar insolation, vegetation, and snowpack dynamics. We present a coupled thermal-hydrologic modeling study against the backdrop of field observations from Gordon Gulch, a seasonally snow-covered montane catchment in the Colorado Front Range in the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory. The field site features two instrumented hillslopes with opposing aspects: the snowpack on the north-facing slope persists throughout much of the winter season, while the snowpack on the south-facing slope is highly ephemeral. We implemented a surface energy balance and snowpack accumulation and ablation model that is coupled to the subsurface flow and transport code PFLOTRAN-ICE to predict the hydrologic consequences of aspect-controlled frozen soil formation during water years 2013-2016. Preliminary model results demonstrate the occurrence of seasonally-frozen ground on the north-facing slope that directs snowmelt to the stream by way of shallow subsurface flow paths. The absence of persistently frozen ground on the south-facing slope allows deeper infiltration of snowmelt recharge. The differences in subsurface flow paths also suggest strong aspect-controlled heterogeneities in nitrate export and differences in geomorphic processes such as frost creep.

MODELING MULTIPHASE ORGANIC CHEMICAL TRANSPORT IN SOILS AND GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Subsurface contamination due to immiscible organic liquids is a widespread problem which poses a serious threat to ground-water resources. n order to understand the movement of such materials in the subsurface, a mathematical model was developed for multiphase flow and multicompo...

Effect of subsurface heterogeneity on free-product recovery from unconfined aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaluarachchi, Jagath J.

1996-03-01

Free-product record system designs for light-hydrocarbon-contaminated sites were investigated to evaluate the effects of subsurface heterogeneity using a vertically integrated three-phase flow model. The input stochastic variable of the areal flow analysis was the log-intrinsic permeability and it was generated using the Turning Band method. The results of a series of hypothetical field-scale simulations showed that subsurface heterogeneity has a substantial effect on free-product recovery predictions. As the heterogeneity increased, the recoverable oil volume decreased and the residual trapped oil volume increased. As the subsurface anisotropy increased, these effects together with free- and total-oil contaminated areas were further enhanced. The use of multiple-stage water pumping was found to be insignificant compared to steady uniform pumping due to reduced recovery efficiency and increased residual oil volume. This observation was opposite to that produced under homogeneous scenarios. The effect of subsurface heterogeneity was enhanced at relatively low water pumping rates. The difference in results produced by homogeneous and heterogeneous simulations was substantial, indicating greater attention should be paid in modeling free-product recovery systems with appropriate subsurface heterogeneity.

High spatial-temporal resolution and integrated surface and subsurface precipitation-runoff modelling for a small stormwater catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hailegeorgis, Teklu T.; Alfredsen, Knut

2018-02-01

Reliable runoff estimation is important for design of water infrastructure and flood risk management in urban catchments. We developed a spatially distributed Precipitation-Runoff (P-R) model that explicitly represents the land cover information, performs integrated modelling of surface and subsurface components of the urban precipitation water cycle and flow routing. We conducted parameter calibration and validation for a small (21.255 ha) stormwater catchment in Trondheim City during Summer-Autumn events and season, and snow-influenced Winter-Spring seasons at high spatial and temporal resolutions of respectively 5 m × 5 m grid size and 2 min. The calibration resulted in good performance measures (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, NSE = 0.65-0.94) and acceptable validation NSE for the seasonal and snow-influenced periods. The infiltration excess surface runoff dominates the peak flows while the contribution of subsurface flow to the sewer pipes also augments the peak flows. Based on the total volumes of simulated flow in sewer pipes (Qsim) and precipitation (P) during the calibration periods, the Qsim/P ranges from 21.44% for an event to 56.50% for the Winter-Spring season, which are in close agreement with the observed volumes (Qobs/P). The lowest percentage of precipitation volume that is transformed to the total simulated runoff in the catchment (QT) is 79.77%. Computation of evapotranspiration (ET) indicated that the ET/P is less than 3% for the events and snow-influenced seasons while it is about 18% for the Summer-Autumn season. The subsurface flow contribution to the sewer pipes are markedly higher than the total surface runoff volume for some events and the Summer-Autumn season. The peakiest flow rates correspond to the Winter-Spring season. Therefore, urban runoff simulation for design and management purposes should include two-way interactions between the subsurface runoff and flow in sewer pipes, and snow-influenced seasons. The developed urban P-R model is useful for better computation of runoff generated from different land cover, for assessments of stormwater management techniques (e.g. the Low Impact Development or LID) and the impacts of land cover and climate change. There are some simplifications or limitations such as the runoff routing does not involve detailed sewer hydraulics, effects of leakages from water supply systems and faulty/illegal connections from sanitary sewer are not considered, the model cannot identify actual locations of the interactions between the subsurface runoff and sewer pipes and lacks parsimony.

Field study and simulation of diurnal temperature effects on infiltration and variably saturated flow beneath an ephemeral stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dudek Ronan, Anne; Prudic, David E.; Thodal, Carl E.; Constantz, Jim

1998-01-01

Two experiments were performed to investigate flow beneath an ephemeral stream and to estimate streambed infiltration rates. Discharge and stream-area measurements were used to determine infiltration rates. Stream and subsurface temperatures were used to interpret subsurface flow through variably saturated sediments beneath the stream. Spatial variations in subsurface temperatures suggest that flow beneath the streambed is dependent on the orientation of the stream in the canyon and the layering of the sediments. Streamflow and infiltration rates vary diurnally: Streamflow is lowest in late afternoon when stream temperature is greatest and highest in early morning when stream temperature is least. The lower afternoon Streamflow is attributed to increased infiltration rates; evapotranspiration is insufficient to account for the decreased Streamflow. The increased infiltration rates are attributed to viscosity effects on hydraulic conductivity from increased stream temperatures. The first set of field data was used to calibrate a two-dimensional variably saturated flow model that includes heat transport. The model was calibrated to (1) temperature fluctuations in the subsurface and (2) infiltration rates determined from measured Streamflow losses. The second set of field data was to evaluate the ability to predict infiltration rates on the basis of temperature measurements alone. Results indicate that the variably saturated subsurface flow depends on downcanyon layering of the sediments. They also support the field observations in indicating that diurnal changes in infiltration can be explained by temperature dependence of hydraulic conductivity. Over the range of temperatures and flows monitored, diurnal stream temperature changes can be used to estimate streambed infiltration rates. It is often impractical to maintain equipment for determining infiltration rates by traditional means; however, once a model is calibrated using both infiltration and temperature data, only relatively inexpensive temperature monitoring can later yield infiltration rates that are within the correct order of magnitude.

Subsurface flow pathway dynamics in the active layer of coupled permafrost-hydrogeological systems under seasonal and annual temperature variability.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frampton, Andrew

2017-04-01

There is a need for improved understanding of the mechanisms controlling subsurface solute transport in the active layer in order to better understand permafrost-hydrological-carbon feedbacks, in particular with regards to how dissolved carbon is transported in coupled surface and subsurface terrestrial arctic water systems under climate change. Studying solute transport in arctic systems is also relevant in the context of anthropogenic pollution which may increase due to increased activity in cold region environments. In this contribution subsurface solute transport subject to ground surface warming causing permafrost thaw and active layer change is studied using a physically based model of coupled cryotic and hydrogeological flow processes combined with a particle tracking method. Changes in subsurface water flows and solute transport travel times are analysed for different modelled geological configurations during a 100-year warming period. Results show that for all simulated cases, the minimum and mean travel times increase non-linearly with warming irrespective of geological configuration and heterogeneity structure. The timing of the start of increase in travel time depends on heterogeneity structure, combined with the rate of permafrost degradation that also depends on material thermal and hydrogeological properties. These travel time changes are shown to depend on combined warming effects of increase in pathway length due to deepening of the active layer, reduced transport velocities due to a shift from horizontal saturated groundwater flow near the surface to vertical water percolation deeper into the subsurface, and pathway length increase and temporary immobilization caused by cryosuction-induced seasonal freeze cycles. The impact these change mechanisms have on solute and dissolved substance transport is further analysed by integrating pathway analysis with a Lagrangian approach, incorporating considerations for both dissolved organic and inorganic carbon releases. Further model development challenges are also highlighted and discussed, including coupling between subsurface and surface runoff, soil deformations, as well as site applications and larger system scales.

Effects of rainfall patterns and land cover on the subsurface flow generation of sloping Ferralsols in southern China

PubMed Central

Yang, Jie; Tang, Chongjun; Chen, Lihua; Liu, Yaojun; Wang, Lingyun

2017-01-01

Rainfall patterns and land cover are two important factors that affect the runoff generation process. To determine the surface and subsurface flows associated with different rainfall patterns on sloping Ferralsols under different land cover types, observational data related to surface and subsurface flows from 5 m × 15 m plots were collected from 2010 to 2012. The experiment was conducted to assess three land cover types (grass, litter cover and bare land) in the Jiangxi Provincial Soil and Water Conservation Ecological Park. During the study period, 114 natural rainfall events produced subsurface flow and were divided into four groups using k-means clustering according to rainfall duration, rainfall depth and maximum 30-min rainfall intensity. The results showed that the total runoff and surface flow values were highest for bare land under all four rainfall patterns and lowest for the covered plots. However, covered plots generated higher subsurface flow values than bare land. Moreover, the surface and subsurface flows associated with the three land cover types differed significantly under different rainfall patterns. Rainfall patterns with low intensities and long durations created more subsurface flow in the grass and litter cover types, whereas rainfall patterns with high intensities and short durations resulted in greater surface flow over bare land. Rainfall pattern I had the highest surface and subsurface flow values for the grass cover and litter cover types. The highest surface flow value and lowest subsurface flow value for bare land occurred under rainfall pattern IV. Rainfall pattern II generated the highest subsurface flow value for bare land. Therefore, grass or litter cover are able to convert more surface flow into subsurface flow under different rainfall patterns. The rainfall patterns studied had greater effects on subsurface flow than on total runoff and surface flow for covered surfaces, as well as a greater effect on surface flows associated with bare land. PMID:28792507

Development of a hybrid 3-D hydrological model to simulate hillslopes and the regional unconfined aquifer system in Earth system models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazenberg, P.; Broxton, P. D.; Brunke, M.; Gochis, D.; Niu, G. Y.; Pelletier, J. D.; Troch, P. A. A.; Zeng, X.

2015-12-01

The terrestrial hydrological system, including surface and subsurface water, is an essential component of the Earth's climate system. Over the past few decades, land surface modelers have built one-dimensional (1D) models resolving the vertical flow of water through the soil column for use in Earth system models (ESMs). These models generally have a relatively coarse model grid size (~25-100 km) and only account for sub-grid lateral hydrological variations using simple parameterization schemes. At the same time, hydrologists have developed detailed high-resolution (~0.1-10 km grid size) three dimensional (3D) models and showed the importance of accounting for the vertical and lateral redistribution of surface and subsurface water on soil moisture, the surface energy balance and ecosystem dynamics on these smaller scales. However, computational constraints have limited the implementation of the high-resolution models for continental and global scale applications. The current work presents a hybrid-3D hydrological approach is presented, where the 1D vertical soil column model (available in many ESMs) is coupled with a high-resolution lateral flow model (h2D) to simulate subsurface flow and overland flow. H2D accounts for both local-scale hillslope and regional-scale unconfined aquifer responses (i.e. riparian zone and wetlands). This approach was shown to give comparable results as those obtained by an explicit 3D Richards model for the subsurface, but improves runtime efficiency considerably. The h3D approach is implemented for the Delaware river basin, where Noah-MP land surface model (LSM) is used to calculated vertical energy and water exchanges with the atmosphere using a 10km grid resolution. Noah-MP was coupled within the WRF-Hydro infrastructure with the lateral 1km grid resolution h2D model, for which the average depth-to-bedrock, hillslope width function and soil parameters were estimated from digital datasets. The ability of this h3D approach to simulate the hydrological dynamics of the Delaware River basin will be assessed by comparing the model results (both hydrological performance and numerical efficiency) with the standard setup of the NOAH-MP model and a high-resolution (1km) version of NOAH-MP, which also explicitly accounts for lateral subsurface and overland flow.

Simulating Water Flow in Variably Saturated Soils - Exploring the Advantage of Three-dimensional Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopp, L.; Ivanov, V. Y.

2010-12-01

There is still a debate in rainfall-runoff modeling over the advantage of using three-dimensional models based on partial differential equations describing variably saturated flow vs. models with simpler infiltration and flow routing algorithms. Fully explicit 3D models are computationally demanding but allow the representation of spatially complex domains, heterogeneous soils, conditions of ponded infiltration, and solute transport, among others. Models with simpler infiltration and flow routing algorithms provide faster run times and are likely to be more versatile in the treatment of extreme conditions such as soil drying but suffer from underlying assumptions and ad-hoc parameterizations. In this numerical study, we explore the question of whether these two model strategies are competing approaches or if they complement each other. As a 3D physics-based model we use HYDRUS-3D, a finite element model that numerically solves the Richards equation for variably-saturated water flow. As an example of a simpler model, we use tRIBS+VEGGIE that solves the 1D Richards equation for vertical flow and applies Dupuit-Forchheimer approximation for saturated lateral exchange and gravity-driven flow for unsaturated lateral exchange. The flow can be routed using either the D-8 (steepest descent) or D-infinity flow routing algorithms. We study lateral subsurface stormflow and moisture dynamics at the hillslope-scale, using a zero-order basin topography, as a function of storm size, antecedent moisture conditions and slope angle. The domain and soil characteristics are representative of a forested hillslope with conductive soils in a humid environment, where the major runoff generating process is lateral subsurface stormflow. We compare spatially integrated lateral subsurface flow at the downslope boundary as well as spatial patterns of soil moisture. We illustrate situations where both model approaches perform equally well and identify conditions under which the application of a fully-explicit 3D model may be required for a realistic description of the hydrologic response.

Discrete Fracture Network Modeling and Simulation of Subsurface Transport for the Topopah Springs and Lava Flow Aquifers at Pahute Mesa, FY 15 Progress Report

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

Makedonska, Nataliia; Kwicklis, Edward Michael; Birdsell, Kay Hanson

This progress report for fiscal year 2015 (FY15) describes the development of discrete fracture network (DFN) models for Pahute Mesa. DFN models will be used to upscale parameters for simulations of subsurface flow and transport in fractured media in Pahute Mesa. The research focuses on modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport using DFNs generated according to fracture characteristics observed in the Topopah Spring Aquifer (TSA) and the Lava Flow Aquifer (LFA). This work will improve the representation of radionuclide transport processes in large-scale, regulatory-focused models with a view to reduce pessimistic bounding approximations and provide more realistic contaminant boundarymore » calculations that can be used to describe the future extent of contaminated groundwater. Our goal is to refine a modeling approach that can translate parameters to larger-scale models that account for local-scale flow and transport processes, which tend to attenuate migration.« less

3DHYDROGEOCHEM: A 3-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF DENSITY-DEPENDENT SUBSURFACE FLOW AND THERMAL MULTISPECIES-MULTICOMPONENT HYDROGEOCHEMICAL TRANSPORT (EPA/600/SR-98/159)

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents a three-dimensional finite-element numerical model designed to simulate chemical transport in subsurface systems with temperature effect taken into account. The three-dimensional model is developed to provide (1) a tool of application, with which one is able ...

Quasi 3D modeling of water flow in vadose zone and groundwater

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The complexity of subsurface flow systems calls for a variety of concepts leading to the multiplicity of simplified flow models. One habitual simplification is based on the assumption that lateral flow and transport in unsaturated zone are not significant unless the capillary fringe is involved. In ...

Application of a fully integrated surface-subsurface physically based flow model for evaluating groundwater recharge from a flash flood event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pino, Cristian; Herrera, Paulo; Therrien, René

2017-04-01

In many arid regions around the world groundwater recharge occurs during flash floods. This transient spatially and temporally concentrated flood-recharge process takes place through the variably saturated zone between surface and usually the deep groundwater table. These flood events are characterized by rapid and extreme changes in surface flow depth and velocity and soil moisture conditions. Infiltration rates change over time controlled by the hydraulic gradients and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at the surface-subsurface interface. Today is a challenge to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of groundwater recharge from flash flood events under real field conditions at different scales in arid areas. We apply an integrated surface-subsurface variably saturated physically-based flow model at the watershed scale to assess the recharge process during and after a flash flood event registered in an arid fluvial valley in Northern Chile. We are able to reproduce reasonably well observed groundwater levels and surface flow discharges during and after the flood with a calibrated model. We also investigate the magnitude and spatio-temporal distribution of recharge and the response of the system to variations of different surface and subsurface parameters, initial soil moisture content and groundwater table depths and surface flow conditions. We demonstrate how an integrated physically based model allows the exploration of different spatial and temporal system states, and that the analysis of the results of the simulations help us to improve our understanding of the recharge processes in similar type of systems that are common to many arid areas around the world.

3-D Reconstructions of Subsurface Pleistocene Basalt Flows from Paleomagnetic Inclination Data and 40Ar/39Ar Ages in the Southern Part of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodges, M. K.; Champion, D. E.; Turrin, B. D.; Swisher, C. C.

2012-12-01

The U. S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, is mapping the distribution of basalt flows and sedimentary interbeds at the Idaho National Laboratory in three dimensions to provide data for refining numerical models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Paleomagnetic inclination and polarity data from basalt samples from 47 coreholes are being used to create a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the subsurface of the southern part of the INL. Surface and sub-surface basalt flows can be identified in individual cores and traced in three dimensions on the surface and in the subsurface for distances of more than 20 km using a combination of paleomagnetic, stratigraphic, and 40Ar/39Ar data. Eastern Snake River Plain olivine tholeiite basalts have K2O contents of 0.2 to 1.0 weight per cent. In spite of the low-K content, high-precision 40Ar/39Ar ages were obtained by applying a protocol that employs short irradiation times (minimizing interferences from Ca derived 36Ar), frequent measurement of various size atmospheric Ar pipettes to monitor and correct for temporal variation, and signal size dependent nonlinearity in spectrometer mass bias, resulting in age dates with resolution generally between 2 to 10% of the age. 3-D models of subsurface basalt flows are being used to: (1) Estimate eruption volumes; (2) locate the approximate vent areas and extent of sub-surface flows; and (3) Help locate high and low transmissivity zones. Results indicate that large basalt eruptions (>3 km3) occurred at and near the Central Facilities Area between 637 ka and 360 ka; at and near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex before 540 ka; and north of the Naval Reactors Facility at about 580 ka. Since about 360 ka, large basalt flows have erupted along the Arco-Big Southern Butte Volcanic Rift Zone and the Axial Volcanic Zone, and flowed northerly towards the Central Facilities Area. Basalt eruptions shifted the course of the Big Lost River from a more southerly course to its present one.

3-D reconstructions of subsurface Pleistocene basalt flows from paleomagnetic inclination data and 40Ar/39Ar ages in the southern part of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodges, Mary K. V.; Champion, Duane E.; Turrin, B.D.; Swisher, C. C.

2012-01-01

The U. S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, is mapping the distribution of basalt flows and sedimentary interbeds at the Idaho National Laboratory in three dimensions to provide data for refining numerical models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Paleomagnetic inclination and polarity data from basalt samples from 47 coreholes are being used to create a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the subsurface of the southern part of the INL. Surface and sub-surface basalt flows can be identified in individual cores and traced in three dimensions on the surface and in the subsurface for distances of more than 20 km using a combination of paleomagnetic, stratigraphic, and 40Ar/39Ar data. Eastern Snake River Plain olivine tholeiite basalts have K2O contents of 0.2 to 1.0 weight per cent. In spite of the low-K content, high-precision 40Ar/39Ar ages were obtained by applying a protocol that employs short irradiation times (minimizing interferences from Ca derived 36Ar), frequent measurement of various size atmospheric Ar pipettes to monitor and correct for temporal variation, and signal size dependent nonlinearity in spectrometer mass bias, resulting in age dates with resolution generally between 2 to 10% of the age. 3-D models of subsurface basalt flows are being used to: (1) Estimate eruption volumes; (2) locate the approximate vent areas and extent of sub-surface flows; and (3) Help locate high and low transmissivity zones. Results indicate that large basalt eruptions (>3 km3) occurred at and near the Central Facilities Area between 637 ka and 360 ka; at and near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex before 540 ka; and north of the Naval Reactors Facility at about 580 ka. Since about 360 ka, large basalt flows have erupted along the Arco-Big Southern Butte Volcanic Rift Zone and the Axial Volcanic Zone, and flowed northerly towards the Central Facilities Area. Basalt eruptions shifted the course of the Big Lost River from a more southerly course to its present one.

The InSight Mars Lander and Its Effect on the Subsurface Thermal Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegler, Matthew A.; Smrekar, Suzanne E.; Grott, Matthias; Piqueux, Sylvain; Mueller, Nils; Williams, Jean-Pierre; Plesa, Ana-Catalina; Spohn, Tilman

2017-10-01

The 2018 InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) Mission has the mission goal of providing insitu data for the first measurement of the geothermal heat flow of Mars. The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) will take thermal conductivity and thermal gradient measurements to approximately 5 m depth. By necessity, this measurement will be made within a few meters of the lander. This means that thermal perturbations from the lander will modify local surface and subsurface temperature measurements. For HP3's sensitive thermal gradient measurements, this spacecraft influence will be important to model and parameterize. Here we present a basic 3D model of thermal effects of the lander on its surroundings. Though lander perturbations significantly alter subsurface temperatures, a successful thermal gradient measurement will be possible in all thermal conditions by proper (>3 m depth) placement of the heat flow probe.

Evolution of 3-D geologic framework modeling and its application to groundwater flow studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blome, Charles D.; Smith, David V.

2012-01-01

In this Fact Sheet, the authors discuss the evolution of project 3-D subsurface framework modeling, research in hydrostratigraphy and airborne geophysics, and methodologies used to link geologic and groundwater flow models.

Effect of spatial organisation behaviour on upscaling the overland flow formation in an arable land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silasari, Rasmiaditya; Blöschl, Günter

2014-05-01

Overland flow during rainfall events on arable land is important to investigate as it affects the land erosion process and water quality in the river. The formation of overland flow may happen through different ways (i.e. Hortonian overland flow, saturation excess overland flow) which is influenced by the surface and subsurface soil characteristics (i.e. land cover, soil infiltration rate). As the soil characteristics vary throughout the entire catchment, it will form distinct spatial patterns with organised or random behaviour. During the upscaling of hydrological processes from plot to catchment scale, this behaviour will become substantial since organised patterns will result in higher spatial connectivity and thus higher conductivity. However, very few of the existing studies explicitly address this effect of spatial organisations of the patterns in upscaling the hydrological processes to the catchment scale. This study will assess the upscaling of overland flow formation with concerns of spatial organisation behaviour of the patterns by application of direct field observations under natural conditions using video camera and soil moisture sensors and investigation of the underlying processes using a physical-based hydrology model. The study area is a Hydrological Open Air Laboratory (HOAL) located at Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria. It is a 64 ha catchment with land use consisting of arable land (87%), forest (6%), pasture (5%) and paved surfaces (2%). A video camera is installed 7m above the ground on a weather station mast in the middle of the arable land to monitor the overland flow patterns during rainfall events in a 2m x 6m plot scale. Soil moisture sensors with continuous measurement at different depth (5, 10, 20 and 50cm) are installed at points where the field is monitored by the camera. The patterns of overland flow formation and subsurface flow state at the plot scale will be generated using a coupled surface-subsurface flow physical-based hydrology model. The observation data will be assimilated into the model to verify the corresponding processes between surface and subsurface flow during the rainfall events. The patterns of conductivity then will be analyzed at catchment scale using the spatial stochastic analysis based on the classification of soil characteristics of the entire catchment. These patterns of conductivity then will be applied in the model at catchment scale to see how the organisational behaviour can affect the spatial connectivity of the hydrological processes and the results of the catchment response. A detailed modelling of the underlying processes in the physical-based model will allow us to see the direct effect of the spatial connectivity to the occurring surface and subsurface flow. This will improve the analysis of the effect of spatial organisations of the patterns in upscaling the hydrological processes from plot to catchment scale.

Understanding the rapidity of subsurface storm flow response from a fracture-oriented shallow vadose through a new perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Peng; Zhao, Pei; Liang, Chuan; Li, Tianyang; Zhou, Baojia

2017-01-01

Velocity and celerity in hydrologic systems are controlled by different mechanisms. Efforts were made through joint sample collection and the use of hydrographs and tracers to understand the rapidity of the subsurface flow response to rainstorms on hourly time scales. Three deep subsurface flows during four natural rainstorm events were monitored. The results show that (1) deeper discharge was observed early in responding rainfall events and yielded a high hydrograph amplitude; (2) a ratio index, k, reflecting the dynamic change of the rainfall perturbation intensity in subsurface flow, might reveal inner causal relationships between the flow index and the tracer signal index. Most values of k were larger than 1 at the perturbation stage but approximated 1 at the no-perturbation stage; and (3) for statistical analysis of tracer signals in subsurface flows, the total standard deviation was 17.2, 11.9, 7.4 and 3.5 at perturbation stages and 4.4, 2.5, 1.1, and 0.95 at the non-perturbation stage for observed events. These events were 3-7 times higher in the former rather than the later, reflecting that the variation of tracer signals primarily occurred under rainfall perturbation. Thus, we affirmed that the dynamic features of rainfall have a key effect on rapid processes because, besides the gravity, mechanical waves originating from dynamic rainfall features are another driving factor for conversion between different types of rainfall mechanical energy. A conceptual model for pressure wave propagation was proposed, in which virtual subsurface flow processes in a heterogeneous vadose zone under rainfall are analogous to the water hammer phenomenon in complex conduit systems. Such an analogy can allow pressure in a shallow vadose to increase and decrease and directly influence the velocity and celerity of the flow reflecting a mechanism for rapid subsurface hydrologic response processes in the shallow vadose zone.

Development of stream-subsurface flow module in sub-daily simulation of Escherichia coli using SWAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Minjeong; Boithias, Laurie; Cho, Kyung Hwa; Silvera, Norbert; Thammahacksa, Chanthamousone; Latsachack, Keooudone; Rochelle-Newall, Emma; Sengtaheuanghoung, Oloth; Pierret, Alain; Pachepsky, Yakov A.; Ribolzi, Olivier

2017-04-01

Water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria poses a large threat to public health, especially in the rural areas in the tropics where sanitation and drinking water facilities are often lacking. Several studies have used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to predict the export of in-stream bacteria at a watershed-scale. However, SWAT is limited to in-stream processes, such as die-off, resuspension and, deposition; and it is usually implemented on a daily time step using the SCS Curve Number method, making it difficult to explore the dynamic fate and transport of bacteria during short but intense events such as flash floods in tropical humid montane headwaters. To address these issues, this study implemented SWAT on an hourly time step using the Green-Ampt infiltration method, and tested the effects of subsurface flow (LATQ+GWQ in SWAT) on bacterial dynamics. We applied the modified SWAT model to the 60-ha Houay Pano catchment in Northern Laos, using sub-daily rainfall and discharge measurements, electric conductivity-derived fractions of overland and subsurface flows, suspended sediments concentrations, and the number of fecal indicator organism Escherichia coli monitored at the catchment outlet from 2011 to 2013. We also took into account land use change by delineating the watershed with the 3-year composite land use map. The results show that low subsurface flow of less than 1 mm recovered the underestimation of E. coli numbers during the dry season, while high subsurface flow caused an overestimation during the wet season. We also found that it is more reasonable to apply the stream-subsurface flow interaction to simulate low in-stream bacteria counts. Using fecal bacteria to identify and understand the possible interactions between overland and subsurface flows may well also provide some insight into the fate of other bacteria, such as those involved in biogeochemical fluxes both in-stream and in the adjacent soils and hyporheic zones.

Subsurface flow and vegetation patterns in tidal environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ursino, Nadia; Silvestri, Sonia; Marani, Marco

2004-05-01

Tidal environments are characterized by a complex interplay of hydrological, geomorphic, and biological processes, and their understanding and modeling thus require the explicit description of both their biotic and abiotic components. In particular, the presence and spatial distribution of salt marsh vegetation (a key factor in the stabilization of the surface soil) have been suggested to be related to topographic factors and to soil moisture patterns, but a general, process-based comprehension of this relationship has not yet been achieved. The present paper describes a finite element model of saturated-unsaturated subsurface flow in a schematic salt marsh, driven by tidal fluctuations and evapotranspiration. The conditions leading to the establishment of preferentially aerated subsurface zones are studied, and inferences regarding the development and spatial distribution of salt marsh vegetation are drawn, with important implications for the overall ecogeomorphological dynamics of tidal environments. Our results show that subsurface water flow in the marsh induces complex water table dynamics, even when the tidal forcing has a simple sinusoidal form. The definition of a space-dependent aeration time is then proposed to characterize root aeration. The model shows that salt marsh subsurface flow depends on the distance from the nearest creek or channel and that the subsurface water movement near tidal creeks is both vertical and horizontal, while farther from creeks, it is primarily vertical. Moreover, the study shows that if the soil saturated conductivity is relatively low (10-6 m s-1, values quite common in salt marsh areas), a persistently unsaturated zone is present below the soil surface even after the tide has flooded the marsh; this provides evidence of the presence of an aerated layer allowing a prolonged presence of oxygen for aerobic root respiration. The results further show that plant transpiration increases the extent and persistence of the aerated layer, thereby introducing a strong positive feedback: Pioneer plants on marsh edges have the effect of increasing soil oxygen availability, thus creating the conditions for the further development of other plant communities.

Using a bias aware EnKF to account for unresolved structure in an unsaturated zone model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdal, D.; Neuweiler, I.; Wollschläger, U.

2014-01-01

When predicting flow in the unsaturated zone, any method for modeling the flow will have to define how, and to what level, the subsurface structure is resolved. In this paper, we use the Ensemble Kalman Filter to assimilate local soil water content observations from both a synthetic layered lysimeter and a real field experiment in layered soil in an unsaturated water flow model. We investigate the use of colored noise bias corrections to account for unresolved subsurface layering in a homogeneous model and compare this approach with a fully resolved model. In both models, we use a simplified model parameterization in the Ensemble Kalman Filter. The results show that the use of bias corrections can increase the predictive capability of a simplified homogeneous flow model if the bias corrections are applied to the model states. If correct knowledge of the layering structure is available, the fully resolved model performs best. However, if no, or erroneous, layering is used in the model, the use of a homogeneous model with bias corrections can be the better choice for modeling the behavior of the system.

Impact of topography on groundwater salinization due to ocean surge inundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xuan; Yang, Jie; Graf, Thomas; Koneshloo, Mohammad; O'Neal, Michael A.; Michael, Holly A.

2016-08-01

Sea-level rise and increases in the frequency and intensity of ocean surges caused by climate change are likely to exacerbate adverse effects on low-lying coastal areas. The landward flow of water during ocean surges introduces salt to surficial coastal aquifers and threatens groundwater resources. Coastal topographic features (e.g., ponds, dunes, barrier islands, and channels) likely have a strong impact on overwash and salinization processes, but are generally highly simplified in modeling studies. To understand topographic impacts on groundwater salinization, we modeled a theoretical overwash event and variable-density groundwater flow and salt transport in 3-D using the fully coupled surface and subsurface numerical simulator, HydroGeoSphere. The model simulates the coastal aquifer as an integrated system considering overland flow, coupled surface and subsurface exchange, variably saturated flow, and variable-density groundwater flow. To represent various coastal landscape types, we simulated both synthetic fields and real-world coastal topography from Delaware, USA. The groundwater salinization assessment suggested that the topographic connectivity promoting overland flow controls the volume of aquifer that is salinized. In contrast, the amount of water that can be stored in surface depressions determines the amount of seawater that infiltrates the subsurface and the time for seawater to flush from the aquifer. Our study suggests that topography has a significant impact on groundwater salinization due to ocean surge overwash, with important implications for coastal land management and groundwater vulnerability assessment.

Climate reconstruction from borehole temperatures influenced by groundwater flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurylyk, B.; Irvine, D. J.; Tang, W.; Carey, S. K.; Ferguson, G. A. G.; Beltrami, H.; Bense, V.; McKenzie, J. M.; Taniguchi, M.

2017-12-01

Borehole climatology offers advantages over other climate reconstruction methods because further calibration steps are not required and heat is a ubiquitous subsurface property that can be measured from terrestrial boreholes. The basic theory underlying borehole climatology is that past surface air temperature signals are reflected in the ground surface temperature history and archived in subsurface temperature-depth profiles. High frequency surface temperature signals are attenuated in the shallow subsurface, whereas low frequency signals can be propagated to great depths. A limitation of analytical techniques to reconstruct climate signals from temperature profiles is that they generally require that heat flow be limited to conduction. Advection due to groundwater flow can thermally `contaminate' boreholes and result in temperature profiles being rejected for regional climate reconstructions. Although groundwater flow and climate change can result in contrasting or superimposed thermal disturbances, groundwater flow will not typically remove climate change signals in a subsurface thermal profile. Thus, climate reconstruction is still possible in the presence of groundwater flow if heat advection is accommodated in the conceptual and mathematical models. In this study, we derive a new analytical solution for reconstructing surface temperature history from borehole thermal profiles influenced by vertical groundwater flow. The boundary condition for the solution is composed of any number of sequential `ramps', i.e. periods with linear warming or cooling rates, during the instrumented and pre-observational periods. The boundary condition generation and analytical temperature modeling is conducted in a simple computer program. The method is applied to reconstruct climate in Winnipeg, Canada and Tokyo, Japan using temperature profiles recorded in hydrogeologically active environments. The results demonstrate that thermal disturbances due to groundwater flow and climate change must be considered in a holistic manner as opposed to isolating either perturbation as was done in prior analytical studies.

3D numerical modeling of hyporheic exchange processes in fractal riverbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, A.; Aubeneau, A.

2017-12-01

The subsurface region receiving stream water is known as the hyporheic zone and the flow of water in and out of this zone is called hyporheic exchange. The hyporheic zone is populated by biofilms and is a hotspot for nutrient uptake and contaminant transformation. Traditionally, pumping models predicting the head distribution over the riverbed boundary are used to obtain the velocity field in the subsurface. However, past research has largely overlooked the nonlinearity of the turbulent flow above the bumpy riverbed. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of spatial and temporal heterogeneity created by turbulent flow on hyporheic exchange and residence time distribution in fractal channel beds. The 3-D fractal riverbed is created from the power spectrum. Large-Eddy Simulation is used to provide the pressure field over the benthic boundary. Finally, Darcian fluxes in the sub-surface are calculated and hyporheic travel times computed using random walks. Surface and subsurface transport processes are represented explicitly and can be studied in detail. Our results suggest that (1) Eddies and wakes around the dunes force the exchange (2) The bigger the dunes, the greater the influence of turbulence (3) Turbulence induces more exchange than pumping predicts.

Groundwater modelling in conceptual hydrological models - introducing space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boje, Søren; Skaugen, Thomas; Møen, Knut; Myrabø, Steinar

2017-04-01

The tiny Sæternbekken Minifelt (Muren) catchment (7500 m2) in Bærumsmarka, Norway, was during the 1990s, densely instrumented with more than a 100 observation points for measuring groundwater levels. The aim was to investigate the link between shallow groundwater dynamics and runoff. The DDD (Distance Distribution Dynamics) model is a newly developed rainfall-runoff model used operationally by the Norwegian Flood-Forecasting service at NVE. The model estimates the capacity of the subsurface reservoir at different levels of saturation and predicts overland flow. The subsurface in the DDD model has a 2-D representation that calculates the saturated and unsaturated soil moisture along a hillslope representing the entire catchment in question. The groundwater observations from more than two decades ago are used to verify assumptions of the subsurface reservoir in the DDD model and to validate its spatial representation of the subsurface reservoir. The Muren catchment will, during 2017, be re-instrumented in order to continue the work to bridge the gap between conceptual hydrological models, with typically single value or 0-dimension representation of the subsurface, and models with more realistic 2- or 3-dimension representation of the subsurface.

The thermal impact of subsurface building structures on urban groundwater resources - A paradigmatic example.

PubMed

Epting, Jannis; Scheidler, Stefan; Affolter, Annette; Borer, Paul; Mueller, Matthias H; Egli, Lukas; García-Gil, Alejandro; Huggenberger, Peter

2017-10-15

Shallow subsurface thermal regimes in urban areas are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic activities, which include infrastructure development like underground traffic lines as well as industrial and residential subsurface buildings. In combination with the progressive use of shallow geothermal energy systems, this results in the so-called subsurface urban heat island effect. This article emphasizes the importance of considering the thermal impact of subsurface structures, which commonly is underestimated due to missing information and of reliable subsurface temperature data. Based on synthetic heat-transport models different settings of the urban environment were investigated, including: (1) hydraulic gradients and conductivities, which result in different groundwater flow velocities; (2) aquifer properties like groundwater thickness to aquitard and depth to water table; and (3) constructional features, such as building depths and thermal properties of building structures. Our results demonstrate that with rising groundwater flow velocities, the heat-load from building structures increase, whereas down-gradient groundwater temperatures decrease. Thermal impacts on subsurface resources therefore have to be related to the permeability of aquifers and hydraulic boundary conditions. In regard to the urban settings of Basel, Switzerland, flow velocities of around 1 md -1 delineate a marker where either down-gradient temperature deviations or heat-loads into the subsurface are more relevant. Furthermore, no direct thermal influence on groundwater resources should be expected for aquifers with groundwater thicknesses larger 10m and when the distance of the building structure to the groundwater table is higher than around 10m. We demonstrate that measuring temperature changes down-gradient of subsurface structures is insufficient overall to assess thermal impacts, particularly in urban areas. Moreover, in areas which are densely urbanized, and where groundwater flow velocities are low, appropriate measures for assessing thermal impacts should specifically include a quantification of heat-loads into the subsurface which result in a more diffuse thermal contamination of urban groundwater resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abnormal pressures as hydrodynamic phenomena

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, C.E.

1995-01-01

So-called abnormal pressures, subsurface fluid pressures significantly higher or lower than hydrostatic, have excited speculation about their origin since subsurface exploration first encountered them. Two distinct conceptual models for abnormal pressures have gained currency among earth scientists. The static model sees abnormal pressures generally as relict features preserved by a virtual absence of fluid flow over geologic time. The hydrodynamic model instead envisions abnormal pressures as phenomena in which flow usually plays an important role. This paper develops the theoretical framework for abnormal pressures as hydrodynamic phenomena, shows that it explains the manifold occurrences of abnormal pressures, and examines the implications of this approach. -from Author

FATE AND TRANSPORT MODELING OF CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN FROM A CAFO IN AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

The groundwater flow and transport modeling effort will require hydrogeological site characterization and the development of a conceptual flow model for the site. Site characterization will involve an assessment of both the surface and subsurface and be accomplished through joint...

A field evaluation of subsurface and surface runoff. II. Runoff processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pilgrim, D.H.; Huff, D.D.; Steele, T.D.

1978-01-01

Combined use of radioisotope tracer, flow rate, specific conductance and suspended-sediment measurements on a large field plot near Stanford, California, has provided more detailed information on surface and subsurface storm runoff processes than would be possible from any single approach used in isolation. Although the plot was surficially uniform, the runoff processes were shown to be grossly nonuniform, both spatially over the plot, and laterally and vertically within the soil. The three types of processes that have been suggested as sources of storm runoff (Horton-type surface runoff, saturated overland flow, and rapid subsurface throughflow) all occurred on the plot. The nonuniformity of the processes supports the partial- and variable-source area concepts. Subsurface storm runoff occurred in a saturated layer above the subsoil horizon, and short travel times resulted from flow through macropores rather than the soil matrix. Consideration of these observations would be necessary for physically realistic modeling of the storm runoff process. ?? 1978.

Effects of tillage and application rate on atrazine transport to subsurface drainage: Evaluation of RZWQM using a six-year field study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Malone, Robert W.; Nolan, Bernard T.; Ma, Liwang; Kanwar, Rameshwar S.; Pederson, Carl H.; Heilman, Philip

2014-01-01

Well tested agricultural system models can improve our understanding of the water quality effects of management practices under different conditions. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) has been tested under a variety of conditions. However, the current model's ability to simulate pesticide transport to subsurface drain flow over a long term period under different tillage systems and application rates is not clear. Therefore, we calibrated and tested RZWQM using six years of data from Nashua, Iowa. In this experiment, atrazine was spring applied at 2.8 (1990–1992) and 0.6 kg/ha/yr (1993–1995) to two 0.4 ha plots with different tillage (till and no-till). The observed and simulated average annual flow weighted atrazine concentrations (FWAC) in subsurface drain flow from the no-till plot were 3.7 and 3.2 μg/L, respectively for the period with high atrazine application rates, and 0.8 and 0.9 μg/L, respectively for the period with low application rates. The 1990–1992 observed average annual FWAC difference between the no-till and tilled plot was 2.4 μg/L while the simulated difference was 2.1 μg/L. These observed and simulated differences for 1993–1995 were 0.1 and 0.1 μg/L, respectively. The Nash–Sutcliffe model performance statistic (EF) for cumulative atrazine flux to subsurface drain flow was 0.93 for the no-till plot testing years (1993–1995), which is comparable to other recent model tests. The value of EF is 1.0 when simulated data perfectly match observed data. The order of selected parameter sensitivity for RZWQM simulated FWAC was atrazine partition coefficient > number of macropores > atrazine half life in soil > soil hydraulic conductivity. Simulations from 1990 to 1995 with four different atrazine application rates applied at a constant rate throughout the simulation period showed concentrations in drain flow for the no-till plot to be twice those of the tilled plot. The differences were more pronounced in the early simulation period (1990–1992), partly because of the characteristics of macropore flow during large storms. The results suggest that RZWQM is a promising tool to study pesticide transport to subsurface drain flow under different tillage systems and application rates over several years, the concentrations of atrazine in drain flow can be higher with no-till than tilled soil over a range of atrazine application rates, and atrazine concentrations in drain flow are sensitive to the macropore flow characteristics under different tillage systems and rainfall timing and intensity.

Evaluating the reliability of the stream tracer approach to characterize stream-subsurface water exchange

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, Judson W.; Wagner, Brian J.; Bencala, Kenneth E.

1996-01-01

Stream water was locally recharged into shallow groundwater flow paths that returned to the stream (hyporheic exchange) in St. Kevin Gulch, a Rocky Mountain stream in Colorado contaminated by acid mine drainage. Two approaches were used to characterize hyporheic exchange: sub-reach-scale measurement of hydraulic heads and hydraulic conductivity to compute streambed fluxes (hydrometric approach) and reachscale modeling of in-stream solute tracer injections to determine characteristic length and timescales of exchange with storage zones (stream tracer approach). Subsurface data were the standard of comparison used to evaluate the reliability of the stream tracer approach to characterize hyporheic exchange. The reach-averaged hyporheic exchange flux (1.5 mL s−1 m−1), determined by hydrometric methods, was largest when stream base flow was low (10 L s−1); hyporheic exchange persisted when base flow was 10-fold higher, decreasing by approximately 30%. Reliability of the stream tracer approach to detect hyporheic exchange was assessed using first-order uncertainty analysis that considered model parameter sensitivity. The stream tracer approach did not reliably characterize hyporheic exchange at high base flow: the model was apparently more sensitive to exchange with surface water storage zones than with the hyporheic zone. At low base flow the stream tracer approach reliably characterized exchange between the stream and gravel streambed (timescale of hours) but was relatively insensitive to slower exchange with deeper alluvium (timescale of tens of hours) that was detected by subsurface measurements. The stream tracer approach was therefore not equally sensitive to all timescales of hyporheic exchange. We conclude that while the stream tracer approach is an efficient means to characterize surface-subsurface exchange, future studies will need to more routinely consider decreasing sensitivities of tracer methods at higher base flow and a potential bias toward characterizing only a fast component of hyporheic exchange. Stream tracer models with multiple rate constants to consider both fast exchange with streambed gravel and slower exchange with deeper alluvium appear to be warranted.

Catchment Tomography - Joint Estimation of Surface Roughness and Hydraulic Conductivity with the EnKF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baatz, D.; Kurtz, W.; Hendricks Franssen, H. J.; Vereecken, H.; Kollet, S. J.

2017-12-01

Parameter estimation for physically based, distributed hydrological models becomes increasingly challenging with increasing model complexity. The number of parameters is usually large and the number of observations relatively small, which results in large uncertainties. A moving transmitter - receiver concept to estimate spatially distributed hydrological parameters is presented by catchment tomography. In this concept, precipitation, highly variable in time and space, serves as a moving transmitter. As response to precipitation, runoff and stream discharge are generated along different paths and time scales, depending on surface and subsurface flow properties. Stream water levels are thus an integrated signal of upstream parameters, measured by stream gauges which serve as the receivers. These stream water level observations are assimilated into a distributed hydrological model, which is forced with high resolution, radar based precipitation estimates. Applying a joint state-parameter update with the Ensemble Kalman Filter, the spatially distributed Manning's roughness coefficient and saturated hydraulic conductivity are estimated jointly. The sequential data assimilation continuously integrates new information into the parameter estimation problem, especially during precipitation events. Every precipitation event constrains the possible parameter space. In the approach, forward simulations are performed with ParFlow, a variable saturated subsurface and overland flow model. ParFlow is coupled to the Parallel Data Assimilation Framework for the data assimilation and the joint state-parameter update. In synthetic, 3-dimensional experiments including surface and subsurface flow, hydraulic conductivity and the Manning's coefficient are efficiently estimated with the catchment tomography approach. A joint update of the Manning's coefficient and hydraulic conductivity tends to improve the parameter estimation compared to a single parameter update, especially in cases of biased initial parameter ensembles. The computational experiments additionally show to which degree of spatial heterogeneity and to which degree of uncertainty of subsurface flow parameters the Manning's coefficient and hydraulic conductivity can be estimated efficiently.

Gypsies in the palace: Experimentalist's view on the use of 3-D physics-based simulation of hillslope hydrological response

USGS Publications Warehouse

James, A.L.; McDonnell, Jeffery J.; Tromp-Van Meerveld, I.; Peters, N.E.

2010-01-01

As a fundamental unit of the landscape, hillslopes are studied for their retention and release of water and nutrients across a wide range of ecosystems. The understanding of these near-surface processes is relevant to issues of runoff generation, groundwater-surface water interactions, catchment export of nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, contaminants (e.g. mercury) and ultimately surface water health. We develop a 3-D physics-based representation of the Panola Mountain Research Watershed experimental hillslope using the TOUGH2 sub-surface flow and transport simulator. A recent investigation of sub-surface flow within this experimental hillslope has generated important knowledge of threshold rainfall-runoff response and its relation to patterns of transient water table development. This work has identified components of the 3-D sub-surface, such as bedrock topography, that contribute to changing connectivity in saturated zones and the generation of sub-surface stormflow. Here, we test the ability of a 3-D hillslope model (both calibrated and uncalibrated) to simulate forested hillslope rainfall-runoff response and internal transient sub-surface stormflow dynamics. We also provide a transparent illustration of physics-based model development, issues of parameterization, examples of model rejection and usefulness of data types (e.g. runoff, mean soil moisture and transient water table depth) to the model enterprise. Our simulations show the inability of an uncalibrated model based on laboratory and field characterization of soil properties and topography to successfully simulate the integrated hydrological response or the distributed water table within the soil profile. Although not an uncommon result, the failure of the field-based characterized model to represent system behaviour is an important challenge that continues to vex scientists at many scales. We focus our attention particularly on examining the influence of bedrock permeability, soil anisotropy and drainable porosity on the development of patterns of transient groundwater and sub-surface flow. Internal dynamics of transient water table development prove to be essential in determining appropriate model parameterization. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An adaptive Gaussian process-based iterative ensemble smoother for data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, Lei; Zhang, Jiangjiang; Meng, Long; Wu, Laosheng; Zeng, Lingzao

2018-05-01

Accurate characterization of subsurface hydraulic conductivity is vital for modeling of subsurface flow and transport. The iterative ensemble smoother (IES) has been proposed to estimate the heterogeneous parameter field. As a Monte Carlo-based method, IES requires a relatively large ensemble size to guarantee its performance. To improve the computational efficiency, we propose an adaptive Gaussian process (GP)-based iterative ensemble smoother (GPIES) in this study. At each iteration, the GP surrogate is adaptively refined by adding a few new base points chosen from the updated parameter realizations. Then the sensitivity information between model parameters and measurements is calculated from a large number of realizations generated by the GP surrogate with virtually no computational cost. Since the original model evaluations are only required for base points, whose number is much smaller than the ensemble size, the computational cost is significantly reduced. The applicability of GPIES in estimating heterogeneous conductivity is evaluated by the saturated and unsaturated flow problems, respectively. Without sacrificing estimation accuracy, GPIES achieves about an order of magnitude of speed-up compared with the standard IES. Although subsurface flow problems are considered in this study, the proposed method can be equally applied to other hydrological models.

Characterizing mercury concentrations and fluxes in a Coastal Plain watershed: Insights from dynamic modeling and data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Golden, H.E.; Knightes, C.D.; Conrads, P.A.; Davis, G.M.; Feaster, T.D.; Journey, C.A.; Benedict, S.T.; Brigham, M.E.; Bradley, P.M.

2012-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is one of the leading water quality concerns in surface waters of the United States. Although watershed-scale Hg cycling research has increased in the past two decades, advances in modeling watershed Hg processes in diverse physiographic regions, spatial scales, and land cover types are needed. The goal of this study was to assess Hg cycling in a Coastal Plain system using concentrations and fluxes estimated by multiple watershed-scale models with distinct mathematical frameworks reflecting different system dynamics. We simulated total mercury (HgT, the sum of filtered and particulate forms) concentrations and fluxes from a Coastal Plain watershed (McTier Creek) using three watershed Hg models and an empirical load model. Model output was compared with observed in-stream HgT. We found that shallow subsurface flow is a potentially important transport mechanism of particulate HgT during periods when connectivity between the uplands and surface waters is maximized. Other processes (e.g., stream bank erosion, sediment re-suspension) may increase particulate HgT in the water column. Simulations and data suggest that variable source area (VSA) flow and lack of rainfall interactions with surface soil horizons result in increased dissolved HgT concentrations unrelated to DOC mobilization following precipitation events. Although flushing of DOC-HgT complexes from surface soils can also occur during this period, DOC-complexed HgT becomes more important during base flow conditions. TOPLOAD simulations highlight saturated subsurface flow as a primary driver of daily HgT loadings, but shallow subsurface flow is important for HgT loads during high-flow events. Results suggest limited seasonal trends in HgT dynamics.

Characterizing mercury concentrations and fluxes in a Coastal Plain watershed: Insights from dynamic modeling and data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Golden, H.E.; Knightes, C.D.; Conrads, P.A.; Davis, G.M.; Feaster, T.D.; Journey, C.A.; Benedict, S.T.; Brigham, M.E.; Bradley, P.M.

2012-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is one of the leading water quality concerns in surface waters of the United States. Although watershed-scale Hg cycling research has increased in the past two decades, advances in modeling watershed Hg processes in diverse physiographic regions, spatial scales, and land cover types are needed. The goal of this study was to assess Hg cycling in a Coastal Plain system using concentrations and fluxes estimated by multiple watershed-scale models with distinct mathematical frameworks reflecting different system dynamics. We simulated total mercury (Hg T, the sum of filtered and particulate forms) concentrations and fluxes from a Coastal Plain watershed (McTier Creek) using three watershed Hg models and an empirical load model. Model output was compared with observed in-stream Hg T. We found that shallow subsurface flow is a potentially important transport mechanism of particulate Hg T during periods when connectivity between the uplands and surface waters is maximized. Other processes (e.g., stream bank erosion, sediment re-suspension) may increase particulate Hg T in the water column. Simulations and data suggest that variable source area (VSA) flow and lack of rainfall interactions with surface soil horizons result in increased dissolved Hg T concentrations unrelated to DOC mobilization following precipitation events. Although flushing of DOC-Hg T complexes from surface soils can also occur during this period, DOC-complexed Hg T becomes more important during base flow conditions. TOPLOAD simulations highlight saturated subsurface flow as a primary driver of daily Hg T loadings, but shallow subsurface flow is important for Hg T loads during high-flow events. Results suggest limited seasonal trends in Hg T dynamics. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.

Simulating land-atmosphere feedbacks and response to widespread forest disturbance: The role of lower boundary configuration and dynamic water table in meteorological modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrester, M.; Maxwell, R. M.; Bearup, L. A.; Gochis, D.

2017-12-01

Numerical meteorological models are frequently used to diagnose land-atmosphere interactions and predict large-scale response to extreme or hazardous events, including widespread land disturbance or perturbations to near-surface moisture. However, few atmospheric modeling platforms consider the impact that dynamic groundwater storage, specifically 3D subsurface flow, has on land-atmosphere interactions. In this study, we use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model to identify ecohydrologic and land-atmosphere feedbacks to disturbance by the mountain pine beetle (MPB) over the Colorado Headwaters region. Disturbance simulations are applied to WRF with various lower boundary configurations: Including default Noah land surface model soil moisture representation; a version of WRF coupled to ParFlow (PF), an integrated groundwater-surface water model that resolves variably saturated flow in the subsurface; and WRF coupled to PF in a static water table version, simulating only vertical and no lateral subsurface flow. Our results agree with previous literature showing MPB-induced reductions in canopy transpiration in all lower boundary scenarios, as well as energy repartitioning, higher water tables, and higher planetary boundary layer over infested regions. Simulations show that expanding from local to watershed scale results in significant damping of MPB signal as unforested and unimpacted regions are added; and, while deforestation appears to have secondary feedbacks to planetary boundary layer and convection, these slight perturbations to cumulative summer precipitation are insignificant in the context of ensemble methodologies. Notably, the results suggest that groundwater representation in atmospheric modeling affects the response intensity of a land disturbance event. In the WRF-PF case, energy and atmospheric processes are more sensitive to disturbance in regions with higher water tables. Also, when dynamic subsurface hydrology is removed, WRF simulates a greater response to MPB at the land-atmosphere interface, including greater changes to daytime skin temperature, Bowen ratio and near-surface humidity. These findings highlight lower boundary representations in computational meteorology and numerical land-atmosphere modeling.

Soil pipe flow tracer experiments: 2. Application of a transient storage zone model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil pipes, defined here as discrete preferential flow paths generally parallel to the slope, are important subsurface flow pathways that play a role in many soil erosion phenomena. However, limited research has been performed on quantifying and characterizing their flow and transport characteristic...

Subsurface drainage processes and management impacts

Treesearch

Elizabeth T. Keppeler; David Brown

1998-01-01

Storm-induced streamflow in forested upland watersheds is linked to rainfall by transient, variably saturated flow through several different flow paths. In the absence of exposed bedrock, shallow flow-restrictive layers, or compacted soil surfaces, virtually all of the infiltrated rainfall reaches the stream as subsurface flow. Subsurface runoff can occur within...

Understanding heterogeneity and data assimilation in karst groundwater surface water interactions: The role of geophysics and hydrologic models in a semi-confined aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyerhoff, Steven B.

Groundwater and surface water historically have been treated as different entities. Due to this, planning and development of groundwater and surface water resources, both quantity and quality are often also treated separately. Recently, there has been work to characterize groundwater and surface water as a single system. Karstic systems are widely influenced by these interactions due to varying permeability, fracture geometry and porosity. Here, three different approaches are used to characterize groundwater surface water interactions in karstic environments. 1) A hydrologic model, ParFlow, is conditioned with known subsurface data to determine whether a reduction in subsurface uncertainty will enhance the prediction of surface water variables. A reduction in subsurface uncertainty resulted in substantial reductions in uncertainty in Hortonian runoff and less reductions in Dunne runoff. 2) Geophysical data is collected at a field site in O'leno State Park, Florida to visualize groundwater and surface water interactions in karstic environments. Significant changes in resistivity are seen through time at two locations. It is hypothesized that these changes are related to changing fluid source waters (e.g groundwater or surface water). 3). To confirm these observations an ensemble of synthetic forward models are simulated, inverted and compared directly with field observations and End-Member-Mixing-Analysis (EMMA). Field observations and synthetic models have comparable resistivity anomalies patterns and mixing fractions. This allows us to characterize and quantify subsurface mixing of groundwater and surface in karst environments. These three approaches (hydrologic models, field data and forward model experiments), (1) show the complexity and dynamics of groundwater and surface mixing in karstic environments in varying flow conditions, (2) showcase a novel geophysical technique to visualize groundwater and surface water interactions and (3) confirm hypothesis of flow and mixing in subsurface karst environments.

Enhanced recharge rates and altered recharge sensitivity to climate variability through subsurface heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, Andreas; Gleeson, Tom; Wada, Yoshihide; Wagener, Thorsten

2017-04-01

Karst aquifers in Europe are an important source of fresh water contributing up to half of the total drinking water supply in some countries. Karstic groundwater recharge is one of the most important components of the water balance of karst systems as it feeds the karst aquifers. Presently available large-scale hydrological models do not consider karst heterogeneity adequately. Projections of current and potential future groundwater recharge of Europe's karst aquifers are therefore unclear. In this study we compare simulations of present (1991-2010) and future (2080-2099) recharge using two different models to simulate groundwater recharge processes. One model includes karst processes (subsurface heterogeneity, lateral flow and concentrated recharge), while the other is based on the conceptual understanding of common hydrological systems (homogeneous subsurface, saturation excess overland flow). Both models are driven by the bias-corrected 5 GCMs of the ISI-MIP project (RCP8.5). To further assess sensitivity of groundwater recharge to climate variability, we calculate the elasticity of recharge rates to annual precipitation, temperature and average intensity of rainfall events, which is the median change of recharge that corresponds to the median change of these climate variables within the present and future time period, respectively. Our model comparison shows that karst regions over Europe have enhanced recharge rates with greater inter-annual variability compared to those with more homogenous subsurface properties. Furthermore, the heterogeneous representation shows stronger elasticity concerning climate variability than the homogeneous subsurface representation. This difference tends to increase towards the future. Our results suggest that water management in regions with heterogeneous subsurface can expect a higher water availability than estimated by most of the current large-scale simulations, while measures should be taken to prepare for increasingly variable groundwater recharge rates.

Characteristics of Nitrogen Loss through Surface-Subsurface Flow on Red Soil Slopes of Southeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Haijin; Liu, Zhao; Zuo, Jichao; Wang, Lingyun; Nie, Xiaofei

2017-12-01

Soil nitrogen (N) loss related to surface flow and subsurface flow (including interflow and groundwater flow) from slope lands is a global issue. A lysimetric experiment with three types of land cover (grass cover, GC; litter cover, LC; and bare land, BL) were carried out on a red soil slope land in southeast China. Total Nitrogen (TN) loss through surface flow, interflow and groundwater flow was observed under 28 natural precipitation events from 2015 to 2016. TN concentrations from subsurface flow on BL and LC plots were, on average, 2.7-8.2 and 1.5-4.4 times greater than TN concentrations from surface flow, respectively; the average concentration of TN from subsurface flow on GC was about 36-56% of that recorded from surface flow. Surface flow, interflow and groundwater flow contributed 0-15, 2-9 and 76-96%, respectively, of loss load of TN. Compared with BL, GC and LC intercepted 83-86% of TN loss through surface runoff; GC intercepted 95% of TN loss through subsurface flow while TN loss through subsurface flow on LC is 2.3 times larger than that on BL. In conclusion, subsurface flow especially groundwater flow is the dominant hydrological rout for N loss that is usually underestimated. Grass cover has the high retention of N runoff loss while litter mulch will increase N leaching loss. These findings provide scientific support to control N runoff loss from the red soil slope lands by using suitable vegetation cover and mulching techniques.

Integrating non-colocated well and geophysical data to capture subsurface heterogeneity at an aquifer recharge and recovery site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottschalk, Ian P.; Hermans, Thomas; Knight, Rosemary; Caers, Jef; Cameron, David A.; Regnery, Julia; McCray, John E.

2017-12-01

Geophysical data have proven to be very useful for lithological characterization. However, quantitatively integrating the information gained from acquiring geophysical data generally requires colocated lithological and geophysical data for constructing a rock-physics relationship. In this contribution, the issue of integrating noncolocated geophysical and lithological data is addressed, and the results are applied to simulate groundwater flow in a heterogeneous aquifer in the Prairie Waters Project North Campus aquifer recharge site, Colorado. Two methods of constructing a rock-physics transform between electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data and lithology measurements are assessed. In the first approach, a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is used to fit a bimodal lognormal distribution to horizontal crosssections of the ERT resistivity histogram. In the second approach, a spatial bootstrap is applied to approximate the rock-physics relationship. The rock-physics transforms provide soft data for multiple point statistics (MPS) simulations. Subsurface models are used to run groundwater flow and tracer test simulations. Each model's uncalibrated, predicted breakthrough time is evaluated based on its agreement with measured subsurface travel time values from infiltration basins to selected groundwater recovery wells. We find that incorporating geophysical information into uncalibrated flow models reduces the difference with observed values, as compared to flow models without geophysical information incorporated. The integration of geophysical data also narrows the variance of predicted tracer breakthrough times substantially. Accuracy is highest and variance is lowest in breakthrough predictions generated by the MLE-based rock-physics transform. Calibrating the ensemble of geophysically constrained models would help produce a suite of realistic flow models for predictive purposes at the site. We find that the success of breakthrough predictions is highly sensitive to the definition of the rock-physics transform; it is therefore important to model this transfer function accurately.

On the importance of variable soil depth and process representation in the modeling of shallow landslide initiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatichi, S.; Burlando, P.; Anagnostopoulos, G.

2014-12-01

Sub-surface hydrology has a dominant role on the initiation of rainfall-induced landslides, since changes in the soil water potential affect soil shear strength and thus apparent cohesion. Especially on steep slopes and shallow soils, loss of shear strength can lead to failure even in unsaturated conditions. A process based model, HYDROlisthisis, characterized by high resolution in space and, time is developed to investigate the interactions between surface and subsurface hydrology and shallow landslide initiation. Specifically, 3D variably saturated flow conditions, including soil hydraulic hysteresis and preferential flow, are simulated for the subsurface flow, coupled with a surface runoff routine. Evapotranspiration and specific root water uptake are taken into account for continuous simulations of soil water content during storm and inter-storm periods. The geotechnical component of the model is based on a multidimensional limit equilibrium analysis, which takes into account the basic principles of unsaturated soil mechanics. The model is applied to a small catchment in Switzerland historically prone to rainfall-triggered landslides. A series of numerical simulations were carried out with various boundary conditions (soil depths) and using hydrological and geotechnical components of different complexity. Specifically, the sensitivity to the inclusion of preferential flow and soil hydraulic hysteresis was tested together with the replacement of the infinite slope assumption with a multi-dimensional limit equilibrium analysis. The effect of the different model components on model performance was assessed using accuracy statistics and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. The results show that boundary conditions play a crucial role in the model performance and that the introduced hydrological (preferential flow and soil hydraulic hysteresis) and geotechnical components (multidimensional limit equilibrium analysis) considerably improve predictive capabilities in the presented case study.

The impact of in-situ stress and outcrop-based fracture geometry on hydraulic aperture and upscaled permeability in fractured reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisdom, Kevin; Bertotti, Giovanni; Nick, Hamidreza M.

2016-10-01

Aperture has a controlling impact on porosity and permeability and is a source of uncertainty in modeling of naturally fractured reservoirs. This uncertainty results from difficulties in accurately quantifying aperture in the subsurface and from a limited fundamental understanding of the mechanical and diagenetic processes that control aperture. In the absence of cement bridges and high pore pressure, fractures in the subsurface are generally considered to be closed. However, experimental work, outcrop analyses and subsurface data show that some fractures remain open, and that aperture varies even along a single fracture. However, most fracture flow models consider constant apertures for fractures. We create a stress-dependent heterogeneous aperture by combining Finite Element modeling of discrete fracture networks with an empirical aperture model. Using a modeling approach that considers fractures explicitly, we quantify equivalent permeability, i.e. combined matrix and stress-dependent fracture flow. Fracture networks extracted from a large outcropping pavement form the basis of these models. The results show that the angle between fracture strike and σ1 has a controlling impact on aperture and permeability, where hydraulic opening is maximum for an angle of 15°. At this angle, the fracture experiences a minor amount of shear displacement that allows the fracture to remain open even when fluid pressure is lower than the local normal stress. Averaging the heterogeneous aperture to scale up permeability probably results in an underestimation of flow, indicating the need to incorporate full aperture distributions rather than simplified aperture models in reservoir-scale flow models.

Dynamics of nonreactive solute transport in the permafrost environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svyatskiy, D.; Coon, E. T.; Moulton, J. D.

2017-12-01

As part of the DOE Office of Science Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment, NGEE-Arctic, researchers are developing process-rich models to understand and predict the evolution of water sources and hydrologic flow pathways resulting from degrading permafrost. The sources and interaction of surface and subsurface water and flow paths are complex in space and time due to strong interplay between heterogeneous subsurface parameters, the seasonal to decadal evolution of the flow domain, climate driven melting and release of permafrost ice as a liquid water source, evolving surface topography and highly variable meteorological data. In this study, we seek to characterize the magnitude of vertical and lateral subsurface flows in a cold, wet tundra, polygonal landscape characteristic of the Barrow Peninsula, AK. To better understand the factors controlling water flux partitioning in these low gradient landscapes, NGEE researchers developed and are applying the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS), which fully couples surface and subsurface flow and energy processes, snow distribution and atmospheric forcing. Here we demonstrate the integration of a new solute transport model within the ATS, which enables the interpretation of applied and natural tracer experiments and observations aimed at quantifying water sources and flux partitioning. We examine the role of ice wedge polygon structure, freeze-thaw processes and soil properties on the seasonal transport of water within and through polygons features, and compare results to tracer experiments on 2D low-centered and high-centered transects corresponding to artificial as well as realistic topographical data from sites in polygonal tundra. These simulations demonstrate significant difference between flow patterns between permafrost and non-permafrost environments due to active layer freeze-thaw processes.

Biofilm Effect on Flow Structure over a Permeable Bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemifar, F.; Blois, G.; Aybar, M.; Perez-Calleja, P.; Nerenberg, R.; Sinha, S.; Hardy, R. J.; Best, J.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Christensen, K. T.

2017-12-01

Biofilms constitute an important form of bacterial life in aquatic environments and are present at the fluid-solid interfaces in natural and industrial settings, such as water distribution systems and riverbeds among others. The permeable, heterogeneous, and deformable structure of biofilms can influence mass and momentum transport between the subsurface and freestream. However, this interaction is not fully understood, in part due to technical obstacles impeding quantitative experimental investigations. In this work, the effect of biofilm on flow structure over a permeable bed is studied. Experiments are conducted in a closed water channel equipped with an idealized two-dimensional permeable bed. Prior to conducting flow experiments, the models are placed within an independent recirculating reactor for biofilm growth. Once a targeted biofilm growth stage is achieved, the models are transferred to the water channel and subjected to transitional and turbulent flows. Long-distance microscopic particle image velocimetry measurements are performed to quantify the effect of biofilm on the turbulence structure of the free flow as well as the freestream-subsurface flow interaction.

Surface-subsurface turbulent interaction at the interface of a permeable bed: influence of the wall permeability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T.; Blois, G.; Best, J.; Christensen, K. T.

2017-12-01

Coarse-gravel river beds possess a high degree of permeability. Flow interactions between surface and subsurface flow across the bed interface is key to a number of natural processes occurring in the hyporheic zone. In fact, it is increasingly recognized that these interactions drive mass, momentum and energy transport across the interface, and consequently control biochemical processes as well as stability of sediments. The current study explores the role of the wall permeability in surface and subsurface flow interaction under controlled experimental conditions on a physical model of a gravel bed. The present wall model was constructed by five layers of cubically arranged spheres (d=25.4mm, where d is a diameter) providing 48% of porosity. Surface topography was removed by cutting half of a diameter on the top layer of spheres to render the flow surface smooth and highlight the impact of the permeability on the overlying flow. An impermeable smooth wall was also considered as a baseline of comparison for the permeable wall flow. To obtain basic flow statistics, low-frame-rate high-resolution PIV measurements were performed first in the streamwise-wall-normal (x-y) plane and refractive-index matching was employed to optically access the flow within the permeable wall. Time-resolved PIV experiments in the same facility were followed to investigate the flow interaction across the wall interface in sptaio-temporal domain. In this paper, a detailed analysis of the first and second order velocity statistics as well as the amplitude modulation for the flow overlying the permeable smooth wall will be presented.

An information theory application to improve understanding of subsurface flow and transport conditions at the BARC OPE3 site

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving understanding of subsurface conditions includes comparison and discrimination of concurrent models. Additional observations can be useful for that purpose. The objective of this work was to implement and test a novel method for optimization of selecting locations for additional observation...

A stochastic approach for model reduction and memory function design in hydrogeophysical inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Z.; Kellogg, A.; Terry, N.

2009-12-01

Geophysical (e.g., seismic, electromagnetic, radar) techniques and statistical methods are essential for research related to subsurface characterization, including monitoring subsurface flow and transport processes, oil/gas reservoir identification, etc. For deep subsurface characterization such as reservoir petroleum exploration, seismic methods have been widely used. Recently, electromagnetic (EM) methods have drawn great attention in the area of reservoir characterization. However, considering the enormous computational demand corresponding to seismic and EM forward modeling, it is usually a big problem to have too many unknown parameters in the modeling domain. For shallow subsurface applications, the characterization can be very complicated considering the complexity and nonlinearity of flow and transport processes in the unsaturated zone. It is warranted to reduce the dimension of parameter space to a reasonable level. Another common concern is how to make the best use of time-lapse data with spatial-temporal correlations. This is even more critical when we try to monitor subsurface processes using geophysical data collected at different times. The normal practice is to get the inverse images individually. These images are not necessarily continuous or even reasonably related, because of the non-uniqueness of hydrogeophysical inversion. We propose to use a stochastic framework by integrating minimum-relative-entropy concept, quasi Monto Carlo sampling techniques, and statistical tests. The approach allows efficient and sufficient exploration of all possibilities of model parameters and evaluation of their significances to geophysical responses. The analyses enable us to reduce the parameter space significantly. The approach can be combined with Bayesian updating, allowing us to treat the updated ‘posterior’ pdf as a memory function, which stores all the information up to date about the distributions of soil/field attributes/properties, then consider the memory function as a new prior and generate samples from it for further updating when more geophysical data is available. We applied this approach for deep oil reservoir characterization and for shallow subsurface flow monitoring. The model reduction approach reliably helps reduce the joint seismic/EM/radar inversion computational time to reasonable levels. Continuous inversion images are obtained using time-lapse data with the “memory function” applied in the Bayesian inversion.

Adapting HYDRUS-1D to simulate overland flow and reactive transport during sheet flow deviations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The HYDRUS-1D code is a popular numerical model for solving the Richards equation for variably-saturated water flow and solute transport in porous media. This code was adapted to solve rather than the Richards equation for subsurface flow the diffusion wave equation for overland flow at the soil sur...

Application of nonlinear-regression methods to a ground-water flow model of the Albuquerque Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tiedeman, C.R.; Kernodle, J.M.; McAda, D.P.

1998-01-01

This report documents the application of nonlinear-regression methods to a numerical model of ground-water flow in the Albuquerque Basin, New Mexico. In the Albuquerque Basin, ground water is the primary source for most water uses. Ground-water withdrawal has steadily increased since the 1940's, resulting in large declines in water levels in the Albuquerque area. A ground-water flow model was developed in 1994 and revised and updated in 1995 for the purpose of managing basin ground- water resources. In the work presented here, nonlinear-regression methods were applied to a modified version of the previous flow model. Goals of this work were to use regression methods to calibrate the model with each of six different configurations of the basin subsurface and to assess and compare optimal parameter estimates, model fit, and model error among the resulting calibrations. The Albuquerque Basin is one in a series of north trending structural basins within the Rio Grande Rift, a region of Cenozoic crustal extension. Mountains, uplifts, and fault zones bound the basin, and rock units within the basin include pre-Santa Fe Group deposits, Tertiary Santa Fe Group basin fill, and post-Santa Fe Group volcanics and sediments. The Santa Fe Group is greater than 14,000 feet (ft) thick in the central part of the basin. During deposition of the Santa Fe Group, crustal extension resulted in development of north trending normal faults with vertical displacements of as much as 30,000 ft. Ground-water flow in the Albuquerque Basin occurs primarily in the Santa Fe Group and post-Santa Fe Group deposits. Water flows between the ground-water system and surface-water bodies in the inner valley of the basin, where the Rio Grande, a network of interconnected canals and drains, and Cochiti Reservoir are located. Recharge to the ground-water flow system occurs as infiltration of precipitation along mountain fronts and infiltration of stream water along tributaries to the Rio Grande; subsurface flow from adjacent regions; irrigation and septic field seepage; and leakage through the Rio Grande, canal, and Cochiti Reservoir beds. Ground water is discharged from the basin by withdrawal; evapotranspiration; subsurface flow; and flow to the Rio Grande, canals, and drains. The transient, three-dimensional numerical model of ground-water flow to which nonlinear-regression methods were applied simulates flow in the Albuquerque Basin from 1900 to March 1995. Six different basin subsurface configurations are considered in the model. These configurations are designed to test the effects of (1) varying the simulated basin thickness, (2) including a hypothesized hydrogeologic unit with large hydraulic conductivity in the western part of the basin (the west basin high-K zone), and (3) substantially lowering the simulated hydraulic conductivity of a fault in the western part of the basin (the low-K fault zone). The model with each of the subsurface configurations was calibrated using a nonlinear least- squares regression technique. The calibration data set includes 802 hydraulic-head measurements that provide broad spatial and temporal coverage of basin conditions, and one measurement of net flow from the Rio Grande and drains to the ground-water system in the Albuquerque area. Data are weighted on the basis of estimates of the standard deviations of measurement errors. The 10 to 12 parameters to which the calibration data as a whole are generally most sensitive were estimated by nonlinear regression, whereas the remaining model parameter values were specified. Results of model calibration indicate that the optimal parameter estimates as a whole are most reasonable in calibrations of the model with with configurations 3 (which contains 1,600-ft-thick basin deposits and the west basin high-K zone), 4 (which contains 5,000-ft-thick basin de

Stochastic collocation using Kronrod-Patterson-Hermite quadrature with moderate delay for subsurface flow and transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Q.; Tchelepi, H.; Zhang, D.

2015-12-01

Uncertainty quantification aims at characterizing the impact of input parameters on the output responses and plays an important role in many areas including subsurface flow and transport. In this study, a sparse grid collocation approach, which uses a nested Kronrod-Patterson-Hermite quadrature rule with moderate delay for Gaussian random parameters, is proposed to quantify the uncertainty of model solutions. The conventional stochastic collocation method serves as a promising non-intrusive approach and has drawn a great deal of interests. The collocation points are usually chosen to be Gauss-Hermite quadrature nodes, which are naturally unnested. The Kronrod-Patterson-Hermite nodes are shown to be more efficient than the Gauss-Hermite nodes due to nestedness. We propose a Kronrod-Patterson-Hermite rule with moderate delay to further improve the performance. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method for uncertainty quantification through subsurface flow and transport examples.

Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change and Land Use Dynamics Using a Fully Coupled Hydrologic Feedback Model between Surface and Subsurface Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, C.; Lee, J.; Koo, M.

2011-12-01

Climate is the most critical driving force of the hydrologic system of the Earth. Since the industrial revolution, the impacts of anthropogenic activities to the Earth environment have been expanded and accelerated. Especially, the global emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is known to have significantly increased temperature and affected the hydrologic system. Many hydrologists have contributed to the studies regarding the climate change on the hydrologic system since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created in 1988. Among many components in the hydrologic system groundwater and its response to the climate change and anthropogenic activities are not fully understood due to the complexity of subsurface conditions between the surface and the groundwater table. A new spatio-temporal hydrologic model has been developed to estimate the impacts of climate change and land use dynamics on the groundwater. The model consists of two sub-models: a surface model and a subsurface model. The surface model involves three surface processes: interception, runoff, and evapotranspiration, and the subsurface model does also three subsurface processes: soil moisture balance, recharge, and groundwater flow. The surface model requires various input data including land use, soil types, vegetation types, topographical elevations, and meteorological data. The surface model simulates daily hydrological processes for rainfall interception, surface runoff varied by land use change and crop growth, and evapotranspiration controlled by soil moisture balance. The daily soil moisture balance is a key element to link two sub-models as it calculates infiltration and groundwater recharge by considering a time delay routing through a vadose zone down to the groundwater table. MODFLOW is adopted to simulate groundwater flow and interaction with surface water components as well. The model is technically flexible to add new model or modify existing model as it is developed with an object-oriented language - Python. The model also can easily be localized by simple modification of soil and crop properties. The actual application of the model after calibration was successful and results showed reliable water balance and interaction between the surface and subsurface hydrologic systems.

Coupled surface and subsurface flow modeling of natural hillslopes in the Aburrá Valley (Medellín, Colombia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blessent, Daniela; Barco, Janet; Temgoua, André Guy Tranquille; Echeverrri-Ramirez, Oscar

2017-03-01

Numerical results are presented of surface-subsurface water modeling of a natural hillslope located in the Aburrá Valley, in the city of Medellín (Antioquia, Colombia). The integrated finite-element hydrogeological simulator HydroGeoSphere is used to conduct transient variably saturated simulations. The objective is to analyze pore-water pressure and saturation variation at shallow depths, as well as volumes of water infiltrated in the porous medium. These aspects are important in the region of study, which is highly affected by soil movements, especially during the high-rain seasons that occur twice a year. The modeling exercise considers rainfall events that occurred between October and December 2014 and a hillslope that is currently monitored because of soil instability problems. Simulation results show that rainfall temporal variability, mesh resolution, coupling length, and the conceptual model chosen to represent the heterogeneous soil, have a noticeable influence on results, particularly for high rainfall intensities. Results also indicate that surface-subsurface coupled modeling is required to avoid unrealistic increase in hydraulic heads when high rainfall intensities cause top-down saturation of soil. This work is a first effort towards fostering hydrogeological modeling expertise that may support the development of monitoring systems and early landslide warning in a country where the rainy season is often the cause of hydrogeological tragedies associated with landslides, mud flow or debris flow.

Effect of subalpine canopy removal on snowpack, soil solution, and nutrient export, Fraser Experimental Forest, CO

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stottlemyer, R.; Troendle, C.A.

1999-01-01

Research on the effects of vegetation manipulation on snowpack, soil water, and streamwater chemistry and flux has been underway at the Fraser Experimental Forest (FEF), CO, since 1982. Greater than 95% of FEF snowmelt passes through watersheds as subsurface flow where soil processes significantly alter meltwater chemistry. To better understand the mechanisms accounting for annual variation in watershed streamwater ion concentration and flux with snowmelt, we studied subsurface water flow, its ion concentration, and flux in conterminous forested and clear cut plots. Repetitive patterns in subsurface flow and chemistry were apparent. Control plot subsurface flow chemistry had the highest ion concentrations in late winter and fall. When shallow subsurface flow occurred, its Ca2+, SO42-, and HCO3- concentrations were lower and K+ higher than deep flow. The percentage of Ca2+, NO3-, SO42-, and HCO3- flux in shallow depths was less and K+ slightly greater than the percentage of total flow. Canopy removal increased precipitation reaching the forest floor by about 40%, increased peak snowpack water equivalent (SWE) > 35%, increased the average snowpack Ca2+, NO3-, and NH4+ content, reduced the snowpack K+ content, and increased the runoff four-fold. Clear cutting doubled the percentage of subsurface flow at shallow depths, and increased K+ concentration in shallow subsurface flow and NO3- concentrations in both shallow and deep flow. The percentage change in total Ca2+, SO42-, and HCO3- flux in shallow depths was less than the change in water flux, while that of K+ and NO3- flux was greater. Relative to the control, in the clear cut the percentage of total Ca2+ flux at shallow depths increased from 5 to 12%, SO42- 5.4 to 12%, HCO3- from 5.6 to 8.7%, K+ from 6 to 35%, and NO3- from 2.7 to 17%. The increases in Ca2+ and SO42- flux were proportional to the increase in water flux, the flux of HCO3- increased proportionally less than water flux, and NO3- and K+ were proportionally greater than water flux. Increased subsurface flow accounted for most of the increase in non-limiting nutrient loss. For limiting nutrients, loss of plant uptake and increased shallow subsurface flow accounted for the greater loss. Seasonal ion concentration patterns in streamwater and subsurface flow were similar.Research on the effects of vegetation manipulation on snowpack, soil water, and streamwater chemistry and flux has been underway at the Fraser Experimental Forest (FEF), CO, since 1982. Greater than 95% of FEF snowmelt passes through watersheds as subsurface flow where soil processes significantly alter meltwater chemistry. To better understand the mechanisms accounting for annual variation in watershed streamwater ion concentration and flux with snowmelt, we studied subsurface water flow, its ion concentration, and flux in conterminous forested and clear cut plots. Repetitive patterns in subsurface flow and chemistry were apparent. Control plot subsurface flow chemistry had the highest ion concentrations in late winter and fall. When shallow subsurface flow occurred, its Ca2+, SO42-, and HCO3- concentrations were lower and K+ higher than deep flow. The percentage of Ca2+, NO3-, SO42-, and HCO3- flux in shallow depths was less and K+ slightly greater than the percentage of total flow. Canopy removal increased precipitation reaching the forest floor by about 40%, increased peak snowpack water equivalent (SWE) > 35%, increased the average snowpack Ca2+, NO3-, and NH4+ content, reduced the snowpack K+ content, and increased the runoff four-fold. Clear cutting doubled the percentage of subsurface flow at shallow depths, and increased K+ concentration in shallow subsurface flow and NO3- concentrations in both shallow and deep flow. The percentage change in total Ca2+, SO42-, and HCO3- flux in shallow depths was less than the change in water flux, while that of K+ and NO3- flux was greater. Relative to the control, in the clear cut the percentage of total Ca

A High Resolution, Integrated Approach to Modeling Climate Change Impacts to a Mountain Headwaters Catchment using ParFlow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pribulick, C. E.; Maxwell, R. M.; Williams, K. H.; Carroll, R. W. H.

2014-12-01

Prediction of environmental response to global climate change is paramount for regions that rely upon snowpack for their dominant water supply. Temperature increases are anticipated to be greater at higher elevations perturbing hydrologic systems that provide water to millions of downstream users. In this study, the relationships between large-scale climatic change and the corresponding small-scale hydrologic processes of mountainous terrain are investigated in the East River headwaters catchment near Gothic, CO. This catchment is emblematic of many others within the upper Colorado River Basin and covers an area of 250 square kilometers, has a topographic relief of 1420 meters, an average elevation of 3266 meters and has varying stream characteristics. This site allows for the examination of the varying effect of climate-induced changes on the hydrologic response of three different characteristic components of the catchment: a steep high-energy mountain system, a medium-grade lower-energy system and a low-grade low-energy meandering floodplain. To capture the surface and subsurface heterogeneity of this headwaters system the basin has been modeled at a 10-meter resolution using ParFlow, a parallel, integrated hydrologic model. Driven by meteorological forcing, ParFlow is able to capture land surface processes and represents surface and subsurface interactions through saturated and variably saturated heterogeneous flow. Data from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), land cover, permeability, geologic and soil maps, and on-site meteorological stations, were prepared, analyzed and input into ParFlow as layers with a grid size comprised of 1403 by 1685 cells to best represent the small-scale, high resolution model domain. Water table depth, soil moisture, soil temperature, snowpack, runoff and local energy budget values provide useful insight into the catchments response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) temperature projections. In the near term, coupling this watershed model with one describing a diverse suite of subsurface elemental cycling pathways, including carbon and nitrogen, will provide an improved understanding of the response of the subsurface ecosystems to hydrologic transitions induced as a result of global climate change.

An analytical solution for predicting the transient seepage from a subsurface drainage system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Pei; Dan, Han-Cheng; Zhou, Tingzhang; Lu, Chunhui; Kong, Jun; Li, Ling

2016-05-01

Subsurface drainage systems have been widely used to deal with soil salinization and waterlogging problems around the world. In this paper, a mathematical model was introduced to quantify the transient behavior of the groundwater table and the seepage from a subsurface drainage system. Based on the assumption of a hydrostatic pressure distribution, the model considered the pore-water flow in both the phreatic and vadose soil zones. An approximate analytical solution for the model was derived to quantify the drainage of soils which were initially water-saturated. The analytical solution was validated against laboratory experiments and a 2-D Richards equation-based model, and found to predict well the transient water seepage from the subsurface drainage system. A saturated flow-based model was also tested and found to over-predict the time required for drainage and the total water seepage by nearly one order of magnitude, in comparison with the experimental results and the present analytical solution. During drainage, a vadose zone with a significant water storage capacity developed above the phreatic surface. A considerable amount of water still remained in the vadose zone at the steady state with the water table situated at the drain bottom. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that effects of the vadose zone were intensified with an increased thickness of capillary fringe, capillary rise and/or burying depth of drains, in terms of the required drainage time and total water seepage. The analytical solution provides guidance for assessing the capillary effects on the effectiveness and efficiency of subsurface drainage systems for combating soil salinization and waterlogging problems.

Spatial and temporal variation of residence time and storage volume of subsurface water evaluated by multi-tracers approach in mountainous headwater catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujimura, Maki; Yano, Shinjiro; Abe, Yutaka; Matsumoto, Takehiro; Yoshizawa, Ayumi; Watanabe, Ysuhito; Ikeda, Koichi

2015-04-01

Headwater catchments in mountainous region are the most important recharge area for surface and subsurface waters, additionally time and stock information of the water is principal to understand hydrological processes in the catchments. However, there have been few researches to evaluate variation of residence time and storage volume of subsurface water in time and space at the mountainous headwaters especially with steep slope. We performed an investigation on age dating and estimation of storage volume using simple water budget model in subsurface water with tracing of hydrological flow processes in mountainous catchments underlain by granite, Paleozoic and Tertiary, Yamanashi and Tsukuba, central Japan. We conducted hydrometric measurements and sampling of spring, stream and ground waters in high-flow and low-flow seasons from 2008 through 2012 in the catchments, and CFCs, stable isotopic ratios of oxygen-18 and deuterium, inorganic solute constituent concentrations were determined on all water samples. Residence time of subsurface water ranged from 11 to 60 years in the granite catchments, from 17 to 32 years in the Paleozoic catchments, from 13 to 26 years in the Tertiary catchments, and showed a younger age during the high-flow season, whereas it showed an older age in the low-flow season. Storage volume of subsurface water was estimated to be ranging from 10 ^ 4 to 10 ^ 6 m3 in the granite catchments, from 10 ^ 5 to 10 ^ 7 m3 in the Paleozoic catchments, from 10 ^ 4 to 10 ^ 6 m3 in the Tertiary catchments. In addition, seasonal change of storage volume in the granite catchments was the highest as compared with those of the Paleozoic and the Tertiary catchments. The results suggest that dynamic change of hydrological process seems to cause a larger variation of the residence time and storage volume of subsurface water in time and space in the granite catchments, whereas higher groundwater recharge rate due to frequent fissures or cracks seems to cause larger storage volume of the subsurface water in the Paleozoic catchments though the variation is not so considerable. Also, numerical simulation results support these findings.

A multiple-point geostatistical method for characterizing uncertainty of subsurface alluvial units and its effects on flow and transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronkite-Ratcliff, C.; Phelps, G.A.; Boucher, A.

2012-01-01

This report provides a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the potential application of multiple-point geostatistics for characterizing geologic heterogeneity and its effect on flow and transport simulation. The study presented in this report is the result of collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Stanford University. This collaboration focused on improving the characterization of alluvial deposits by incorporating prior knowledge of geologic structure and estimating the uncertainty of the modeled geologic units. In this study, geologic heterogeneity of alluvial units is characterized as a set of stochastic realizations, and uncertainty is indicated by variability in the results of flow and transport simulations for this set of realizations. This approach is tested on a hypothetical geologic scenario developed using data from the alluvial deposits in Yucca Flat, Nevada. Yucca Flat was chosen as a data source for this test case because it includes both complex geologic and hydrologic characteristics and also contains a substantial amount of both surface and subsurface geologic data. Multiple-point geostatistics is used to model geologic heterogeneity in the subsurface. A three-dimensional (3D) model of spatial variability is developed by integrating alluvial units mapped at the surface with vertical drill-hole data. The SNESIM (Single Normal Equation Simulation) algorithm is used to represent geologic heterogeneity stochastically by generating 20 realizations, each of which represents an equally probable geologic scenario. A 3D numerical model is used to simulate groundwater flow and contaminant transport for each realization, producing a distribution of flow and transport responses to the geologic heterogeneity. From this distribution of flow and transport responses, the frequency of exceeding a given contaminant concentration threshold can be used as an indicator of uncertainty about the location of the contaminant plume boundary.

Hillslope-scale experiment demonstrates role of convergence during two-step saturation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gevaert, A. I.; Teuling, A. J.; Uijlenhoet, R.; DeLong, Stephen B.; Huxman, T. E.; Pangle, L. A.; Breshears, David D.; Chorover, J.; Pelletier, John D.; Saleska, S. R.; Zeng, X.; Troch, Peter A.

2014-01-01

Subsurface flow and storage dynamics at hillslope scale are difficult to ascertain, often in part due to a lack of sufficient high-resolution measurements and an incomplete understanding of boundary conditions, soil properties, and other environmental aspects. A continuous and extreme rainfall experiment on an artificial hillslope at Biosphere 2's Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) resulted in saturation excess overland flow and gully erosion in the convergent hillslope area. An array of 496 soil moisture sensors revealed a two-step saturation process. First, the downward movement of the wetting front brought soils to a relatively constant but still unsaturated moisture content. Second, soils were brought to saturated conditions from below in response to rising water tables. Convergent areas responded faster than upslope areas, due to contributions from lateral subsurface flow driven by the topography of the bottom boundary, which is comparable to impermeable bedrock in natural environments. This led to the formation of a groundwater ridge in the convergent area, triggering saturation excess runoff generation. This unique experiment demonstrates, at very high spatial and temporal resolution, the role of convergence on subsurface storage and flow dynamics. The results bring into question the representation of saturation excess overland flow in conceptual rainfall-runoff models and land-surface models, since flow is gravity-driven in many of these models and upper layers cannot become saturated from below. The results also provide a baseline to study the role of the co-evolution of ecological and hydrological processes in determining landscape water dynamics during future experiments in LEO.

Application of a Transient Storage Zone Model o Soil Pipeflow Tracer Injection Experiments

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil pipes, defined here as discrete preferential flow paths generally parallel to the slope, are important subsurface flow pathways that play a role in many soil erosion phenomena. However, limited research has been performed on quantifying and characterizing their flow and transport characteristic...

Regionalization of subsurface stormflow parameters of hydrologic models: Up-scaling from physically based numerical simulations at hillslope scale

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

Ali, Melkamu; Ye, Sheng; Li, Hongyi

2014-07-19

Subsurface stormflow is an important component of the rainfall-runoff response, especially in steep forested regions. However; its contribution is poorly represented in current generation of land surface hydrological models (LSMs) and catchment-scale rainfall-runoff models. The lack of physical basis of common parameterizations precludes a priori estimation (i.e. without calibration), which is a major drawback for prediction in ungauged basins, or for use in global models. This paper is aimed at deriving physically based parameterizations of the storage-discharge relationship relating to subsurface flow. These parameterizations are derived through a two-step up-scaling procedure: firstly, through simulations with a physically based (Darcian) subsurfacemore » flow model for idealized three dimensional rectangular hillslopes, accounting for within-hillslope random heterogeneity of soil hydraulic properties, and secondly, through subsequent up-scaling to the catchment scale by accounting for between-hillslope and within-catchment heterogeneity of topographic features (e.g., slope). These theoretical simulation results produced parameterizations of the storage-discharge relationship in terms of soil hydraulic properties, topographic slope and their heterogeneities, which were consistent with results of previous studies. Yet, regionalization of the resulting storage-discharge relations across 50 actual catchments in eastern United States, and a comparison of the regionalized results with equivalent empirical results obtained on the basis of analysis of observed streamflow recession curves, revealed a systematic inconsistency. It was found that the difference between the theoretical and empirically derived results could be explained, to first order, by climate in the form of climatic aridity index. This suggests a possible codependence of climate, soils, vegetation and topographic properties, and suggests that subsurface flow parameterization needed for ungauged locations must account for both the physics of flow in heterogeneous landscapes, and the co-dependence of soil and topographic properties with climate, including possibly the mediating role of vegetation.« less

Real rock-microfluidic flow cell: A test bed for real-time in situ analysis of flow, transport, and reaction in a subsurface reactive transport environment.

PubMed

Singh, Rajveer; Sivaguru, Mayandi; Fried, Glenn A; Fouke, Bruce W; Sanford, Robert A; Carrera, Martin; Werth, Charles J

2017-09-01

Physical, chemical, and biological interactions between groundwater and sedimentary rock directly control the fundamental subsurface properties such as porosity, permeability, and flow. This is true for a variety of subsurface scenarios, ranging from shallow groundwater aquifers to deeply buried hydrocarbon reservoirs. Microfluidic flow cells are now commonly being used to study these processes at the pore scale in simplified pore structures meant to mimic subsurface reservoirs. However, these micromodels are typically fabricated from glass, silicon, or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and are therefore incapable of replicating the geochemical reactivity and complex three-dimensional pore networks present in subsurface lithologies. To address these limitations, we developed a new microfluidic experimental test bed, herein called the Real Rock-Microfluidic Flow Cell (RR-MFC). A porous 500μm-thick real rock sample of the Clair Group sandstone from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir of the North Sea was prepared and mounted inside a PDMS microfluidic channel, creating a dynamic flow-through experimental platform for real-time tracking of subsurface reactive transport. Transmitted and reflected microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and confocal laser microscopy techniques were used to (1) determine the mineralogy, geochemistry, and pore networks within the sandstone inserted in the RR-MFC, (2) analyze non-reactive tracer breakthrough in two- and (depth-limited) three-dimensions, and (3) characterize multiphase flow. The RR-MFC is the first microfluidic experimental platform that allows direct visualization of flow and transport in the pore space of a real subsurface reservoir rock sample, and holds potential to advance our understandings of reactive transport and other subsurface processes relevant to pollutant transport and cleanup in groundwater, as well as energy recovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatially Explicit Simulation of Mesotopographic Controls on Peatland Hydrology and Carbon Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnentag, O.; Chen, J. M.; Roulet, N. T.

2006-12-01

A number of field carbon flux measurements, paleoecological records, and model simulations have acknowledged the importance of northern peatlands in terrestrial carbon cycling and methane emissions. An important parameter in peatlands that influences both net primary productivity, the net gain of carbon through photosynthesis, and decomposition under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, is the position of the water table. Biological and physical processes involved in peatland carbon dynamics and their hydrological controls operate at different spatial scales. The highly variable hydraulic characteristics of the peat profile and the overall shape of the peat body as defined by its surface topography at the mesoscale (104 m2) are of major importance for peatland water table dynamics. Common types of peatlands include bogs with a slightly domed centre. As a result of the convex profile, their water supply is restricted to atmospheric inputs, and water is mainly shed by shallow subsurface flow. From a modelling perspective the influence of mesotopographic controls on peatland hydrology and thus carbon balance requires that process-oriented models that examine the links between peatland hydrology, ecosystem functioning, and climate must incorporate some form of lateral subsurface flow consideration. Most hydrological and ecological modelling studies in complex terrain explicitly account for the topographic controls on lateral subsurface flow through digital elevation models. However, modelling studies in peatlands often employ simple empirical parameterizations of lateral subsurface flow, neglecting the influence of peatlands low relief mesoscale topography. Our objective is to explicitly simulate the mesotopographic controls on peatland hydrology and carbon fluxes using the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) adapted to northern peatlands. BEPS is a process-oriented ecosystem model in a remote sensing framework that takes into account peatlands multi-layer canopy through vertically stratified mapped leaf area index. Model outputs are validated against multi-year measurements taken at an eddy-covariance flux tower located within Mer Bleue bog, a typical raised bog near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Model results for seasonal water table dynamics and evapotranspiration at daily time steps in 2003 are in good agreement with measurements with R2=0.74 and R2=0.79, respectively, and indicate the suitability of our pursued approach.

Stormflow generation: a meta-analysis of field studies and research catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthold, Frauke; Elsenbeer, Helmut

2014-05-01

Runoff characteristics are expressions of runoff generation mechanisms. In this study, we want to test the hypothesis if storm hydrographs of catchments with prevailing near-surface flow paths are dominated by new water. We aim to test this hypothesis using published data from the scientific literature. We developed a classification system based on three runoff characteristics: (1) hydrograph response (HR: slowly or quickly), (2) the temporal source of water that dominates the hydrograph (TS: pre-event vs. event water) and (3) the flow paths that the water takes until it is released to the stream (FP: subsurface vs. surface flow paths). We then performed a literature survey to collect information on these runoff characteristics for small, forested headwater catchments that served as study areas in runoff generation studies and assigned each study catchment to one of the 8 classes. For this purpose, we designed a procedure to objectively diagnose the predominant conceptual model of storm flow generation in each catchment and assess its temporal and spatial relevance for the catchment. Finally, we performed an explorative analysis of the classified research catchments and summarized field evidence. Our literature survey yielded a sample of 22 research catchments that fell within our defined criteria (small, naturally forested catchments which served as study areas in stormflow generation studies). We applied our classification procedure to all of these catchments. Among them were 14 catchments for which our meta-analysis yielded a complete set of stormflow characteristics resulting in one of the 8 model concepts and were assigned into our classification scheme. Of the 14 classified research catchments, 10 were dominated by subsurface flow paths while 4 were dominated by overland flow. The data also indicate that the spatial and temporal relevance is high for catchments with subsurface flow paths while often weak for surface flow paths dominated catchments. The catalogue of catchments supports our hypothesis; however, it is afflicted with a relative high degree of uncertainty. Two theories exist that may explain the imbalance between surface and subsurface dominated catchments: (1) the selection of research sites for stormflow generation studies was guided by the leading research question in hydrology, i.e. to address the "old water paradox", and (2) catchments with prevailing subsurface flow paths are much more common in nature. In a next step, the proposed catalogue of research catchments allows correlation of environmental characteristics with runoff characteristics to address questions of catchment organization and similarity. However, the successful application and relevance of such an approach depends on the range of conceptual models for which field support exist. Our results prompt us to highlight future research needs: (1) in order to cover a broader range of combinations of runoff characteristics a careful selection of research sites is necessary and (2) propose guidelines for field studies in order achieve higher comparability of resulting conceptual models of research sites and increase the spatial and temporal relevance of the dominant conceptual model.

Modelling rapid subsurface flow at the hillslope scale with explicit representation of preferential flow paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wienhöfer, J.; Zehe, E.

2012-04-01

Rapid lateral flow processes via preferential flow paths are widely accepted to play a key role for rainfall-runoff response in temperate humid headwater catchments. A quantitative description of these processes, however, is still a major challenge in hydrological research, not least because detailed information about the architecture of subsurface flow paths are often impossible to obtain at a natural site without disturbing the system. Our study combines physically based modelling and field observations with the objective to better understand how flow network configurations influence the hydrological response of hillslopes. The system under investigation is a forested hillslope with a small perennial spring at the study area Heumöser, a headwater catchment of the Dornbirnerach in Vorarlberg, Austria. In-situ points measurements of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity and dye staining experiments at the plot scale revealed that shrinkage cracks and biogenic macropores function as preferential flow paths in the fine-textured soils of the study area, and these preferential flow structures were active in fast subsurface transport of artificial tracers at the hillslope scale. For modelling of water and solute transport, we followed the approach of implementing preferential flow paths as spatially explicit structures of high hydraulic conductivity and low retention within the 2D process-based model CATFLOW. Many potential configurations of the flow path network were generated as realisations of a stochastic process informed by macropore characteristics derived from the plot scale observations. Together with different realisations of soil hydraulic parameters, this approach results in a Monte Carlo study. The model setups were used for short-term simulation of a sprinkling and tracer experiment, and the results were evaluated against measured discharges and tracer breakthrough curves. Although both criteria were taken for model evaluation, still several model setups produced acceptable matches to the observed behaviour. These setups were selected for long-term simulation, the results of which were compared against water level measurements at two piezometers along the hillslope and the integral discharge response of the spring to reject some non-behavioural model setups and further reduce equifinality. The results of this study indicate that process-based modelling can provide a means to distinguish preferential flow networks on the hillslope scale when complementary measurements to constrain the range of behavioural model setups are available. These models can further be employed as a virtual reality to investigate the characteristics of flow path architectures and explore effective parameterisations for larger scale applications.

Untangling the effects of urban development on subsurface storage in Baltimore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaskar, Aditi S.; Welty, Claire; Maxwell, Reed M.; Miller, Andrew J.

2015-02-01

The impact of urban development on surface flow has been studied extensively over the last half century, but effects on groundwater systems are still poorly understood. Previous studies of the influence of urban development on subsurface storage have not revealed any consistent pattern, with results showing increases, decreases, and negligible change in groundwater levels. In this paper, we investigated the effects of four key features that impact subsurface storage in urban landscapes. These include reduced vegetative cover, impervious surface cover, infiltration and inflow (I&I) of groundwater and storm water into wastewater pipes, and other anthropogenic recharge and discharge fluxes including water supply pipe leakage and well and reservoir withdrawals. We applied the integrated groundwater-surface water-land surface model ParFlow.CLM to the Baltimore metropolitan area. We compared the base case (all four features) to simulations in which an individual urban feature was removed. For the Baltimore region, the effect of infiltration of groundwater into wastewater pipes had the greatest effect on subsurface storage (I&I decreased subsurface storage 11.1% relative to precipitation minus evapotranspiration after 1 year), followed by the impact of water supply pipe leakage and lawn irrigation (combined anthropogenic discharges and recharges led to a 7.4% decrease) and reduced vegetation (1.9% increase). Impervious surface cover led to a small increase in subsurface storage (0.56% increase) associated with decreased groundwater discharge as base flow. The change in subsurface storage due to infiltration of groundwater into wastewater pipes was largest despite the smaller spatial extent of surface flux modifications, compared to other features.

Connectivity in modelling subsurface stormflow and tracer transport in a forested hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laine-Kaulio, Hanne; Koivusalo, Harri

2016-04-01

Preferential flow characterizes subsurface water movement in forested hillslopes. Connectivity of preferential flowpaths in soil, as well as connections between the preferential flowpaths and the soil matrix, control the flow patterns in hillslopes. We simulated subsurface stormflow and tracer transport within a forested hillslope section in Eastern Finland with a modifiable and detailed, physically-based 3-D dual-permeability model. The objective was to investigate the role of flowpath connectivity in capturing the observed migration velocity and concentration status of a tracer plume during the different stages of an irrigation experiment. Hypotheses to explain the observed transport behaviour were formulated based on observed spatial variations in the soil properties. The hypotheses were then tested by running corresponding model versions against spatial high-frequency data from the irrigation experiment. The 3-D distribution of preferential flowpaths, and the connections and disconnections between them, had the most crucial role in capturing the observed transport event with the model. Lateral by-pass flow in the preferential flow network and the transmissivity feedback phenomenon dominated the tracer transport. However, disconnections in lateral preferential flow restrained the transport, making the transport route devious instead of being directly lateral. These disconnections were caused by spots of cemented soil material. Stones had an opposite effect on the flow route formation compared to the cemented spots because preferential flowpaths were present on stone surfaces. Preferential flowpaths related to stones were linked with other types of preferential flowpaths in soil, facilitating the connectivity of preferential flowpaths within the entire hillslope. To take into account the discontinuity in lateral preferential flow and the tortuosity of the dominant flow routes in the model, an explicit representation of the 3-D distribution of saturated hydraulic conductivity in the preferential flow network was required. In addition, with-depth changing porosity values of both pore domains of soil, i.e., the preferential flowpaths and the soil matrix, as well as explicit descriptions of local water losses into the underlying bedrock, were found important for successful simulations. Other investigated model features, including complexity in the values of the rest of the model parameters and in the calculation routines used in describing the flow connections between the preferential flowpaths and the soil matrix, were not found beneficial for the model outcome.

Modeling the Hydrologic Response to Changes in Groundcover Conditions Caused by Fire Disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikinzon, E.; Atchley, A. L.; Coon, E.; Middleton, R. S.

2016-12-01

Climate change and fire suppression increase wildfire activity, which alters ecosystem functions and can significantly impact hydrological response. Both wildfire and prescribed burns reduce groundcover, affect top layers of subsurface, and change the structure of overland flow pathways. To understand respective effects on surface and subsurface hydrology, it is imperative to accurately represent surface-subsurface interface pre and post-fire, and to model physical processes in groundcover components. We show mechanistic models used to describe physics in two key types of groundcover, litter and duff, in Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS). Litter is considered to be a part of vegetative canopy covering the surface. It has associated water storage capacity, which allows simulating interception and drainage, and its thickness is used to evaluate surface roughness with potential effect of slowing overland flow compared to bare soil. Duff on the other hand is incorporated into the subsurface, thus requiring meshing and discretization capability to support complex geometries including pinchouts, which is necessary both for achieving desired mesh resolution and portraying bare soil patches without adversely affecting the time scale. As part of the subsurface, duff has its own hydrologic and water retention properties used to resolve infiltration and saturation limited runoff generation, run on, and infiltration processes. This enables the use of ATS for fine scale modeling of integrated hydrology with adequate representation of groundcover influence. To isolate the impact of changing groundcover, we consider a simple hill slope and study the hydrological response to varying amount and geometries of groundcover. To cover landscape characteristics produced by a wide variety of fire conditions, from high intensity to low intensity fire impacts, we simulate hydrologic response to precipitation events over a number of typical geometries and with fine control over amounts of two described types of groundcover. We then analyze hydrological sensitivity to presence or absence of particular groundcover types, their respective patchiness, and possible changes in overland flow pathways.

Natural and anthropogenic land cover change and its impact on the regional climate and hydrological extremes over Sanjiangyuan region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, P.; Yuan, X.

2017-12-01

Located in the northern Tibetan Plateau, Sanjiangyuan is the headwater region of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Mekong River. Besides climate change, natural and human-induced land cover change (e.g., Graze for Grass Project) is also influencing the regional hydro-climate and hydrological extremes significantly. To quantify their impacts, a land surface model (LSM) with consideration of soil moisture-lateral surface flow interaction and quasi-three-dimensional subsurface flow, is used to conduct long-term high resolution simulations driven by China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System forcing data and different land cover scenarios. In particular, the role of surface and subsurface lateral flows is also analyzed by comparing with typical one-dimensional models. Lateral flows help to simulate soil moisture variability caused by topography at hyper-resolution (e.g., 100m), which is also essential for simulating hydrological extremes including soil moisture dryness/wetness and high/low flows. The LSM will also be coupled with a regional climate model to simulate the effect of natural and anthropogenic land cover change on regional climate, with particular focus on the land-atmosphere coupling at different resolutions with different configurations in modeling land surface hydrology.

APPROXIMATE MULTIPHASE FLOW MODELING BY CHARACTERISTIC METHODS

EPA Science Inventory

The flow of petroleum hydrocarbons, organic solvents and other liquids that are immiscible with water presents the nation with some of the most difficult subsurface remediation problems. One aspect of contaminant transport associated releases of such liquids is the transport as a...

Fractal topography and subsurface water flows from fluvial bedforms to the continental shield

USGS Publications Warehouse

Worman, A.; Packman, A.I.; Marklund, L.; Harvey, J.W.; Stone, S.H.

2007-01-01

Surface-subsurface flow interactions are critical to a wide range of geochemical and ecological processes and to the fate of contaminants in freshwater environments. Fractal scaling relationships have been found in distributions of both land surface topography and solute efflux from watersheds, but the linkage between those observations has not been realized. We show that the fractal nature of the land surface in fluvial and glacial systems produces fractal distributions of recharge, discharge, and associated subsurface flow patterns. Interfacial flux tends to be dominated by small-scale features while the flux through deeper subsurface flow paths tends to be controlled by larger-scale features. This scaling behavior holds at all scales, from small fluvial bedforms (tens of centimeters) to the continental landscape (hundreds of kilometers). The fractal nature of surface-subsurface water fluxes yields a single scale-independent distribution of subsurface water residence times for both near-surface fluvial systems and deeper hydrogeological flows. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Characterizing Drainage Multiphase Flow in Heterogeneous Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Samuel J.; Agada, Simeon; Reynolds, Catriona A.; Krevor, Samuel

2018-04-01

In this work, we analyze the characterization of drainage multiphase flow properties on heterogeneous rock cores using a rich experimental data set and mm-m scale numerical simulations. Along with routine multiphase flow properties, 3-D submeter scale capillary pressure heterogeneity is characterized by combining experimental observations and numerical calibration, resulting in a 3-D numerical model of the rock core. The uniqueness and predictive capability of the numerical models are evaluated by accurately predicting the experimentally measured relative permeability of N2—DI water and CO2—brine systems in two distinct sandstone rock cores across multiple fractional flow regimes and total flow rates. The numerical models are used to derive equivalent relative permeabilities, which are upscaled functions incorporating the effects of submeter scale capillary pressure. The functions are obtained across capillary numbers which span four orders of magnitude, representative of the range of flow regimes that occur in subsurface CO2 injection. Removal of experimental boundary artifacts allows the derivation of equivalent functions which are characteristic of the continuous subsurface. We also demonstrate how heterogeneities can be reorientated and restructured to efficiently estimate flow properties in rock orientations differing from the original core sample. This analysis shows how combined experimental and numerical characterization of rock samples can be used to derive equivalent flow properties from heterogeneous rocks.

Identifying Hydrogeological Controls of Catchment Low-Flow Dynamics Using Physically Based Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochand, F.; Carlier, C.; Staudinger, M.; Seibert, J.; Hunkeler, D.; Brunner, P.

2017-12-01

Identifying key catchment characteristics and processes which control the hydrological response under low-flow conditions is important to assess the catchments' vulnerability to dry periods. In the context of a Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) project, the low-flow behaviours of two mountainous catchments were investigated. These neighboring catchments are characterized by the same meteorological conditions, but feature completely different river flow dynamics. The Roethenbach is characterized by high peak flows and low mean flows. Conversely, the Langete is characterized by relatively low peak flows and high mean flow rates. To understand the fundamentally different behaviour of the two catchments, a physically-based surface-subsurface flow HydroGeoSphere (HGS) model for each catchment was developed. The main advantage of a physically-based model is its ability to realistically reproduce processes which play a key role during low-flow periods such as surface-subsurface interactions or evapotranspiration. Both models were calibrated to reproduce measured groundwater heads and the surface flow dynamics. Subsequently, the calibrated models were used to explore the fundamental physics that control hydrological processes during low-flow periods. To achieve this, a comparative sensitivity analysis of model parameters of both catchments was carried out. Results show that the hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock (and weathered bedrock) controls the catchment water dynamics in both models. Conversely, the properties of other geological formations such as alluvial aquifer or soil layer hydraulic conductivity or porosity play a less important role. These results change significantly our perception of the streamflow catchment dynamics and more specifically the way to assess catchment vulnerability to dry period. This study suggests that by analysing catchment scale bedrock properties, the catchment dynamics and the vulnerability to dry period may be assessed.

Evaluating post-wildfire hydrologic recovery using ParFlow in southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, S. R.; Kinoshita, A. M.; Atchley, A. L.

2016-12-01

Wildfires are naturally occurring hazards that can have catastrophic impacts. They can alter the natural processes within a watershed, such as surface runoff and subsurface water storage. Generally, post-fire hydrologic models are either one-dimensional, empirically-based models, or two-dimensional, conceptually-based models with lumped parameter distributions. These models are useful in providing runoff measurements at the watershed outlet; however, do not provide distributed hydrologic simulation at each point within the watershed. This research demonstrates how ParFlow, a three-dimensional, distributed hydrologic model can simulate post-fire hydrologic processes by representing soil burn severity (via hydrophobicity) and vegetation recovery as they vary both spatially and temporally. Using this approach, we are able to evaluate the change in post-fire water components (surface flow, lateral flow, baseflow, and evapotranspiration). This model is initially developed for a hillslope in Devil Canyon, burned in 2003 by the Old Fire in southern California (USA). The domain uses a 2m-cell size resolution over a 25 m by 25 m lateral extent. The subsurface reaches 2 m and is assigned a variable cell thickness, allowing an explicit consideration of the soil burn severity throughout the stages of recovery and vegetation regrowth. Vegetation regrowth is incorporated represented by satellite-based Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) products. The pre- and post-fire surface runoff, subsurface storage, and surface storage interactions are evaluated and will be used as a basis for developing a watershed-scale model. Long-term continuous simulations will advance our understanding of post-fire hydrological partitioning between water balance components and the spatial variability of watershed processes, providing improved guidance for post-fire watershed management.

Impacts of preferential flow on coastal groundwater-surface water interactions: The heterogeneous volcanic aquifer of Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, X.; Kreyns, P.; Koneshloo, M.; Michael, H. A.

2017-12-01

Groundwater flow and salt transport processes are important for protection of coastal water resources and ecosystems. Geological heterogeneity has been recognized as a key factor affecting rates and patterns of groundwater flow and the evolution of subsurface salinity distributions in coastal aquifers. The hydrogeologic system of the volcanic Hawaiian Islands is characterized by lava flows that can form continuous, connected geologic structures in subsurface. Understanding the role of geological heterogeneity in aquifer salinization and water exchange between aquifers and the ocean is essential for effective assessment and management of water resources in the Hawaii islands. In this study, surface-based geostatistical techniques were adopted to generate geologically-realistic, statistically equivalent model realizations of the hydrogeologic system on the Big Island of Hawaii. The density-dependent groundwater flow and solute transport code SEAWAT was used to perform 3D simulations to investigate subsurface flow and salt transport through these random realizations. Flux across the aquifer-ocean interface, aquifer salinization, and groundwater flow pathways and associated transit times were quantified. Numerical simulations of groundwater pumping at various positions in the aquifers were also conducted, and associated impacts on saltwater intrusion rates were evaluated. Results indicate the impacts of continuous geologic features on large-scale groundwater processes in coastal aquifers.

Evaluating permafrost thaw vulnerabilities and hydrologic impacts in boreal Alaska (USA) watersheds using field data and cryohydrogeologic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walvoord, M. A.; Voss, C.; Ebel, B. A.; Minsley, B. J.

2017-12-01

Permafrost environments undergo changes in hydraulic, thermal, chemical, and mechanical subsurface properties upon thaw. These property changes must be considered in addition to alterations in hydrologic, thermal, and topographic boundary conditions when evaluating shifts in the movement and storage of water in arctic and sub-arctic boreal regions. Advances have been made in the last several years with respect to multiscale geophysical characterization of the subsurface and coupled fluid and energy transport modeling of permafrost systems. Ongoing efforts are presented that integrate field data with cryohydrogeologic modeling to better understand and anticipate changes in subsurface water resources, fluxes, and flowpaths caused by climate warming and permafrost thawing. Analyses are based on field data from several sites in interior Alaska (USA) that span a broad north-south transition from continuous to discontinuous permafrost. These data include soil hydraulic and thermal properties and shallow permafrost distribution. The data guide coupled fluid and energy flow simulations that incorporate porewater liquid/ice phase change and the accompanying modifications in hydraulic and thermal subsurface properties. Simulations are designed to assess conditions conducive to active layer thickening and talik development, both of which are expected to affect groundwater storage and flow. Model results provide a framework for identifying factors that control the rates of permafrost thaw and associated hydrologic responses, which in turn influence the fate and transport of carbon.

A reference data set of hillslope rainfall-runoff response, Panola Mountain Research Watershed, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tromp-van, Meerveld; James, A.L.; McDonnell, Jeffery J.; Peters, N.E.

2008-01-01

Although many hillslope hydrologic investigations have been conducted in different climate, topographic, and geologic settings, subsurface stormflow remains a poorly characterized runoff process. Few, if any, of the existing data sets from these hillslope investigations are available for use by the scientific community for model development and validation or conceptualization of subsurface stormflow. We present a high-resolution spatial and temporal rainfall-runoff data set generated from the Panola Mountain Research Watershed trenched experimental hillslope. The data set includes surface and subsurface (bedrock surface) topographic information and time series of lateral subsurface flow at the trench, rainfall, and subsurface moisture content (distributed soil moisture content and groundwater levels) from January to June 2002. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

Ebullition, Plant-Mediated Transport, and Subsurface Horizontal Water Flow Dominate Methane Transport in an Arctic Sphagnum Bog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehr, R. A.; McCalley, C. K.; Logan, T. A.; Chanton, J.; Crill, P. M.; Rich, V. I.; Saleska, S. R.

2017-12-01

Emission of the greenhouse gas methane from wetlands is of prime concern in the prediction of climate change - especially emission associated with thawing permafrost, which may drive a positive feedback loop of emission and warming. In addition to the biochemistry of methane production and consumption, wetland methane emission depends critically on the transport mechanisms by which methane moves through and out of the ecosystem. We therefore developed a model of methane biochemistry and transport for a sphagnum bog representing an intermediate permafrost thaw stage in Stordalen Mire, Sweden. In order to simultaneously reproduce measured profiles of both the concentrations and isotopic compositions of both methane and carbon dioxide in the peat pore water (Fig. 1) - as well as the surface methane emission - it was necessary for the model to include ebullition, plant-mediated transport via aerenchyma, and subsurface horizontal water flow. Diffusion of gas through the pore water was relatively unimportant. As a result, 90% of the produced methane escaped the wetland rather than being consumed by methanotrophic organisms in the near-surface pore water. Our model provides a comprehensive picture of methane emission from this bog site by quantifying the vertical profiles of: acetoclastic methanogenesis, hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, methane oxidation, aerobic respiration, ebullition, plant-mediated transport, subsurface horizontal water flow, and diffusion.

Biofilm effect on flow structure over a permeable bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemifar, Farzan; Blois, Gianluca; Aybar, Marcelo; Perez-Calleja, Patricia; Nerenberg, Robert; Sinha, Sumit; Hardy, Richard; Best, James; Sambrook Smith, Gregory; Christensen, Kenneth

2017-11-01

Biofilms constitute an important form of bacterial life in aquatic environments and are present at the fluid-solid interfaces in natural and industrial settings, such as water distribution systems and riverbeds among others. The permeable, heterogeneous, and deformable structure of biofilms can influence mass and momentum transport between the subsurface and freestream. However, this interaction is not fully understood, in part due to technical obstacles impeding quantitative experimental investigations. In this work, the effect of biofilm on flow structure over a permeable bed is studied. Experiments are conducted in a closed water channel equipped with an idealized two-dimensional permeable bed. Prior to conducting flow experiments, the models are placed within an independent recirculating reactor for biofilm growth. Once a targeted biofilm growth stage is achieved, the models are transferred to the water channel and subjected to transitional and turbulent flows. Long-distance microscopic particle image velocimetry measurements are performed to quantify the effect of biofilm on the turbulence structure of the free flow as well as the freestream-subsurface flow interaction. Funded by UK Natural Environment Research Council.

Towards integrating tracer studies in conceptual rainfall-runoff models: recent insights from a sub-arctic catchment in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soulsby, Chris; Dunn, Sarah M.

2003-02-01

Hydrochemical tracers (alkalinity and silica) were used in an end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) of runoff sources in the 10 km2 Allt a' Mharcaidh catchment. A three-component mixing model was used to separate the hydrograph and estimate, to a first approximation, the range of likely contributions of overland flow, shallow subsurface storm flow, and groundwater to the annual hydrograph. A conceptual, catchment-scale rainfall-runoff model (DIY) was also used to separate the annual hydrograph in an equivalent set of flow paths. The two approaches produced independent representations of catchment hydrology that exhibited reasonable agreement. This showed the dominance of overland flow in generating storm runoff and the important role of groundwater inputs throughout the hydrological year. Moreover, DIY was successfully adapted to simulate stream chemistry (alkalinity) at daily time steps. Sensitivity analysis showed that whilst a distinct groundwater source at the catchment scale could be identified, there was considerable uncertainty in differentiating between overland flow and subsurface storm flow in both the EMMA and DIY applications. Nevertheless, the study indicated that the complementary use of tracer analysis in EMMA can increase the confidence in conceptual model structure. However, conclusions are restricted to the specific spatial and temporal scales examined.

Large-scale assessment of present day and future groundwater recharge and its sensitivity to climate variability in Europe's karst regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, A. J.; Gleeson, T. P.; Wagener, T.; Wada, Y.

2016-12-01

Karst aquifers in Europe are an important source of fresh water contributing up to half of the total drinking water supply in some countries. Karstic groundwater recharge is one of the most important components of the water balance of karst systems as it feeds the karst aquifers. Presently available large-scale hydrological models do not consider karst heterogeneity adequately. Projections of current and potential future groundwater recharge of Europe's karst aquifers are therefore unclear. In this study we compare simulations of present (1991-2010) and future (2080-2099) recharge using two different models to simulate groundwater recharge processes. One model includes karst processes (subsurface heterogeneity, lateral flow and concentrated recharge), while the other is based on the conceptual understanding of common hydrological systems (homogeneous subsurface, saturation excess overland flow). Both models are driven by the bias-corrected 5 GCMs of the ISI-MIP project (RCP8.5). To further assess sensitivity of groundwater recharge to climate variability, we calculate the elasticity of recharge rates to annual precipitation, temperature and average intensity of rainfall events, which is the median change of recharge that corresponds to the median change of these climate variables within the present and future time period, respectively. Our model comparison shows that karst regions over Europe have enhanced recharge rates with greater inter-annual variability compared to those with more homogenous subsurface properties. Furthermore, the heterogeneous representation shows stronger elasticity concerning climate variability than the homogeneous subsurface representation. This difference tends to increase towards the future. Our results suggest that water management in regions with heterogeneous subsurface can expect a higher water availability than estimated by most of the current large-scale simulations, while measures should be taken to prepare for increasingly variable groundwater recharge rates.

The influence of subsurface hydrodynamics on convective precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, A. S. M. M.; Sulis, M.; Kollet, S. J.

2014-12-01

The terrestrial hydrological cycle comprises complex processes in the subsurface, land surface, and atmosphere, which are connected via complex non-linear feedback mechanisms. The influence of subsurface hydrodynamics on land surface mass and energy fluxes has been the subject of previous studies. Several studies have also investigated the soil moisture-precipitation feedback, neglecting however the connection with groundwater dynamics. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of subsurface hydrodynamics on convective precipitation events via shallow soil moisture and land surface processes. A scale-consistent Terrestrial System Modeling Platform (TerrSysMP) that consists of an atmospheric model (COSMO), a land surface model (CLM), and a three-dimensional variably saturated groundwater-surface water flow model (ParFlow), is used to simulate hourly mass and energy fluxes over days with convective rainfall events over the Rur catchment, Germany. In order to isolate the effect of groundwater dynamics on convective precipitation, two different model configurations with identical initial conditions are considered. The first configuration allows the groundwater table to evolve through time, while a spatially distributed, temporally constant groundwater table is prescribed as a lower boundary condition in the second configuration. The simulation results suggest that groundwater dynamics influence land surface soil moisture, which in turn affects the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height by modifying atmospheric thermals. It is demonstrated that because of this sensitivity of ABL height to soil moisture-temperature feedback, the onset and magnitude of convective precipitation is influenced by subsurface hydrodynamics. Thus, the results provide insight into the soil moisture-precipitation feedback including groundwater dynamics in a physically consistent manner by closing the water cycle from aquifers to the atmosphere.

Using SWAT-MODFLOW to simulate groundwater flow and groundwater-surface water interactions in an intensively irrigated stream-aquifer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, X.; Bailey, R. T.

2017-12-01

Agricultural irrigated watersheds in semi-arid regions face challenges such as waterlogging, high soil salinity, reduced crop yield, and leaching of chemical species due to extreme shallow water tables resulting from long-term intensive irrigation. Hydrologic models can be used to evaluate the impact of land management practices on water yields and groundwater-surface water interactions in such regions. In this study, the newly developed SWAT-MODFLOW, a coupled surface/subsurface hydrologic model, is applied to a 950 km2 watershed in the Lower Arkansas River Valley (southeastern Colorado). The model accounts for the influence of canal diversions, irrigation applications, groundwater pumping, and earth canal seepage losses. The model provides a detailed description of surface and subsurface flow processes, thereby enabling detailed description of watershed processes such as runoff, infiltration, in-streamflow, three-dimensional groundwater flow in a heterogeneous aquifer system with sources and sinks (e.g. pumping, seepage to subsurface drains), and spatially-variable surface and groundwater exchange. The model was calibrated and tested against stream discharge from 5 stream gauges in the Arkansas River and its tributaries, groundwater levels from 70 observation wells, and evapotranspiration (ET) data estimated from satellite (ReSET) data during the 1999 to 2007 period. Since the water-use patterns within the study area are typical of many other irrigated river valleys in the United States and elsewhere, this modeling approach is transferable to other regions.

Mechanistic assessment of hillslope transpiration controls of diel subsurface flow: a steady-state irrigation approach

Treesearch

H.R. Barnard; C.B. Graham; W.J. van Verseveld; J.R. Brooks; B.J. Bond; J.J. McDonnell

2010-01-01

Mechanistic assessment of how transpiration influences subsurface flow is necessary to advance understanding of catchment hydrology. We conducted a 24-day, steady-state irrigation experiment to quantify the relationships among soil moisture, transpiration and hillslope subsurface flow. Our objectives were to: (1) examine the time lag between maximum transpiration and...

The use of distributed hydrological models for the Gard 2002 flash flood event: Analysis of associated hydrological processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braud, Isabelle; Roux, Hélène; Anquetin, Sandrine; Maubourguet, Marie-Madeleine; Manus, Claire; Viallet, Pierre; Dartus, Denis

2010-11-01

SummaryThis paper presents a detailed analysis of the September 8-9, 2002 flash flood event in the Gard region (southern France) using two distributed hydrological models: CVN built within the LIQUID® hydrological platform and MARINE. The models differ in terms of spatial discretization, infiltration and water redistribution representation, and river flow transfer. MARINE can also account for subsurface lateral flow. Both models are set up using the same available information, namely a DEM and a pedology map. They are forced with high resolution radar rainfall data over a set of 18 sub-catchments ranging from 2.5 to 99 km2 and are run without calibration. To begin with, models simulations are assessed against post field estimates of the time of peak and the maximum peak discharge showing a fair agreement for both models. The results are then discussed in terms of flow dynamics, runoff coefficients and soil saturation dynamics. The contribution of the subsurface lateral flow is also quantified using the MARINE model. This analysis highlights that rainfall remains the first controlling factor of flash flood dynamics. High rainfall peak intensities are very influential of the maximum peak discharge for both models, but especially for the CVN model which has a simplified overland flow transfer. The river bed roughness also influences the peak intensity and time. Soil spatial representation is shown to have a significant role on runoff coefficients and on the spatial variability of saturation dynamics. Simulated soil saturation is found to be strongly related with soil depth and initial storage deficit maps, due to a full saturation of most of the area at the end of the event. When activated, the signature of subsurface lateral flow is also visible in the spatial patterns of soil saturation with higher values concentrating along the river network. However, the data currently available do not allow the assessment of both patterns. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for enhancing field observations in order to progress in process understanding and gather a larger set of data to improve the realism of distributed models.

Modeling Vertical Flow Treatment Wetland Hydraulics to Optimize Treatment Efficiency

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-24

ammonia, such as landfill leachate and food processing wastes (Kadlec and Wallace, 2009). Figure 2: Typical Horizontal Subsurface Flow Treatment...51(9): 165-171, 2005. Williams, J.B. Phytoremediation in wetland ecosystems: Progress, problems, and potential. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences

An open, object-based modeling approach for simulating subsurface heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, J.; Ross, M.; Haslauer, C. P.; Cirpka, O. A.

2017-12-01

Characterization of subsurface heterogeneity with respect to hydraulic and geochemical properties is critical in hydrogeology as their spatial distribution controls groundwater flow and solute transport. Many approaches of characterizing subsurface heterogeneity do not account for well-established geological concepts about the deposition of the aquifer materials; those that do (i.e. process-based methods) often require forcing parameters that are difficult to derive from site observations. We have developed a new method for simulating subsurface heterogeneity that honors concepts of sequence stratigraphy, resolves fine-scale heterogeneity and anisotropy of distributed parameters, and resembles observed sedimentary deposits. The method implements a multi-scale hierarchical facies modeling framework based on architectural element analysis, with larger features composed of smaller sub-units. The Hydrogeological Virtual Reality simulator (HYVR) simulates distributed parameter models using an object-based approach. Input parameters are derived from observations of stratigraphic morphology in sequence type-sections. Simulation outputs can be used for generic simulations of groundwater flow and solute transport, and for the generation of three-dimensional training images needed in applications of multiple-point geostatistics. The HYVR algorithm is flexible and easy to customize. The algorithm was written in the open-source programming language Python, and is intended to form a code base for hydrogeological researchers, as well as a platform that can be further developed to suit investigators' individual needs. This presentation will encompass the conceptual background and computational methods of the HYVR algorithm, the derivation of input parameters from site characterization, and the results of groundwater flow and solute transport simulations in different depositional settings.

The role of the hyporheic flow on sediment transport processes : an experimental approach using particle image velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousseau, Gauthier; Sklivaniti, Angeliki; Vito Papa, Daniel; Ancey, Christophe

2017-04-01

The study of river dynamics usually considers a turbulent stream on an impervious bed. However, it is known that part of the total discharge takes place through the erodible bed, especially for mountain rivers. This hyporheic flow (or subsurface flow) is likely to play an active role in the stability of the erodible bed. The question then arises: How does the hyporheic flow affect bed stability and thereby bed load transport? Monitoring hyporheic flow under natural conditions remains a key challenge. Laboratory experiments and new measurement techniques shed new light on this problem. Using PIV-LIF method (Particle Image Velocimetry - Laser Induced Fluorescence) we investigate hyporheic flows through erodible beds. The experiment is conducted in a 2-m-long and 6-cm-width flume with 2-mm-diameter glass beads and 4-mm-diameter natural pebbles under turbulent stream conditions. In parallel, we develop a simple analytical model that accounts for the interaction between the surface and subsurface flows at the bed interface. As the Reynolds number of the hyporheic flow is fairly high (10 to 100), inertia cannot be neglected. This leads us to use the Darcy-Forchheimer law instead of Darcy's law to model hyporheic flows. We show that this model is consistent with the PIV-LIF experimental results. Moreover, the PIV-LIF data show that hyporheic flows modify the velocity profile and turbulence. Our measurements and empirical model emphasize the exchange processes in coarse-grained river for incipient sediment motion.

Virtual experiments: a new approach for improving process conceptualization in hillslope hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiler, Markus; McDonnell, Jeff

2004-01-01

We present an approach for process conceptualization in hillslope hydrology. We develop and implement a series of virtual experiments, whereby the interaction between water flow pathways, source and mixing at the hillslope scale is examined within a virtual experiment framework. We define these virtual experiments as 'numerical experiments with a model driven by collective field intelligence'. The virtual experiments explore the first-order controls in hillslope hydrology, where the experimentalist and modeler work together to cooperatively develop and analyze the results. Our hillslope model for the virtual experiments (HillVi) in this paper is based on conceptualizing the water balance within the saturated and unsaturated zone in relation to soil physical properties in a spatially explicit manner at the hillslope scale. We argue that a virtual experiment model needs to be able to capture all major controls on subsurface flow processes that the experimentalist might deem important, while at the same time being simple with few 'tunable parameters'. This combination makes the approach, and the dialog between experimentalist and modeler, a useful hypothesis testing tool. HillVi simulates mass flux for different initial conditions under the same flow conditions. We analyze our results in terms of an artificial line source and isotopic hydrograph separation of water and subsurface flow. Our results for this first set of virtual experiments showed how drainable porosity and soil depth variability exert a first order control on flow and transport at the hillslope scale. We found that high drainable porosity soils resulted in a restricted water table rise, resulting in more pronounced channeling of lateral subsurface flow along the soil-bedrock interface. This in turn resulted in a more anastomosing network of tracer movement across the slope. The virtual isotope hydrograph separation showed higher proportions of event water with increasing drainable porosity. When combined with previous experimental findings and conceptualizations, virtual experiments can be an effective way to isolate certain controls and examine their influence over a range of rainfall and antecedent wetness conditions.

Monitoring of olive oil mills' wastes using electrical resistivity tomography techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simyrdanis, Kleanthis; Papadopoulos, Nikos; Kirkou, Stella; Sarris, Apostolos; Tsourlos, Panagiotis

2014-08-01

Olive oil mills' wastes (OOMW) are one of the byproducts of the oil production that can lead to serious environmental pollution when they are deposited in ponds dug on the ground surface. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) method can provide a valuable tool in order to monitor through time the physical flow of the wastes into the subsurface. ERT could potentially locate the electrical signature due to lower resistivity values resulting from the leakage of OOMW to the subsurface. For this purpose, two vertical boreholes were installed (12m depth, 9 m apart) in the vicinity of an existing pond which is filled with OOMW during the oil production period. The test site is situated in Saint Andreas village about 15km south of the city of Rethymno (Crete, Greece). Surface ERT measurements were collected along multiple lines in order to reconstruct the subsurface resistivity models. Data acquisition was performed with standard and optimized electrode configuration protocols. The monitoring survey includes the ERT data collection for a period of time. The study was initiated before the OOMW were deposited in the pond, so resistivity fluctuations are expected due to the flow of OOMW in the porous subsurface media through time. Preliminary results show the good correlation of the ERT images with the drilled geological formations and the identification of low resistivity subsurface zone that could be attributed to the flow of the wastes within the porous layers.

HYDROCARBON SPILL SCREENING MODEL (HSSM) VOLUME 1: USER'S GUIDE

EPA Science Inventory

This users guide describes the Hydrocarbon Spill Screening Model (HSSM). The model is intended for simulation of subsurface releases of light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs). The model consists of separate modules for LNAPL flow through the vadose zone, spreading in the capil...

Augmenting an observation network to facilitate flow and transport model discrimination.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving understanding of subsurface conditions includes performance comparison for competing models, independently developed or obtained via model abstraction. The model comparison and discrimination can be improved if additional observations will be included. The objective of this work was to i...

Effects of a flood pulse on exchange flows along a sinuous stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Käser, D.; Brunner, P.; Renard, P.; Perrochet, P.; Schirmer, M.; Hunkeler, D.

2012-04-01

Flood pulses are important events for river ecosystems: they create hydrological interactions at the terrestrial/aquatic interface that fuel biological productivity and shape the hyporheic-riparian habitats. For example, floods promote faunal activity and decomposition by increasing the supply of oxygenated water in downwelling areas, while the following recession periods tend to provide stable thermal conditions favoured by fish or insects in areas of groundwater upwelling. This 3-D modelling study investigates the effect of stream stage transience (with events characterised by their intensity and duration) on hydrological exchanges between the surface and the near-stream subsurface. It evaluates, in particular, its effect on streams of varying sinuosity by quantifying the dynamic response of: (1) subsurface flow paths, (2) the exchange pattern at the sediment-water interface, and (3) integrative measures such as total exchange flux and total storage. Understanding geomorphological controls on groundwater/surface water interactions is attractive because topography is generally better constrained than subsurface parameters, and can be used in data-poor situations. The numerical model represents a hypothetical alluvial plain limited by impervious bedrock on all four sides, and in which the channel meanders according to the sine-generated curve of Langbein and Leopold (1966). As the model (HydroGeoSphere) couples surface and subsurface flow, the stream stage transience is imposed by a fluctuating head at the channel inlet. Preliminary results show that a simple rectangular flood pulse in an idealised sinuous stream without additional complexity can generate multiple flow direction reversals at a single point in the channel. The initial conditions of the groundwater table, the channel sinuosity and the time characteristics of the flood pulse all control exchange flow features in different ways. Results are also compared with 'bank storage' analytical solutions that typically assume a straight channel. The discussion covers an evaluation of this work with respect to previous studies that considered the influence of sinuosity on interfacial exchange flows. It addresses the issue of steady vs. transient exchanges, which is of uppermost importance at the operational scale of river restoration schemes. Langbein WB, Leopold LB. 1966. River meanders - theory of minimum variance. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 422-H: 15 p.

Modeling GPR data to interpret porosity and DNAPL saturations for calibration of a 3-D multiphase flow simulation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sneddon, Kristen W.; Powers, Michael H.; Johnson, Raymond H.; Poeter, Eileen P.

2002-01-01

Dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are a pervasive and persistent category of groundwater contamination. In an effort to better understand their unique subsurface behavior, a controlled and carefully monitored injection of PCE (perchloroethylene), a typical DNAPL, was performed in conjunction with the University of Waterloo at Canadian Forces Base Borden in 1991. Of the various geophysical methods used to monitor the migration of injected PCE, the U.S. Geological Survey collected 500-MHz ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. These data are used in determining calibration parameters for a multiphase flow simulation. GPR data were acquired over time on a fixed two-dimensional surficial grid as the DNAPL was injected into the subsurface. Emphasis is on the method of determining DNAPL saturation values from this time-lapse GPR data set. Interactive full-waveform GPR modeling of regularized field traces resolves relative dielectric permittivity versus depth profiles for pre-injection and later-time data. Modeled values are end members in recursive calculations of the Bruggeman-Hanai-Sen (BHS) mixing formula, yielding interpreted pre-injection porosity and post-injection DNAPL saturation values. The resulting interpreted physical properties of porosity and DNAPL saturation of the Borden test cell, defined on a grid spacing of 50 cm with 1-cm depth resolution, are used as observations for calibration of a 3-D multiphase flow simulation. Calculated values of DNAPL saturation in the subsurface at 14 and 22 hours after the start of injection, from both the GPR and the multiphase flow modeling, are interpolated volumetrically and presented for visual comparison.

Evaluating the performance of parallel subsurface simulators: An illustrative example with PFLOTRAN

PubMed Central

Hammond, G E; Lichtner, P C; Mills, R T

2014-01-01

[1] To better inform the subsurface scientist on the expected performance of parallel simulators, this work investigates performance of the reactive multiphase flow and multicomponent biogeochemical transport code PFLOTRAN as it is applied to several realistic modeling scenarios run on the Jaguar supercomputer. After a brief introduction to the code's parallel layout and code design, PFLOTRAN's parallel performance (measured through strong and weak scalability analyses) is evaluated in the context of conceptual model layout, software and algorithmic design, and known hardware limitations. PFLOTRAN scales well (with regard to strong scaling) for three realistic problem scenarios: (1) in situ leaching of copper from a mineral ore deposit within a 5-spot flow regime, (2) transient flow and solute transport within a regional doublet, and (3) a real-world problem involving uranium surface complexation within a heterogeneous and extremely dynamic variably saturated flow field. Weak scalability is discussed in detail for the regional doublet problem, and several difficulties with its interpretation are noted. PMID:25506097

Evaluating the performance of parallel subsurface simulators: An illustrative example with PFLOTRAN.

PubMed

Hammond, G E; Lichtner, P C; Mills, R T

2014-01-01

[1] To better inform the subsurface scientist on the expected performance of parallel simulators, this work investigates performance of the reactive multiphase flow and multicomponent biogeochemical transport code PFLOTRAN as it is applied to several realistic modeling scenarios run on the Jaguar supercomputer. After a brief introduction to the code's parallel layout and code design, PFLOTRAN's parallel performance (measured through strong and weak scalability analyses) is evaluated in the context of conceptual model layout, software and algorithmic design, and known hardware limitations. PFLOTRAN scales well (with regard to strong scaling) for three realistic problem scenarios: (1) in situ leaching of copper from a mineral ore deposit within a 5-spot flow regime, (2) transient flow and solute transport within a regional doublet, and (3) a real-world problem involving uranium surface complexation within a heterogeneous and extremely dynamic variably saturated flow field. Weak scalability is discussed in detail for the regional doublet problem, and several difficulties with its interpretation are noted.

Evaluation of the hydrological flow paths in a gravel bed filter modeling a horizontal subsurface flow wetland by using a multi-tracer experiment.

PubMed

Birkigt, Jan; Stumpp, Christine; Małoszewski, Piotr; Nijenhuis, Ivonne

2018-04-15

In recent years, constructed wetland systems have become into focus as means of cost-efficient organic contaminant management. Wetland systems provide a highly reactive environment in which several removal pathways of organic chemicals may be present at the same time; however, specific elimination processes and hydraulic conditions are usually separately investigated and thus not fully understood. The flow system in a three dimensional pilot-scale horizontal subsurface constructed wetland was investigated applying a multi-tracer test combined with a mathematical model to evaluate the flow and transport processes. The results indicate the existence of a multiple flow system with two distinct flow paths through the gravel bed and a preferential flow at the bottom transporting 68% of tracer mass resulting from the inflow design of the model wetland system. There the removal of main contaminant chlorobenzene was up to 52% based on different calculation approaches. Determined retention times in the range of 22d to 32.5d the wetland has a heterogeneous flow pattern. Differences between simulated and measured tracer concentrations in the upper sediment indicate diffusion dominated processes due to stagnant water zones. The tracer study combining experimental evaluation with mathematical modeling demonstrated the complexity of flow and transport processes in the constructed wetlands which need to be taken into account during interpretation of the determining attenuation processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and application of a hillslope hydrologic model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blain, C.A.; Milly, P.C.D.

1991-01-01

A vertically integrated two-dimensional lateral flow model of soil moisture has been developed. Derivation of the governing equation is based on a physical interpretation of hillslope processes. The lateral subsurface-flow model permits variability of precipitation and evapotranspiration, and allows arbitrary specification of soil-moisture retention properties. Variable slope, soil thickness, and saturation are all accommodated. The numerical solution method, a Crank-Nicolson, finite-difference, upstream-weighted scheme, is simple and robust. A small catchment in northeastern Kansas is the subject of an application of the lateral subsurface-flow model. Calibration of the model using observed discharge provides estimates of the active porosity (0.1 cm3/cm3) and of the saturated horizontal hydraulic conductivity (40 cm/hr). The latter figure is at least an order of magnitude greater than the vertical hydraulic conductivity associated with the silty clay loam soil matrix. The large value of hydraulic conductivity derived from the calibration is suggestive of macropore-dominated hillslope drainage. The corresponding value of active porosity agrees well with a published average value of the difference between total porosity and field capacity for a silty clay loam. ?? 1991.

Subsurface Hydrologic Processes Revealed by Time-lapse GPR in Two Contrasting Soils in the Shale Hills CZO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, L.; Lin, H.; Nyquist, J.; Toran, L.; Mount, G.

2017-12-01

Linking subsurface structures to their functions in determining hydrologic processes, such as soil moisture dynamics, subsurface flow patterns, and discharge behaviours, is a key to understanding and modelling hydrological systems. Geophysical techniques provide a non-invasive approach to investigate this form-function dualism of subsurface hydrology at the field scale, because they are effective in visualizing subsurface structure and monitoring the distribution of water. In this study, we used time-lapse ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to compare the hydrologic responses of two contrasting soils in the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. By integrating time-lapse GPR with artificial water injection, we observed distinct flow patterns in the two soils: 1) in the deep Rushtown soil (over 1.5 m depth to bedrock) located in a concave hillslope, a lateral preferential flow network extending as far as 2 m downslope was identified above a less permeable layer and via a series of connected macropores; whereas 2) in the shallow Weikert soil ( 0.3 m depth to saprock) located in a planar hillslope, vertical infiltration into the permeable fractured shale dominated the flow field, while the development of lateral preferential flow along the hillslope was restrained. At the Weikert soil site, the addition of brilliant blue dye to the water injection followed by in situ excavation supported GPR interpretation that only limited lateral preferential flow formed along the soil-saprock interface. Moreover, seasonally repeated GPR surveys indicated different patterns of profile moisture distribution in the two soils that in comparison with the dry season, a dense layer within the BC horizon in the deep Rushtown soil prevented vertical infiltration in the wet season, leading to the accumulation of soil moisture above this layer; whereas, in the shallow Weikert soil, water infiltrated into saprock in wet seasons, building up water storage within the fractured bedrock (i.e., the rock moisture). Results of this study demonstrated the strong interplay between soil structures and subsurface hydrologic behaviors, and time-lapse GPR is an effective method to establish such a relationship under the field conditions.

SELECTION AND CALIBRATION OF SUBSURFACE REACTIVE TRANSPORT MODELS USING A SURROGATE-MODEL APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

While standard techniques for uncertainty analysis have been successfully applied to groundwater flow models, extension to reactive transport is frustrated by numerous difficulties, including excessive computational burden and parameter non-uniqueness. This research introduces a...

Long-Term Hydrologic Impacts of Controlled Drainage Using DRAINMOD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadat, S.; Bowling, L. C.; Frankenberger, J.

2017-12-01

Controlled drainage is a management strategy designed to mitigate water quality issues caused by subsurface drainage but it may increase surface ponding and runoff. To improve controlled drainage system management, a long-term and broader study is needed that goes beyond the experimental studies. Therefore, the goal of this study was to parametrize the DRAINMOD field-scale, hydrologic model for the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center located in Eastern Indiana and to predict the subsurface drain flow and surface runoff and ponding at this research site. The Green-Ampt equation was used to characterize the infiltration, and digital elevation models (DEMs) were used to estimate the maximum depressional storage as the surface ponding parameter inputs to DRAINMOD. Hydraulic conductivity was estimated using the Hooghoudt equation and the measured drain flow and water table depths. Other model inputs were either estimated or taken from the measurements. The DRAINMOD model was calibrated and validated by comparing model predictions of subsurface drainage and water table depths with field observations from 2012 to 2016. Simulations based on the DRAINMOD model can increase understanding of the environmental and hydrological effects over a broader temporal and spatial scale than is possible using field-scale data and this is useful for developing management recommendations for water resources at field and watershed scales.

Simulation of rainfall-runoff response in mined and unmined watersheds in coal areas of West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puente, Celso; Atkins, John T.

1989-01-01

Meteorologic and hydrologic data from five small watersheds in the coal areas of West Virginia were used to calibrate and test the U.S. Geological Survey Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System for simulating streamflow under various climatic and land-use conditions. Three of the basins--Horsecamp Run, Gilmer Run, and Collison Creek--are primarily forested and relatively undisturbed. The remaining basins--Drawdy Creek and Brier Creek-are extensively mined, both surface and underground above stream drainage level. Low-flow measurements at numerous synoptic sites in the mined basins indicate that coal mining has substantially altered the hydrologic system of each basin. The effects of mining on streamflow that were identified are (1) reduced base flow in stream segments underlain by underground mines, (2) increased base flow in streams that are downdip and stratigraphically below the elevation of the mined coal beds, and (3) interbasin transfer of ground water through underground mines. These changes probably reflect increased permeability of surface rocks caused by subsidence fractures associated with collapsed underground mines in the basin. Such fractures would increase downward percolation of precipitation, surface and subsurface flow, and ground-water flow to deeper rocks or to underground mine workings. Model simulations of the water budgets for the unmined basins during the 1972-73 water years indicate that total annual runoff averaged 60 percent of average annual precipitation; annual evapotranspiration losses averaged 40 percent of average annual precipitation. Of the total annual runoff, approximately 91 percent was surface and subsurface runoff and 9 percent was groundwater discharge. Changes in storage in the soil zone and in the subsurface and ground-water reservoirs in the basins were negligible. In contrast, water-budget simulations for the mined basins indicate significant differences in annual recharge and in total annual runoff. Model simulations of the water budget for Drawdy Creek basin indicate that total annual runoff during 1972-73 averaged only 43 percent of average annual precipitation--the lowest of all study basins; annual evapotranspiration losses averaged 49 percent, and interbasin transfer of ground-water losses averaged about 8 percent. Of the total annual runoff, approximately 74 percent was surface and subsurface flow and 26 percent was ground-water discharge. The low total annual runoff at Drawdy Creek probably reflects increased recharge of precipitation and surface and subsurface flow losses to ground water. Most of the increase in ground-water storage is, in turn, lost to a ground-water sink--namely, interbasin transfer of ground water by gravity drainage and (or) mine pumpage from underground mines that extend to adjacent basins. Hypothetical mining situations were posed for model analysis to determine the effects of increased mining on streamflow in the mined basins. Results of model simulations indicate that streamflow characteristics, the water budget, and the seasonal distribution of streamflow would be significantly modified in response to an increase in mining in the basins. Simulations indicate that (1) total annual runoff in the basins would decrease because of increased surface- and subsurface-flow losses and increased recharge of precipitation to ground water (these losses would tend to reduce medium to high flows mainly during winter and spring when losses would be greatest), (2) extreme high flows in response to intense rainstorms would be negligibly affected, regardless of the magnitude of mining in the basins, (3) ground-water discharge also would decrease during winter and spring, but the amount and duration of low flows during summer and fall would substantially increase in response to increased ground-water storage in rocks and in underground mines, and (4) the increase in ground-water storage in the basins would be depleted, mostly by increased losses to a grou

Debates - Stochastic subsurface hydrology from theory to practice: Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajaram, Harihar

2016-12-01

This paper introduces the papers in the "Debates - Stochastic Subsurface Hydrology from Theory to Practice" series. Beginning in the 1970s, the field of stochastic subsurface hydrology has been an active field of research, with over 3500 journal publications, of which over 850 have appeared in Water Resources Research. We are fortunate to have insightful contributions from four groups of distinguished authors who discuss the reasons why the advanced research framework established in stochastic subsurface hydrology has not impacted the practice of groundwater flow and transport modeling and design significantly. There is reasonable consensus that a community effort aimed at developing "toolboxes" for applications of stochastic methods will make them more accessible and encourage practical applications.

A multi-scale experimental and simulation approach for fractured subsurface systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, H. S.; Carey, J. W.; Frash, L.; Karra, S.; Hyman, J.; Kang, Q.; Rougier, E.; Srinivasan, G.

2017-12-01

Fractured systems play an important role in numerous subsurface applications including hydraulic fracturing, carbon sequestration, geothermal energy and underground nuclear test detection. Fractures that range in scale from microns to meters and their structure control the behavior of these systems which provide over 85% of our energy and 50% of US drinking water. Determining the key mechanisms in subsurface fractured systems has been impeded due to the lack of sophisticated experimental methods to measure fracture aperture and connectivity, multiphase permeability, and chemical exchange capacities at the high temperature, pressure, and stresses present in the subsurface. In this study, we developed and use microfluidic and triaxial core flood experiments required to reveal the fundamental dynamics of fracture-fluid interactions. In addition we have developed high fidelity fracture propagation and discrete fracture network flow models to simulate these fractured systems. We also have developed reduced order models of these fracture simulators in order to conduct uncertainty quantification for these systems. We demonstrate an integrated experimental/modeling approach that allows for a comprehensive characterization of fractured systems and develop models that can be used to optimize the reservoir operating conditions over a range of subsurface conditions.

Modeling Groundwater Flow System of a Drainage Basin in the Basement Complex Environment of Southwestern Nigera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akinwumiju, Akinola S.; Olorunfemi, Martins O.

2018-05-01

This study attempted to model the groundwater flow system of a drainage basin within the Basement Complex environment of Southwestern Nigeria. Four groundwater models were derived from Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) Data, remotely sensed data, geological information (hydrolineaments and lithology) and borehole data. Subsequently, two sub-surface (local and regional) flow systems were delineated in the study area. While the local flow system is controlled by surface topography, the regional flow system is controlled by the networks of intermediate and deep seated faults/fractures. The local flow system is characterized by convergence, divergence, inflow and outflow in places, while the regional flow system is dominated by NNE-SSW and W-E flow directions. Minor flow directions include NNW-SSE and E-W with possible linkages to the main flow-paths. The NNE-SSW regional flow system is a double open ended flow system with possible linkage to the Niger Trough. The W-E regional flow system is a single open ended system that originates within the study area (with possible linkage to the NNE-SSW regional flow system) and extends to Ikogosi in the adjoining drainage basin. Thus, the groundwater drainage basin of the study area is much larger and extensive than its surface drainage basin. The all year round flowing (perennial) rivers are linked to groundwater outcrops from faults/fractures and contact zones. Consequently, larger percentage of annual rainwater usually leaves the basin in form of runoff and base flow. Therefore, the basin is categorized as a donor basin but with suspected subsurface water input at its northeastern axis.

Model Fit to Experimental Data for Foam-Assisted Deep Vadose Zone Remediation

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

Roostapour, A.; Lee, G.; Zhong, Lirong

2014-01-15

Foam has been regarded as a promising means of remeidal amendment delivery to overcome subsurface heterogeneity in subsurface remediation processes. This study investigates how a foam model, developed by Method of Characteristics and fractional flow analysis in the companion paper of Roostapour and Kam (2012), can be applied to make a fit to a set of existing laboratory flow experiments (Zhong et al., 2009) in an application relevant to deep vadose zone remediation. This study reveals a few important insights regarding foam-assisted deep vadose zone remediation: (i) the mathematical framework established for foam modeling can fit typical flow experiments matchingmore » wave velocities, saturation history , and pressure responses; (ii) the set of input parameters may not be unique for the fit, and therefore conducting experiments to measure basic model parameters related to relative permeability, initial and residual saturations, surfactant adsorption and so on should not be overlooked; and (iii) gas compressibility plays an important role for data analysis, thus should be handled carefully in laboratory flow experiments. Foam kinetics, causing foam texture to reach its steady-state value slowly, may impose additional complications.« less

Cometary activity and nucleus modelling: a new approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möhlmann, D.

1996-06-01

The phenomena of comet splittings with an average frequency of about one splitting per 100 years and comet (Chen and Jewitt, Icarus108, 265-271, 1994), and the restriction of cometary activity to well-defined small areas at the almost passive and mantle covered surface (Keller et al., ESA SP-250, Vol. II, pp. 363-364, 1986) are at present driving challenges to models of structure and evolution of comet nuclei. Extending the presently discussed models by incorporating lateral subsurface transport of sublimed volatiles, there appears the possibility that the places of sublimation are different from those of activity (the so-called active areas). Then, there is no necessity to distinguish between different surface properties at active and passive areas, assuming, e.g. an uncovered icy surface at active areas. Active areas are simply the very local "source sites" where the accumulated subsurface flows from distant regions reach the surface. The pressure driven subsurface flows of volatiles may not only leave the comet at its surface, they may penetrate via cracks, etc. also deeply into the nucleus. There they can cause a further growth of cracks and also new cracks. This can be a cause for the observed regular splittings. Furthermore, actual models (Kührt and Keller, Icarus109, 121-132, 1994; Skorov and Rickman, Planet. Space Sci.43, 1587-1594, 1995) of the gas transport through porous comet surface crusts can be interpreted as to give first indications for thermodynamical parameters in heat conducting and porous cometary crusts which are appropriate for 1 AU conditions to permit the temporary existence of a layer with fluid subsurface water within these crusts. This exciting result of the possible temporary existence of subsurface warm water in comets which approach the Sun within about 1 AU makes a cometary subsurface chemistry much more efficient than expected hitherto.

Development of concepts for the management of thermal resources in urban areas - Assessment of transferability from the Basel (Switzerland) and Zaragoza (Spain) case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epting, Jannis; García-Gil, Alejandro; Huggenberger, Peter; Vázquez-Suñe, Enric; Mueller, Matthias H.

2017-05-01

The shallow subsurface in urban areas is increasingly used by shallow geothermal energy systems as a renewable energy resource and as a cheap cooling medium, e.g. for building air conditioning. In combination with further anthropogenic activities, this results in altered thermal regimes in the subsurface and the so-called subsurface urban heat island effect. Successful thermal management of urban groundwater resources requires understanding the relative contributions of the different thermal parameters and boundary conditions that result in the "present thermal state" of individual urban groundwater bodies. To evaluate the "present thermal state" of urban groundwater bodies, good quality data are required to characterize the hydraulic and thermal aquifer parameters. This process also involved adequate monitoring systems which provide consistent subsurface temperature measurements and are the basis for parameterizing numerical heat-transport models. This study is based on previous work already published for two urban groundwater bodies in Basel (CH) and Zaragoza (ES), where comprehensive monitoring networks (hydraulics and temperature) as well as calibrated high-resolution numerical flow- and heat-transport models have been analyzed. The "present thermal state" and how it developed according to the different hydraulic and thermal boundary conditions is compared to a "potential natural state" in order to assess the anthropogenic thermal changes that have already occurred in the urban groundwater bodies we investigated. This comparison allows us to describe the various processes concerning groundwater flow and thermal regimes for the different urban settings. Furthermore, the results facilitate defining goals for specific aquifer regions, including future aquifer use and urbanization, as well as evaluating the thermal use potential for these regions. As one example for a more sustainable thermal use of subsurface water resources, we introduce the thermal management concept of the "relaxation factor", which is a first approach to overcome the present policy of "first come, first served". Remediation measures to regenerate overheated urban aquifers are also introduced. The transferability of the applied methods to other urban areas is discussed. It is shown that an appropriate selection of locations for monitoring hydraulic and thermal boundary conditions make it possible to implement representative interpretations of groundwater flow and thermal regimes as well as to set up high-resolution numerical flow- and heat-transport models. Those models are the basis for the sustainable management of thermal resources.

An efficient Bayesian data-worth analysis using a multilevel Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Dan; Ricciuto, Daniel; Evans, Katherine

2018-03-01

Improving the understanding of subsurface systems and thus reducing prediction uncertainty requires collection of data. As the collection of subsurface data is costly, it is important that the data collection scheme is cost-effective. Design of a cost-effective data collection scheme, i.e., data-worth analysis, requires quantifying model parameter, prediction, and both current and potential data uncertainties. Assessment of these uncertainties in large-scale stochastic subsurface hydrological model simulations using standard Monte Carlo (MC) sampling or surrogate modeling is extremely computationally intensive, sometimes even infeasible. In this work, we propose an efficient Bayesian data-worth analysis using a multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) method. Compared to the standard MC that requires a significantly large number of high-fidelity model executions to achieve a prescribed accuracy in estimating expectations, the MLMC can substantially reduce computational costs using multifidelity approximations. Since the Bayesian data-worth analysis involves a great deal of expectation estimation, the cost saving of the MLMC in the assessment can be outstanding. While the proposed MLMC-based data-worth analysis is broadly applicable, we use it for a highly heterogeneous two-phase subsurface flow simulation to select an optimal candidate data set that gives the largest uncertainty reduction in predicting mass flow rates at four production wells. The choices made by the MLMC estimation are validated by the actual measurements of the potential data, and consistent with the standard MC estimation. But compared to the standard MC, the MLMC greatly reduces the computational costs.

Performance of a pilot showcase of different wetland systems in an urban setting in Singapore.

PubMed

Quek, B S; He, Q H; Sim, C H

2015-01-01

The Alexandra Wetlands, part of PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme, showcase a surface flow wetland, an aquatic pond and a sub-surface flow wetland on a 200 m deck built over an urban drainage canal. Water from the canal is pumped to a sedimentation basin, before flowing in parallel to the three wetlands. Water quality monitoring was carried out monthly from April 2011 to December 2012. The order of removal efficiency is sub-surface flow (81.3%) >aquatic pond (58.5%) >surface flow (50.7%) for total suspended solids (TSS); sub-surface (44.9%) >surface flow (31.9%) >aquatic pond (22.0%) for total nitrogen (TN); and surface flow (56.7%) >aquatic pond (39.8%) >sub-surface flow (5.4%) for total phosphorus (TP). All three wetlands achieved the Singapore stormwater treatment objectives (STO) for TP removal, but only the sub-surface flow wetland met the STO for TSS, and none met the STO for TN. Challenges in achieving satisfactory performance include inconsistent feed water quality, undesirable behaviour such as fishing, release of pets and feeding of animals in the wetlands, and canal dredging during part of the monitoring period. As a pilot showcase, the Alexandra Wetlands provide useful lessons for implementing multi-objective wetlands in an urban setting.

Multisource data assimilation in a Richards equation-based integrated hydrological model: a real-world application to an experimental hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camporese, M.; Botto, A.

2017-12-01

Data assimilation is becoming increasingly popular in hydrological and earth system modeling, as it allows for direct integration of multisource observation data in modeling predictions and uncertainty reduction. For this reason, data assimilation has been recently the focus of much attention also for integrated surface-subsurface hydrological models, whereby multiple terrestrial compartments (e.g., snow cover, surface water, groundwater) are solved simultaneously, in an attempt to tackle environmental problems in a holistic approach. Recent examples include the joint assimilation of water table, soil moisture, and river discharge measurements in catchment models of coupled surface-subsurface flow using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). Although the EnKF has been specifically developed to deal with nonlinear models, integrated hydrological models based on the Richards equation still represent a challenge, due to strong nonlinearities that may significantly affect the filter performance. Thus, more studies are needed to investigate the capabilities of EnKF to correct the system state and identify parameters in cases where the unsaturated zone dynamics are dominant. Here, the model CATHY (CATchment HYdrology) is applied to reproduce the hydrological dynamics observed in an experimental hillslope, equipped with tensiometers, water content reflectometer probes, and tipping bucket flow gages to monitor the hillslope response to a series of artificial rainfall events. We assimilate pressure head, soil moisture, and subsurface outflow with EnKF in a number of assimilation scenarios and discuss the challenges, issues, and tradeoffs arising from the assimilation of multisource data in a real-world test case, with particular focus on the capability of DA to update the subsurface parameters.

Understanding leachate flow in municipal solid waste landfills by combining time-lapse ERT and subsurface flow modelling - Part II: Constraint methodology of hydrodynamic models.

PubMed

Audebert, M; Oxarango, L; Duquennoi, C; Touze-Foltz, N; Forquet, N; Clément, R

2016-09-01

Leachate recirculation is a key process in the operation of municipal solid waste landfills as bioreactors. To ensure optimal water content distribution, bioreactor operators need tools to design leachate injection systems. Prediction of leachate flow by subsurface flow modelling could provide useful information for the design of such systems. However, hydrodynamic models require additional data to constrain them and to assess hydrodynamic parameters. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a suitable method to study leachate infiltration at the landfill scale. It can provide spatially distributed information which is useful for constraining hydrodynamic models. However, this geophysical method does not allow ERT users to directly measure water content in waste. The MICS (multiple inversions and clustering strategy) methodology was proposed to delineate the infiltration area precisely during time-lapse ERT survey in order to avoid the use of empirical petrophysical relationships, which are not adapted to a heterogeneous medium such as waste. The infiltration shapes and hydrodynamic information extracted with MICS were used to constrain hydrodynamic models in assessing parameters. The constraint methodology developed in this paper was tested on two hydrodynamic models: an equilibrium model where, flow within the waste medium is estimated using a single continuum approach and a non-equilibrium model where flow is estimated using a dual continuum approach. The latter represents leachate flows into fractures. Finally, this methodology provides insight to identify the advantages and limitations of hydrodynamic models. Furthermore, we suggest an explanation for the large volume detected by MICS when a small volume of leachate is injected. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling post-wildfire hydrological processes with ParFlow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escobar, I. S.; Lopez, S. R.; Kinoshita, A. M.

2017-12-01

Wildfires alter the natural processes within a watershed, such as surface runoff, evapotranspiration rates, and subsurface water storage. Post-fire hydrologic models are typically one-dimensional, empirically-based models or two-dimensional, conceptually-based models with lumped parameter distributions. These models are useful for modeling and predictions at the watershed outlet; however, do not provide detailed, distributed hydrologic processes at the point scale within the watershed. This research uses ParFlow, a three-dimensional, distributed hydrologic model to simulate post-fire hydrologic processes by representing the spatial and temporal variability of soil burn severity (via hydrophobicity) and vegetation recovery. Using this approach, we are able to evaluate the change in post-fire water components (surface flow, lateral flow, baseflow, and evapotranspiration). This work builds upon previous field and remote sensing analysis conducted for the 2003 Old Fire Burn in Devil Canyon, located in southern California (USA). This model is initially developed for a hillslope defined by a 500 m by 1000 m lateral extent. The subsurface reaches 12.4 m and is assigned a variable cell thickness to explicitly consider soil burn severity throughout the stages of recovery and vegetation regrowth. We consider four slope and eight hydrophobic layer configurations. Evapotranspiration is used as a proxy for vegetation regrowth and is represented by the satellite-based Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBOP) product. The pre- and post-fire surface runoff, subsurface storage, and surface storage interactions are evaluated at the point scale. Results will be used as a basis for developing and fine-tuning a watershed-scale model. Long-term simulations will advance our understanding of post-fire hydrological partitioning between water balance components and the spatial variability of watershed processes, providing improved guidance for post-fire watershed management. In reference to the presenter, Isabel Escobar: Research is funded by the NASA-DIRECT STEM Program. Travel expenses for this presentation is funded by CSU-LSAMP. CSU-LSAMP is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant # HRD-1302873 and the CSU Office of Chancellor.

Interpretation of Ground Temperature Anomalies in Hydrothermal Discharge Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Adam N.; Lindsey, Cary R.; Fairley, Jerry P.

2017-12-01

Researchers have long noted the potential for shallow hydrothermal fluids to perturb near-surface temperatures. Several investigators have made qualitative or semiquantitative use of elevated surface temperatures; for example, in snowfall calorimetry, or for tracing subsurface flow paths. However, a quantitative framework connecting surface temperature observations with conditions in the subsurface is currently lacking. Here, we model an area of shallow subsurface flow at Burgdorf Hot Springs, a rustic commercial resort in the Payette National Forest, north of McCall, ID, USA. We calibrate the model using shallow (0.2 m depth) ground temperature measurements and overburden thickness estimates from seismic refraction studies. The calibrated model predicts negligible loss of heat energy from the laterally migrating fluids at the Burgdorf site, in spite of the fact that thermal anomalies are observed in the unconsolidated near-surface alluvium. Although elevated near-surface ground temperatures are commonly assumed to result from locally high heat flux, this conflicts with the small apparent heat loss during lateral flow inferred at the Burgdorf site. We hypothesize an alternative explanation for near-surface temperature anomalies that is only weakly dependent on heat flux, and more strongly controlled by the Biot number, a dimensionless parameter that compares the rate at which convection carries heat away from the land surface to the rate at which it is supplied by conduction to the interface.

Transport of Chemical Vapors from Subsurface Sources to Atmosphere as Affected by Shallow Subsurface and Atmospheric Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, A. K.; Smits, K. M.; Hosken, K.; Schulte, P.; Illangasekare, T. H.

2012-12-01

Understanding the movement and modeling of chemical vapor through unsaturated soil in the shallow subsurface when subjected to natural atmospheric thermal and mass flux boundary conditions at the land surface is of importance to applications such as landmine detection and vapor intrusion into subsurface structures. New, advanced technologies exist to sense chemical signatures at the land/atmosphere interface, but interpretation of these sensor signals to make assessment of source conditions remains a challenge. Chemical signatures are subject to numerous interactions while migrating through the unsaturated soil environment, attenuating signal strength and masking contaminant source conditions. The dominant process governing movement of gases through porous media is often assumed to be Fickian diffusion through the air phase with minimal or no quantification of other processes contributing to vapor migration, such as thermal diffusion, convective gas flow due to the displacement of air, expansion/contraction of air due to temperature changes, temporal and spatial variations of soil moisture and fluctuations in atmospheric pressure. Soil water evaporation and interfacial mass transfer add to the complexity of the system. The goal of this work is to perform controlled experiments under transient conditions of soil moisture, temperature and wind at the land/atmosphere interface and use the resulting dataset to test existing theories on subsurface gas flow and iterate between numerical modeling efforts and experimental data. Ultimately, we aim to update conceptual models of shallow subsurface vapor transport to include conditionally significant transport processes and inform placement of mobile sensors and/or networks. We have developed a two-dimensional tank apparatus equipped with a network of sensors and a flow-through head space for simulation of the atmospheric interface. A detailed matrix of realistic atmospheric boundary conditions was applied in a series of experiments. Water saturation, capillary pressure, air and soil temperature, and relative humidity were continuously monitored. Aqueous TCE was injected into the tank below the water table and allowed to volatilize. TCE concentration exiting the tank head space was measured through interval sampling by direct injection into a gas chromatograph. To quantify the transient concentration of TCE vapor in the soil pore space a novel use of Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) was developed. Results from our numerical simulations were compared with the experimental data, which demonstrated the importance of considering the interaction of the atmosphere with the subsurface in conceptualization and numerical model development. Results also emphasize that soil saturation and transient sorption have a significant effect on vapor transport through the vadose zone. Follow-up tests and detailed analyses are still underway. Additional applications of this work include carbon sequestration leakage, methane contamination in the shallow subsurface and environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing.

Impact of transient stream flow on water exchange and reactions in the hyporheic zone of an in-stream gravel bar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trauth, Nico; Schmidt, Christian; Fleckenstein, Jan H.

2015-04-01

Groundwater-surface water exchange is an important process that can facilitate the degradation of critical substances like nitrogen-species and contaminants, supporting a healthy status of the aquatic ecosystem. In our study, we simulate water exchange, solute transport and reactions within a natural in-stream gravel bar using a coupled surface and subsurface numerical model. Stream water flow is simulated by computational fluid dynamics software that provides hydraulic head distributions at the streambed, which are used as an upper boundary condition for a groundwater model. In the groundwater model water exchange, solute transport, aerobic respiration and denitrification in the subsurface are simulated. Ambient groundwater flow is introduced by lateral upstream and downstream hydraulic head boundaries that generate neutral, losing or gaining stream conditions. Stream water transports dissolved oxygen, organic carbon (as the dominant electron donor) and nitrate into the subsurface, whereas an additional nitrate source exists in the ambient groundwater. Scenarios of stream flow events varying in duration and stream stage are simulated and compared with steady state scenarios with respect to water fluxes, residence times and the solute turn-over rates. Results show, that water exchange and solute turn-over rates highly depend on the interplay between event characteristics and ambient groundwater levels. For scenarios, where the stream flow event shifts the hydraulic system to a net-neutral hydraulic gradient between the average stream stage and the ambient groundwater level (minimal exchange between ground- and surface water), solute consumption is higher, compared to the steady losing or gaining case. In contrast, events that induce strong losing conditions lead to a lower potential of solute consumption.

Exact three-dimensional spectral solution to surface-groundwater interactions with arbitrary surface topography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Worman, A.; Packman, A.I.; Marklund, L.; Harvey, J.W.; Stone, S.H.

2006-01-01

It has been long known that land surface topography governs both groundwater flow patterns at the regional-to-continental scale and on smaller scales such as in the hyporheic zone of streams. Here we show that the surface topography can be separated in a Fourier-series spectrum that provides an exact solution of the underlying three-dimensional groundwater flows. The new spectral solution offers a practical tool for fast calculation of subsurface flows in different hydrological applications and provides a theoretical platform for advancing conceptual understanding of the effect of landscape topography on subsurface flows. We also show how the spectrum of surface topography influences the residence time distribution for subsurface flows. The study indicates that the subsurface head variation decays exponentially with depth faster than it would with equivalent two-dimensional features, resulting in a shallower flow interaction. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

Higher and lowest order mixed finite element approximation of subsurface flow problems with solutions of low regularity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bause, Markus

2008-02-01

In this work we study mixed finite element approximations of Richards' equation for simulating variably saturated subsurface flow and simultaneous reactive solute transport. Whereas higher order schemes have proved their ability to approximate reliably reactive solute transport (cf., e.g. [Bause M, Knabner P. Numerical simulation of contaminant biodegradation by higher order methods and adaptive time stepping. Comput Visual Sci 7;2004:61-78]), the Raviart- Thomas mixed finite element method ( RT0) with a first order accurate flux approximation is popular for computing the underlying water flow field (cf. [Bause M, Knabner P. Computation of variably saturated subsurface flow by adaptive mixed hybrid finite element methods. Adv Water Resour 27;2004:565-581, Farthing MW, Kees CE, Miller CT. Mixed finite element methods and higher order temporal approximations for variably saturated groundwater flow. Adv Water Resour 26;2003:373-394, Starke G. Least-squares mixed finite element solution of variably saturated subsurface flow problems. SIAM J Sci Comput 21;2000:1869-1885, Younes A, Mosé R, Ackerer P, Chavent G. A new formulation of the mixed finite element method for solving elliptic and parabolic PDE with triangular elements. J Comp Phys 149;1999:148-167, Woodward CS, Dawson CN. Analysis of expanded mixed finite element methods for a nonlinear parabolic equation modeling flow into variably saturated porous media. SIAM J Numer Anal 37;2000:701-724]). This combination might be non-optimal. Higher order techniques could increase the accuracy of the flow field calculation and thereby improve the prediction of the solute transport. Here, we analyse the application of the Brezzi- Douglas- Marini element ( BDM1) with a second order accurate flux approximation to elliptic, parabolic and degenerate problems whose solutions lack the regularity that is assumed in optimal order error analyses. For the flow field calculation a superiority of the BDM1 approach to the RT0 one is observed, which however is less significant for the accompanying solute transport.

An advanced process-based distributed model for the investigation of rainfall-induced landslides: The effect of process representation and boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anagnostopoulos, Grigorios G.; Fatichi, Simone; Burlando, Paolo

2015-09-01

Extreme rainfall events are the major driver of shallow landslide occurrences in mountainous and steep terrain regions around the world. Subsurface hydrology has a dominant role on the initiation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides, since changes in the soil water content affect significantly the soil shear strength. Rainfall infiltration produces an increase of soil water potential, which is followed by a rapid drop in apparent cohesion. Especially on steep slopes of shallow soils, this loss of shear strength can lead to failure even in unsaturated conditions before positive water pressures are developed. We present HYDROlisthisis, a process-based model, fully distributed in space with fine time resolution, in order to investigate the interactions between surface and subsurface hydrology and shallow landslides initiation. Fundamental elements of the approach are the dependence of shear strength on the three-dimensional (3-D) field of soil water potential, as well as the temporal evolution of soil water potential during the wetting and drying phases. Specifically, 3-D variably saturated flow conditions, including soil hydraulic hysteresis and preferential flow phenomena, are simulated for the subsurface flow, coupled with a surface runoff routine based on the kinematic wave approximation. The geotechnical component of the model is based on a multidimensional limit equilibrium analysis, which takes into account the basic principles of unsaturated soil mechanics. A series of numerical simulations were carried out with various boundary conditions and using different hydrological and geotechnical components. Boundary conditions in terms of distributed soil depth were generated using both empirical and process-based models. The effect of including preferential flow and soil hydraulic hysteresis was tested together with the replacement of the infinite slope assumption with the multidimensional limit equilibrium analysis. The results show that boundary conditions play a crucial role in the model performance and that the introduced hydrological (preferential flow and soil hydraulic hysteresis) and geotechnical components (multidimensional limit equilibrium analysis) significantly improve predictive capabilities in the presented case study.

Study of the effect of wind speed on evaporation from soil through integrated modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer and shallow subsurface.

PubMed

Davarzani, Hossein; Smits, Kathleen; Tolene, Ryan M; Illangasekare, Tissa

2014-01-01

In an effort to develop methods based on integrating the subsurface to the atmospheric boundary layer to estimate evaporation, we developed a model based on the coupling of Navier-Stokes free flow and Darcy flow in porous medium. The model was tested using experimental data to study the effect of wind speed on evaporation. The model consists of the coupled equations of mass conservation for two-phase flow in porous medium with single-phase flow in the free-flow domain under nonisothermal, nonequilibrium phase change conditions. In this model, the evaporation rate and soil surface temperature and relative humidity at the interface come directly from the integrated model output. To experimentally validate numerical results, we developed a unique test system consisting of a wind tunnel interfaced with a soil tank instrumented with a network of sensors to measure soil-water variables. Results demonstrated that, by using this coupling approach, it is possible to predict the different stages of the drying process with good accuracy. Increasing the wind speed increases the first stage evaporation rate and decreases the transition time between two evaporative stages (soil water flow to vapor diffusion controlled) at low velocity values; then, at high wind speeds the evaporation rate becomes less dependent on the wind speed. On the contrary, the impact of wind speed on second stage evaporation (diffusion-dominant stage) is not significant. We found that the thermal and solute dispersion in free-flow systems has a significant influence on drying processes from porous media and should be taken into account.

Study of the effect of wind speed on evaporation from soil through integrated modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer and shallow subsurface

PubMed Central

Davarzani, Hossein; Smits, Kathleen; Tolene, Ryan M; Illangasekare, Tissa

2014-01-01

In an effort to develop methods based on integrating the subsurface to the atmospheric boundary layer to estimate evaporation, we developed a model based on the coupling of Navier-Stokes free flow and Darcy flow in porous medium. The model was tested using experimental data to study the effect of wind speed on evaporation. The model consists of the coupled equations of mass conservation for two-phase flow in porous medium with single-phase flow in the free-flow domain under nonisothermal, nonequilibrium phase change conditions. In this model, the evaporation rate and soil surface temperature and relative humidity at the interface come directly from the integrated model output. To experimentally validate numerical results, we developed a unique test system consisting of a wind tunnel interfaced with a soil tank instrumented with a network of sensors to measure soil-water variables. Results demonstrated that, by using this coupling approach, it is possible to predict the different stages of the drying process with good accuracy. Increasing the wind speed increases the first stage evaporation rate and decreases the transition time between two evaporative stages (soil water flow to vapor diffusion controlled) at low velocity values; then, at high wind speeds the evaporation rate becomes less dependent on the wind speed. On the contrary, the impact of wind speed on second stage evaporation (diffusion-dominant stage) is not significant. We found that the thermal and solute dispersion in free-flow systems has a significant influence on drying processes from porous media and should be taken into account. PMID:25309005

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 presented to demonstrate the model verification and a site application. Simulation results obtained using the composite modeling approach are compared with a rigorous numerical solution and field observations of crude oil saturations and plume concentrations of total dissolved organic carbon at a spill site in Minnesota, U.S.A. These comparisons demonstrate the ability of the present model to provide realistic depiction of field-scale situations.

A numerical study of EGS heat extraction process based on a thermal non-equilibrium model for heat transfer in subsurface porous heat reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jiliang; Jiang, Fangming

2016-02-01

With a previously developed numerical model, we perform a detailed study of the heat extraction process in enhanced or engineered geothermal system (EGS). This model takes the EGS subsurface heat reservoir as an equivalent porous medium while it considers local thermal non-equilibrium between the rock matrix and the fluid flowing in the fractured rock mass. The application of local thermal non-equilibrium model highlights the temperature-difference heat exchange process occurring in EGS reservoirs, enabling a better understanding of the involved heat extraction process. The simulation results unravel the mechanism of preferential flow or short-circuit flow forming in homogeneously fractured reservoirs of different permeability values. EGS performance, e.g. production temperature and lifetime, is found to be tightly related to the flow pattern in the reservoir. Thermal compensation from rocks surrounding the reservoir contributes little heat to the heat transmission fluid if the operation time of an EGS is shorter than 15 years. We find as well the local thermal equilibrium model generally overestimates EGS performance and for an EGS with better heat exchange conditions in the heat reservoir, the heat extraction process acts more like the local thermal equilibrium process.

Integrated hydrologic modeling: Effects of spatial scale, discretization and initialization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seck, A.; Welty, C.; Maxwell, R. M.

2011-12-01

Groundwater discharge contributes significantly to the annual flows of Chesapeake Bay tributaries and is presumed to contribute to the observed lag time between the implementation of management actions and the environmental response in the Chesapeake Bay. To investigate groundwater fluxes and flow paths and interaction with surface flow, we have developed a fully distributed integrated hydrologic model of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed using ParFlow. Here we present a comparison of model spatial resolution and initialization methods. We have studied the effect of horizontal discretization on overland flow processes at a range of scales. Three nested model domains have been considered: the Monocacy watershed (5600 sq. km), the Potomac watershed (92000 sq. km) and the Chesapeake Bay watershed (400,000 sq. km). Models with homogeneous subsurface and topographically-derived slopes were evaluated at 500-m, 1000-m, 2000-m, and 4000-m grid resolutions. Land surface slopes were derived from resampled DEMs and corrected using stream networks. Simulation results show that the overland flow processes are reasonably well represented with a resolution up to 2000 m. We observe that the effects of horizontal resolution dissipate with larger scale models. Using a homogeneous model that includes subsurface and surface terrain characteristics, we have evaluated various initialization methods for the integrated Monocacy watershed model. This model used several options for water table depths and two rainfall forcing methods including (1) a synthetic rainfall-recession cycle corresponding to the region's average annual rainfall rate, and (2) an initial shut-off of rainfall forcing followed by a rainfall-recession cycling. Results show the dominance of groundwater generated runoff during a first phase of the simulation followed by a convergence towards more balanced runoff generation mechanisms. We observe that the influence of groundwater runoff increases in dissected relief areas characterized by high slope magnitudes. This is due to the increase in initial water table gradients in these regions. As a result, in the domain conditions for this study, an initial shut-off of rainfall forcing proved to be the more efficient initialization method. The initialized model is then coupled with a Land Surface Model (CLM). Ongoing work includes coupling a heterogeneous subsurface field with spatially variable meteorological forcing using the National Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) data products. Seasonal trends of groundwater levels for current and pre-development conditions of the basin will be compared.

Linking Surface Topography Variations To Subsurface Mixing And Reaction Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Borgne, T.; Bandopadhyay, A.; Davy, P.

2017-12-01

Fluctuations in surface topography generate nested streamline patterns in the subsurface over scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. Because solute residence times can be very different for each streamlines, these patterns exert a strong control on biogeochemical reactions. While this effect has been quantified in reactive transport models, solute transfer across streamlines has been generally neglected. Yet, this process can lead to significant solute dilution and may trigger reactions by mixing water with different chemical compositions. Considering topography-driven subsurface flow cells of different sizes, we show that the resulting streamline structures act as shear flows, with shear rates that can vary over orders of magnitude depending on scale, permeability and hydraulic head gradient. This leads to the formation of localized layers of enhanced dilution and reaction, where mixing rates can be orders of magnitude larger than diffusion limited rates (Bandopadhyay et al. under review). We develop a theoretical model that predicts the depth and magnitude of these mixing hotspots and quantifies the resulting exports of conservative and reactive chemical species at discharge locations. We discuss consequences of these findings by applying this model at hyporheic zone, hillslope, and catchment scales.

Hydrological modelling in sandstone rocks watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponížilová, Iva; Unucka, Jan

2015-04-01

The contribution is focused on the modelling of surface and subsurface runoff in the Ploučnice basin. The used rainfall-runoff model is HEC-HMS comprising of the method of SCS CN curves and a recession method. The geological subsurface consisting of sandstone is characterised by reduced surface runoff and, on the contrary, it contributes to subsurface runoff. The aim of this paper is comparison of the rate of influence of sandstone on reducing surface runoff. The recession method for subsurface runoff was used to determine the subsurface runoff. The HEC-HMS model allows semi- and fully distributed approaches to schematisation of the watershed and rainfall situations. To determine the volume of runoff the method of SCS CN curves is used, which results depend on hydrological conditions of the soils. The rainfall-runoff model assuming selection of so-called methods of event of the SCS-CN type is used to determine the hydrograph and peak flow rate based on simulation of surface runoff in precipitation exceeding the infiltration capacity of the soil. The recession method is used to solve the baseflow (subsurface) runoff. The method is based on the separation of hydrograph to direct runoff and subsurface or baseflow runoff. The study area for the simulation of runoff using the method of SCS CN curves to determine the hydrological transformation is the Ploučnice basin. The Ploučnice is a hydrologically significant river in the northern part of the Czech Republic, it is a right tributary of the Elbe river with a total basin area of 1.194 km2. The average value of CN curves for the Ploučnice basin is 72. The geological structure of the Ploučnice basin is predominantly formed by Mesozoic sandstone. Despite significant initial loss of rainfall the basin response to the causal rainfall was demonstrated by a rapid rise of the surface runoff from the watershed and reached culmination flow. Basically, only surface runoff occures in the catchment during the initial phase of this extreme event. The increase of the baseflow runoff is slower and remains constant after reaching a certain level. The rise of the baseflow runoff is showed in a descending part of the hydrograph. The recession method in this case shows almost 20 hours delay. Results from the HEC-HMS prove availability of both methods for the runoff modeling in this type of catchment. When simulating extreme short-term rainfall-runoff episodes, the influence of geological subsurface is not significant, but it is manifested. Using more relevant rainfall events would bring more satisfactory results.

Shallow Aquifer Vulnerability From Subsurface Fluid Injection at a Proposed Shale Gas Hydraulic Fracturing Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, M. P.; Worrall, F.; Davies, R. J.; Hart, A.

2017-11-01

Groundwater flow resulting from a proposed hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operation was numerically modeled using 91 scenarios. Scenarios were chosen to be a combination of hydrogeological factors that a priori would control the long-term migration of fracking fluids to the shallow subsurface. These factors were induced fracture extent, cross-basin groundwater flow, deep low hydraulic conductivity strata, deep high hydraulic conductivity strata, fault hydraulic conductivity, and overpressure. The study considered the Bowland Basin, northwest England, with fracking of the Bowland Shale at ˜2,000 m depth and the shallow aquifer being the Sherwood Sandstone at ˜300-500 m depth. Of the 91 scenarios, 73 scenarios resulted in tracked particles not reaching the shallow aquifer within 10,000 years and 18 resulted in travel times less than 10,000 years. Four factors proved to have a statistically significant impact on reducing travel time to the aquifer: increased induced fracture extent, absence of deep high hydraulic conductivity strata, relatively low fault hydraulic conductivity, and magnitude of overpressure. Modeling suggests that high hydraulic conductivity formations can be more effective barriers to vertical flow than low hydraulic conductivity formations. Furthermore, low hydraulic conductivity faults can result in subsurface pressure compartmentalization, reducing horizontal groundwater flow, and encouraging vertical fluid migration. The modeled worst-case scenario, using unlikely geology and induced fracture lengths, maximum values for strata hydraulic conductivity and with conservative tracer behavior had a particle travel time of 130 years to the base of the shallow aquifer. This study has identified hydrogeological factors which lead to aquifer vulnerability from shale exploitation.

A Computational Model of Coupled Multiphase Flow and Geomechanics to Study Fault Slip and Induced Seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juanes, R.; Jha, B.

2014-12-01

The coupling between subsurface flow and geomechanical deformation is critical in the assessment of the environmental impacts of groundwater use, underground liquid waste disposal, geologic storage of carbon dioxide, and exploitation of shale gas reserves. In particular, seismicity induced by fluid injection and withdrawal has emerged as a central element of the scientific discussion around subsurface technologies that tap into water and energy resources. Here we present a new computational approach to model coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics of faulted reservoirs. We represent faults as surfaces embedded in a three-dimensional medium by using zero-thickness interface elements to accurately model fault slip under dynamically evolving fluid pressure and fault strength. We incorporate the effect of fluid pressures from multiphase flow in the mechanical stability of faults and employ a rigorous formulation of nonlinear multiphase geomechanics that is capable of handling strong capillary effects. We develop a numerical simulation tool by coupling a multiphase flow simulator with a mechanics simulator, using the unconditionally stable fixed-stress scheme for the sequential solution of two-way coupling between flow and geomechanics. We validate our modeling approach using several synthetic, but realistic, test cases that illustrate the onset and evolution of earthquakes from fluid injection and withdrawal. We also present the application of the coupled flow-geomechanics simulation technology to the post mortem analysis of the Mw=5.1, May 2011 Lorca earthquake in south-east Spain, and assess the potential that the earthquake was induced by groundwater extraction.

Evidence for debris flow gully formation initiated by shallow subsurface water on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanza, N.L.; Meyer, G.A.; Okubo, C.H.; Newsom, Horton E.; Wiens, R.C.

2010-01-01

The morphologies of some martian gullies appear similar to terrestrial features associated with debris flow initiation, erosion, and deposition. On Earth, debris flows are often triggered by shallow subsurface throughflow of liquid water in slope-mantling colluvium. This flow causes increased levels of pore pressure and thus decreased shear strength, which can lead to slide failure of slope materials and subsequent debris flow. The threshold for pore pressure-induced failure creates a distinct relationship between the contributing area supplying the subsurface flow and the slope gradient. To provide initial tests of a similar debris flow initiation hypothesis for martian gullies, measurements of the contributing areas and slope gradients were made at the channel heads of martian gullies seen in three HiRISE stereo pairs. These gullies exhibit morphologies suggestive of debris flows such as leveed channels and lobate debris fans, and have well-defined channel heads and limited evidence for multiple flows. Our results show an area-slope relationship for these martian gullies that is consistent with that observed for terrestrial gullies formed by debris flow, supporting the hypothesis that these gullies formed as the result of saturation of near-surface regolith by a liquid. This model favors a source of liquid that is broadly distributed within the source area and shallow; we suggest that such liquid could be generated by melting of broadly distributed icy materials such as snow or permafrost. This interpretation is strengthened by observations of polygonal and mantled terrain in the study areas, which are both suggestive of near-surface ice. ?? 2009 Elsevier Inc.

Urban heat fluxes in the subsurface of Cologne, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, K.; Bayer, P.; Blum, P.

2012-04-01

Urbanization during the last hundred years has led to both environmental and thermal impacts on the subsurface. The urban heat island (UHI) effect is mostly described as an atmospheric phenomenon, where the measured aboveground temperatures in cities are elevated in comparison to undisturbed rural regions. However, UHIs can be found below, as well as above ground. A large amount of anthropogenic heat migrates into the urban subsurface, which also raises the ground temperature and permanently changes the thermal conditions in shallow aquifers. The main objective of our work is to study and determine the urban heat fluxes in Cologne, Germany, and to improve our understanding of the dynamics of subsurface energy fluxes in UHIs. Ideally, our findings will contribute to strategic and more sustainable geothermal use in cities. For a quantitative analysis of the energy fluxes within the subsurface and across the atmospheric boundary, two and three-dimensional coupled numerical flow and heat transport models were developed. The simulation results indicate that during the past hundred years, an average vertical urban heat flux that ranges between 80 and 375 mW m-2 can be deduced. Thermal anomalies have migrated into the local urban aquifer system and they reach a depth of about 150 m. In this context, the influence of the regional groundwater flow on the subsurface heat transport and temperature development is comprehensively discussed.

Exploring the role of mixing between subsurface flow paths on transit time distributions using a Lagrangian model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zehe, Erwin; Jackisch, Conrad; Rodriguez, Nicolas; Klaus, Julian

2017-04-01

Only a minute amount of global fresh water is stored in the unsaturated zone. Yet this tiny compartment controls soil microbial activity and associated trace gas emissions, transport and transformations of contaminants, plant productivity, runoff generation and groundwater recharge. To date, the processes controlling renewal and age of different fractions of the soil water stock are far from being understood. Current theories and process concepts were largely inferred either from over-simplified laboratory experiments, or non-exhaustive point observations and tracer data in the field. Tracer data provide key but yet integrated information about the distribution of travel times of the tracer molecules to a certain depth or on their travel depth distribution within a given time. We hence are able to observe the "effect" of soil structure i.e. partitioning of infiltrating water between fast preferential and slow flow paths and imperfect subsequent mixing between these flow paths in the subsurface and the related plant water uptake. However, we are not able to study the "cause" - because technologies for in-situ observations of flow, flow path topology and exchange processes at relevant interfaces have up to now not been at hand. In the present study we will make use of a Lagrangian model for subsurface water dynamics to explore how subsurface heterogeneity and mixing among different storage fractions affects residence time distribution in the unsaturated zone in a forward approach. Soil water is represented by particles of constant mass, which travel according to the Itô form of the Fokker Planck equation. The model concept builds on established soil physics by estimating the drift velocity and the diffusion term based on the soil water characteristics. The model has been shown to simulate capillary driven soil moisture dynamics in good accordance with a) the Richards equation and b) observed soil moisture data in different soil. The particle model may furthermore account for preferential non equilibrium infiltration in a straightforward manner by treating event water as different type of particle, which travel initially in a macropore/ coarse pore fraction and experience a slow diffusive mixing with the pre-event water particles within a characteristic mixing time. In the present study we will particularly use the last approach in combination with artificial tracer data and stable isotopes to explore how different assumptions on mixing between different flow paths affect the travel time and residence time distributions of water particles in different fractions of the pore space.

Triaxial thermopile array geo-heat-flow sensor

DOEpatents

Carrigan, C.R.; Hardee, H.C.; Reynolds, G.D.; Steinfort, T.D.

1990-01-01

A triaxial thermopile array geothermal heat flow sensor is designed to measure heat flow in three dimensions in a reconstituted or unperturbed subsurface regime. Heat flow can be measured in conductive or permeable convective media. The sensor may be encased in protective pvc tubing and includes a plurality of thermistors and an array of heat flow transducers produce voltage proportional to heat flux along the subsurface regime and permit direct measurement of heat flow in the subsurface regime. The presence of the thermistor array permits a comparison to be made between the heat flow estimates obtained from the transducers and heat flow calculated using temperature differences and Fourier's Law. The device is extremely sensitive with an accuracy of less than 0.1 Heat Flow Units (HFU) and may be used for long term readings. 6 figs.

Prediction uncertainty and data worth assessment for groundwater transport times in an agricultural catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zell, Wesley O.; Culver, Teresa B.; Sanford, Ward E.

2018-06-01

Uncertainties about the age of base-flow discharge can have serious implications for the management of degraded environmental systems where subsurface pathways, and the ongoing release of pollutants that accumulated in the subsurface during past decades, dominate the water quality signal. Numerical groundwater models may be used to estimate groundwater return times and base-flow ages and thus predict the time required for stakeholders to see the results of improved agricultural management practices. However, the uncertainty inherent in the relationship between (i) the observations of atmospherically-derived tracers that are required to calibrate such models and (ii) the predictions of system age that the observations inform have not been investigated. For example, few if any studies have assessed the uncertainty of numerically-simulated system ages or evaluated the uncertainty reductions that may result from the expense of collecting additional subsurface tracer data. In this study we combine numerical flow and transport modeling of atmospherically-derived tracers with prediction uncertainty methods to accomplish four objectives. First, we show the relative importance of head, discharge, and tracer information for characterizing response times in a uniquely data rich catchment that includes 266 age-tracer measurements (SF6, CFCs, and 3H) in addition to long term monitoring of water levels and stream discharge. Second, we calculate uncertainty intervals for model-simulated base-flow ages using both linear and non-linear methods, and find that the prediction sensitivity vector used by linear first-order second-moment methods results in much larger uncertainties than non-linear Monte Carlo methods operating on the same parameter uncertainty. Third, by combining prediction uncertainty analysis with multiple models of the system, we show that data-worth calculations and monitoring network design are sensitive to variations in the amount of water leaving the system via stream discharge and irrigation withdrawals. Finally, we demonstrate a novel model-averaged computation of potential data worth that can account for these uncertainties in model structure.

Adapting HYDRUS-1D to Simulate Overland Flow and Reactive Transport During Sheet Flow Deviations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, J.; Bradford, S. A.; Simunek, J.; Hartmann, A.

2017-12-01

The HYDRUS-1D code is a popular numerical model for solving the Richards equation for variably-saturated water flow and solute transport in porous media. This code was adapted to solve rather than the Richards equation for subsurface flow the diffusion wave equation for overland flow at the soil surface. The numerical results obtained by the new model produced an excellent agreement with the analytical solution of the kinematic wave equation. Model tests demonstrated its applicability to simulate the transport and fate of many different solutes, such as non-adsorbing tracers, nutrients, pesticides, and microbes. However, the diffusion wave or kinematic wave equations describe surface runoff as sheet flow with a uniform depth and velocity across the slope. In reality, overland water flow and transport processes are rarely uniform. Local soil topography, vegetation, and spatial soil heterogeneity control directions and magnitudes of water fluxes, and strongly influence runoff characteristics. There is increasing evidence that variations in soil surface characteristics influence the distribution of overland flow and transport of pollutants. These spatially varying surface characteristics are likely to generate non-equilibrium flow and transport processes. HYDRUS-1D includes a hierarchical series of models of increasing complexity to account for both physical equilibrium and non-equilibrium, e.g., dual-porosity and dual-permeability models, up to a dual-permeability model with immobile water. The same conceptualization as used for the subsurface was implemented to simulate non-equilibrium overland flow and transport at the soil surface. The developed model improves our ability to describe non-equilibrium overland flow and transport processes and to improves our understanding of factors that cause this behavior. The HYDRUS-1D overland flow and transport model was additionally also extended to simulate soil erosion. The HYDRUS-1D Soil Erosion Model has been verified by comparing with other soil erosion models. The model performed well when the average soil particle size is relatively large. The performance of the soil erosion model has been further validated by comparing with selected experimental datasets from the literature.

Subsurface Controls on Stream Intermittency in a Semi-Arid Landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dohman, J.; Godsey, S.; Thackray, G. D.; Hale, R. L.; Wright, K.; Martinez, D.

2017-12-01

Intermittent streams currently constitute 30% to greater than 50% of the global river network. In addition, the number of intermittent streams is expected to increase due to changes in land use and climate. These streams provide important ecosystem services, such as water for irrigation, increased biodiversity, and high rates of nutrient cycling. Many hydrological studies have focused on mapping current intermittent flow regimes or evaluating long-term flow records, but very few have investigated the underlying causes of stream intermittency. The disconnection and reconnection of surface flow reflects the capacity of the subsurface to accommodate flow, so characterizing subsurface flow is key to understanding stream drying. We assess how subsurface flow paths control local surface flows during low-flow periods, including intermittency. Water table dynamics were monitored in an intermittent reach of Gibson Jack Creek in southeastern Idaho. Four transects were delineated with a groundwater well located in the hillslope, riparian zone, and in the stream, for a total of 12 groundwater wells. The presence or absence of surface flow was determined by frequent visual observations as well as in situ loggers every 30m along the 200m study reach. The rate of surface water drying was measured in conjunction with temperature, precipitation, subsurface hydraulic conductivity, hillslope-riparian-stream connectivity and subsurface travel time. Initial results during an unusually wet year suggest different responses in reaches that were previously observed to occasionally cease flowing. Flows in the intermittent reaches had less coherent and lower amplitude diel variations during base flow periods than reaches that had never been observed to dry out. Our findings will help contribute to our understanding of mechanisms driving expansion and contraction cycles in intermittent streams, increase our ability to predict how land use and climate change will affect flow regimes, and improve management of our critical water resources.

Removal of nutrients from septic tank effluent with baffle subsurface-flow constructed wetlands

Treesearch

Lihu Cui; Ying Ouyang; Weizhi Yang; Zhujian Huang; Qiaoling Xu; Guangwei Yu

2015-01-01

Three new baffle flow constructed wetlands (CWs), namely the baffle horizontal flow CW (Z1), baffle vertical flow CW (Z2) and baffle hybrid flow CW (Z3), along with one traditional horizontal subsurface flow CW (Z4) were designed to test the removal efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the septic tank effluent under varying hydraulic retention times (HRTs...

Modeling of ground-water flow in subsurface Austin Chalk and Taylor marl in Ellis County, Texas, near the superconducting super collider site

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

Mace, R.E.

1993-02-01

Numerical models are useful tools for developing an understanding of ground-water flow in sparsely characterized low-permeability aquifers. Finite-difference, cross-sectional models of Cretaceous chalk and marl formations near the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) were constructed using MODFLOW to evaluate ground-water circulation paths and travel times. Weathered and fractured zones with enhanced permeability were included to assess the effect these features had on flow paths and times. Pump tests, slug tests, packer tests, core tests, and estimates were used to define hydraulic properties for model input. The model was calibrated with water-level data from monitor wells and from wire-line piezometers near amore » test shaft excavated by the SSC project. A ratio of vertical-to-horizontal permeability of 0.0085 was estimated through model calibration. A chalk-to-marl permeability ratio of 18 was needed to reproduce artesian head in a well completed in chalk beneath marl. Hydraulic head distributions and ground-water flow paths reflected local, intermediate, and regional flow systems with recharge beneath upland surface-water divides and discharge in valleys. Most of the flow (99%) occurred in the weathered zone, with average residence times of 5 to 10 years. Residence time in unweathered chalk bedrock was substantially longer, at an average of 1.7 Ma. As expected, the model demonstrated that deep and rapid ground-water circulation might occur in fracture zones. Particle paths calculated using MODPATH showed that ground-water travel times from recharge areas to the SSC subsurface facilities might be 20 to 60 years where flow is through fracture zones.« less

Lysimeter apparatus

DOEpatents

Clark, Don T.; Erickson, Eugene E.; Casper, William L.; Everett, David M.; Hubbell, Joel M.; Sisson, James B.

2005-09-06

A suction lysimeter for sampling subsurface liquids includes a lysimeter casing having a drive portion, a reservoir portion, and a tip portion, the tip portion including a membrane through which subsurface liquids may be sampled; a fluid conduit coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the membrane, and which in operation facilitates the delivery of the sampled subsurface liquids from the membrane to the reservoir portion; and a plurality of tubes coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the reservoir portion, the tubes in operation facilitating delivery of the sampled subsurface liquids from the reservoir portion for testing. A method of sampling subsurface liquids comprises using this lysimeter.

Guidelines for model calibration and application to flow simulation in the Death Valley regional groundwater system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, M.C.; D'Agnese, F. A.; Faunt, C.C.

2000-01-01

Fourteen guidelines are described which are intended to produce calibrated groundwater models likely to represent the associated real systems more accurately than typically used methods. The 14 guidelines are discussed in the context of the calibration of a regional groundwater flow model of the Death Valley region in the southwestern United States. This groundwater flow system contains two sites of national significance from which the subsurface transport of contaminants could be or is of concern: Yucca Mountain, which is the potential site of the United States high-level nuclear-waste disposal; and the Nevada Test Site, which contains a number of underground nuclear-testing locations. This application of the guidelines demonstrates how they may be used for model calibration and evaluation, and also to direct further model development and data collection.Fourteen guidelines are described which are intended to produce calibrated groundwater models likely to represent the associated real systems more accurately than typically used methods. The 14 guidelines are discussed in the context of the calibration of a regional groundwater flow model of the Death Valley region in the southwestern United States. This groundwater flow system contains two sites of national significance from which the subsurface transport of contaminants could be or is of concern: Yucca Mountain, which is the potential site of the United States high-level nuclear-waste disposal; and the Nevada Test Site, which contains a number of underground nuclear-testing locations. This application of the guidelines demonstrates how they may be used for model calibration and evaluation, and also to direct further model development and data collection.

Utilizing High-Performance Computing to Investigate Parameter Sensitivity of an Inversion Model for Vadose Zone Flow and Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Z.; Ward, A. L.; Fang, Y.; Yabusaki, S.

2011-12-01

High-resolution geologic models have proven effective in improving the accuracy of subsurface flow and transport predictions. However, many of the parameters in subsurface flow and transport models cannot be determined directly at the scale of interest and must be estimated through inverse modeling. A major challenge, particularly in vadose zone flow and transport, is the inversion of the highly-nonlinear, high-dimensional problem as current methods are not readily scalable for large-scale, multi-process models. In this paper we describe the implementation of a fully automated approach for addressing complex parameter optimization and sensitivity issues on massively parallel multi- and many-core systems. The approach is based on the integration of PNNL's extreme scale Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases (eSTOMP) simulator, which uses the Global Array toolkit, with the Beowulf-Cluster inspired parallel nonlinear parameter estimation software, BeoPEST in the MPI mode. In the eSTOMP/BeoPEST implementation, a pre-processor generates all of the PEST input files based on the eSTOMP input file. Simulation results for comparison with observations are extracted automatically at each time step eliminating the need for post-process data extractions. The inversion framework was tested with three different experimental data sets: one-dimensional water flow at Hanford Grass Site; irrigation and infiltration experiment at the Andelfingen Site; and a three-dimensional injection experiment at Hanford's Sisson and Lu Site. Good agreements are achieved in all three applications between observations and simulations in both parameter estimates and water dynamics reproduction. Results show that eSTOMP/BeoPEST approach is highly scalable and can be run efficiently with hundreds or thousands of processors. BeoPEST is fault tolerant and new nodes can be dynamically added and removed. A major advantage of this approach is the ability to use high-resolution geologic models to preserve the spatial structure in the inverse model, which leads to better parameter estimates and improved predictions when using the inverse-conditioned realizations of parameter fields.

Exchange of Groundwater and Surface-Water Mediated by Permafrost Response to Seasonal and Long Term Air Temperature Variation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ge, Shemin; McKenzie, Jeffrey; Voss, Clifford; Wu, Qingbai

2011-01-01

Permafrost dynamics impact hydrologic cycle processes by promoting or impeding groundwater and surface water exchange. Under seasonal and decadal air temperature variations, permafrost temperature changes control the exchanges between groundwater and surface water. A coupled heat transport and groundwater flow model, SUTRA, was modified to simulate groundwater flow and heat transport in the subsurface containing permafrost. The northern central Tibet Plateau was used as an example of model application. Modeling results show that in a yearly cycle, groundwater flow occurs in the active layer from May to October. Maximum groundwater discharge to the surface lags the maximum subsurface temperature by two months. Under an increasing air temperature scenario of 3?C per 100 years, over the initial 40-year period, the active layer thickness can increase by three-fold. Annual groundwater discharge to the surface can experience a similar three-fold increase in the same period. An implication of these modeling results is that with increased warming there will be more groundwater flow in the active layer and therefore increased groundwater discharge to rivers. However, this finding only holds if sufficient upgradient water is available to replenish the increased discharge. Otherwise, there will be an overall lowering of the water table in the recharge portion of the catchment.

Nested sparse grid collocation method with delay and transformation for subsurface flow and transport problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Qinzhuo; Zhang, Dongxiao; Tchelepi, Hamdi

2017-06-01

In numerical modeling of subsurface flow and transport problems, formation properties may not be deterministically characterized, which leads to uncertainty in simulation results. In this study, we propose a sparse grid collocation method, which adopts nested quadrature rules with delay and transformation to quantify the uncertainty of model solutions. We show that the nested Kronrod-Patterson-Hermite quadrature is more efficient than the unnested Gauss-Hermite quadrature. We compare the convergence rates of various quadrature rules including the domain truncation and domain mapping approaches. To further improve accuracy and efficiency, we present a delayed process in selecting quadrature nodes and a transformed process for approximating unsmooth or discontinuous solutions. The proposed method is tested by an analytical function and in one-dimensional single-phase and two-phase flow problems with different spatial variances and correlation lengths. An additional example is given to demonstrate its applicability to three-dimensional black-oil models. It is found from these examples that the proposed method provides a promising approach for obtaining satisfactory estimation of the solution statistics and is much more efficient than the Monte-Carlo simulations.

Non-invasive flow path characterization in a mining-impacted wetland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bethune, James; Randell, Jackie; Runkel, Robert L.; Singha, Kamini

2015-01-01

Time-lapse electrical resistivity (ER) was used to capture the dilution of a seasonal pulse of acid mine drainage (AMD) contamination in the subsurface of a wetland downgradient of the abandoned Pennsylvania mine workings in central Colorado. Data were collected monthly from mid-July to late October of 2013, with an additional dataset collected in June of 2014. Inversion of the ER data shows the development through time of multiple resistive anomalies in the subsurface, which corroborating data suggest are driven by changes in total dissolved solids (TDS) localized in preferential flow pathways. Sensitivity analyses on a synthetic model of the site suggest that the anomalies would need to be at least several meters in diameter to be adequately resolved by the inversions. The existence of preferential flow paths would have a critical impact on the extent of attenuation mechanisms at the site, and their further characterization could be used to parameterize reactive transport models in developing quantitative predictions of remediation strategies.

Study of blood flow sensing with microwave radiometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porter, R. A.; Wentz, F. J., III

1973-01-01

A study and experimental investigation has been performed to determine the feasibility of measuring regional blood flow and volume in man by means of microwave radiometry. An indication was expected of regional blood flow from measurement of surface and subsurface temperatures with a sensitive radiometer. Following theoretical modeling of biological tissue, to determine the optimum operating frequency for adequate sensing depth, a sensitive microwave radiometer was designed for operation at 793 MHz. A temperature sensitivity of of 0.06 K rms was realized in this equipment. Measurements performed on phantom tissue models, consisting of beef fat and lean beefsteak showed that the radiometer was capable of sensing temperatures from a depth between 3.8 and 5.1 cm. Radiometric and thermodynamic temperature measurements were also performed on the hind thighs of large dogs. These showed that the radiometer could sense subsurface temperatures from a depth of, at least, 1.3 cm. Delays caused by externally-generated RF interference, coupled with the lack of reliable blood flow measurement equipment, prevented correlation of radiometer readings with reginal blood flow. For the same reasons, it was not possible to extend the radiometric observations to human subjects.

Three-dimensional numerical model of ground-water flow in northern Utah Valley, Utah County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, Philip M.

2009-01-01

A three-dimensional, finite-difference, numerical model was developed to simulate ground-water flow in northern Utah Valley, Utah. The model includes expanded areal boundaries as compared to a previous ground-water flow model of the valley and incorporates more than 20 years of additional hydrologic data. The model boundary was generally expanded to include the bedrock in the surrounding mountain block as far as the surface-water divide. New wells have been drilled in basin-fill deposits near the consolidated-rock boundary. Simulating the hydrologic conditions within the bedrock allows for improved simulation of the effect of withdrawal from these wells. The inclusion of bedrock also allowed for the use of a recharge model that provided an alternative method for spatially distributing areal recharge over the mountains.The model was calibrated to steady- and transient-state conditions. The steady-state simulation was developed and calibrated by using hydrologic data that represented average conditions for 1947. The transient-state simulation was developed and calibrated by using hydrologic data collected from 1947 to 2004. Areally, the model grid is 79 rows by 70 columns, with variable cell size. Cells throughout most of the model domain represent 0.3 mile on each side. The largest cells are rectangular with dimensions of about 0.3 by 0.6 mile. The largest cells represent the mountain block on the eastern edge of the model domain where the least hydrologic data are available. Vertically, the aquifer system is divided into 4 layers which incorporate 11 hydrogeologic units. The model simulates recharge to the ground-water flow system as (1) infiltration of precipitation over the mountain block, (2) infiltration of precipitation over the valley floor, (3) infiltration of unconsumed irrigation water from fields, lawns, and gardens, (4) seepage from streams and canals, and (5) subsurface inflow from Cedar Valley. Discharge of ground water is simulated by the model to (1) flowing and pumping wells, (2) drains and springs, (3) evapotranspiration, (4) Utah Lake, (5) the Jordan River and mountain streams, and (6) Salt Lake Valley by subsurface outflow through the Jordan Narrows.During steady-state calibration, variables were adjusted within probable ranges to minimize differences between model-computed and measured water levels as well as between model-computed and independently estimated flows that include: recharge by seepage from individual streams and canals, discharge by seepage to individual streams and the Jordan River, discharge to Utah Lake, discharge to drains and springs, discharge by evapotranspiration, and subsurface flows into and out of northern Utah Valley from Cedar Valley and to Salt Lake Valley, respectively. The transient-state simulation was calibrated to measured water levels and water-level changes with consideration given to annual changes in the flows listed above.

Triaxial thermopile array geo-heat-flow sensor

DOEpatents

Carrigan, Charles R.; Hardee, Harry C.; Reynolds, Gerald D.; Steinfort, Terry D.

1992-01-01

A triaxial thermopile array geothermal heat flow sensor is designed to measure heat flow in three dimensions in a reconstituted or unperturbed subsurface regime. Heat flow can be measured in conductive or permeable convective media. The sensor may be encased in protective pvc tubing and includes a plurality of thermistors and an array of heat flow transducers arranged in a vertical string. The transducers produce voltage proportional to heat flux along the subsurface regime and permit direct measurement of heat flow in the subsurface regime. The presence of the thermistor array permits a comparison to be made between the heat flow estimates obtained from the transducers and heat flow calculated using temperature differences and Fourier's Law. The device is extremely sensitive with an accuracy of less than 0.1 Heat Flow Units (HFU) and may be used for long term readings.

Characterizing the subsurface geology in and around the U.S. Army Camp Stanley Storage Activity, south-central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blome, Charles D.; Clark, Allan K.

2018-02-15

Several U.S. Geological Survey projects, supported by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, have used multi-disciplinary approaches over a 14-year period to reveal the surface and subsurface geologic frameworks of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers of central Texas and the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer of south-central Oklahoma. Some of the project achievements include advancements in hydrostratigraphic mapping, three-dimensional subsurface framework modeling, and airborne geophysical surveys as well as new methodologies that link geologic and groundwater flow models. One area where some of these milestones were achieved was in and around the U.S. Army Camp Stanley Storage Activity, located in north­western Bexar County, Texas, about 19 miles north­west of downtown San Antonio.

Assessing Hydrologic Impacts of Land Configuration Changes Using an Integrated Hydrologic Model at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prucha, R. H.; Dayton, C. S.; Hawley, C. M.

2002-12-01

The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) in Golden, Colorado, a former Department of Energy nuclear weapons manufacturing facility, is currently undergoing closure. The natural semi-arid interaction between surface and subsurface flow at RFETS is complex and complicated by the industrial modifications to the flow system. Using a substantial site data set, a distributed parameter, fully-integrated hydrologic model was developed to assess the hydrologic impact of different hypothetical site closure configurations on the current flow system and to better understand the integrated hydrologic behavior of the system. An integrated model with this level of detail has not been previously developed in a semi-arid area, and a unique, but comprehensive, approach was required to calibrate and validate the model. Several hypothetical scenarios were developed to simulate hydrologic effects of modifying different aspects of the site. For example, some of the simulated modifications included regrading the current land surface, changing the existing surface channel network, removing subsurface trenches and gravity drain flow systems, installing a slurry wall and geotechnical cover, changing the current vegetative cover, and converting existing buildings and pavement to permeable soil areas. The integrated flow model was developed using a rigorous physically-based code so that realistic design parameters can simulate these changes. This code also permitted evaluation of changes to complex integrated hydrologic system responses that included channelized and overland flow, pond levels, unsaturated zone storage, groundwater heads and flow directions, and integrated water balances for key areas. Results generally show that channel flow offsite decreases substantially for different scenarios, while groundwater heads generally increase within the reconfigured industrial area most of which is then discharged as evapotranspiration. These changes have significant implications to site closure and operation.

Discriminative Random Field Models for Subsurface Contamination Uncertainty Quantification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arshadi, M.; Abriola, L. M.; Miller, E. L.; De Paolis Kaluza, C.

2017-12-01

Application of flow and transport simulators for prediction of the release, entrapment, and persistence of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) and associated contaminant plumes is a computationally intensive process that requires specification of a large number of material properties and hydrologic/chemical parameters. Given its computational burden, this direct simulation approach is particularly ill-suited for quantifying both the expected performance and uncertainty associated with candidate remediation strategies under real field conditions. Prediction uncertainties primarily arise from limited information about contaminant mass distributions, as well as the spatial distribution of subsurface hydrologic properties. Application of direct simulation to quantify uncertainty would, thus, typically require simulating multiphase flow and transport for a large number of permeability and release scenarios to collect statistics associated with remedial effectiveness, a computationally prohibitive process. The primary objective of this work is to develop and demonstrate a methodology that employs measured field data to produce equi-probable stochastic representations of a subsurface source zone that capture the spatial distribution and uncertainty associated with key features that control remediation performance (i.e., permeability and contamination mass). Here we employ probabilistic models known as discriminative random fields (DRFs) to synthesize stochastic realizations of initial mass distributions consistent with known, and typically limited, site characterization data. Using a limited number of full scale simulations as training data, a statistical model is developed for predicting the distribution of contaminant mass (e.g., DNAPL saturation and aqueous concentration) across a heterogeneous domain. Monte-Carlo sampling methods are then employed, in conjunction with the trained statistical model, to generate realizations conditioned on measured borehole data. Performance of the statistical model is illustrated through comparisons of generated realizations with the `true' numerical simulations. Finally, we demonstrate how these realizations can be used to determine statistically optimal locations for further interrogation of the subsurface.

Physical controls and predictability of stream hyporheic flow evaluated with a multiscale model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonedahl, Susa H.; Harvey, Judson W.; Detty, Joel; Aubeneau, Antoine; Packman, Aaron I.

2012-01-01

Improved predictions of hyporheic exchange based on easily measured physical variables are needed to improve assessment of solute transport and reaction processes in watersheds. Here we compare physically based model predictions for an Indiana stream with stream tracer results interpreted using the Transient Storage Model (TSM). We parameterized the physically based, Multiscale Model (MSM) of stream-groundwater interactions with measured stream planform and discharge, stream velocity, streambed hydraulic conductivity and porosity, and topography of the streambed at distinct spatial scales (i.e., ripple, bar, and reach scales). We predicted hyporheic exchange fluxes and hyporheic residence times using the MSM. A Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) model was used to convert the MSM output into predictions of in stream solute transport, which we compared with field observations and TSM parameters obtained by fitting solute transport data. MSM simulations indicated that surface-subsurface exchange through smaller topographic features such as ripples was much faster than exchange through larger topographic features such as bars. However, hyporheic exchange varies nonlinearly with groundwater discharge owing to interactions between flows induced at different topographic scales. MSM simulations showed that groundwater discharge significantly decreased both the volume of water entering the subsurface and the time it spent in the subsurface. The MSM also characterized longer timescales of exchange than were observed by the tracer-injection approach. The tracer data, and corresponding TSM fits, were limited by tracer measurement sensitivity and uncertainty in estimates of background tracer concentrations. Our results indicate that rates and patterns of hyporheic exchange are strongly influenced by a continuum of surface-subsurface hydrologic interactions over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales rather than discrete processes.

Sensitivity Analysis of the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) for Phosphorus Loads in Tile-Drained Landscapes.

PubMed

Ford, W; King, K; Williams, M; Williams, J; Fausey, N

2015-07-01

Numerical modeling is an economical and feasible approach for quantifying the effects of best management practices on dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) loadings from agricultural fields. However, tools that simulate both surface and subsurface DRP pathways are limited and have not been robustly evaluated in tile-drained landscapes. The objectives of this study were to test the ability of the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX), a widely used field-scale model, to simulate surface and tile P loadings over management, hydrologic, biologic, tile, and soil gradients and to better understand the behavior of P delivery at the edge-of-field in tile-drained midwestern landscapes. To do this, a global, variance-based sensitivity analysis was performed, and model outputs were compared with measured P loads obtained from 14 surface and subsurface edge-of-field sites across central and northwestern Ohio. Results of the sensitivity analysis showed that response variables for DRP were highly sensitive to coupled interactions between presumed important parameters, suggesting nonlinearity of DRP delivery at the edge-of-field. Comparison of model results to edge-of-field data showcased the ability of APEX to simulate surface and subsurface runoff and the associated DRP loading at monthly to annual timescales; however, some high DRP concentrations and fluxes were not reflected in the model, suggesting the presence of preferential flow. Results from this study provide new insights into baseline tile DRP loadings that exceed thresholds for algal proliferation. Further, negative feedbacks between surface and subsurface DRP delivery suggest caution is needed when implementing DRP-based best management practices designed for a specific flow pathway. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

The Cartridge Theory: a description of the functioning of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, based on modelling results.

PubMed

Samsó, Roger; García, Joan

2014-03-01

Despite the fact that horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands have been in operation for several decades now, there is still no clear understanding of some of their most basic internal functioning patterns. To fill this knowledge gap, on this paper we present what we call "The Cartridge Theory". This theory was derived from simulation results obtained with the BIO_PORE model and explains the functioning of urban wastewater treatment wetlands based on the interaction between bacterial communities and the accumulated solids leading to clogging. In this paper we start by discussing some changes applied to the biokinetic model implemented in BIO_PORE (CWM1) so that the growth of bacterial communities is consistent with a well-known population dynamics models. This discussion, combined with simulation results for a pilot wetland system, led to the introduction of "The Cartridge Theory", which states that the granular media of horizontal subsurface flow wetlands can be assimilated to a generic cartridge which is progressively consumed (clogged) with inert solids from inlet to outlet. Simulations also revealed that bacterial communities are poorly distributed within the system and that their location is not static but changes over time, moving towards the outlet as a consequence of the progressive clogging of the granular media. According to these findings, the life-span of constructed wetlands corresponds to the time when bacterial communities are pushed as much towards the outlet that their biomass is not anymore sufficient to remove the desirable proportion of the influent pollutants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface and subsurface continuous gravimetric monitoring of groundwater recharge processes through the karst vadose zone at Rochefort Cave (Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watlet, A.; Van Camp, M. J.; Francis, O.; Poulain, A.; Hallet, V.; Triantafyllou, A.; Delforge, D.; Quinif, Y.; Van Ruymbeke, M.; Kaufmann, O.

2017-12-01

Ground-based gravimetry is a non-invasive and integrated tool to characterize hydrological processes in complex environments such as karsts or volcanoes. A problem in ground-based gravity measurements however concerns the lack of sensitivity in the first meters below the topographical surface, added to limited infiltration below the gravimeter building (umbrella effect). Such limitations disappear when measuring underground. Coupling surface and subsurface gravity measurements therefore allow isolating hydrological signals occurring in the zone between the two gravimeters. We present a coupled surface/subsurface continuous gravimetric monitoring of 2 years at the Rochefort Cave Laboratory (Belgium). The gravity record includes surface measurements of a GWR superconducting gravimeter and subsurface measurements of a Micro-g LaCoste gPhone gravimeter, installed in a cave 35 m below the surface station. The recharge of karstic aquifers is extremely complex to model, mostly because karst hydrological systems are composed of strongly heterogeneous flows. Most of the problem comes from the inadequacy of conventional measuring tools to correctly sample such heterogeneous media, and particularly the existence of a duality of flow types infiltrating the vadose zone: from rapid flows via open conduits to slow seepage through porous matrix. Using the surface/subsurface gravity difference, we were able to identify a significant seasonal groundwater recharge within the karst vadose zone. Seasonal or perennial perched reservoirs have already been proven to exist in several karst areas due to the heterogeneity of the porosity and permeability gradient in karstified carbonated rocks. Our gravimetric experiment allows assessing more precisely the recharge processes of such reservoirs. The gravity variations were also compared with surface and in-cave hydrogeological monitoring (i.e. soil moisture, in-cave percolating water discharges, water levels of the saturated zone). Combined with additional geological information, modeling of the gravity signal based on the vertical component of the gravitational attraction was particularly useful to estimate the seasonal recharge leading to temporary groundwater storage in the vadose zone.

Lithosphere temperature model and resource assessment for deep geothermal exploration in Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekesi, Eszter; van Wees, Jan-Diederik; Vrijlandt, Mark; Lenkey, Laszlo; Horvath, Ferenc

2017-04-01

The demand for deep geothermal energy has increased considerably over the past years. To reveal potential areas for geothermal exploration, it is crucial to have an insight into the subsurface temperature distribution. Hungary is one of the most suitable countries in Europe for geothermal development, as a result of Early and Middle Miocene extension and subsequent thinning of the lithosphere. Hereby we present the results of a new thermal model of Hungary extending from the surface down to the lithosphere-astenosphere boundary (LAB). Subsurface temperatures were calculated through a regular 3D grid with a horizontal resolution of 2.5 km, a vertical resolution of 200 m for the uppermost 7 km, and 3 km down to the depth of the LAB The model solves the heat equation in steady-state, assuming conduction as the main heat transfer mechanism. At the base, it adopts a constant basal temperature or heat flow condition. For the calibration of the model, more than 5000 temperature measurements were collected from the Geothermal Database of Hungary. The model is built up by five sedimentary layers, upper crust, lower crust, and lithospheric mantle, where each layer has its own thermal properties. The prior thermal properties and basal condition of the model is updated through the ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation technique. The conductive model shows misfits with the observed temperatures, which cannot be explained by neglected transient effects related to lithosphere extension. These anomalies are explained mostly by groundwater flow in Mesozoic carbonates and other porous sedimentary rocks. To account for the effect of heat convection, we use a pseudo-conductive approach by adjusting the thermal conductivity of the layers where fluid flow may occur. After constructing the subsurface temperature model of Hungary, the resource base for EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) is quantified. To this end, we applied a cash-flow model to translate the geological potential into economical potential for different scenarios in Hungary. The calculations were made for each grid cell of the model. Results of the temperature modeling together with the economical resource assessment provide an indication on the potential sites for future EGS in Hungary.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A GROUNDWATER RESEARCH DATA CENTER FOR VALIDATION OF SUBSURFACE FLOW AND TRANSPORT MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

The International Ground Water Modeling Center has established a Groundwater Research Data Center that provides information on datasets resulting from publicly funded field experiments and related bench studies in soil and groundwater pollution and distributes datasets for tes...

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GROUNDWATER RESEARCH DATA CENTER FOR VALIDATION OF SUBSURFACE FLOW AND TRANSPORT MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

The International Ground Water Modeling Center has established a Groundwater Research Data Center which provides information on research datasets resulting from publicly funded field experiments regarding soil and groundwater pollution and related laboratory bench studies, and wh...

The Influence of Plant Root Systems on Subsurface Flow: Implications for Slope Stability

EPA Science Inventory

Although research has explained how plant roots mechanically stabilize soils, in this article we explore how root systems create networks of preferential flow and thus influence water pressures in soils to trigger landslides. Root systems may alter subsurface flow: Hydrological m...

Bacterial transformation and biodegradation processes simulation in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands using CWM1-RETRASO.

PubMed

Llorens, Esther; Saaltink, Maarten W; Poch, Manel; García, Joan

2011-01-01

The performance and reliability of the CWM1-RETRASO model for simulating processes in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF CWs) and the relative contribution of different microbial reactions to organic matter (COD) removal in a HSSF CW treating urban wastewater were evaluated. Various different approaches with diverse influent configurations were simulated. According to the simulations, anaerobic processes were more widespread in the simulated wetland and contributed to a higher COD removal rate [72-79%] than anoxic [0-1%] and aerobic reactions [20-27%] did. In all the cases tested, the reaction that most contributed to COD removal was methanogenesis [58-73%]. All results provided by the model were in consonance with literature and experimental field observations, suggesting a good performance and reliability of CWM1-RETRASO. According to the good simulation predictions, CWM1-RETRASO is the first mechanistic model able to successfully simulate the processes described by the CWM1 model in HSSF CWs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory: A New Department of Energy User's Facility for Intermediate-Scale Experimentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wietsma, T. W.; Oostrom, M.; Foster, N. S.

2003-12-01

Intermediate-scale experiments (ISEs) for flow and transport are a valuable tool for simulating subsurface features and conditions encountered in the field at government and private sites. ISEs offer the ability to study, under controlled laboratory conditions, complicated processes characteristic of mixed wastes and heterogeneous subsurface environments, in multiple dimensions and at different scales. ISEs may, therefore, result in major cost savings if employed prior to field studies. A distinct advantage of ISEs is that researchers can design physical and/or chemical heterogeneities in the porous media matrix that better approximate natural field conditions and therefore address research questions that contain the additional complexity of processes often encountered in the natural environment. A new Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory (SFTL) has been developed for ISE users in the Environmental Spectroscopy & Biogeochemistry Facility in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The SFTL offers a variety of columns and flow cells, a new state-of-the-art dual-energy gamma system, a fully automated saturation-pressure apparatus, and analytical equipment for sample processing. The new facility, including qualified staff, is available for scientists interested in collaboration on conducting high-quality flow and transport experiments, including contaminant remediation. Close linkages exist between the SFTL and numerical modelers to aid in experimental design and interpretation. This presentation will discuss the facility and outline the procedures required to submit a proposal to use this unique facility for research purposes. The W. R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

First-order exchange coefficient coupling for simulating surface water-groundwater interactions: Parameter sensitivity and consistency with a physics-based approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebel, B.A.; Mirus, B.B.; Heppner, C.S.; VanderKwaak, J.E.; Loague, K.

2009-01-01

Distributed hydrologic models capable of simulating fully-coupled surface water and groundwater flow are increasingly used to examine problems in the hydrologic sciences. Several techniques are currently available to couple the surface and subsurface; the two most frequently employed approaches are first-order exchange coefficients (a.k.a., the surface conductance method) and enforced continuity of pressure and flux at the surface-subsurface boundary condition. The effort reported here examines the parameter sensitivity of simulated hydrologic response for the first-order exchange coefficients at a well-characterized field site using the fully coupled Integrated Hydrology Model (InHM). This investigation demonstrates that the first-order exchange coefficients can be selected such that the simulated hydrologic response is insensitive to the parameter choice, while simulation time is considerably reduced. Alternatively, the ability to choose a first-order exchange coefficient that intentionally decouples the surface and subsurface facilitates concept-development simulations to examine real-world situations where the surface-subsurface exchange is impaired. While the parameters comprising the first-order exchange coefficient cannot be directly estimated or measured, the insensitivity of the simulated flow system to these parameters (when chosen appropriately) combined with the ability to mimic actual physical processes suggests that the first-order exchange coefficient approach can be consistent with a physics-based framework. Copyright ?? 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Subsurface Ocean Tides in Enceladus and Other Icy Moons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuthe, M.

2016-12-01

Could tidal dissipation within Enceladus' subsurface ocean account for the observed heat flow? Earthlike models of dynamical tides give no definitive answer because they neglect the influence of the crust. I propose here the first model of dissipative tides in a subsurface ocean, by combining the Laplace Tidal Equations with the membrane approach. For the first time, it is possible to compute tidal dissipation rates within the crust, ocean, and mantle in one go. I show that oceanic dissipation is strongly reduced by the crustal constraint, and thus contributes little to Enceladus' present heat budget. Tidal resonances could have played a role in a forming or freezing ocean less than 100 meters deep. The model is general: it applies to all icy satellites with a thin crust and a shallow or stratified ocean. Scaling rules relate the resonances and dissipation rate of a subsurface ocean to the ones of a surface ocean. If the ocean has low viscosity, the westward obliquity tide does not move the crust. Therefore, crustal dissipation due to dynamical obliquity tides can differ from the static prediction by up to a factor of two.

Comparison of Two Conceptually Different Physically-based Hydrological Models - Looking Beyond Streamflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousseau, A. N.; Álvarez; Yu, X.; Savary, S.; Duffy, C.

2015-12-01

Most physically-based hydrological models simulate to various extents the relevant watershed processes occurring at different spatiotemporal scales. These models use different physical domain representations (e.g., hydrological response units, discretized control volumes) and numerical solution techniques (e.g., finite difference method, finite element method) as well as a variety of approximations for representing the physical processes. Despite the fact that several models have been developed so far, very few inter-comparison studies have been conducted to check beyond streamflows whether different modeling approaches could simulate in a similar fashion the other processes at the watershed scale. In this study, PIHM (Qu and Duffy, 2007), a fully coupled, distributed model, and HYDROTEL (Fortin et al., 2001; Turcotte et al., 2003, 2007), a pseudo-coupled, semi-distributed model, were compared to check whether the models could corroborate observed streamflows while equally representing other processes as well such as evapotranspiration, snow accumulation/melt or infiltration, etc. For this study, the Young Womans Creek watershed, PA, was used to compare: streamflows (channel routing), actual evapotranspiration, snow water equivalent (snow accumulation and melt), infiltration, recharge, shallow water depth above the soil surface (surface flow), lateral flow into the river (surface and subsurface flow) and height of the saturated soil column (subsurface flow). Despite a lack of observed data for contrasting most of the simulated processes, it can be said that the two models can be used as simulation tools for streamflows, actual evapotranspiration, infiltration, lateral flows into the river, and height of the saturated soil column. However, each process presents particular differences as a result of the physical parameters and the modeling approaches used by each model. Potentially, these differences should be object of further analyses to definitively confirm or reject modeling hypotheses.

Controlling Subsurface Fractures and Fluid Flow: A Basic Research Agenda

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

Pyrak-Nolte, Laura J; DePaolo, Donald J.; Pietraß, Tanja

2015-05-22

From beneath the surface of the earth, we currently obtain about 80-percent of the energy our nation consumes each year. In the future we have the potential to generate billions of watts of electrical power from clean, green, geothermal energy sources. Our planet’s subsurface can also serve as a reservoir for storing energy produced from intermittent sources such as wind and solar, and it could provide safe, long-term storage of excess carbon dioxide, energy waste products and other hazardous materials. However, it is impossible to underestimate the complexities of the subsurface world. These complexities challenge our ability to acquire themore » scientific knowledge needed for the efficient and safe exploitation of its resources. To more effectively harness subsurface resources while mitigating the impacts of developing and using these resources, the U.S. Department of Energy established SubTER – the Subsurface Technology and Engineering RD&D Crosscut team. This DOE multi-office team engaged scientists and engineers from the national laboratories to assess and make recommendations for improving energy-related subsurface engineering. The SubTER team produced a plan with the overall objective of “adaptive control of subsurface fractures and fluid flow.”This plan revolved around four core technological pillars—Intelligent Wellbore Systems that sustain the integrity of the wellbore environment; Subsurface Stress and Induced Seismicity programs that guide and optimize sustainable energy strategies while reducing the risks associated with subsurface injections; Permeability Manipulation studies that improve methods of enhancing, impeding and eliminating fluid flow; and New Subsurface Signals that transform our ability to see into and characterize subsurface systems. The SubTER team developed an extensive R&D plan for advancing technologies within these four core pillars and also identified several areas where new technologies would require additional basic research. In response, the Office of Science, through its Office of Basic Energy Science (BES), convened a roundtable consisting of 15 national lab, university and industry geoscience experts to brainstorm basic research areas that underpin the SubTER goals but are currently underrepresented in the BES research portfolio. Held in Germantown, Maryland on May 22, 2015, the round-table participants developed a basic research agenda that is detailed in this report. Highlights include the following: -A grand challenge calling for advanced imaging of stress and geological processes to help understand how stresses and chemical substances are distributed in the subsurface—knowledge that is critical to all aspects of subsurface engineering; -A priority research direction aimed at achieving control of fluid flow through fractured media; -A priority research direction aimed at better understanding how mechanical and geochemical perturbations to subsurface rock systems are coupled through fluid and mineral interactions; -A priority research direction aimed at studying the structure, permeability, reactivity and other properties of nanoporous rocks, like shale, which have become critical energy materials and exhibit important hallmarks of mesoscale materials; -A cross-cutting theme that would accelerate development of advanced computational methods to describe heterogeneous time-dependent geologic systems that could, among other potential benefits, provide new and vastly improved models of hydraulic fracturing and its environmental impacts; -A cross-cutting theme that would lead to the creation of “geo-architected materials” with controlled repeatable heterogeneity and structure that can be tested under a variety of thermal, hydraulic, chemical and mechanical conditions relevant to subsurface systems; -A cross-cutting theme calling for new laboratory studies on both natural and geo-architected subsurface materials that deploy advanced high-resolution 3D imaging and chemical analysis methods to determine the ;rates and mechanisms of fluid-rock processes, and to test predictive models of such phenomena. Many of the key energy challenges of the future demand a greater understanding of the subsurface world in all of its complexity. This greater under- standing will improve the ability to control and manipulate the subsurface world in ways that will benefit both the economy and the environment. This report provides specific basic research pathways to address some of the most fundamental issues of energy-related subsurface engineering.« less

Incorporating Water Boiling in the Numerical Modelling of Thermal Remediation by Electrical Resistance Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molnar, I. L.; Krol, M.; Mumford, K. G.

2017-12-01

Developing numerical models for subsurface thermal remediation techniques - such as Electrical Resistive Heating (ERH) - that include multiphase processes such as in-situ water boiling, gas production and recovery has remained a significant challenge. These subsurface gas generation and recovery processes are driven by physical phenomena such as discrete and unstable gas (bubble) flow as well as water-gas phase mass transfer rates during bubble flow. Traditional approaches to multiphase flow modeling soil remain unable to accurately describe these phenomena. However, it has been demonstrated that Macroscopic Invasion Percolation (MIP) can successfully simulate discrete and unstable gas transport1. This has lead to the development of a coupled Electro Thermal-MIP Model2 (ET-MIP) capable of simulating multiple key processes in the thermal remediation and gas recovery process including: electrical heating of soil and groundwater, water flow, geological heterogeneity, heating-induced buoyant flow, water boiling, gas bubble generation and mobilization, contaminant mass transport and removal, and additional mechanisms such as bubble collapse in cooler regions. This study presents the first rigorous validation of a coupled ET-MIP model against two-dimensional water boiling and water/NAPL co-boiling experiments3. Once validated, the model was used to explore the impact of water and co-boiling events and subsequent gas generation and mobilization on ERH's ability to 1) generate, expand and mobilize gas at boiling and NAPL co-boiling temperatures, 2) efficiently strip contaminants from soil during both boiling and co-boiling. In addition, a quantification of the energy losses arising from steam generation during subsurface water boiling was examined with respect to its impact on the efficacy of thermal remediation. While this study specifically targets ERH, the study's focus on examining the fundamental mechanisms driving thermal remediation (e.g., water boiling) renders these results applicable to a wide range of thermal and gas-based remediation techniques. 1. Mumford, K. G., et al. (2010), Adv. Water Resour. 2010, 33 (4), 504-513. 2. Krol, M. M., et al. (2011), Adv. Water Resour. 2011, 34 (4), 537-549. 3. Hegele, P. R. and Mumford, K. G. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2014, 165, 24-36.

Simulating the Effects of Drainage and Agriculture on Hydrology and Sediment in the Minnesota River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downer, C. W.; Pradhan, N. R.; Skahill, B. E.; Banitt, A. M.; Eggers, G.; Pickett, R. E.

2014-12-01

Throughout the Midwest region of the United States, slopes are relatively flat, soils tend to have low permeability, and local water tables are high. In order to make the region suitable for agriculture, farmers have installed extensive networks of ditches to drain off excess surface water and subsurface tiles to lower the water table and remove excess soil water in the root zone that can stress common row crops, such as corn and soybeans. The combination of tiles, ditches, and intensive agricultural land practices radically alters the landscape and hydrology. Within the watershed, tiles have outlets to both the ditch/stream network as well as overland locations, where the tile discharge appears to initiate gullies and exacerbate overland erosion. As part of the Minnesota River Basin Integrated Study we are explicitly simulating the tile and drainage systems in the watershed at multiple scales using the physics-based watershed model GSSHA (Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis). The tile drainage system is simulated as a network of pipes that collect water from the local water table. Within the watershed, testing of the methods on smaller basins shows the ability of the model to simulate tile flow, however, application at the larger scale is hampered by the computational burden of simulating the flow in the complex tile drain networks that drain the agricultural fields. Modeling indicates the subsurface drains account for approximately 40% of the stream flow in the Seven Mile Creek sub-basin account in the late spring and early summer when the tile is flowing. Preliminary results indicate that agricultural tile drains increase overland erosion in the Seven Mile Creek watershed.

Interactions between bedforms, turbulence and pore flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blois, G.; Best, J.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Hardy, R. J.; Lead, J.

2010-12-01

A widespread occurrence of flow-form interaction in rivers is represented by subaqueous bedforms such as dunes. Many models have been proposed to explain how bedform generation and evolution are driven by turbulent flow structures that control the incipient motion of cohesionless sediments and later bedform development. However, most of these models have assumed such bedforms to be migrating over an impermeable bed, and that any surface-subsurface flow interaction is negligible. However, for some gravel-bed rivers the porosity can be high, up to 43%, which may result in significant flow both through the permeable bed (hyporheic flow) and across the surface-subsurface interface. The mass and momentum exchange occurring at the interface may have a strong impact on the structure of turbulent flow in the near-bed region. In the case of a dune, its topography induces a local pressure gradient that enhances flow across the interface. This results in a flow structure that may be radically different from that commonly proposed by past work. This paper presents results from a simplified laboratory model akin to a fine-grained bedform generated on top of a coarser sediment bed. Particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) measurements were conducted in order to characterise flow both over and underneath an idealised 2-dimensional dune (0.41 m long, 0.056 m high and having a leeside angle of 27°) overlaying a packed bed of uniform size spheres (D = 0.04 m diameter). Experiments were conducted in free surface flow conditions (Froude number = 0.1; Reynolds number = 25,000) for one bedform height: flow depth ratio (0.31). The flow above the dune was measured using a standard PIV technique while a novel endoscopic PIV (EPIV) system allowed collection of flow data within the pore spaces beneath the dune. The results show that topographically-induced subsurface flow significantly modifies the structure of flow in the leeside of the dune, resulting in a flow field that is radically different to traditional concepts of leeside flow. The pressure gradient across the bedform controls the direction and intensity of flow within the bed and across the interface. Specifically, the low pressure region induced by flow separation at the dune crest causes a pulsating jet flow from the bed into the free flow downstream of the dune. Fluid upwelling is particularly intense at the toe of the leeside and gradually decreases downstream. The interaction between the free-flow and hyporheic flow is significant; in the leeside, flow reattachment is entirely absent, and recirculation in the separation zone is replaced by a mechanism of asymmetric alternate vortex shedding. Hyporheic flow thus controls the dynamics of flow in the leeside and near-wake region. The paper discusses the implications of these results for the morphodynamics of coarse-sediment bedforms.

Heat Flow, Thermal Conductivity, and the Plausibility of the White Mars Hypothesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urquhart, M. L.; Gulick, V. C.

2002-01-01

Due to the low thermal conductivity of CO2 ice and clathrate vs. water ice, we find that liquid water reservoirs would not be confined to the deep subsurface as predicted by the controversial White Mars model, even assuming low global heat flow. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Lysimeter methods and apparatus

DOEpatents

Clark, Don T.; Erickson, Eugene E.; Casper, William L.; Everett, David M.; Hubbell, Joel M.; Sisson, James B.

2004-12-07

A suction lysimeter for sampling subsurface liquids includes a lysimeter casing having a drive portion, a reservoir portion, and a tip portion, the tip portion including a membrane through which subsurface liquids may be sampled; a fluid conduit coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the membrane, and which in operation facilitates the delivery of the sampled subsurface liquids from the membrane to the reservoir portion; and a plurality of tubes coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the reservoir portion, the tubes in operation facilitating delivery of the sampled subsurface liquids from the reservoir portion for testing. A method of sampling subsurface liquids comprises using this lysimeter.

Opportunities and challenges for the application of SP measurements to monitor subsurface flow (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, M.; Vinogradov, J.; MacAllister, D.; Butler, A. P.; Leinov, E.; Zhang, J.

2013-12-01

Measurements of self-potential (SP) have been proposed or applied to monitor flow in the shallow subsurface in numerous settings, including volcanoes, earthquake zones, geothermal fields and hydrocarbon reservoirs, to detect leaks from dams, tanks and embankments, and to characterize groundwater flow and hydraulic properties. To interpret the measurements, it is generally assumed that the SP is dominated by the streaming potential, arising from the drag of excess electrical charge in the diffuse part of the electrical double layer at the mineral-fluid interfaces. The constitutive equation relating electrical current density j to the driving forces ▽V and ▽P is then j = -σ▽V -σC▽P=-σ▽V + Qv (1) where V is the streaming potential, P is the water pressure, σ is the saturated rock conductivity, v is the Darcy velocity, C is the streaming potential coupling coefficient, and Q is the excess charge transported by the flow. Equation (1) shows that there is a close relationship between flow properties of interest, such as the pressure gradient or Darcy velocity, and the streaming potential component of the SP. Hence SP measurements are an attractive method to monitor subsurface flow. However, the problem with interpreting the measurements is that both C and Q can vary over orders of magnitude, in response to variations in pore-water salinity, temperature, rock texture, and the presence of NAPLs in the pore-space. Moreover, additional current sources may be present if there are gradients in concentration or temperature, arising from differential rates of ion migration down gradient (diffusion potentials), and because of charge exclusion from the pore-space (exclusion potentials). In general, these additional current sources are neglected. This talk suggests a potential new opportunity for the application of SP measurements to monitor subsurface flow, in which the signal of interest arises from salinity rather than pressure gradients. Saline intrusion into freshwater aquifers is a global problem, threatening the water supply of millions of people in coastal settlements. Abstraction rates could be much more efficiently managed if encroaching saline water could be detected before it arrived at the borehole. However, current monitoring is based largely on borehole conductivity measurements, which requires a dense network of monitoring boreholes to map the saline front. Recent laboratory and field experiments suggest that the concentration gradient associated with the front generates an SP signal which can be detected at an abstraction well prior to the arrival of the front, potentially allowing monitoring using a comparatively cheap array of non-polarising borehole electrodes. Current challenges in interpreting SP measurements for subsurface flow are also discussed, particularly the use of models to predict the values of C and Q. The importance of accounting for the pore-level distribution of flow and excess charge in such models is emphasised, and a way forward is suggested in which pore-scale network models, used previously to predict relative permeability and capillary pressure, are extended to include charge transport at the pore-level.

Integrated Experimental and Computational Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and the Use of Alternative Fracking Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, H.; Carey, J. W.; Karra, S.; Porter, M. L.; Rougier, E.; Zhang, D.; Makedonska, N.; Middleton, R. S.; Currier, R.; Gupta, R.; Lei, Z.; Kang, Q.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J.

2014-12-01

Shale gas is an unconventional fossil energy resource that is already having a profound impact on US energy independence and is projected to last for at least 100 years. Production of methane and other hydrocarbons from low permeability shale involves hydrofracturing of rock, establishing fracture connectivity, and multiphase fluid-flow and reaction processes all of which are poorly understood. The result is inefficient extraction with many environmental concerns. A science-based capability is required to quantify the governing mesoscale fluid-solid interactions, including microstructural control of fracture patterns and the interaction of engineered fluids with hydrocarbon flow. These interactions depend on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes over scales from microns to tens of meters. Determining the key mechanisms in subsurface THMC systems has been impeded due to the lack of sophisticated experimental methods to measure fracture aperture and connectivity, multiphase permeability, and chemical exchange capacities at the high temperature, pressure, and stresses present in the subsurface. This project uses innovative high-pressure microfluidic and triaxial core flood experiments on shale to explore fracture-permeability relations and the extraction of hydrocarbon. These data are integrated with simulations including lattice Boltzmann modeling of pore-scale processes, finite-element/discrete element models of fracture development in the near-well environment, discrete-fracture modeling of the reservoir, and system-scale models to assess the economics of alternative fracturing fluids. The ultimate goal is to make the necessary measurements to develop models that can be used to determine the reservoir operating conditions necessary to gain a degree of control over fracture generation, fluid flow, and interfacial processes over a range of subsurface conditions.

Coupling a three-dimensional subsurface flow and transport model with a land surface model to simulate stream-aquifer-land interactions (CP v1.0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisht, Gautam; Huang, Maoyi; Zhou, Tian; Chen, Xingyuan; Dai, Heng; Hammond, Glenn E.; Riley, William J.; Downs, Janelle L.; Liu, Ying; Zachara, John M.

2017-12-01

A fully coupled three-dimensional surface and subsurface land model is developed and applied to a site along the Columbia River to simulate three-way interactions among river water, groundwater, and land surface processes. The model features the coupling of the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and a massively parallel multiphysics reactive transport model (PFLOTRAN). The coupled model, named CP v1.0, is applied to a 400 m × 400 m study domain instrumented with groundwater monitoring wells along the Columbia River shoreline. CP v1.0 simulations are performed at three spatial resolutions (i.e., 2, 10, and 20 m) over a 5-year period to evaluate the impact of hydroclimatic conditions and spatial resolution on simulated variables. Results show that the coupled model is capable of simulating groundwater-river-water interactions driven by river stage variability along managed river reaches, which are of global significance as a result of over 30 000 dams constructed worldwide during the past half-century. Our numerical experiments suggest that the land-surface energy partitioning is strongly modulated by groundwater-river-water interactions through expanding the periodically inundated fraction of the riparian zone, and enhancing moisture availability in the vadose zone via capillary rise in response to the river stage change. Meanwhile, CLM4.5 fails to capture the key hydrologic process (i.e., groundwater-river-water exchange) at the site, and consequently simulates drastically different water and energy budgets. Furthermore, spatial resolution is found to significantly impact the accuracy of estimated the mass exchange rates at the boundaries of the aquifer, and it becomes critical when surface and subsurface become more tightly coupled with groundwater table within 6 to 7 meters below the surface. Inclusion of lateral subsurface flow influenced both the surface energy budget and subsurface transport processes as a result of river-water intrusion into the subsurface in response to an elevated river stage that increased soil moisture for evapotranspiration and suppressed available energy for sensible heat in the warm season. The coupled model developed in this study can be used for improving mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycling along river corridors under historical and future hydroclimatic changes. The dataset presented in this study can also serve as a good benchmarking case for testing other integrated models.

Coupling a three-dimensional subsurface flow and transport model with a land surface model to simulate stream–aquifer–land interactions (CP v1.0)

DOE PAGES

Bisht, Gautam; Huang, Maoyi; Zhou, Tian; ...

2017-12-12

A fully coupled three-dimensional surface and subsurface land model is developed and applied to a site along the Columbia River to simulate three-way interactions among river water, groundwater, and land surface processes. The model features the coupling of the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and a massively parallel multiphysics reactive transport model (PFLOTRAN). The coupled model, named CP v1.0, is applied to a 400 m × 400 m study domain instrumented with groundwater monitoring wells along the Columbia River shoreline. CP v1.0 simulations are performed at three spatial resolutions (i.e., 2, 10, and 20 m) over a 5-year periodmore » to evaluate the impact of hydroclimatic conditions and spatial resolution on simulated variables. Results show that the coupled model is capable of simulating groundwater–river-water interactions driven by river stage variability along managed river reaches, which are of global significance as a result of over 30 000 dams constructed worldwide during the past half-century. Our numerical experiments suggest that the land-surface energy partitioning is strongly modulated by groundwater–river-water interactions through expanding the periodically inundated fraction of the riparian zone, and enhancing moisture availability in the vadose zone via capillary rise in response to the river stage change. Meanwhile, CLM4.5 fails to capture the key hydrologic process (i.e., groundwater–river-water exchange) at the site, and consequently simulates drastically different water and energy budgets. Furthermore, spatial resolution is found to significantly impact the accuracy of estimated the mass exchange rates at the boundaries of the aquifer, and it becomes critical when surface and subsurface become more tightly coupled with groundwater table within 6 to 7 meters below the surface. Inclusion of lateral subsurface flow influenced both the surface energy budget and subsurface transport processes as a result of river-water intrusion into the subsurface in response to an elevated river stage that increased soil moisture for evapotranspiration and suppressed available energy for sensible heat in the warm season. The coupled model developed in this study can be used for improving mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycling along river corridors under historical and future hydroclimatic changes. The dataset presented in this study can also serve as a good benchmarking case for testing other integrated models.« less

Coupling a three-dimensional subsurface flow and transport model with a land surface model to simulate stream–aquifer–land interactions (CP v1.0)

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

Bisht, Gautam; Huang, Maoyi; Zhou, Tian

A fully coupled three-dimensional surface and subsurface land model is developed and applied to a site along the Columbia River to simulate three-way interactions among river water, groundwater, and land surface processes. The model features the coupling of the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and a massively parallel multiphysics reactive transport model (PFLOTRAN). The coupled model, named CP v1.0, is applied to a 400 m × 400 m study domain instrumented with groundwater monitoring wells along the Columbia River shoreline. CP v1.0 simulations are performed at three spatial resolutions (i.e., 2, 10, and 20 m) over a 5-year period to evaluate themore » impact of hydroclimatic conditions and spatial resolution on simulated variables. Results show that the coupled model is capable of simulating groundwater–river-water interactions driven by river stage variability along managed river reaches, which are of global significance as a result of over 30 000 dams constructed worldwide during the past half-century. Our numerical experiments suggest that the land-surface energy partitioning is strongly modulated by groundwater–river-water interactions through expanding the periodically inundated fraction of the riparian zone, and enhancing moisture availability in the vadose zone via capillary rise in response to the river stage change. Meanwhile, CLM4.5 fails to capture the key hydrologic process (i.e., groundwater–river-water exchange) at the site, and consequently simulates drastically different water and energy budgets. Furthermore, spatial resolution is found to significantly impact the accuracy of estimated the mass exchange rates at the boundaries of the aquifer, and it becomes critical when surface and subsurface become more tightly coupled with groundwater table within 6 to 7 meters below the surface. Inclusion of lateral subsurface flow influenced both the surface energy budget and subsurface transport processes as a result of river-water intrusion into the subsurface in response to an elevated river stage that increased soil moisture for evapotranspiration and suppressed available energy for sensible heat in the warm season. The coupled model developed in this study can be used for improving mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycling along river corridors under historical and future hydroclimatic changes. The dataset presented in this study can also serve as a good benchmarking case for testing other integrated models.« less

Coupling a three-dimensional subsurface flow and transport model with a land surface model to simulate stream–aquifer–land interactions (CP v1.0)

DOE PAGES

Bisht, Gautam; Huang, Maoyi; Zhou, Tian; ...

2017-01-01

A fully coupled three-dimensional surface and subsurface land model is developed and applied to a site along the Columbia River to simulate three-way interactions among river water, groundwater, and land surface processes. The model features the coupling of the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and a massively parallel multiphysics reactive transport model (PFLOTRAN). The coupled model, named CP v1.0, is applied to a 400 m × 400 m study domain instrumented with groundwater monitoring wells along the Columbia River shoreline. CP v1.0 simulations are performed at three spatial resolutions (i.e., 2, 10, and 20 m) over a 5-year period to evaluate themore » impact of hydroclimatic conditions and spatial resolution on simulated variables. Results show that the coupled model is capable of simulating groundwater–river-water interactions driven by river stage variability along managed river reaches, which are of global significance as a result of over 30 000 dams constructed worldwide during the past half-century. Our numerical experiments suggest that the land-surface energy partitioning is strongly modulated by groundwater–river-water interactions through expanding the periodically inundated fraction of the riparian zone, and enhancing moisture availability in the vadose zone via capillary rise in response to the river stage change. Meanwhile, CLM4.5 fails to capture the key hydrologic process (i.e., groundwater–river-water exchange) at the site, and consequently simulates drastically different water and energy budgets. Furthermore, spatial resolution is found to significantly impact the accuracy of estimated the mass exchange rates at the boundaries of the aquifer, and it becomes critical when surface and subsurface become more tightly coupled with groundwater table within 6 to 7 meters below the surface. Inclusion of lateral subsurface flow influenced both the surface energy budget and subsurface transport processes as a result of river-water intrusion into the subsurface in response to an elevated river stage that increased soil moisture for evapotranspiration and suppressed available energy for sensible heat in the warm season. The coupled model developed in this study can be used for improving mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycling along river corridors under historical and future hydroclimatic changes. The dataset presented in this study can also serve as a good benchmarking case for testing other integrated models.« less

Coupling a three-dimensional subsurface flow and transport model with a land surface model to simulate stream–aquifer–land interactions (CP v1.0)

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

Bisht, Gautam; Huang, Maoyi; Zhou, Tian

A fully coupled three-dimensional surface and subsurface land model is developed and applied to a site along the Columbia River to simulate three-way interactions among river water, groundwater, and land surface processes. The model features the coupling of the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and a massively parallel multiphysics reactive transport model (PFLOTRAN). The coupled model, named CP v1.0, is applied to a 400 m × 400 m study domain instrumented with groundwater monitoring wells along the Columbia River shoreline. CP v1.0 simulations are performed at three spatial resolutions (i.e., 2, 10, and 20 m) over a 5-year periodmore » to evaluate the impact of hydroclimatic conditions and spatial resolution on simulated variables. Results show that the coupled model is capable of simulating groundwater–river-water interactions driven by river stage variability along managed river reaches, which are of global significance as a result of over 30 000 dams constructed worldwide during the past half-century. Our numerical experiments suggest that the land-surface energy partitioning is strongly modulated by groundwater–river-water interactions through expanding the periodically inundated fraction of the riparian zone, and enhancing moisture availability in the vadose zone via capillary rise in response to the river stage change. Meanwhile, CLM4.5 fails to capture the key hydrologic process (i.e., groundwater–river-water exchange) at the site, and consequently simulates drastically different water and energy budgets. Furthermore, spatial resolution is found to significantly impact the accuracy of estimated the mass exchange rates at the boundaries of the aquifer, and it becomes critical when surface and subsurface become more tightly coupled with groundwater table within 6 to 7 meters below the surface. Inclusion of lateral subsurface flow influenced both the surface energy budget and subsurface transport processes as a result of river-water intrusion into the subsurface in response to an elevated river stage that increased soil moisture for evapotranspiration and suppressed available energy for sensible heat in the warm season. The coupled model developed in this study can be used for improving mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycling along river corridors under historical and future hydroclimatic changes. The dataset presented in this study can also serve as a good benchmarking case for testing other integrated models.« less

smoothG

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

Barker, Andrew T.; Gelever, Stephan A.; Lee, Chak S.

2017-12-12

smoothG is a collection of parallel C++ classes/functions that algebraically constructs reduced models of different resolutions from a given high-fidelity graph model. In addition, smoothG also provides efficient linear solvers for the reduced models. Other than pure graph problem, the software finds its application in subsurface flow and power grid simulations in which graph Laplacians are found

Inverse geothermal modelling applied to Danish sedimentary basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulsen, Søren E.; Balling, Niels; Bording, Thue S.; Mathiesen, Anders; Nielsen, Søren B.

2017-10-01

This paper presents a numerical procedure for predicting subsurface temperatures and heat-flow distribution in 3-D using inverse calibration methodology. The procedure is based on a modified version of the groundwater code MODFLOW by taking advantage of the mathematical similarity between confined groundwater flow (Darcy's law) and heat conduction (Fourier's law). Thermal conductivity, heat production and exponential porosity-depth relations are specified separately for the individual geological units of the model domain. The steady-state temperature model includes a model-based transient correction for the long-term palaeoclimatic thermal disturbance of the subsurface temperature regime. Variable model parameters are estimated by inversion of measured borehole temperatures with uncertainties reflecting their quality. The procedure facilitates uncertainty estimation for temperature predictions. The modelling procedure is applied to Danish onshore areas containing deep sedimentary basins. A 3-D voxel-based model, with 14 lithological units from surface to 5000 m depth, was built from digital geological maps derived from combined analyses of reflection seismic lines and borehole information. Matrix thermal conductivity of model lithologies was estimated by inversion of all available deep borehole temperature data and applied together with prescribed background heat flow to derive the 3-D subsurface temperature distribution. Modelled temperatures are found to agree very well with observations. The numerical model was utilized for predicting and contouring temperatures at 2000 and 3000 m depths and for two main geothermal reservoir units, the Gassum (Lower Jurassic-Upper Triassic) and Bunter/Skagerrak (Triassic) reservoirs, both currently utilized for geothermal energy production. Temperature gradients to depths of 2000-3000 m are generally around 25-30 °C km-1, locally up to about 35 °C km-1. Large regions have geothermal reservoirs with characteristic temperatures ranging from ca. 40-50 °C, at 1000-1500 m depth, to ca. 80-110 °C, at 2500-3500 m, however, at the deeper parts, most likely, with too low permeability for non-stimulated production.

dfnWorks: A discrete fracture network framework for modeling subsurface flow and transport

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

Hyman, Jeffrey D.; Karra, Satish; Makedonska, Nataliia

DFNWORKS is a parallelized computational suite to generate three-dimensional discrete fracture networks (DFN) and simulate flow and transport. Developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory over the past five years, it has been used to study flow and transport in fractured media at scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. The networks are created and meshed using DFNGEN, which combines FRAM (the feature rejection algorithm for meshing) methodology to stochastically generate three-dimensional DFNs with the LaGriT meshing toolbox to create a high-quality computational mesh representation. The representation produces a conforming Delaunay triangulation suitable for high performance computing finite volume solvers in anmore » intrinsically parallel fashion. Flow through the network is simulated in dfnFlow, which utilizes the massively parallel subsurface flow and reactive transport finite volume code PFLOTRAN. A Lagrangian approach to simulating transport through the DFN is adopted within DFNTRANS to determine pathlines and solute transport through the DFN. Example applications of this suite in the areas of nuclear waste repository science, hydraulic fracturing and CO 2 sequestration are also included.« less

dfnWorks: A discrete fracture network framework for modeling subsurface flow and transport

DOE PAGES

Hyman, Jeffrey D.; Karra, Satish; Makedonska, Nataliia; ...

2015-11-01

DFNWORKS is a parallelized computational suite to generate three-dimensional discrete fracture networks (DFN) and simulate flow and transport. Developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory over the past five years, it has been used to study flow and transport in fractured media at scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. The networks are created and meshed using DFNGEN, which combines FRAM (the feature rejection algorithm for meshing) methodology to stochastically generate three-dimensional DFNs with the LaGriT meshing toolbox to create a high-quality computational mesh representation. The representation produces a conforming Delaunay triangulation suitable for high performance computing finite volume solvers in anmore » intrinsically parallel fashion. Flow through the network is simulated in dfnFlow, which utilizes the massively parallel subsurface flow and reactive transport finite volume code PFLOTRAN. A Lagrangian approach to simulating transport through the DFN is adopted within DFNTRANS to determine pathlines and solute transport through the DFN. Example applications of this suite in the areas of nuclear waste repository science, hydraulic fracturing and CO 2 sequestration are also included.« less

Three-dimensional vapor intrusion modeling approach that combines wind and stack effects on indoor, atmospheric, and subsurface domains.

PubMed

Shirazi, Elham; Pennell, Kelly G

2017-12-13

Vapor intrusion (IV) exposure risks are difficult to characterize due to the role of atmospheric, building and subsurface processes. This study presents a three-dimensional VI model that extends the common subsurface fate and transport equations to incorporate wind and stack effects on indoor air pressure, building air exchange rate (AER) and indoor contaminant concentration to improve VI exposure risk estimates. The model incorporates three modeling programs: (1) COMSOL Multiphysics to model subsurface fate and transport processes, (2) CFD0 to model atmospheric air flow around the building, and (3) CONTAM to model indoor air quality. The combined VI model predicts AER values, zonal indoor air pressures and zonal indoor air contaminant concentrations as a function of wind speed, wind direction and outdoor and indoor temperature. Steady state modeling results for a single-story building with a basement demonstrate that wind speed, wind direction and opening locations in a building play important roles in changing the AER, indoor air pressure, and indoor air contaminant concentration. Calculated indoor air pressures ranged from approximately -10 Pa to +4 Pa depending on weather conditions and building characteristics. AER values, mass entry rates and indoor air concentrations vary depending on weather conditions and building characteristics. The presented modeling approach can be used to investigate the relationship between building features, AER, building pressures, soil gas concentrations, indoor air concentrations and VI exposure risks.

Evaluation of the hooghoudt and kirkham tile drain equations in the soil and water assessment tool to simulate tile flow and nitrate-nitrogen.

PubMed

Moriasi, Daniel N; Gowda, Prasanna H; Arnold, Jeffrey G; Mulla, David J; Ale, Srinivasulu; Steiner, Jean L; Tomer, Mark D

2013-11-01

Subsurface tile drains in agricultural systems of the midwestern United States are a major contributor of nitrate-N (NO-N) loadings to hypoxic conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. Hydrologic and water quality models, such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, are widely used to simulate tile drainage systems. The Hooghoudt and Kirkham tile drain equations in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool have not been rigorously tested for predicting tile flow and the corresponding NO-N losses. In this study, long-term (1983-1996) monitoring plot data from southern Minnesota were used to evaluate the SWAT version 2009 revision 531 (hereafter referred to as SWAT) model for accurately estimating subsurface tile drain flows and associated NO-N losses. A retention parameter adjustment factor was incorporated to account for the effects of tile drainage and slope changes on the computation of surface runoff using the curve number method (hereafter referred to as Revised SWAT). The SWAT and Revised SWAT models were calibrated and validated for tile flow and associated NO-N losses. Results indicated that, on average, Revised SWAT predicted monthly tile flow and associated NO-N losses better than SWAT by 48 and 28%, respectively. For the calibration period, the Revised SWAT model simulated tile flow and NO-N losses within 4 and 1% of the observed data, respectively. For the validation period, it simulated tile flow and NO-N losses within 8 and 2%, respectively, of the observed values. Therefore, the Revised SWAT model is expected to provide more accurate simulation of the effectiveness of tile drainage and NO-N management practices. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Whole-stream metabolism of a perennial spring-fed aufeis field in Alaska, with coincident surface and subsurface flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendrickson, P. J.; Gooseff, M. N.; Huryn, A. D.

2017-12-01

Aufeis (icings or naleds) are seasonal arctic and sub-arctic features that accumulate through repeated overflow and freeze events of river or spring discharge. Aufeis fields, defined as the substrate on which aufeis form and the overlaying ice, have been studied to mitigate impacts on engineering structures; however, ecological characteristics and functions of aufeis fields are poorly understood. The perennial springs that supply warm water to aufeis fields create unique fluvial habitats, and are thought to act as winter and summer oases for biota. To investigate ecosystem function, we measured whole-stream metabolism at the Kuparuk River Aufeis (North Slope, AK), a large ( 5 km2) field composed of cobble substrate and predominately subsurface flow dynamics. The single-station open channel diel oxygen method was utilized at several dissolved oxygen (DO) stations located within and downstream of the aufeis field. DO loggers were installed in August 2016, and data downloaded summer 2017. Daily ecosystem respiration (ER), gross primary production (GPP) and reaeration rates were modeled using BASE, a package freely available in the open-source software R. Preliminary results support net heterotrophy during a two-week period of DO measurements in the fall season when minimum ice extent is observed. GPP, ER, and net metabolism are greater at the upstream reach near the spring source (P/R = 0.53), and decrease as flow moves downstream. As flow exits the aufeis field, surface and subsurface flow are incorporated into the metabolism model, and indicate the stream system becomes dependent on autochthonous production (P/R = 0.91). Current work is directed towards spring and summer discharge and metabolic parameter estimation, which is associated with maximum ice extent and rapid melting of the aufeis feature.

Continuous 'Passive' Registration of Non-Point Contaminant Loads Via Agricultural Subsurface Drain Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozemeijer, J.; Jansen, S.; de Jonge, H.; Lindblad Vendelboe, A.

2014-12-01

Considering their crucial role in water and solute transport, enhanced monitoring and modeling of agricultural subsurface tube drain systems is important for adequate water quality management. For example, previous work in lowland agricultural catchments has shown that subsurface tube drain effluent contributed up to 80% of the annual discharge and 90-92% of the annual NO3 loads from agricultural fields towards the surface water. However, existing monitoring techniques for flow and contaminant loads from tube drains are expensive and labor-intensive. Therefore, despite the unambiguous relevance of this transport route, tube drain monitoring data are scarce. The presented study aimed developing a cheap, simple, and robust method to monitor loads from tube drains. We are now ready to introduce the Flowcap that can be attached to the outlet of tube drains and is capable of registering total flow, contaminant loads, and flow-averaged concentrations. The Flowcap builds on the existing SorbiCells, a modern passive sampling technique that measures average concentrations over longer periods of time (days to months) for various substances. By mounting SorbiCells in our Flowcap, a flow-proportional part of the drain effluent is sampled from the main stream. Laboratory testing yielded good linear relations (R-squared of 0.98) between drainage flow rates and sampling rates. The Flowcap was tested in practice for measuring NO3 loads from two agricultural fields and one glasshouse in the Netherlands. The Flowcap registers contaminant loads from tube drains without any need for housing, electricity, or maintenance. This enables large-scale monitoring of non-point contaminant loads via tube drains, which would facilitate the improvement of contaminant transport models and would yield valuable information for the selection and evaluation of mitigation options to improve water quality.

Coupling a three-dimensional subsurface flow model with a land surface model to simulate stream-aquifer-land interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, M.; Bisht, G.; Zhou, T.; Chen, X.; Dai, H.; Hammond, G. E.; Riley, W. J.; Downs, J.; Liu, Y.; Zachara, J. M.

2016-12-01

A fully coupled three-dimensional surface and subsurface land model is developed and applied to a site along the Columbia River to simulate three-way interactions among river water, groundwater, and land surface processes. The model features the coupling of the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and a massively-parallel multi-physics reactive tranport model (PFLOTRAN). The coupled model (CLM-PFLOTRAN) is applied to a 400m×400m study domain instrumented with groundwater monitoring wells in the Hanford 300 Area along the Columbia River. CLM-PFLOTRAN simulations are performed at three different spatial resolutions over the period 2011-2015 to evaluate the impact of spatial resolution on simulated variables. To demonstrate the difference in model simulations with and without lateral subsurface flow, a vertical-only CLM-PFLOTRAN simulation is also conducted for comparison. Results show that the coupled model is skillful in simulating stream-aquifer interactions, and the land-surface energy partitioning can be strongly modulated by groundwater-river water interactions in high water years due to increased soil moisture availability caused by elevated groundwater table. In addition, spatial resolution does not seem to impact the land surface energy flux simulations, although it is a key factor for accurately estimating the mass exchange rates at the boundaries and associated biogeochemical reactions in the aquifer. The coupled model developed in this study establishes a solid foundation for understanding co-evolution of hydrology and biogeochemistry along the river corridors under historical and future hydro-climate changes.

Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK.

PubMed

Kuras, Oliver; Wilkinson, Paul B; Meldrum, Philip I; Oxby, Lucy S; Uhlemann, Sebastian; Chambers, Jonathan E; Binley, Andrew; Graham, James; Smith, Nicholas T; Atherton, Nick

2016-10-01

A full-scale field experiment applying 4D (3D time-lapse) cross-borehole Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to the monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage was undertaken at a legacy nuclear waste silo at the Sellafield Site, UK. The experiment constituted the first application of geoelectrical monitoring in support of decommissioning work at a UK nuclear licensed site. Images of resistivity changes occurring since a baseline date prior to the simulated leaks revealed likely preferential pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the vadose zone and upper groundwater system. Geophysical evidence was found to be compatible with historic contamination detected in permeable facies in sediment cores retrieved from the ERT boreholes. Results indicate that laterally discontinuous till units forming localized hydraulic barriers substantially affect flow patterns and contaminant transport in the shallow subsurface at Sellafield. We conclude that only geophysical imaging of the kind presented here has the potential to provide the detailed spatial and temporal information at the (sub-)meter scale needed to reduce the uncertainty in models of subsurface processes at nuclear sites. Copyright © 2016 British Geological Survey, NERC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regolith-atmosphere exchange of water in Mars' recent past

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, Liam J.; Balme, Matthew R.; Lewis, Stephen R.

2017-03-01

We investigate the exchange of water vapour between the regolith and atmosphere of Mars, and how it varies with different orbital parameters, atmospheric dust contents and surface water ice reservoirs. This is achieved through the coupling of a global circulation model (GCM) and a regolith diffusion model. GCM simulations are performed for hundreds of Mars years, with additional one-dimensional simulations performed for 50 kyr. At obliquities ɛ =15∘ and 30°, the thermal inertia and albedo of the regolith have more control on the subsurface water distribution than changes to the eccentricity or solar longitude of perihelion. At ɛ =45∘ , atmospheric water vapour abundances become much larger, allowing stable subsurface ice to form in the tropics and mid-latitudes. The circulation of the atmosphere is important in producing the subsurface water distribution, with increased water content in various locations due to vapour transport by topographically-steered flows and stationary waves. As these circulation patterns are due to topographic features, it is likely the same regions will also experience locally large amounts of subsurface water at different epochs. The dustiness of the atmosphere plays an important role in the distribution of subsurface water, with a dusty atmosphere resulting in a wetter water cycle and increased stability of subsurface ice deposits.

A 3D object-based model to simulate highly-heterogeneous, coarse, braided river deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, E.; Huggenberger, P.; Caers, J.

2016-12-01

There is a critical need in hydrogeological modeling for geologically more realistic representation of the subsurface. Indeed, widely-used representations of the subsurface heterogeneity based on smooth basis functions such as cokriging or the pilot-point approach fail at reproducing the connectivity of high permeable geological structures that control subsurface solute transport. To realistically model the connectivity of high permeable structures of coarse, braided river deposits, multiple-point statistics and object-based models are promising alternatives. We therefore propose a new object-based model that, according to a sedimentological model, mimics the dominant processes of floodplain dynamics. Contrarily to existing models, this object-based model possesses the following properties: (1) it is consistent with field observations (outcrops, ground-penetrating radar data, etc.), (2) it allows different sedimentological dynamics to be modeled that result in different subsurface heterogeneity patterns, (3) it is light in memory and computationally fast, and (4) it can be conditioned to geophysical data. In this model, the main sedimentological elements (scour fills with open-framework-bimodal gravel cross-beds, gravel sheet deposits, open-framework and sand lenses) and their internal structures are described by geometrical objects. Several spatial distributions are proposed that allow to simulate the horizontal position of the objects on the floodplain as well as the net rate of sediment deposition. The model is grid-independent and any vertical section can be computed algebraically. Furthermore, model realizations can serve as training images for multiple-point statistics. The significance of this model is shown by its impact on the subsurface flow distribution that strongly depends on the sedimentological dynamics modeled. The code will be provided as a free and open-source R-package.

iTOUGH2: A multiphysics simulation-optimization framework for analyzing subsurface systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finsterle, S.; Commer, M.; Edmiston, J. K.; Jung, Y.; Kowalsky, M. B.; Pau, G. S. H.; Wainwright, H. M.; Zhang, Y.

2017-11-01

iTOUGH2 is a simulation-optimization framework for the TOUGH suite of nonisothermal multiphase flow models and related simulators of geophysical, geochemical, and geomechanical processes. After appropriate parameterization of subsurface structures and their properties, iTOUGH2 runs simulations for multiple parameter sets and analyzes the resulting output for parameter estimation through automatic model calibration, local and global sensitivity analyses, data-worth analyses, and uncertainty propagation analyses. Development of iTOUGH2 is driven by scientific challenges and user needs, with new capabilities continually added to both the forward simulator and the optimization framework. This review article provides a summary description of methods and features implemented in iTOUGH2, and discusses the usefulness and limitations of an integrated simulation-optimization workflow in support of the characterization and analysis of complex multiphysics subsurface systems.

Streaming Potential Modeling to Understand the Identification of Hydraulically Active Fractures and Fracture-Matrix Fluid Interactions Using the Self-Potential Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jougnot, D.; Roubinet, D.; Linde, N.; Irving, J.

2016-12-01

Quantifying fluid flow in fractured media is a critical challenge in a wide variety of research fields and applications. To this end, geophysics offers a variety of tools that can provide important information on subsurface physical properties in a noninvasive manner. Most geophysical techniques infer fluid flow by data or model differencing in time or space (i.e., they are not directly sensitive to flow occurring at the time of the measurements). An exception is the self-potential (SP) method. When water flows in the subsurface, an excess of charge in the pore water that counterbalances electric charges at the mineral-pore water interface gives rise to a streaming current and an associated streaming potential. The latter can be measured with the SP technique, meaning that the method is directly sensitive to fluid flow. Whereas numerous field experiments suggest that the SP method may allow for the detection of hydraulically active fractures, suitable tools for numerically modeling streaming potentials in fractured media do not exist. Here, we present a highly efficient two-dimensional discrete-dual-porosity approach for solving the fluid-flow and associated self-potential problems in fractured domains. Our approach is specifically designed for complex fracture networks that cannot be investigated using standard numerical methods due to computational limitations. We then simulate SP signals associated with pumping conditions for a number of examples to show that (i) accounting for matrix fluid flow is essential for accurate SP modeling and (ii) the sensitivity of SP to hydraulically active fractures is intimately linked with fracture-matrix fluid interactions. This implies that fractures associated with strong SP amplitudes are likely to be hydraulically conductive, attracting fluid flow from the surrounding matrix.

A multiscale fixed stress split iterative scheme for coupled flow and poromechanics in deep subsurface reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dana, Saumik; Ganis, Benjamin; Wheeler, Mary F.

2018-01-01

In coupled flow and poromechanics phenomena representing hydrocarbon production or CO2 sequestration in deep subsurface reservoirs, the spatial domain in which fluid flow occurs is usually much smaller than the spatial domain over which significant deformation occurs. The typical approach is to either impose an overburden pressure directly on the reservoir thus treating it as a coupled problem domain or to model flow on a huge domain with zero permeability cells to mimic the no flow boundary condition on the interface of the reservoir and the surrounding rock. The former approach precludes a study of land subsidence or uplift and further does not mimic the true effect of the overburden on stress sensitive reservoirs whereas the latter approach has huge computational costs. In order to address these challenges, we augment the fixed-stress split iterative scheme with upscaling and downscaling operators to enable modeling flow and mechanics on overlapping nonmatching hexahedral grids. Flow is solved on a finer mesh using a multipoint flux mixed finite element method and mechanics is solved on a coarse mesh using a conforming Galerkin method. The multiscale operators are constructed using a procedure that involves singular value decompositions, a surface intersections algorithm and Delaunay triangulations. We numerically demonstrate the convergence of the augmented scheme using the classical Mandel's problem solution.

Imposing constraints on parameter values of a conceptual hydrological model using baseflow response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, S. M.

Calibration of conceptual hydrological models is frequently limited by a lack of data about the area that is being studied. The result is that a broad range of parameter values can be identified that will give an equally good calibration to the available observations, usually of stream flow. The use of total stream flow can bias analyses towards interpretation of rapid runoff, whereas water quality issues are more frequently associated with low flow condition. This paper demonstrates how model distinctions between surface an sub-surface runoff can be used to define a likelihood measure based on the sub-surface (or baseflow) response. This helps to provide more information about the model behaviour, constrain the acceptable parameter sets and reduce uncertainty in streamflow prediction. A conceptual model, DIY, is applied to two contrasting catchments in Scotland, the Ythan and the Carron Valley. Parameter ranges and envelopes of prediction are identified using criteria based on total flow efficiency, baseflow efficiency and combined efficiencies. The individual parameter ranges derived using the combined efficiency measures still cover relatively wide bands, but are better constrained for the Carron than the Ythan. This reflects the fact that hydrological behaviour in the Carron is dominated by a much flashier surface response than in the Ythan. Hence, the total flow efficiency is more strongly controlled by surface runoff in the Carron and there is a greater contrast with the baseflow efficiency. Comparisons of the predictions using different efficiency measures for the Ythan also suggest that there is a danger of confusing parameter uncertainties with data and model error, if inadequate likelihood measures are defined.

Preferential flow, diffuse flow, and perching in an interbedded fractured-rock unsaturated zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nimmo, John R.; Creasey, Kaitlyn M.; Perkins, Kim S.; Mirus, Benjamin B.

2017-03-01

Layers of strong geologic contrast within the unsaturated zone can control recharge and contaminant transport to underlying aquifers. Slow diffuse flow in certain geologic layers, and rapid preferential flow in others, complicates the prediction of vertical and lateral fluxes. A simple model is presented, designed to use limited geological site information to predict these critical subsurface processes in response to a sustained infiltration source. The model is developed and tested using site-specific information from the Idaho National Laboratory in the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), USA, where there are natural and anthropogenic sources of high-volume infiltration from floods, spills, leaks, wastewater disposal, retention ponds, and hydrologic field experiments. The thick unsaturated zone overlying the ESRP aquifer is a good example of a sharply stratified unsaturated zone. Sedimentary interbeds are interspersed between massive and fractured basalt units. The combination of surficial sediments, basalts, and interbeds determines the water fluxes through the variably saturated subsurface. Interbeds are generally less conductive, sometimes causing perched water to collect above them. The model successfully predicts the volume and extent of perching and approximates vertical travel times during events that generate high fluxes from the land surface. These developments are applicable to sites having a thick, geologically complex unsaturated zone of substantial thickness in which preferential and diffuse flow, and perching of percolated water, are important to contaminant transport or aquifer recharge.

Preferential flow, diffuse flow, and perching in an interbedded fractured-rock unsaturated zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nimmo, John R.; Creasey, Kaitlyn M; Perkins, Kimberlie; Mirus, Benjamin B.

2017-01-01

Layers of strong geologic contrast within the unsaturated zone can control recharge and contaminant transport to underlying aquifers. Slow diffuse flow in certain geologic layers, and rapid preferential flow in others, complicates the prediction of vertical and lateral fluxes. A simple model is presented, designed to use limited geological site information to predict these critical subsurface processes in response to a sustained infiltration source. The model is developed and tested using site-specific information from the Idaho National Laboratory in the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), USA, where there are natural and anthropogenic sources of high-volume infiltration from floods, spills, leaks, wastewater disposal, retention ponds, and hydrologic field experiments. The thick unsaturated zone overlying the ESRP aquifer is a good example of a sharply stratified unsaturated zone. Sedimentary interbeds are interspersed between massive and fractured basalt units. The combination of surficial sediments, basalts, and interbeds determines the water fluxes through the variably saturated subsurface. Interbeds are generally less conductive, sometimes causing perched water to collect above them. The model successfully predicts the volume and extent of perching and approximates vertical travel times during events that generate high fluxes from the land surface. These developments are applicable to sites having a thick, geologically complex unsaturated zone of substantial thickness in which preferential and diffuse flow, and perching of percolated water, are important to contaminant transport or aquifer recharge.

PHYSICS OF IMMISCIBLE FLOW IN POROUS MEDIA

EPA Science Inventory

Conceptual formulation, numerical implementation and experimental validation of a model for the movement of organic chemicals which are introduced into soils as nonaqueous phase liquids via surface spills or leakage from subsurface containment facilities were addressed. Relations...

Groundwater-flow model for the Wood River Valley aquifer system, south-central Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Jason C.; Bartolino, James R.; Wylie, Allan H.; Sukow, Jennifer; McVay, Michael

2016-06-27

Subsurface outflow beneath the Big Wood River near Stanton Crossing. Temporal changes in aquifer storage are most affected by areal recharge and groundwater pumping, and also contribute to changes in streamflow gains.

The 3-D geological model around Chang'E-3 landing site based on lunar penetrating radar Channel 1 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Yuefeng; Zhu, Peimin; Zhao, Na; Xiao, Long; Garnero, Edward; Xiao, Zhiyong; Zhao, Jiannan; Qiao, Le

2017-07-01

High-frequency lunar penetrating radar (LPR) data from an instrument on the lunar rover Yutu, from the Chang'E-3 (CE-3) robotic lander, were used to build a three-dimensional (3-D) geological model of the lunar subsurface structure. The CE-3 landing site is in the northern Mare Imbrium. More than five significant reflection horizons are evident in the LPR profile, which we interpret as different period lava flow sequences deposited on the lunar surface. The most probable directions of these flows were inferred from layer depths, thicknesses, and other geological information. Moreover, the apparent Imbrian paleoregolith homogeneity in the profile supports the suggestion of a quiescent period of lunar surface evolution. Similar subsurface structures are found at the NASA Apollo landing sites, indicating that the cause and time of formation of the imaged phenomena may be similar between the two distant regions.

Conceptualizing Peatlands in a Physically-Based Spatially Distributed Hydrologic Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downer, Charles; Wahl, Mark

2017-04-01

In as part of a research effort focused on climate change effects on permafrost near Fairbanks, Alaska, it became apparent that peat soils, overlain by thick sphagnum moss, had a considerable effect on the overall hydrology. Peatlands represent a confounding mixture of vegetation, soils, and water that present challenges for conceptualizing and parametrizing hydrologic models. We employed the Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis Model (GSSHA) in our analysis of the Caribou Poker Creek Experimental Watershed (CPCRW). GSSHA is a physically-based, spatially distributed, watershed model developed by the U.S. Army to simulate important streamflow-generating processes (Downer and Ogden, 2004). The model enables simulation of surface water and groundwater interactions, as well as soil temperature and frozen ground effects on subsurface water movement. The test site is a 104 km2 basin located in the Yukon-Tanana Uplands of the Northern Plateaus Physiographic Province centered on 65˚10' N latitude and 147˚30' W longitude. The area lies above the Chattanika River floodplain and is characterized by rounded hilltops with gentle slopes and alluvium-floored valleys having minimal relief (Wahrhaftig, 1965) underlain by a mica shist of the Birch Creek formation (Rieger et al., 1972). The region has a cold continental climate characterized by short warm summers and long cold winters. Observed stream flows indicated significant groundwater contribution with sustained base flows even during dry periods. A site visit exposed the presence of surface water flows indicating a mixed basin that would require both surface and subsurface simulation capability to properly capture the response. Soils in the watershed are predominately silt loam underlain by shallow fractured bedrock. Throughout much of the basin, a thick layer of live sphagnum moss and fine peat covers the ground surface. A restrictive layer of permafrost is found on north facing slopes. The combination of thick moss and peat soils presented a conundrum in terms of conceptualizing the hydrology and identifying reasonable parameter ranges for physical properties. Various combinations of overland roughness, surface retention, and subsurface flow were used to represent the peatlands. The process resulted in some interesting results that may shed light on the dominant hydrologic processes associated with peatland, as well as what hydrologic conceptualizations, simulation tools, and approaches are applicable in modeling peatland hydrology. Downer, C.W., Ogden, F.L., 2004. GSSHA: Model to simulate diverse stream flow producing processes. J. Hydrol. Eng. 161-174. Rieger, S., Furbush, C.E., Schoephorster, D.B., Summerfield Jr., H., Geiger, L.C., 1972. Soils of the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, Interior Alaska. Hanover, New Hampshire. Wahrhaftig, C., 1965. Physiographic Divisions of Alaska. Washington, DC.

Treatment of laboratory wastewater in a tropical constructed wetland comparing surface and subsurface flow.

PubMed

Meutia, A A

2001-01-01

Wastewater treatment by constructed wetland is an appropriate technology for tropical developing countries like Indonesia because it is inexpensive, easily maintained, and has environmentally friendly and sustainable characteristics. The aim of the research is to examine the capability of constructed wetlands for treating laboratory wastewater at our Center, to investigate the suitable flow for treatment, namely vertical subsurface or horizontal surface flow, and to study the effect of the seasons. The constructed wetland is composed of three chambered unplanted sedimentation tanks followed by the first and second beds, containing gravel and sand, planted with Typha sp.; the third bed planted with floating plant Lemna sp.; and a clarifier with two chambers. The results showed that the subsurface flow in the dry season removed 95% organic carbon (COD) and total phosphorus (T-P) respectively, and 82% total nitrogen (T-N). In the transition period from the dry season to the rainy season, COD removal efficiency decreased to 73%, T-N increased to 89%, and T-P was almost the same as that in the dry season. In the rainy season COD and T-N removal efficiencies increased again to 95% respectively, while T-P remained unchanged. In the dry season, COD and T-P concentrations in the surface flow showed that the removal efficiencies were a bit lower than those in the subsurface flow. Moreover, T-N removal efficiency was only half as much as that in the subsurface flow. However, in the transition period, COD removal efficiency decreased to 29%, while T-N increased to 74% and T-P was still constant, around 93%. In the rainy season, COD and T-N removal efficiencies increased again to almost 95%. On the other hand, T-P decreased to 76%. The results show that the constructed wetland is capable of treating the laboratory wastewater. The subsurface flow is more suitable for treatment than the surface flow, and the seasonal changes have effects on the removal efficiency.

Exchange of groundwater and surface-water mediated by permafrost response to seasonal and long term air temperature variation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ge, S.; McKenzie, J.; Voss, C.; Wu, Q.

2011-01-01

Permafrost dynamics impact hydrologic cycle processes by promoting or impeding groundwater and surface water exchange. Under seasonal and decadal air temperature variations, permafrost temperature changes control the exchanges between groundwater and surface water. A coupled heat transport and groundwater flow model, SUTRA, was modified to simulate groundwater flow and heat transport in the subsurface containing permafrost. The northern central Tibet Plateau was used as an example of model application. Modeling results show that in a yearly cycle, groundwater flow occurs in the active layer from May to October. Maximum groundwater discharge to the surface lags the maximum subsurface temperature by two months. Under an increasing air temperature scenario of 3C per 100 years, over the initial 40-year period, the active layer thickness can increase by three-fold. Annual groundwater discharge to the surface can experience a similar three-fold increase in the same period. An implication of these modeling results is that with increased warming there will be more groundwater flow in the active layer and therefore increased groundwater discharge to rivers. However, this finding only holds if sufficient upgradient water is available to replenish the increased discharge. Otherwise, there will be an overall lowering of the water table in the recharge portion of the catchment. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Assessing the prospective resource base for enhanced geothermal systems in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limberger, J.; Calcagno, P.; Manzella, A.; Trumpy, E.; Boxem, T.; Pluymaekers, M. P. D.; van Wees, J.-D.

2014-12-01

In this study the resource base for EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) in Europe was quantified and economically constrained, applying a discounted cash-flow model to different techno-economic scenarios for future EGS in 2020, 2030, and 2050. Temperature is a critical parameter that controls the amount of thermal energy available in the subsurface. Therefore, the first step in assessing the European resource base for EGS is the construction of a subsurface temperature model of onshore Europe. Subsurface temperatures were computed to a depth of 10 km below ground level for a regular 3-D hexahedral grid with a horizontal resolution of 10 km and a vertical resolution of 250 m. Vertical conductive heat transport was considered as the main heat transfer mechanism. Surface temperature and basal heat flow were used as boundary conditions for the top and bottom of the model, respectively. If publicly available, the most recent and comprehensive regional temperature models, based on data from wells, were incorporated. With the modeled subsurface temperatures and future technical and economic scenarios, the technical potential and minimum levelized cost of energy (LCOE) were calculated for each grid cell of the temperature model. Calculations for a typical EGS scenario yield costs of EUR 215 MWh-1 in 2020, EUR 127 MWh-1 in 2030, and EUR 70 MWh-1 in 2050. Cutoff values of EUR 200 MWh-1 in 2020, EUR 150 MWh-1 in 2030, and EUR 100 MWh-1 in 2050 are imposed to the calculated LCOE values in each grid cell to limit the technical potential, resulting in an economic potential for Europe of 19 GWe in 2020, 22 GWe in 2030, and 522 GWe in 2050. The results of our approach do not only provide an indication of prospective areas for future EGS in Europe, but also show a more realistic cost determined and depth-dependent distribution of the technical potential by applying different well cost models for 2020, 2030, and 2050.

Lateral and subsurface flows impact arctic coastal plain lake water budgets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koch, Joshua C.

2016-01-01

Arctic thaw lakes are an important source of water for aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and humans. Many recent studies have observed changes in Arctic surface waters related to climate warming and permafrost thaw; however, explaining the trends and predicting future responses to warming is difficult without a stronger fundamental understanding of Arctic lake water budgets. By measuring and simulating surface and subsurface hydrologic fluxes, this work quantified the water budgets of three lakes with varying levels of seasonal drainage, and tested the hypothesis that lateral and subsurface flows are a major component of the post-snowmelt water budgets. A water budget focused only on post-snowmelt surface water fluxes (stream discharge, precipitation, and evaporation) could not close the budget for two of three lakes, even when uncertainty in input parameters was rigorously considered using a Monte Carlo approach. The water budgets indicated large, positive residuals, consistent with up to 70% of mid-summer inflows entering lakes from lateral fluxes. Lateral inflows and outflows were simulated based on three processes; supra-permafrost subsurface inflows from basin-edge polygonal ground, and exchange between seasonally drained lakes and their drained margins through runoff and evapotranspiration. Measurements and simulations indicate that rapid subsurface flow through highly conductive flowpaths in the polygonal ground can explain the majority of the inflow. Drained lakes were hydrologically connected to marshy areas on the lake margins, receiving water from runoff following precipitation and losing up to 38% of lake efflux to drained margin evapotranspiration. Lateral fluxes can be a major part of Arctic thaw lake water budgets and a major control on summertime lake water levels. Incorporating these dynamics into models will improve our ability to predict lake volume changes, solute fluxes, and habitat availability in the changing Arctic.

Modelling coupled microbial processes in the subsurface: Model development, verification, evaluation and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masum, Shakil A.; Thomas, Hywel R.

2018-06-01

To study subsurface microbial processes, a coupled model which has been developed within a Thermal-Hydraulic-Chemical-Mechanical (THCM) framework is presented. The work presented here, focuses on microbial transport, growth and decay mechanisms under the influence of multiphase flow and bio-geochemical reactions. In this paper, theoretical formulations and numerical implementations of the microbial model are presented. The model has been verified and also evaluated against relevant experimental results. Simulated results show that the microbial processes have been accurately implemented and their impacts on porous media properties can be predicted either qualitatively or quantitatively or both. The model has been applied to investigate biofilm growth in a sandstone core that is subjected to a two-phase flow and variable pH conditions. The results indicate that biofilm growth (if not limited by substrates) in a multiphase system largely depends on the hydraulic properties of the medium. When the change in porewater pH which occurred due to dissolution of carbon dioxide gas is considered, growth processes are affected. For the given parameter regime, it has been shown that the net biofilm growth is favoured by higher pH; whilst the processes are considerably retarded at lower pH values. The capabilities of the model to predict microbial respiration in a fully coupled multiphase flow condition and microbial fermentation leading to production of a gas phase are also demonstrated.

Study on removal efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural wastewater by subsurface flow constructed wetland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Zhen; Li, Jie

2018-03-01

Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland Plant 5 kinds of perennial herbs, there are Canna, Water onion, Iris, Calamus, Reed. Foucs on Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands on agricultural wastewater nitrogen and phosphorus removal effect. Research results: Different plants TP removal efficiency from high to low is Iris> reed> calamus> water onion> canna.And TN removal efficiency from high to low is reed> water onion> iris> calamus> canna. Compared with the blank test land, Wetland plants improves TN removal and TP removal is higher than TN. Wetland plants can reduce the PH of experimental water.

Imaging lateral groundwater flow in the shallow subsurface using stochastic temperature fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairley, Jerry P.; Nicholson, Kirsten N.

2006-04-01

Although temperature has often been used as an indication of vertical groundwater movement, its usefulness for identifying horizontal fluid flow has been limited by the difficulty of obtaining sufficient data to draw defensible conclusions. Here we use stochastic simulation to develop a high-resolution image of fluid temperatures in the shallow subsurface at Borax Lake, Oregon. The temperature field inferred from the geostatistical simulations clearly shows geothermal fluids discharging from a group of fault-controlled hydrothermal springs, moving laterally through the subsurface, and mixing with shallow subsurface flow originating from nearby Borax Lake. This interpretation of the data is supported by independent geochemical and isotopic evidence, which show a simple mixing trend between Borax Lake water and discharge from the thermal springs. It is generally agreed that stochastic simulation can be a useful tool for extracting information from complex and/or noisy data and, although not appropriate in all situations, geostatistical analysis may provide good definition of flow paths in the shallow subsurface. Although stochastic imaging techniques are well known in problems involving transport of species, e.g. delineation of contaminant plumes from soil gas survey data, we are unaware of previous applications to the transport of thermal energy for the purpose of inferring shallow groundwater flow.

A trench study to assess transfer of pesticides in subsurface lateral flow for a soil with contrasting texture on a sloping vineyard in Beaujolais.

PubMed

Peyrard, X; Liger, L; Guillemain, C; Gouy, V

2016-01-01

Subsurface lateral flow in both texture-contrast soils and catchments with shallow bedrock is suspected to be a non-point source of contamination of watercourses by pesticides used in agriculture. As a case study, the north of the Beaujolais region (eastern France) provides a favorable environment for such contamination due to its agro-pedo-climatic conditions. Environments seen in the Beaujolais region include intense viticulture, permeable and shallow soils, steep hillslopes, and storms that occur during the periods of pesticide application. Watercourse contamination by pesticides has been widely observed in this region, and offsite pesticide transport by subsurface lateral flow is suspected to be involved in diffuse and chronic presence of pesticides in surface water. In order to confirm and quantify the potential role of such processes in pesticide transfer, an automated trench system has been designed. The trench was set up on a steep farmed hillslope in a texture-contrast soil. It was equipped with a tipping bucket flow meter and an automatic sampler to monitor pesticide concentrations in lateral flow at fine resolution, by means of a flow-dependent sampling strategy. Four pesticides currently used in vine growing were studied to provide a range of mobility properties: one insecticide (chlorpyrifos-methyl) and three fungicides (spiroxamine, tebuconazole, and dimethomorph). With this system, it was possible to study pesticide concentration dynamics in the subsurface lateral flow, generated by substantial rainfall events following pesticide applications. The experimental design ascertained to be a suitable method in which to monitor subsurface lateral flow and related transfer of pesticides.

Modeling streamflow in a snow-dominated forest watershed using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model

Treesearch

A. Srivastava; J. Q. Wu; W. J. Elliot; E. S. Brooks; D. C. Flanagan

2017-01-01

The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model was originally developed for hillslope and small watershed applications. Recent improvements to WEPP have led to enhanced computations for deep percolation, subsurface lateral flow, and frozen soil. In addition, the incorporation of channel routing has made the WEPP model well suited for large watersheds with perennial...

New preconditioning strategy for Jacobian-free solvers for variably saturated flows with Richards’ equation

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

Lipnikov, Konstantin; Moulton, David; Svyatskiy, Daniil

2016-04-29

We develop a new approach for solving the nonlinear Richards’ equation arising in variably saturated flow modeling. The growing complexity of geometric models for simulation of subsurface flows leads to the necessity of using unstructured meshes and advanced discretization methods. Typically, a numerical solution is obtained by first discretizing PDEs and then solving the resulting system of nonlinear discrete equations with a Newton-Raphson-type method. Efficiency and robustness of the existing solvers rely on many factors, including an empiric quality control of intermediate iterates, complexity of the employed discretization method and a customized preconditioner. We propose and analyze a new preconditioningmore » strategy that is based on a stable discretization of the continuum Jacobian. We will show with numerical experiments for challenging problems in subsurface hydrology that this new preconditioner improves convergence of the existing Jacobian-free solvers 3-20 times. Furthermore, we show that the Picard method with this preconditioner becomes a more efficient nonlinear solver than a few widely used Jacobian-free solvers.« less

Improving Long-term Post-wildfire hydrologic simulations using ParFlow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, S. R.; Kinoshita, A. M.

2015-12-01

Wildfires alter the natural hydrologic processes within a watershed. After vegetation is burned, the combustion of organic material and debris settles into the soil creating a hydrophobic layer beneath the soil surface with varying degree of thickness and depth. Vegetation regrowth rates vary as a function of radiative exposure, burn severity, and precipitation patterns. Hydrologic models used by the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams use input data and model calibration constraints that are generally either one-dimensional, empirically-based models, or two-dimensional, conceptually-based models with lumped parameter distributions. These models estimate runoff measurements at the watershed outlet; however, do not provide a distributed hydrologic simulation at each point within the watershed. This work uses ParFlow, a three-dimensional, distributed hydrologic model to (1) correlate burn severity with hydrophobicity, (2) evaluate vegetation recovery rate on water components, and (3) improve flood prediction for managers to help with resource allocation and management operations in burned watersheds. ParFlow is applied to Devil Canyon (43 km2) in San Bernardino, California, which was 97% burned in the 2003 Old Fire. The model set-up uses a 30m-cell size resolution over a 6.7 km by 6.4 km lateral extent. The subsurface reaches 30 m and is assigned a variable cell thickness. Variable subsurface thickness allows users to explicitly consider the degree of recovery throughout the stages of regrowth. Burn severity maps from remotely sensed imagery are used to assign initial hydrophobic layer parameters and thickness. Vegetation regrowth is represented with satellite an Enhanced Vegetation Index. Pre and post-fire hydrologic response is evaluated using runoff measurements at the watershed outlet, and using water component (overland flow, lateral flow, baseflow) measurements.

Precipitation-runoff and streamflow-routing models for the Willamette River basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laenen, Antonius; Risley, John C.

1997-01-01

With an input of current streamflow, precipitation, and air temperature data the combined runoff and routing models can provide current estimates of streamflow at almost 500 locations on the main stem and major tributaries of the Willamette River with a high degree of accuracy. Relative contributions of surface runoff, subsurface flow, and ground-water flow can be assessed for 1 to 10 HRU classes in each of 253 subbasins identified for precipitation-runoff modeling. Model outputs were used with a water-quality model to simulate the movement of dye in the Pudding River as an example

A catchment-scale groundwater model including sewer pipe leakage in an urban system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peche, Aaron; Fuchs, Lothar; Spönemann, Peter; Graf, Thomas; Neuweiler, Insa

2016-04-01

Keywords: pipe leakage, urban hydrogeology, catchment scale, OpenGeoSys, HYSTEM-EXTRAN Wastewater leakage from subsurface sewer pipe defects leads to contamination of the surrounding soil and groundwater (Ellis, 2002; Wolf et al., 2004). Leakage rates at pipe defects have to be known in order to quantify contaminant input. Due to inaccessibility of subsurface pipe defects, direct (in-situ) measurements of leakage rates are tedious and associated with a high degree of uncertainty (Wolf, 2006). Proposed catchment-scale models simplify leakage rates by neglecting unsaturated zone flow or by reducing spatial dimensions (Karpf & Krebs, 2013, Boukhemacha et al., 2015). In the present study, we present a physically based 3-dimensional numerical model incorporating flow in the pipe network, in the saturated zone and in the unsaturated zone to quantify leakage rates on the catchment scale. The model consists of the pipe network flow model HYSTEM-EXTAN (itwh, 2002), which is coupled to the subsurface flow model OpenGeoSys (Kolditz et al., 2012). We also present the newly developed coupling scheme between the two flow models. Leakage functions specific to a pipe defect are derived from simulations of pipe leakage using spatially refined grids around pipe defects. In order to minimize computational effort, these leakage functions are built into the presented numerical model using unrefined grids around pipe defects. The resulting coupled model is capable of efficiently simulating spatially distributed pipe leakage coupled with subsurficial water flow in a 3-dimensional environment. References: Boukhemacha, M. A., Gogu, C. R., Serpescu, I., Gaitanaru, D., & Bica, I. (2015). A hydrogeological conceptual approach to study urban groundwater flow in Bucharest city, Romania. Hydrogeology Journal, 23(3), 437-450. doi:10.1007/s10040-014-1220-3. Ellis, J. B., & Revitt, D. M. (2002). Sewer losses and interactions with groundwater quality. Water Science and Technology, 45(3), 195-202. itwh (2002). Modellbeschreibung, Institut für technisch-wissenschaftliche Hydrologie GmbH, Hannover. Karpf, C. & Krebs, P. (2013). Modelling of groundwater infiltration into sewer systems. Urban Water Journal, 10:4, 221-229, DOI: 10.1080/1573062X.2012.724077. Kolditz, O., Bauer, S. et al. (2012). OpenGeoSys: an open source initiative for numerical simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical/chemical (THM/C) processes in porous media. Env. Earth Sci. 67(2):589-599. Wolf, L., Held, I., Eiswirth, M., & Hötzl, H. (2004). Impact of leaky sewers on groundwater quality. Acta Hydrochimica et Hydrobiologica, 32(4-5), 361-373. doi:10.1002/aheh.200400538. Wolf, L. (2006). Influence of leaky sewer systems on groundwater resources beneath the city of Rastatt, Germany. Dissertation, University of Karlsruhe.

Modeling Coupled Movement of Water, Vapor, and Energy in Soils and at the Soil-Atmosphere Interface Using HYDRUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simunek, Jiri; Brunetti, Giuseppe; Saito, Hirotaka; Bristow, Keith

2017-04-01

Mass and energy fluxes in the subsurface are closely coupled and cannot be evaluated without considering their mutual interactions. However, only a few numerical models consider coupled water, vapor and energy transport in both the subsurface and at the soil-atmosphere interface. While hydrological and thermal processes in the subsurface are commonly implemented in existing models, which often consider both isothermally and thermally induced water and vapor flow, the interactions at the soil-atmosphere interface are often simplified, and the effects of slope inclination, slope azimuth, variable surface albedo and plant shading on incoming radiation and spatially variable surface mass and energy balance, and consequently on soil moisture and temperature distributions, are rarely considered. In this presentation we discuss these missing elements and our attempts to implement them into the HYDRUS model. We demonstrate implications of some of these interactions and their impact on the spatial distributions of soil temperature and water content, and their effect on soil evaporation. Additionally, we will demonstrate the use of the HYDRUS model to simulate processes relevant to the ground source heat pump systems.

Pleistocene hydrology of North America: The role of ice sheets in reorganizing groundwater flow systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Person, Mark; McIntosh, Jennifer; Bense, Victor; Remenda, V. H.

2007-09-01

While the geomorphic consequences of Pleistocene megafloods have been known for some time, it has been only in the past 2 decades that hydrogeologists and glaciologists alike have begun to appreciate the important impact that ice sheet-aquifer interactions have had in controlling subsurface flow patterns, recharge rates, and the distribution of fresh water in confined aquifer systems across North America. In this paper, we document the numerous lines of geochemical, isotopic, and geomechanical evidence of ice sheet hydrogeology across North America. We also review the mechanical, thermal, and hydrologic processes that control subsurface fluid migration beneath ice sheets. Finite element models of subsurface fluid flow, permafrost formation, and ice sheet loading are presented to investigate the coupled nature of transport processes during glaciation/deglaciation. These indicate that recharge rates as high as 10 times modern values occurred as the Laurentide Ice Sheet overran the margins of sedimentary basins. The effects of ice sheet loading and permafrost formation result in complex transient flow patterns within aquifers and confining units alike. Using geochemical and environmental isotopic data, we estimate that the volume of glacial meltwater emplaced at the margins of sedimentary basins overrun by the Laurentide Ice Sheet totals about 3.7 × 104 km3, which is about 0.2% of the volume of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Subglacial infiltration estimates based on continental-scale hydrologic models are even higher (5-10% of meltwater generated). These studies in sum call into question the widely held notion that groundwater flow patterns within confined aquifer systems are controlled primarily by the water table configuration during the Pleistocene. Rather, groundwater flow patterns were likely much more complex and transient in nature than has previously been thought. Because Pleistocene recharge rates are believed to be highly variable, these studies have profound implications for water resource managers charged with determining sustainable pumping rates from confined aquifers that host ice sheet meltwater.

Stochastic porous media modeling and high-resolution schemes for numerical simulation of subsurface immiscible fluid flow transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brantson, Eric Thompson; Ju, Binshan; Wu, Dan; Gyan, Patricia Semwaah

2018-04-01

This paper proposes stochastic petroleum porous media modeling for immiscible fluid flow simulation using Dykstra-Parson coefficient (V DP) and autocorrelation lengths to generate 2D stochastic permeability values which were also used to generate porosity fields through a linear interpolation technique based on Carman-Kozeny equation. The proposed method of permeability field generation in this study was compared to turning bands method (TBM) and uniform sampling randomization method (USRM). On the other hand, many studies have also reported that, upstream mobility weighting schemes, commonly used in conventional numerical reservoir simulators do not accurately capture immiscible displacement shocks and discontinuities through stochastically generated porous media. This can be attributed to high level of numerical smearing in first-order schemes, oftentimes misinterpreted as subsurface geological features. Therefore, this work employs high-resolution schemes of SUPERBEE flux limiter, weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme (WENO), and monotone upstream-centered schemes for conservation laws (MUSCL) to accurately capture immiscible fluid flow transport in stochastic porous media. The high-order schemes results match well with Buckley Leverett (BL) analytical solution without any non-oscillatory solutions. The governing fluid flow equations were solved numerically using simultaneous solution (SS) technique, sequential solution (SEQ) technique and iterative implicit pressure and explicit saturation (IMPES) technique which produce acceptable numerical stability and convergence rate. A comparative and numerical examples study of flow transport through the proposed method, TBM and USRM permeability fields revealed detailed subsurface instabilities with their corresponding ultimate recovery factors. Also, the impact of autocorrelation lengths on immiscible fluid flow transport were analyzed and quantified. A finite number of lines used in the TBM resulted into visual artifact banding phenomenon unlike the proposed method and USRM. In all, the proposed permeability and porosity fields generation coupled with the numerical simulator developed will aid in developing efficient mobility control schemes to improve on poor volumetric sweep efficiency in porous media.

Numerical simulation of water flow and Nitrate transport through variably saturated porous media in laboratory condition using HYDRUS 2D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahangeer, F.; Gupta, P. K.; Yadav, B. K.

2017-12-01

Due to the reducing availability of water resources and the growing competition for water between residential, industrial, and agricultural users, increasing irrigation efficiency, by several methods like drip irrigation, is a demanding concern for agricultural experts. The understanding of the water and contaminants flow through the subsurface is needed for the sustainable irrigation water management, pollution assessment, polluted site remediation and groundwater recharge. In this study, the Windows-based computer software package HYDRUS-2D, which numerically simulates water and solute movement in two-dimensional, variably-saturated porous media, was used to evaluate the distribution of water and Nitrate in the sand tank. The laboratory and simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of drainage, recharge flux, and infiltration on subsurface flow condition and subsequently, on nitrate movement in the subsurface. The water flow in the unsaturated zone model by Richards' equation, which was highly nonlinear and its parameters were largely dependent on the moisture content and pressure head of the partially saturated zone. Following different cases to be considered to evaluate- a) applying drainage and recharge flux to study domains, b) transient infiltration in a vertical soil column and c) subsequently, nitrate transport in 2D sand tank setup. A single porosity model was used for the simulation of water and nitrate flow in the study domain. The results indicate the transient water table position decreases as the time increase significantly by applying drainage flux at the bottom. Similarly, the water table positions in study domains increasing in the domain by applying recharge flux. Likewise, the water flow profile shows the decreasing water table elevation with increasing water content in the vertical domain. Moreover, the nitrate movement was dominated by advective flux and highly affected by the recharge flux in the vertical direction. The findings of the study help to enhance the understanding of the sustainable soil-water resources management and agricultural practices.

The Evolution of Oblique Impact Flow Fields Using Maxwell's Z Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. L. B.; Schultz, P. H.; Heineck, J. T.

2003-01-01

Oblique impacts are the norm rather than the exception for impact craters on planetary surfaces. This work focuses on the excavation of experimental oblique impact craters using the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). Three-dimensional particle image velocimetry (3D PIV) is used to obtain quantitative data on ejection positions, three dimensional velocities and angles. These data are then used to constrain Maxwell's Z Model and follow the subsurface evolution of the excavation-stage flow-field center during oblique impacts.

The Effect of Projectile Density and Disruption on the Crater Excavation Flow-Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Jennifer L. B.; Schultz, P. H.

2005-01-01

The ejection parameters of material excavated by a growing crater directly relate to the subsurface excavation flow-field. The ejection angles and speeds define the end of subsurface material streamlines at the target surface. Differences in the subsurface flow-fields can be inferred by comparing observed ejection parameters of various impacts obtained using three-dimensional particle image velocimetry (3D PIV). The work presented here investigates the observed ejection speeds and angles of material ejected during vertical (90 impact angle) experimental impacts for a range of different projectile types. The subsurface flow-fields produced during vertical impacts are simple when compared with that of oblique impacts, affected primarily by the depth of the energy and momentum deposition of the projectile. This depth is highly controlled by the projectile/target density ratio and the disruption of the projectile (brittle vs. ductile deformation). Previous studies indicated that cratering efficiency and the crater diameter/depth ratio were affected by projectile disruption, velocity, and the projectile/target density ratio. The effect of these projectile properties on the excavation flow-field are examined by comparing different projectile materials.

Increasing the production efficiency and reducing the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, H. S.

2016-12-01

Shale gas is an unconventional fossil energy resource profoundly impacting US energy independence and is projected to last for at least 100 years. Production of methane and other hydrocarbons from low permeability shale involves hydraulic fracturing of rock, establishing fracture connectivity, and multiphase fluid-flow and reaction processes all of which are poorly understood. The result is inefficient extraction with many environmental concerns. A science-based capability is required to quantify the governing mesoscale fluid-solid interactions, including microstructural control of fracture patterns and the interaction of engineered fluids with hydrocarbon flow. These interactions depend on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes over scales from microns to tens of meters. Determining the key mechanisms in subsurface THMC systems has been impeded due to the lack of sophisticated experimental methods to measure fracture aperture and connectivity, multiphase permeability, and chemical exchange capacities at the high temperature, pressure, and stresses present in the subsurface. In this study, we developed and prototyped the microfluidic and triaxial core flood experiments required to reveal the fundamental dynamics of fracture-fluid interactions. The goal is transformation of hydraulic fracturing from present ad hoc approaches to science-based strategies while safely enhancing production. Specifically, we have demonstrated an integrated experimental/modeling approach that allows for a comprehensive characterization of fluid-solid interactions and develop models that can be used to determine the reservoir operating conditions necessary to gain a degree of control over fracture generation, fluid flow, and interfacial processes over a range of subsurface conditions.

Hydraulic fracturing fluid migration in the subsurface: A review and expanded modeling results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birdsell, Daniel T.; Rajaram, Harihar; Dempsey, David; Viswanathan, Hari S.

2015-09-01

Understanding the transport of hydraulic fracturing (HF) fluid that is injected into the deep subsurface for shale gas extraction is important to ensure that shallow drinking water aquifers are not contaminated. Topographically driven flow, overpressured shale reservoirs, permeable pathways such as faults or leaky wellbores, the increased formation pressure due to HF fluid injection, and the density contrast of the HF fluid to the surrounding brine can encourage upward HF fluid migration. In contrast, the very low shale permeability and capillary imbibition of water into partially saturated shale may sequester much of the HF fluid, and well production will remove HF fluid from the subsurface. We review the literature on important aspects of HF fluid migration. Single-phase flow and transport simulations are performed to quantify how much HF fluid is removed via the wellbore with flowback and produced water, how much reaches overlying aquifers, and how much is permanently sequestered by capillary imbibition, which is treated as a sink term based on a semianalytical, one-dimensional solution for two-phase flow. These simulations include all of the important aspects of HF fluid migration identified in the literature review and are performed in five stages to faithfully represent the typical operation of a hydraulically fractured well. No fracturing fluid reaches the aquifer without a permeable pathway. In the presence of a permeable pathway, 10 times more fracturing fluid reaches the aquifer if well production and capillary imbibition are not included in the model.

Chapter 1: Hydrologic exchange flows and their ecological consequences in river corridors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, Judson

2016-01-01

The actively flowing waters of streams and rivers remain in close contact with surrounding off-channel and subsurface environments. These hydrologic linkages between relatively fast flowing channel waters, with more slowly flowing waters off-channel and in the subsurface, are collectively referred to as hydrologic exchange flows (HEFs). HEFs include surface exchange with a channel’s marginal areas and subsurface flow through the streambed (hyporheic flow), as well as storm-driven bank storage and overbank flows onto floodplains. HEFs are important, not only for storing water and attenuating flood peaks, but also for their role in influencing water conservation, water quality improvement, and related outcomes for ecological values and services of aquatic ecosystems. Biogeochemical opportunities for chemical transformations are increased by HEFs as a result of the prolonged contact between flowing waters and geochemically and microbially active surfaces of sediments and vegetation. Chemical processing is intensified and water quality is often improved by removal of excess nutrients, metals, and organic contaminants from flowing waters. HEFs also are important regulators of organic matter decomposition, nutrient recycling, and stream metabolism that helps establish a balanced and resilient aquatic food web. The shallow and protected storage zones associated with HEFs support nursery and feeding areas for aquatic organisms that sustain aquatic biological diversity. Understanding of these varied roles for HEFs has been driven by the related disciplines of stream ecology, fluvial geomorphology, surface-water hydraulics, and groundwater hydrology. A current research emphasis is on the role that HEFs play in altered flow regimes, including restoration to achieve diverse goals, such as expanding aquatic habitats and managing dissolved and suspended river loads to reduce over-fertilization of coastal waters and offset wetland loss. New integrative concepts and models are emerging (eg, hydrologic connectivity) that emphasize HEF functions in river corridors over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.

Sequential geophysical and flow inversion to characterize fracture networks in subsurface systems

DOE PAGES

Mudunuru, Maruti Kumar; Karra, Satish; Makedonska, Nataliia; ...

2017-09-05

Subsurface applications, including geothermal, geological carbon sequestration, and oil and gas, typically involve maximizing either the extraction of energy or the storage of fluids. Fractures form the main pathways for flow in these systems, and locating these fractures is critical for predicting flow. However, fracture characterization is a highly uncertain process, and data from multiple sources, such as flow and geophysical are needed to reduce this uncertainty. We present a nonintrusive, sequential inversion framework for integrating data from geophysical and flow sources to constrain fracture networks in the subsurface. In this framework, we first estimate bounds on the statistics formore » the fracture orientations using microseismic data. These bounds are estimated through a combination of a focal mechanism (physics-based approach) and clustering analysis (statistical approach) of seismic data. Then, the fracture lengths are constrained using flow data. In conclusion, the efficacy of this inversion is demonstrated through a representative example.« less

Sequential geophysical and flow inversion to characterize fracture networks in subsurface systems

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

Mudunuru, Maruti Kumar; Karra, Satish; Makedonska, Nataliia

Subsurface applications, including geothermal, geological carbon sequestration, and oil and gas, typically involve maximizing either the extraction of energy or the storage of fluids. Fractures form the main pathways for flow in these systems, and locating these fractures is critical for predicting flow. However, fracture characterization is a highly uncertain process, and data from multiple sources, such as flow and geophysical are needed to reduce this uncertainty. We present a nonintrusive, sequential inversion framework for integrating data from geophysical and flow sources to constrain fracture networks in the subsurface. In this framework, we first estimate bounds on the statistics formore » the fracture orientations using microseismic data. These bounds are estimated through a combination of a focal mechanism (physics-based approach) and clustering analysis (statistical approach) of seismic data. Then, the fracture lengths are constrained using flow data. In conclusion, the efficacy of this inversion is demonstrated through a representative example.« less

The Role of Frozen Soil in Groundwater Discharge Predictions for Warming Alpine Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Sarah G.; Ge, Shemin; Voss, Clifford I.; Molotch, Noah P.

2018-03-01

Climate warming may alter the quantity and timing of groundwater discharge to streams in high alpine watersheds due to changes in the timing of the duration of seasonal freezing in the subsurface and snowmelt recharge. It is imperative to understand the effects of seasonal freezing and recharge on groundwater discharge to streams in warming alpine watersheds as streamflow originating from these watersheds is a critical water resource for downstream users. This study evaluates how climate warming may alter groundwater discharge due to changes in seasonally frozen ground and snowmelt using a 2-D coupled flow and heat transport model with freeze and thaw capabilities for variably saturated media. The model is applied to a representative snowmelt-dominated watershed in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, USA, with snowmelt time series reconstructed from a 12 year data set of hydrometeorological records and satellite-derived snow covered area. Model analyses indicate that the duration of seasonal freezing in the subsurface controls groundwater discharge to streams, while snowmelt timing controls groundwater discharge to hillslope faces. Climate warming causes changes to subsurface ice content and duration, rerouting groundwater flow paths but not altering the total magnitude of future groundwater discharge outside of the bounds of hydrologic parameter uncertainties. These findings suggest that frozen soil routines play an important role for predicting the future location of groundwater discharge in watersheds underlain by seasonally frozen ground.

The role of frozen soil in groundwater discharge predictions for warming alpine watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, Sarah G.; Ge, Shemin; Voss, Clifford I.; Molotch, Noah P.

2018-01-01

Climate warming may alter the quantity and timing of groundwater discharge to streams in high alpine watersheds due to changes in the timing of the duration of seasonal freezing in the subsurface and snowmelt recharge. It is imperative to understand the effects of seasonal freezing and recharge on groundwater discharge to streams in warming alpine watersheds as streamflow originating from these watersheds is a critical water resource for downstream users. This study evaluates how climate warming may alter groundwater discharge due to changes in seasonally frozen ground and snowmelt using a 2‐D coupled flow and heat transport model with freeze and thaw capabilities for variably saturated media. The model is applied to a representative snowmelt‐dominated watershed in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, USA, with snowmelt time series reconstructed from a 12 year data set of hydrometeorological records and satellite‐derived snow covered area. Model analyses indicate that the duration of seasonal freezing in the subsurface controls groundwater discharge to streams, while snowmelt timing controls groundwater discharge to hillslope faces. Climate warming causes changes to subsurface ice content and duration, rerouting groundwater flow paths but not altering the total magnitude of future groundwater discharge outside of the bounds of hydrologic parameter uncertainties. These findings suggest that frozen soil routines play an important role for predicting the future location of groundwater discharge in watersheds underlain by seasonally frozen ground.

Effects of Atmospheric Conditions and the Land/Atmospheric Interface on Transport of Chemical Vapors from Subsurface Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, A. K.; Smits, K. M.; Cihan, A.; Howington, S. E.; Illangasekare, T. H.

2013-12-01

Understanding the movement of chemical vapors and gas through variably saturated soil subjected to atmospheric thermal and mass flux boundary conditions at the land/atmospheric interface is important to many applications, including landmine detection, methane leakage during natural gas production from shale and CO2 leakage from deep geologic storage. New, advanced technologies exist to sense chemical signatures and gas leakage at the land/atmosphere interface, but interpretation of sensor signals remains a challenge. Chemical vapors are subject to numerous interactions while migrating through the soil environment, masking source conditions. The process governing movement of gases through porous media is often assumed to be Fickian diffusion through the air phase with minimal quantification of other processes, such as convective gas flow and temporal or spatial variation in soil moisture. Vapor migration is affected by atmospheric conditions (e.g. humidity, temperature, wind velocity), soil thermal and hydraulic properties and contaminant properties, all of which are physically and thermodynamically coupled. The complex coupling of two drastically different flow regimes in the subsurface and atmosphere is commonly ignored in modeling efforts, or simplifying assumptions are made to treat the systems as de-coupled. Experimental data under controlled laboratory settings are lacking to refine the theory for proper coupling and complex treatment of vapor migration through porous media in conversation with atmospheric flow and climate variations. Improving fundamental understanding and accurate quantification of these processes is not feasible in field settings due to lack of controlled initial and boundary conditions and inability to fully characterize the subsurface at all relevant scales. The goal of this work is to understand the influence of changes in atmospheric conditions to transport of vapors through variably saturated soil. We have developed a tank apparatus with a network of soil and atmospheric sensors and a head space for air flow to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer. Experiments were performed under varying temperature values at the soil surface bounded by the atmospheric boundary layer. The model of Smits et al. [2011], accounting for non-equilibrium phase change and coupled heat, water vapor and liquid water flux through soil, was amended to include organic vapor in the gas phase and migration mechanisms often overlooked in models (thermal and Knudsen diffusion, density driven advection). Experimental results show increased vapor mass flux across the soil/atmospheric interface due to heat applied from the atmosphere and coupling of heat and mass transfer in the shallow subsurface for both steady and diurnal temperature patterns. Comparison of model results to experimental data shows dynamic interactions between transport in porous media and boundary conditions. Results demonstrate the value of considering interactions of the atmosphere and subsurface to better understand chemical gas transport through unsaturated soils and the land/atmospheric interface.

Simulating oil droplet dispersal from the Deepwater Horizon spill with a Lagrangian approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

North, Elizabeth W.; Schlag, Zachary; Adams, E. Eric; Sherwood, Christopher R.; He, Ruoying; Hyun, Hoon; Socolofsky, Scott A.

2011-01-01

An analytical multiphase plume model, combined with time-varying flow and hydrographic fields generated by the 3-D South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico model (SABGOM) hydrodynamic model, were used as input to a Lagrangian transport model (LTRANS), to simulate transport of oil droplets dispersed at depth from the recent Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill. The plume model predicts a stratification-dominated near field, in which small oil droplets detrain from the central plume containing faster rising large oil droplets and gas bubbles and become trapped by density stratification. Simulated intrusion (trap) heights of ∼ 310–370 m agree well with the midrange of conductivity-temperature-depth observations, though the simulated variation in trap height was lower than observed, presumably in part due to unresolved variability in source composition (percentage oil versus gas) and location (multiple leaks during first half of spill). Simulated droplet trajectories by the SABGOM-LTRANS modeling system showed that droplets with diameters between 10 and 50 μm formed a distinct subsurface plume, which was transported horizontally and remained in the subsurface for >1 month. In contrast, droplets with diameters ≥90 μm rose rapidly to the surface. Simulated trajectories of droplets ≤50 μm in diameter were found to be consistent with field observations of a southwest-tending subsurface plume in late June 2010 reported by Camilli et al. [2010]. Model results suggest that the subsurface plume looped around to the east, with potential subsurface oil transport to the northeast and southeast. Ongoing work is focusing on adding degradation processes to the model to constrain droplet dispersal.

Washington Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis Data From Potential Field Studies

DOE Data Explorer

Anderson, Megan; Ritzinger, Brent; Glen, Jonathan; Schermerhorn, William

2017-12-20

A recent study which adapts play fairway analysis (PFA) methodology to assess geothermal potential was conducted at three locations (Mount Baker, Mount St. Helens seismic zone, and Wind River valley) along the Washington Cascade Range (Forson et al. 2017). Potential field (gravity and magnetic) methods which can detect subsurface contrasts in physical properties, provides a means for mapping and modeling subsurface geology and structure. As part of the WA-Cascade PFA project, we performed potential field studies by collecting high-resolution gravity and ground-magnetic data, and rock property measurements to (1) identify and constrain fault geometries (2) constrain subsurface lithologic distribution (3) study fault interactions (4) identify areas favorable to hydrothermal flow, and ultimately (5) guide future geothermal exploration at each location.

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.

Pattern-Based Inverse Modeling for Characterization of Subsurface Flow Models with Complex Geologic Heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golmohammadi, A.; Jafarpour, B.; M Khaninezhad, M. R.

2017-12-01

Calibration of heterogeneous subsurface flow models leads to ill-posed nonlinear inverse problems, where too many unknown parameters are estimated from limited response measurements. When the underlying parameters form complex (non-Gaussian) structured spatial connectivity patterns, classical variogram-based geostatistical techniques cannot describe the underlying connectivity patterns. Modern pattern-based geostatistical methods that incorporate higher-order spatial statistics are more suitable for describing such complex spatial patterns. Moreover, when the underlying unknown parameters are discrete (geologic facies distribution), conventional model calibration techniques that are designed for continuous parameters cannot be applied directly. In this paper, we introduce a novel pattern-based model calibration method to reconstruct discrete and spatially complex facies distributions from dynamic flow response data. To reproduce complex connectivity patterns during model calibration, we impose a feasibility constraint to ensure that the solution follows the expected higher-order spatial statistics. For model calibration, we adopt a regularized least-squares formulation, involving data mismatch, pattern connectivity, and feasibility constraint terms. Using an alternating directions optimization algorithm, the regularized objective function is divided into a continuous model calibration problem, followed by mapping the solution onto the feasible set. The feasibility constraint to honor the expected spatial statistics is implemented using a supervised machine learning algorithm. The two steps of the model calibration formulation are repeated until the convergence criterion is met. Several numerical examples are used to evaluate the performance of the developed method.

Understanding leachate flow in municipal solid waste landfills by combining time-lapse ERT and subsurface flow modelling - Part I: Analysis of infiltration shape on two different waste deposit cells.

PubMed

Audebert, M; Clément, R; Moreau, S; Duquennoi, C; Loisel, S; Touze-Foltz, N

2016-09-01

Landfill bioreactors are based on an acceleration of in-situ waste biodegradation by performing leachate recirculation. To quantify the water content and to evaluate the leachate injection system, in-situ methods are required to obtain spatially distributed information, usually electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). In a previous study, the MICS (multiple inversions and clustering strategy) methodology was proposed to improve the hydrodynamic interpretation of ERT results by a precise delimitation of the infiltration area. In this study, MICS was applied on two ERT time-lapse data sets recorded on different waste deposit cells in order to compare the hydrodynamic behaviour of leachate flow between the two cells. This comparison is based on an analysis of: (i) the volume of wetted waste assessed by MICS and the wetting rate, (ii) the infiltration shapes and (iii) the pore volume used by the leachate flow. This paper shows that leachate hydrodynamic behaviour is comparable from one waste deposit cell to another with: (i) a high leachate infiltration speed at the beginning of the infiltration, which decreases with time, (ii) a horizontal anisotropy of the leachate infiltration shape and (iii) a very small fraction of the pore volume used by the leachate flow. This hydrodynamic information derived from MICS results can be useful for subsurface flow modelling used to predict leachate flow at the landfill scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Satellite tidal magnetic signals constrain oceanic lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary.

PubMed

Grayver, Alexander V; Schnepf, Neesha R; Kuvshinov, Alexey V; Sabaka, Terence J; Manoj, Chandrasekharan; Olsen, Nils

2016-09-01

The tidal flow of electrically conductive oceans through the geomagnetic field results in the generation of secondary magnetic signals, which provide information on the subsurface structure. Data from the new generation of satellites were shown to contain magnetic signals due to tidal flow; however, there are no reports that these signals have been used to infer subsurface structure. We use satellite-detected tidal magnetic fields to image the global electrical structure of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle down to a depth of about 250 km. The model derived from more than 12 years of satellite data reveals a ≈72-km-thick upper resistive layer followed by a sharp increase in electrical conductivity likely associated with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, which separates colder rigid oceanic plates from the ductile and hotter asthenosphere.

A multicomponent coupled model of glacier hydrology 1. Theory and synthetic examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flowers, Gwenn E.; Clarke, Garry K. C.

2002-11-01

Basal hydrology is acknowledged as a fundamental control on glacier dynamics, especially in cases where surface meltwater reaches the bed. For many glaciers at midlatitudes, basal drainage is influenced by subaerial, englacial, and subsurface water flow. One of the major shortcomings of existing basal hydrology models is the treatment of the glacier bed as an isolated system. We present theoretical and computational models that couple glacier surface runoff, englacial water storage and transport, subglacial drainage, and subsurface groundwater flow. Each of the four model components is represented as a two-dimensional, vertically integrated layer that communicates with its neighbors through water exchange. Governing equations are derived from the law of mass conservation and are expressed as a balance between the internal distribution of water and external sources. The numerical exposition of this theory is a time-dependent finite difference model that can be used to simulate glacier drainage. In this paper we outline the theory and conduct simple tests using an idealized glacier geometry. In the companion paper, the model is tailored to Trapridge Glacier, Yukon Territory, Canada, where results are compared with measurements of subglacial water pressure.

Effects of Surface and Subsurface Bed Material Composition on Gravel Transport and Flow Competence Relations—Possibilities for Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunte, K.; Abt, S. R.; Swingle, K. W.; Cenderelli, D. A.; Gaeuman, D. A.

2014-12-01

Bedload transport and flow competence relations are difficult to predict in coarse-bedded steep streams where widely differing sediment supply, bed stability, and complex flow hydraulics greatly affect amounts and sizes of transported gravel particles. This study explains how properties of bed material surface and subsurface size distributions are directly related to gravel transport and may be used for prediction of gravel transport and flow competence relations. Gravel transport, flow competence, and bed material size were measured in step-pool and plane-bed streams. Power functions were fitted to gravel transport QB=aQb and flow competence Dmax=cQd relations; Q is water discharge. Frequency distributions of surface FDsurf and subsurface FDsub bed material were likewise described by power functions FDsurf=hD j and FDsub=kDm fitted over six 0.5-phi size classes within 4 to 22.4 mm. Those gravel sizes are typically mobile even in moderate floods. Study results show that steeper subsurface bed material size distributions lead to steeper gravel transport and flow competence relations, whereas larger amounts of sediment contained in those 6 size bedmaterial classes (larger h and k) flatten the relations. Similarly, steeper surface size distributions decrease the coefficients of the gravel transport and flow competence relations, whereas larger amounts of sediment within the six bed material classes increase the intercepts of gravel transport and flow competence relations. Those relations are likely causative in streams where bedload stems almost entirely from the channel bed as opposed to direct (unworked) contributions from hillslopes and tributaries. The exponent of the subsurface bed material distribution m predicted the gravel transport exponent b with r2 near 0.7 and flow competence exponent d with r2 near 0.5. The intercept of bed surface distributions h increased the intercept a of gravel transport and c of the flow competence relations with r2 near 0.6.

A chaotic-dynamical conceptual model to describe fluid flow and contaminant transport in a fractured vadose zone. 1997 progress report and presentations at the annual meeting, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, December 3--4, 1997

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

Faybishenko, B.; Doughty, C.; Geller, J.

1998-07-01

Understanding subsurface flow and transport processes is critical for effective assessment, decision-making, and remediation activities for contaminated sites. However, for fluid flow and contaminant transport through fractured vadose zones, traditional hydrogeological approaches are often found to be inadequate. In this project, the authors examine flow and transport through a fractured vadose zone as a deterministic chaotic dynamical process, and develop a model of it in these terms. Initially, the authors examine separately the geometric model of fractured rock and the flow dynamics model needed to describe chaotic behavior. Ultimately they will put the geometry and flow dynamics together to developmore » a chaotic-dynamical model of flow and transport in a fractured vadose zone. They investigate water flow and contaminant transport on several scales, ranging from small-scale laboratory experiments in fracture replicas and fractured cores, to field experiments conducted in a single exposed fracture at a basalt outcrop, and finally to a ponded infiltration test using a pond of 7 by 8 m. In the field experiments, they measure the time-variation of water flux, moisture content, and hydraulic head at various locations, as well as the total inflow rate to the subsurface. Such variations reflect the changes in the geometry and physics of water flow that display chaotic behavior, which they try to reconstruct using the data obtained. In the analysis of experimental data, a chaotic model can be used to predict the long-term bounds on fluid flow and transport behavior, known as the attractor of the system, and to examine the limits of short-term predictability within these bounds. This approach is especially well suited to the need for short-term predictions to support remediation decisions and long-term bounding studies. View-graphs from ten presentations made at the annual meeting held December 3--4, 1997 are included in an appendix to this report.« less

Subsidence and collapse sinkholes in soluble rock: a numerical perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufmann, Georg; Romanov, Douchko; Hiller, Thomas

2016-04-01

Soluble rocks such as limestone, gypsum, anhydrite, and salt are prone to subsidence and the sudden creation of collapse sinkholes. The reason for this behaviour stems from the solubility of the rock: Water percolating through fissures and bedding partings can remove material from the rock walls and thus increase the permeability of the host rock by orders of magnitudes. This process occurs on time scales of 1,000-100,000 years, resulting in enlarged fractures, voids and cavities, which then carry flow efficiently through the rock. The enlargement of sub-surface voids to the meter-size within such short times creates mechanical conditions prone to collapse. The collapse initiates at depth, but then propagates to the surface. By means of numerical modelling, we discuss the long-term evolution of secondary porosity in gypsum rocks, resulting in zones of sub-surface voids, which then become mechanically unstable and collapse. We study two real-world case scenarios, in which we can relate field observations to our numerical model: (i) A dam-site scenario, where flow around the dam caused widespread dissolution of gypsum and subsequent subsidence of the dam and a nearby highway. (ii) A natural collapse sinkhole forming as a result of freshwater inflow into a shallow anhydrite formation with rapid evolution of voids in the sub-surface.

Acoustic Wave Monitoring of Biofilm Development in Porous Media

EPA Science Inventory

Biofilm development in porous media can result in significant changes to the hydrogeological properties of subsurface systems with implications for fluid flow and contaminant transport. As such, a number of numerical models and simulations have been developed in an attempt to qua...

Assessing the Impact of Topography on Groundwater Salinization Due to Storm Surge Inundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, X.; Yang, J.; Graf, T.; Koneshloo, M.; O'Neal, M. A.; Michael, H. A.

2015-12-01

The sea-level rise and increase in the frequency and intensity of coastal storms due to climate change are likely to exacerbate adverse effects of storm surges on low-lying coastal areas. The landward flow of water during storm surges introduces salt to surficial coastal aquifers and threatens groundwater resources. Coastal topography (e.g. ponds, dunes, canals) likely has a strong impact on overwash and salinization processes, but is generally highly simplified in modeling studies. To understand the topographic impacts on groundwater salinization, we modeled overwash and variable-density groundwater flow and salt transport in 3D using the fully coupled surface and subsurface numerical simulator, HydroGeoSphere. The model simulates the coastal aquifer as an integrated system considering processes such as overland flow, coupled surface and subsurface exchange, variably saturated flow, and variable-density flow. To represent various coastal landscape types, we started with realistic coastal topography from Delaware, USA, and then generated synthetic fields with differing shore-perpendicular connectivity and surface depressions. The groundwater salinization analysis suggested that the topographic connectivity promoting overland flow controls the volume of aquifer that is salinized. In contrast, depression storage of surface water mainly controls the time for infiltrated salt to flush from the aquifer. The results indicate that for a range of synthetic conditions, topography increases the flushing time of salt by 20-300% relative to an equivalent "simple slope" in which topographic variation is absent. Our study suggests that topography have a significant impact on overwash salinization, with important implications for land management at local scales and groundwater vulnerability assessment at regional to global scales.

Modeling steam pressure under martian lava flows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dundas, Colin M.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.

2013-01-01

Rootless cones on Mars are a valuable indicator of past interactions between lava and water. However, the details of the lava–water interactions are not fully understood, limiting the ability to use these features to infer new information about past water on Mars. We have developed a model for the pressurization of a dry layer of porous regolith by melting and boiling ground ice in the shallow subsurface. This model builds on previous models of lava cooling and melting of subsurface ice. We find that for reasonable regolith properties and ice depths of decimeters, explosive pressures can be reached. However, the energy stored within such lags is insufficient to excavate thick flows unless they draw steam from a broader region than the local eruption site. These results indicate that lag pressurization can drive rootless cone formation under favorable circumstances, but in other instances molten fuel–coolant interactions are probably required. We use the model results to consider a range of scenarios for rootless cone formation in Athabasca Valles. Pressure buildup by melting and boiling ice under a desiccated lag is possible in some locations, consistent with the expected distribution of ice implanted from atmospheric water vapor. However, it is uncertain whether such ice has existed in the vicinity of Athabasca Valles in recent history. Plausible alternative sources include surface snow or an aqueous flood shortly before the emplacement of the lava flow.

Water-balance and groundwater-flow estimation for an arid environment: San Diego region, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flint, L. E.; Flint, A. L.; Stolp, B. J.; Danskin, W. R.

2012-03-01

The coastal-plain aquifer that underlies the San Diego City metropolitan area in southern California is a groundwater resource. The understanding of the region-wide water balance and the recharge of water from the high elevation mountains to the east needs to be improved to quantify the subsurface inflows to the coastal plain in order to develop the groundwater as a long term resource. This study is intended to enhance the conceptual understanding of the water balance and related recharge processes in this arid environment by developing a regional model of the San Diego region and all watersheds adjacent or draining to the coastal plain, including the Tijuana River basin. This model was used to quantify the various components of the water balance, including semi-quantitative estimates of subsurface groundwater flow to the coastal plain. Other approaches relying on independent data were used to test or constrain the scoping estimates of recharge and runoff, including a reconnaissance-level groundwater model of the San Diego River basin, one of three main rivers draining to the coastal plain. Estimates of subsurface flow delivered to the coastal plain from the river basins ranged from 12.3 to 28.8 million m3 yr-1 from the San Diego River basin for the calibration period (1982-2009) to 48.8 million m3 yr-1 from all major river basins for the entire coastal plain for the long-term period 1940-2009. This range of scoping estimates represents the impact of climatic variability and realistically bounds the likely groundwater availability, while falling well within the variable estimates of regional recharge. However, the scarcity of physical and hydrologic data in this region hinders the exercise to narrow the range and reduce the uncertainty.

A look inside 'black box' hydrograph separation models: A study at the hydrohill catchment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendall, C.; McDonnell, Jeffery J.; Gu, W.

2001-01-01

Runoff sources and dominant flowpaths are still poorly understood in most catchments; consequently, most hydrograph separations are essentially 'black box' models where only external information is used. The well-instrumented 490 m2 Hydrohill artificial grassland catchment located near Nanjing (China) was used to examine internal catchment processes. Since groundwater levels never reach the soil surface at this site, two physically distinct flowpaths can unambiguously be defined: surface and subsurface runoff. This study combines hydrometric, isotopic and geochemical approaches to investigating the relations between the chloride, silica, and oxygen isotopic compositions of subsurface waters and rainfall. During a 120 mm storm over a 24 h period in 1989, 55% of event water input infiltrated and added to soil water storage; the remainder ran off as infiltration-excess overland flow. Only about 3-5% of the pre-event water was displaced out of the catchment by in-storm rainfall. About 80% of the total flow was quickflow, and 10% of the total flow was pre-event water, mostly derived from saturated flow from deeper soils. Rain water with high ??18O values from the beginning of the storm appeared to be preferentially stored in shallow soils. Groundwater at the end of the storm shows a wide range of isotopic and chemical compositions, primarily reflecting the heterogeneous distribution of the new and mixed pore waters. High chloride and silica concentrations in quickflow runoff derived from event water indicate that these species are not suitable conservative tracers of either water sources or flowpaths in this catchment. Determining the proportion of event water alone does not constrain the possible hydrologic mechanisms sufficiently to distinguish subsurface and surface flowpaths uniquely, even in this highly controlled artificial catchment. We reconcile these findings with a perceptual model of stormflow sources and flowpaths that explicitly accounts for water, isotopic, and chemical mass balance. Copyright ?? 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Uncertainty of simulated groundwater levels arising from stochastic transient climate change scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goderniaux, Pascal; Brouyère, Serge; Blenkinsop, Stephen; Burton, Aidan; Fowler, Hayley; Dassargues, Alain

2010-05-01

The evaluation of climate change impact on groundwater reserves represents a difficult task because both hydrological and climatic processes are complex and difficult to model. In this study, we present an innovative methodology that combines the use of integrated surface - subsurface hydrological models with advanced stochastic transient climate change scenarios. This methodology is applied to the Geer basin (480 km²) in Belgium, which is intensively exploited to supply the city of Liège (Belgium) with drinking water. The physically-based, spatially-distributed, surface-subsurface flow model has been developed with the finite element model HydroGeoSphere . The simultaneous solution of surface and subsurface flow equations in HydroGeoSphere, as well as the internal calculation of the actual evapotranspiration as a function of the soil moisture at each node of the evaporative zone, enables a better representation of interconnected processes in all domains of the catchment (fully saturated zone, partially saturated zone, surface). Additionally, the use of both surface and subsurface observed data to calibrate the model better constrains the calibration of the different water balance terms. Crucially, in the context of climate change impacts on groundwater resources, the evaluation of groundwater recharge is improved. . This surface-subsurface flow model is combined with advanced climate change scenarios for the Geer basin. Climate change simulations were obtained from six regional climate model (RCM) scenarios assuming the SRES A2 greenhouse gases emission (medium-high) scenario. These RCM scenarios were statistically downscaled using a transient stochastic weather generator technique, combining 'RainSim' and the 'CRU weather generator' for temperature and evapotranspiration time series. This downscaling technique exhibits three advantages compared with the 'delta change' method usually used in groundwater impact studies. (1) Corrections to climate model output are applied not only to the mean of climatic variables, but also across the statistical distributions of these variables. This is important as these distributions are expected to change in the future, with more extreme rainfall events, separated by longer dry periods. (2) The novel approach used in this study can simulate transient climate change from 2010 to 2085, rather than time series representative of a stationary climate for the period 2071-2100. (3) The weather generator is used to generate a large number of equiprobable climate change scenarios for each RCM, representative of the natural variability of the weather. All of these scenarios are applied as input to the Geer basin model to assess the projected impact of climate change on groundwater levels, the uncertainty arising for different RCM projections and the uncertainty linked to natural climatic variability. Using the output results from all scenarios, 95% confidence intervals are calculated for each year and month between 2010 and 2085. The climate change scenarios for the Geer basin model predict hotter and drier summers and warmer and wetter winters. Considering the results of this study, it is very likely that groundwater levels and surface flow rates in the Geer basin will decrease by the end of the century. This is of concern because it also means that groundwater quantities available for abstraction will also decrease. However, this study also shows that the uncertainty of these projections is relatively large compared to the projected changes so that it remains difficult to confidently determine the magnitude of the decrease. The use and combination of an integrated surface - subsurface model and stochastic climate change scenarios has never been used in previous climate change impact studies on groundwater resources. It constitutes an innovation and is an important tool for helping water managers to take decisions.

Air Sparging Design Paradigm

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-12

treatment zone increases with increasing separation. It is important to ensure a good annular air flow seal between the top of the screened interval and... seals are critical to successful air sparging operation. In their absence, the injected air will flow up along the well bore and the well will be...glass beads and model homogenous and heterogeneous subsurface hydrogeologic settings were simulated . The goal of the study was to observe how the

A modelling study of hyporheic exchange pattern and the sequence, size, and spacing of stream bedforms in mountain stream networks, Oregon, USA.

Treesearch

Michael N. Gooseff; Justin K. Anderson; Steven M. Wondzell; Justin LaNier; Roy Haggerty

2005-01-01

Studies of hyporheic exchange flows have identified physical features of channels that control exchange flow at the channel unit scale, namely slope breaks in the longitudinal profile of streams that generate subsurface head distributions. We recently completed a field study that suggested channel unit spacing in stream longitudinal profiles can be used to predict the...

Hard Copy to Digital Transfer: 3D Models that Match 2D Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellie, Andrew C.

2011-01-01

This research describes technical drawing techniques applied in a project involving digitizing of existing hard copy subsurface mapping for the preparation of three dimensional graphic and mathematical models. The intent of this research was to identify work flows that would support the project, ensure the accuracy of the digital data obtained,…

Data assimilation in optimizing and integrating soil and water quality water model predictions at different scales

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Relevant data about subsurface water flow and solute transport at relatively large scales that are of interest to the public are inherently laborious and in most cases simply impossible to obtain. Upscaling in which fine-scale models and data are used to predict changes at the coarser scales is the...

Time-lapse 3-D seismic imaging of shallow subsurface contaminant flow.

PubMed

McKenna, J; Sherlock, D; Evans, B

2001-12-01

This paper presents a physical modelling study outlining a technique whereby buoyant contaminant flow within water-saturated unconsolidated sand was remotely monitored utilizing the time-lapse 3-D (TL3-D) seismic response. The controlled temperature and pressure conditions, along with the high level of acquisition repeatability attainable using sandbox physical models, allow the TL3-D seismic response to pore fluid movement to be distinguished from all other effects. TL3-D seismic techniques are currently being developed to monitor hydrocarbon reserves within producing reservoirs in an endeavour to improve overall recovery. However, in many ways, sandbox models under atmospheric conditions more accurately simulate the shallow subsurface than petroleum reservoirs. For this reason, perhaps the greatest application for analogue sandbox modelling is to improve our understanding of shallow groundwater and environmental flow mechanisms. Two fluid flow simulations were conducted whereby air and kerosene were injected into separate water-saturated unconsolidated sand models. In both experiments, a base 3-D seismic volume was recorded and compared with six later monitor surveys recorded while the injection program was conducted. Normal incidence amplitude and P-wave velocity information were extracted from the TL3-D seismic data to provide visualization of contaminant migration. Reflection amplitudes displayed qualitative areal distribution of fluids when a suitable impedance contrast existed between pore fluids. TL3-D seismic reflection tomography can potentially monitor the change in areal distribution of fluid contaminants over time, indicating flow patterns. However, other research and this current work have not established a quantifiable relationship between either normal reflection amplitudes and attenuation and fluid saturation. Generally, different pore fluids will have unique seismic velocities due to differences in compressibility and density. The predictable relationships that exist between P-wave velocity and fluid saturation can allow a quantitative assessment of contaminant migration.

Modeling the Hydrologic Processes of a Permeable Pavement ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A permeable pavement system can capture stormwater to reduce runoff volume and flow rate, improve onsite groundwater recharge, and enhance pollutant controls within the site. A new unit process model for evaluating the hydrologic performance of a permeable pavement system has been developed in this study. The developed model can continuously simulate infiltration through the permeable pavement surface, exfiltration from the storage to the surrounding in situ soils, and clogging impacts on infiltration/exfiltration capacity at the pavement surface and the bottom of the subsurface storage unit. The exfiltration modeling component simulates vertical and horizontal exfiltration independently based on Darcy’s formula with the Green-Ampt approximation. The developed model can be arranged with physically-based modeling parameters, such as hydraulic conductivity, Manning’s friction flow parameters, saturated and field capacity volumetric water contents, porosity, density, etc. The developed model was calibrated using high-frequency observed data. The modeled water depths are well matched with the observed values (R2 = 0.90). The modeling results show that horizontal exfiltration through the side walls of the subsurface storage unit is a prevailing factor in determining the hydrologic performance of the system, especially where the storage unit is developed in a long, narrow shape; or with a high risk of bottom compaction and clogging. This paper presents unit

Composition and structure of the shallow subsurface of Ceres revealed by crater morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bland, Michael T.; Raymond, Carol A.; Schenk, Paul M.; Fu, Roger R.; Kneissl, Thomas; Pasckert, Jan Hendrik; Hiesinger, Harry; Preusker, Frank; Park, Ryan S.; Marchi, Simone; King, Scott D.; Castillo-Rogez, Julie C.; Russell, Christopher T.

2016-07-01

Before NASA’s Dawn mission, the dwarf planet Ceres was widely believed to contain a substantial ice-rich layer below its rocky surface. The existence of such a layer has significant implications for Ceres’s formation, evolution, and astrobiological potential. Ceres is warmer than icy worlds in the outer Solar System and, if its shallow subsurface is ice-rich, large impact craters are expected to be erased by viscous flow on short geologic timescales. Here we use digital terrain models derived from Dawn Framing Camera images to show that most of Ceres’s largest craters are several kilometres deep, and are therefore inconsistent with the existence of an ice-rich subsurface. We further show from numerical simulations that the absence of viscous relaxation over billion-year timescales implies a subsurface viscosity that is at least one thousand times greater than that of pure water ice. We conclude that Ceres’s shallow subsurface is no more than 30% to 40% ice by volume, with a mixture of rock, salts and/or clathrates accounting for the other 60% to 70%. However, several anomalously shallow craters are consistent with limited viscous relaxation and may indicate spatial variations in subsurface ice content.

Composition and structure of the shallow subsurface of Ceres revealed by crater morphology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bland, Michael T.; Carol A. Raymond,; Schenk, Paul M.; Roger R. Fu,; Thomas Kneisl,; Hendrick Pasckert, Jan; Hiesinger, Harald; Frank Preusker,; Ryan S. Park,; Simone Marchi,; Scott King,; Castillo-Rogez, Julie C.; Christopher T. Russell,

2016-01-01

Before NASA’s Dawn mission, the dwarf planet Ceres was widely believed to contain a substantial ice-rich layer below its rocky surface. The existence of such a layer has significant implications for Ceres’s formation, evolution, and astrobiological potential. Ceres is warmer than icy worlds in the outer Solar System and, if its shallow subsurface is ice-rich, large impact craters are expected to be erased by viscous flow on short geologic timescales. Here we use digital terrain models derived from Dawn Framing Camera images to show that most of Ceres’s largest craters are several kilometres deep, and are therefore inconsistent with the existence of an ice-rich subsurface. We further show from numerical simulations that the absence of viscous relaxation over billion-year timescales implies a subsurface viscosity that is at least one thousand times greater than that of pure water ice. We conclude that Ceres’s shallow subsurface is no more than 30% to 40% ice by volume, with a mixture of rock, salts and/or clathrates accounting for the other 60% to 70%. However, several anomalously shallow craters are consistent with limited viscous relaxation and may indicate spatial variations in subsurface ice content.

Trace Element and Cu Isotopic Tracers of Subsurface Flow and Transport in Wastewater Irrigated Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carte, J.; Fantle, M. S.

2017-12-01

An understanding of subsurface flow paths is critical for quantifying the fate of contaminants in wastewater irrigation systems. This study investigates the subsurface flow of wastewater by quantifying the distribution of trace contaminants in wastewater irrigated soils. Soil samples were collected from the upper 1m of two wetlands at Penn State University's wastewater irrigation site, at which all effluent from the University's wastewater treatment plant has been sprayed since 1983. Major and trace element and Cu isotopic composition were determined for these samples, in addition to wastewater effluent and bedrock samples. The upper 20 cm of each wetland shows an enrichment of Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations relative to deep (>1m) soils at the site by a factor of 1.7-3.5. Each wetland also has a subsurface clay rich horizon with Bi, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations enriched by a factor of 1.4 to 5 relative to deep soils. These subsurface horizons directly underlie intervals that could facilitate preferential effluent flow: a gravel layer in one wetland, and a silty loam with visible mottling, an indication of dynamic water saturation, in the other. Trace metal concentrations in other horizons from both wetlands fall in the range of the deep soils. Significant variability in Cu isotopic composition is present in soils from both wetlands, with δ65Cu values ranging from 0.74‰ to 5.09‰. Soil δ65Cu correlates well with Cu concentrations, with lighter δ65Cu associated with higher concentrations. The Cu isotopic composition of the zones of metal enrichment are comparable to the ostensible average wastewater effluent δ65Cu value (0.61‰), while other horizons have considerably heavier δ65Cu values. We hypothesize that wastewater is the source of the metal enrichments, as each of the enriched elements are present as contaminants in wastewater, and the enrichments are located in clay-rich horizons conducive to trace metal immobilization due to adsorption. This hypothesis will be further tested by modeling with the reactive transport code CrunchTope. This study provides evidence that trace element and isotopic composition of soils can be useful tracers of subsurface hydrologic pathways and elemental fate and transport.

Influences of Coupled Hydrologic and Microbial Processes on River Corridor Biogeochemistry and Ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheibe, T. D.; Song, H. S.; Stegen, J.; Graham, E.; Bao, J.; Goldman, A.; Zhou, T.; Crump, A.; Hou, Z.; Hammond, G. E.; Chen, X.; Huang, M.; Zhang, X.; Nelson, W. C.; Garayburu-Caruso, V. A.

2017-12-01

The exchange of water between rivers and surrounding subsurface environments (hydrologic exchange flows or HEFs) is a vital aspect of river ecology and watershed function. HEFs play a key role in water quality, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem health, and they modulate water temperatures and enhance exchange of terrestrial and aquatic nutrients, which lead to elevated biogeochemical activity. However, these coupled hydrologic and microbiological processes are not well understood, particularly in the context of large managed river systems with highly variable discharge, and are poorly represented in system-scale quantitative models. Using the 75 km Hanford Reach of the Columbia River as the research domain, we apply high-resolution flow simulations supported by field observations to understand how variable river discharge interacts with hydromorphic and hydrogeologic structures to generate HEFs and distributions of subsurface residence times. We combine this understanding of hydrologic processes with microbiological activity measurements and reactive transport models to elucidate the holistic impacts of variable discharge on river corridor (surface and subsurface) ecosystems. In particular, our project seeks to develop and test new conceptual and numerical models that explicitly incorporate i) the character (chemical speciation and thermodynamics) of natural organic matter as it varies along flow paths and through mixing of groundwater and surface water, and ii) the history-dependent response of microbial communities to varying time scales of inundation associated with fluctuations in river discharge. The results of these high-resolution mechanistic models are guiding formulation and parameterization of reduced-order models applicable at reach to watershed scales. New understanding of coupled hydrology and microbiology in the river corridor will play a key role in reduction of uncertainties associated with major Earth system biogeochemical fluxes, improving predictions of environmental and human impacts on water quality and riverine ecosystems, and supporting environmentally responsible management of linked energy-water systems.

On the Representation of the Porosity-Pressure Relationship in General Subsurface Flow Codes

DOE PAGES

Birdsell, Daniel Traver; Karra, Satish; Rajaram, Harihar

2018-01-11

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in a deformable porous media are derived from the balance of fluid mass and Darcy's equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow codes (GSFs), allow for more general constitutive relations for material properties such as porosity, permeability and density. Examples of GSFs include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, TOUGH2, STOMP, and some reservoir simulators such as BOAST. Depending on the constitutive relations used in GSFs, an inconsistency arises between the standard groundwater flow equation and the governing equation of GSFs, and we clarify that the reason for this inconsistency is becausemore » the Darcy's equation used in the GSFs should account for the velocity of fluid with respect to solid. Due to lack of awareness of this inconsistency, users of the GSFs tend to use a porosity-pressure relationship that comes from the standard groundwater flow equation and assumes that the relative velocity is already accounted for. For the Theis problem, we show that using this traditional relationship in the GSFs leads to significantly large errors. We propose an alternate porosity-pressure relationship that is consistent with the derivation of the governing equations in the GSFs where the solid velocity is not tracked, and show that, with this relationship, the results are more accurate for the Theis problem. In conclusion, the purpose of this note is to make the users and developers of these GSFs aware of this inconsistency and to advocate that the alternate porosity model derived here should be incorporated in GSFs.« less

On the Representation of the Porosity-Pressure Relationship in General Subsurface Flow Codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birdsell, Daniel T.; Karra, Satish; Rajaram, Harihar

2018-02-01

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in a deformable porous media are derived from the balance of fluid mass and Darcy's equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow codes (GSFs), allow for more general constitutive relations for material properties such as porosity, permeability and density. Examples of GSFs include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, TOUGH2, STOMP, and some reservoir simulators such as BOAST. Depending on the constitutive relations used in GSFs, an inconsistency arises between the standard groundwater flow equation and the governing equation of GSFs, and we clarify that the reason for this inconsistency is because the Darcy's equation used in the GSFs should account for the velocity of fluid with respect to solid. Due to lack of awareness of this inconsistency, users of the GSFs tend to use a porosity-pressure relationship that comes from the standard groundwater flow equation and assumes that the relative velocity is already accounted for. For the Theis problem, we show that using this traditional relationship in the GSFs leads to significantly large errors. We propose an alternate porosity-pressure relationship that is consistent with the derivation of the governing equations in the GSFs where the solid velocity is not tracked, and show that, with this relationship, the results are more accurate for the Theis problem. The purpose of this note is to make the users and developers of these GSFs aware of this inconsistency and to advocate that the alternate porosity model derived here should be incorporated in GSFs.

On the Representation of the Porosity-Pressure Relationship in General Subsurface Flow Codes

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

Birdsell, Daniel Traver; Karra, Satish; Rajaram, Harihar

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in a deformable porous media are derived from the balance of fluid mass and Darcy's equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow codes (GSFs), allow for more general constitutive relations for material properties such as porosity, permeability and density. Examples of GSFs include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, TOUGH2, STOMP, and some reservoir simulators such as BOAST. Depending on the constitutive relations used in GSFs, an inconsistency arises between the standard groundwater flow equation and the governing equation of GSFs, and we clarify that the reason for this inconsistency is becausemore » the Darcy's equation used in the GSFs should account for the velocity of fluid with respect to solid. Due to lack of awareness of this inconsistency, users of the GSFs tend to use a porosity-pressure relationship that comes from the standard groundwater flow equation and assumes that the relative velocity is already accounted for. For the Theis problem, we show that using this traditional relationship in the GSFs leads to significantly large errors. We propose an alternate porosity-pressure relationship that is consistent with the derivation of the governing equations in the GSFs where the solid velocity is not tracked, and show that, with this relationship, the results are more accurate for the Theis problem. In conclusion, the purpose of this note is to make the users and developers of these GSFs aware of this inconsistency and to advocate that the alternate porosity model derived here should be incorporated in GSFs.« less

Internal fracture heterogeneity in discrete fracture network modelling: Effect of correlation length and textures with connected and disconnected permeability field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frampton, A.; Hyman, J.; Zou, L.

2017-12-01

Analysing flow and transport in sparsely fractured media is important for understanding how crystalline bedrock environments function as barriers to transport of contaminants, with important applications towards subsurface repositories for storage of spent nuclear fuel. Crystalline bedrocks are particularly favourable due to their geological stability, low advective flow and strong hydrogeochemical retention properties, which can delay transport of radionuclides, allowing decay to limit release to the biosphere. There are however many challenges involved in quantifying and modelling subsurface flow and transport in fractured media, largely due to geological complexity and heterogeneity, where the interplay between advective and dispersive flow strongly impacts both inert and reactive transport. A key to modelling transport in a Lagrangian framework involves quantifying pathway travel times and the hydrodynamic control of retention, and both these quantities strongly depend on heterogeneity of the fracture network at different scales. In this contribution, we present recent analysis of flow and transport considering fracture networks with single-fracture heterogeneity described by different multivariate normal distributions. A coherent triad of fields with identical correlation length and variance are created but which greatly differ in structure, corresponding to textures with well-connected low, medium and high permeability structures. Through numerical modelling of multiple scales in a stochastic setting we quantify the relative impact of texture type and correlation length against network topological measures, and identify key thresholds for cases where flow dispersion is controlled by single-fracture heterogeneity versus network-scale heterogeneity. This is achieved by using a recently developed novel numerical discrete fracture network model. Furthermore, we highlight enhanced flow channelling for cases where correlation structure continues across intersections in a network, and discuss application to realistic fracture networks using field data of sparsely fractured crystalline rock from the Swedish candidate repository site for spent nuclear fuel.

Anthropogenic modifications to drainage conditions on streamflow variability in the Wabash River basin, Indiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, C.; Bowling, L. C.

2011-12-01

The Wabash River watershed is the largest watershed in Indiana and includes the longest undammed river reach east of the Mississippi River. The land use of the Wabash River basin began to significantly change from mixed woodland dominated by small lakes and wetlands to agriculture in the mid-1800s and agriculture is now the predominant land use. Over 80% of natural wetland areas were drained to facilitate better crop production through both surface and subsurface drainage applications. Quantifying the change in hydrologic response in this intensively managed landscape requires a hydrologic model that can represent wetlands, crop growth, and impervious area as well as subsurface and surface drainage enhancements, coupled with high resolution soil and topographic inputs. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model wetland algorithm has been previously modified to incorporate spatially-varying estimates of water table distribution using a topographic index approach, as well as a simple urban representation. Now, the soil water characteristics curve and a derived drained to equilibrium moisture profile are used to improve the model's estimation of the water table. In order to represent subsurface (tile) drainage, the tile drainage component of subsurface flow is calculated when the simulated water table rises above a specified drain depth. A map of the current estimated extent of subsurface tile drainage for the Wabash River based on a decision tree classifier of soil drainage class, soil slope and agricultural land use is used to activate the new tile drainage feature in the VIC model, while wetland depressional storage capacity is extracted from digital elevation and soil information. This modified VIC model is used to evaluate the performance of model physical variations in the intensively managed hydrologic regime of the Wabash River system and to understand the role of surface and subsurface storage, and land use and land cover change on hydrologic change.

STRUCTURAL HETEROGENEITIES AND PALEO FLUID FLOW IN AN ANALOG SANDSTONE RESERVOIR 2001-2004

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

Pollard, David; Aydin, Atilla

2005-02-22

Fractures and faults are brittle structural heterogeneities that can act both as conduits and barriers with respect to fluid flow in rock. This range in the hydraulic effects of fractures and faults greatly complicates the challenges faced by geoscientists working on important problems: from groundwater aquifer and hydrocarbon reservoir management, to subsurface contaminant fate and transport, to underground nuclear waste isolation, to the subsurface sequestration of CO2 produced during fossil-fuel combustion. The research performed under DOE grant DE-FG03-94ER14462 aimed to address these challenges by laying a solid foundation, based on detailed geological mapping, laboratory experiments, and physical process modeling, onmore » which to build our interpretive and predictive capabilities regarding the structure, patterns, and fluid flow properties of fractures and faults in sandstone reservoirs. The material in this final technical report focuses on the period of the investigation from July 1, 2001 to October 31, 2004. The Aztec Sandstone at the Valley of Fire, Nevada, provides an unusually rich natural laboratory in which exposures of joints, shear deformation bands, compaction bands and faults at scales ranging from centimeters to kilometers can be studied in an analog for sandstone aquifers and reservoirs. The suite of structures there has been documented and studied in detail using a combination of low-altitude aerial photography, outcrop-scale mapping and advanced computational analysis. In addition, chemical alteration patterns indicative of multiple paleo fluid flow events have been mapped at outcrop, local and regional scales. The Valley of Fire region has experienced multiple episodes of fluid flow and this is readily evident in the vibrant patterns of chemical alteration from which the Valley of Fire derives its name. We have successfully integrated detailed field and petrographic observation and analysis, process-based mechanical modeling, and numerical simulation of fluid flow to study a typical sandstone aquifer/reservoir at a variety of scales. We have produced many tools and insights which can be applied to active subsurface flow systems and practical problems of pressing global importance.« less

Relative permeability of fractured wellbore cement: an experimental investigation using electrical resistivity monitoring for moisture content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Um, W.; Rod, K. A.; Strickland, C. E.

2016-12-01

Permeability is a critical parameter needed to understand flow in subsurface environments; it is particularly important in deep subsurface reservoirs where multiphase fluid flow is common, such as carbon sequestration and geothermal reservoirs. Cement is used in the annulus of wellbores due to its low permeable properties to seal aquifers, reducing leaks to adjacent strata. Extreme subsurface environments of CO2 storage and geothermal production conditions will eventually reduce the cement integrity, propagating fracture networks and increasing the permeability for air and/or water. To date, there have been no reproducible experimental investigations of relative permeability in fractured wellbore cement published. To address this gap, we conducted a series of experiments using fractured Portland cement monoliths with increasing fracture networks. The monolith cylinder sides were jacketed with heavy-duty moisture-seal heat-shrink tubing, then fractured using shear force applied via a hydraulic press. Fractures were generated with different severity for each of three monoliths. Stainless steel endcaps were fixed to the monoliths using the same shrink-wrapped jacket. Fracture characteristics were determined using X-ray microtomography and image analysis. Flow controllers were used to control flow of water and air to supply continuous water or water plus air, both of which were delivered through the influent end cap. Effluent air flow was monitored using a flow meter, and water flow was measured gravimetrically. To monitor the effective saturation of the fractures, a RCON2 concrete bulk electrical resistivity test device was attached across both endcaps and a 0.1M NaNO3 brine was used as the transport fluid to improve resistivity measurements. Water content correlated to resistivity measurements with a r2 > 0.96. Data from the experiments was evaluated using two relative permeability models, the Corey-curve, often used for modeling relative permeability in porous media, and the X-curve, commonly used to depict the relative permeability of fractures. Relative permeability measurements from the cores containing a higher degree of fracturing showed a better fit to X-curve, while data from the minimally fractured cores were better described by fitting to the Corey-curve.

Coupling of Processes and Data in PennState Integrated Hydrologic Modeling (PIHM) System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, M.; Duffy, C.

2007-12-01

Full physical coupling, "natural" numerical coupling and parsimonious but accurate data coupling is needed to comprehensively and accurately capture the interaction between different components of a hydrologic continuum. Here we present a physically based, spatially distributed hydrologic model that incorporates all the three coupling strategies. Physical coupling of interception, snow melt, transpiration, overland flow, subsurface flow, river flow, macropore based infiltration and stormflow, flow through and over hydraulic structures likes weirs and dams, and evaporation from interception, ground and overland flow is performed. All the physically coupled components are numerically coupled through semi-discrete form of ordinary differential equations, that define each hydrologic process, using Finite-Volume based approach. The fully implicit solution methodology using CVODE solver solves for all the state variables simultaneously at each adaptive time steps thus providing robustness, stability and accuracy. The accurate data coupling is aided by use of constrained unstructured meshes, flexible data model and use of PIHMgis. The spatial adaptivity of decomposed domain and temporal adaptivity of the numerical solver facilitates capture of varied spatio-temporal scales that are inherent in hydrologic process interactions. The implementation of the model has been performed on a meso-scale Little-Juniata Watershed. Model results are validated by comparison of streamflow at multiple locations. We discuss some of the interesting hydrologic interactions between surface, subsurface and atmosphere witnessed during the year long simulation such as a) inverse relationship between evaporation from interception storage and transpiration b) relative influence of forcing (precipitation, temperature and radiation) and source (soil moisture and overland flow) on evaporation c) influence of local topography on gaining, loosing or "flow-through" behavior of river-aquifer interactions d) role of macropores on base flow during wetting and drying conditions. In addition to its use as a potential predictive and exploratory science tool, we present a test case for the application of model in water management by mapping of water table decline index for the whole watershed. Also discussed will be the efficient parallelization strategy of the model for high spatio-temporal resolution simulations.

Validation of gravity data from the geopotential field model for subsurface investigation of the Cameroon Volcanic Line (Western Africa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcel, Jean; Abate Essi, Jean Marcel; Nouck, Philippe Njandjock; Sanda, Oumarou; Manguelle-Dicoum, Eliézer

2018-03-01

Belonging to the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL), the western part of Cameroon is an active volcanic zone with volcanic eruptions and deadly gas emissions. The volcanic flows generally cover areas and bury structural features like faults. Terrestrial gravity surveys can hardly cover entirely this mountainous area due to difficult accessibility. The present work aims to evaluate gravity data derived from the geopotential field model, EGM2008 to investigate the subsurface of the CVL. The methodology involves upward continuation, horizontal gradient, maxima of horizontal gradient-upward continuation combination and Euler deconvolution techniques. The lineaments map inferred from this geopotential field model confirms several known lineaments and reveals new ones covered by lava flows. The known lineaments are interpreted as faults or geological contacts such as the Foumban fault and the Pan-African Belt-Congo craton contact. The lineaments highlighted coupled with the numerous maar lakes identified in this volcanic sector attest of the vulnerability of the CVL where special attention should be given for geohazard prevention.

Reconnecting tile drainage to riparian buffer hydrology for enhanced nitrate removal.

PubMed

Jaynes, D B; Isenhart, T M

2014-03-01

Riparian buffers are a proven practice for removing NO from overland flow and shallow groundwater. However, in landscapes with artificial subsurface (tile) drainage, most of the subsurface flow leaving fields is passed through the buffers in drainage pipes, leaving little opportunity for NO removal. We investigated the feasibility of re-routing a fraction of field tile drainage as subsurface flow through a riparian buffer for increasing NO removal. We intercepted an existing field tile outlet draining a 10.1-ha area of a row-cropped field in central Iowa and re-routed a fraction of the discharge as subsurface flow along 335 m of an existing riparian buffer. Tile drainage from the field was infiltrated through a perforated pipe installed 75 cm below the surface by maintaining a constant head in the pipe at a control box installed in-line with the existing field outlet. During 2 yr, >18,000 m (55%) of the total flow from the tile outlet was redirected as infiltration within the riparian buffer. The redirected water seeped through the 60-m-wide buffer, raising the water table approximately 35 cm. The redirected tile flow contained 228 kg of NO. On the basis of the strong decrease in NO concentrations within the shallow groundwater across the buffer, we hypothesize that the NO did not enter the stream but was removed within the buffer by plant uptake, microbial immobilization, or denitrification. Redirecting tile drainage as subsurface flow through a riparian buffer increased its NO removal benefit and is a promising management practice to improve surface water quality within tile-drained landscapes. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Baseline hydraulic performance of the Heathrow constructed wetlands subsurface flow system.

PubMed

Richter, K M; Margetts, J R; Saul, A J; Guymer, I; Worrall, P

2003-01-01

A constructed wetland treatment system has been commissioned by BAA (formerly the British Airports Authority) in order to attenuate airfield runoff contaminated with de-icant and other potentially polluting materials from Heathrow Airport. Airfield runoff containing de-icants has the potential to impose significant oxygen demands on water bodies. The site consists of a number of integrated treatment systems, including a 1 ha rafted reed bed canal system and a 2 ha sub-surface flow gravel reed bed. This research project is concerned with the performance of the subsurface flow reed beds, though attention will be paid in this paper to the operation of the whole system. Prior to the planting of the subsurface flow reed beds, flow-tracing experiments were carried out on the three different types of subsurface flow beds, so that the baseline performance of the system could be quantified. In association, data regarding the soil organic matter content was also collected prior to the planting of the beds. As expected, soil organic matter content is observed to be negligible within the bed, though a small amount of build up was observed in localised areas on the surface of the beds. This was attributed to the growth of algae in depressions where standing water persisted during the construction phase. Few studies exist which provide detailed measurements into the cause and effect of variations in hydraulic conductivity within an operational reed bed system. The data presented here form the baseline results for an ongoing study into the investigation of the change in hydraulic conductivity of an operational reed bed system.

TOUGH2Biot - A simulator for coupled thermal-hydrodynamic-mechanical processes in subsurface flow systems: Application to CO2 geological storage and geothermal development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Hongwu; Xu, Tianfu; Jin, Guangrong

2015-04-01

Coupled thermal-hydrodynamic-mechanical processes have become increasingly important in studying the issues affecting subsurface flow systems, such as CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers and geothermal development. In this study, a mechanical module based on the extended Biot consolidation model was developed and incorporated into the well-established thermal-hydrodynamic simulator TOUGH2, resulting in an integrated numerical THM simulation program TOUGH2Biot. A finite element method was employed to discretize space for rock mechanical calculation and the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion was used to determine if the rock undergoes shear-slip failure. Mechanics is partly coupled with the thermal-hydrodynamic processes and gives feedback to flow through stress-dependent porosity and permeability. TOUGH2Biot was verified against analytical solutions for the 1D Terzaghi consolidation and cooling-induced subsidence. TOUGH2Biot was applied to evaluate the thermal, hydrodynamic, and mechanical responses of CO2 geological sequestration at the Ordos CCS Demonstration Project, China and geothermal exploitation at the Geysers geothermal field, California. The results demonstrate that TOUGH2Biot is capable of analyzing change in pressure and temperature, displacement, stress, and potential shear-slip failure caused by large scale underground man-made activity in subsurface flow systems. TOUGH2Biot can also be easily extended for complex coupled process problems in fractured media and be conveniently updated to parallel versions on different platforms to take advantage of high-performance computing.

Method for inverting reflection trace data from 3-D and 4-D seismic surveys and identifying subsurface fluid and pathways in and among hydrocarbon reservoirs based on impedance models

DOEpatents

He, W.; Anderson, R.N.

1998-08-25

A method is disclosed for inverting 3-D seismic reflection data obtained from seismic surveys to derive impedance models for a subsurface region, and for inversion of multiple 3-D seismic surveys (i.e., 4-D seismic surveys) of the same subsurface volume, separated in time to allow for dynamic fluid migration, such that small scale structure and regions of fluid and dynamic fluid flow within the subsurface volume being studied can be identified. The method allows for the mapping and quantification of available hydrocarbons within a reservoir and is thus useful for hydrocarbon prospecting and reservoir management. An iterative seismic inversion scheme constrained by actual well log data which uses a time/depth dependent seismic source function is employed to derive impedance models from 3-D and 4-D seismic datasets. The impedance values can be region grown to better isolate the low impedance hydrocarbon bearing regions. Impedance data derived from multiple 3-D seismic surveys of the same volume can be compared to identify regions of dynamic evolution and bypassed pay. Effective Oil Saturation or net oil thickness can also be derived from the impedance data and used for quantitative assessment of prospective drilling targets and reservoir management. 20 figs.

Method for inverting reflection trace data from 3-D and 4-D seismic surveys and identifying subsurface fluid and pathways in and among hydrocarbon reservoirs based on impedance models

DOEpatents

He, Wei; Anderson, Roger N.

1998-01-01

A method is disclosed for inverting 3-D seismic reflection data obtained from seismic surveys to derive impedance models for a subsurface region, and for inversion of multiple 3-D seismic surveys (i.e., 4-D seismic surveys) of the same subsurface volume, separated in time to allow for dynamic fluid migration, such that small scale structure and regions of fluid and dynamic fluid flow within the subsurface volume being studied can be identified. The method allows for the mapping and quantification of available hydrocarbons within a reservoir and is thus useful for hydrocarbon prospecting and reservoir management. An iterative seismic inversion scheme constrained by actual well log data which uses a time/depth dependent seismic source function is employed to derive impedance models from 3-D and 4-D seismic datasets. The impedance values can be region grown to better isolate the low impedance hydrocarbon bearing regions. Impedance data derived from multiple 3-D seismic surveys of the same volume can be compared to identify regions of dynamic evolution and bypassed pay. Effective Oil Saturation or net oil thickness can also be derived from the impedance data and used for quantitative assessment of prospective drilling targets and reservoir management.

THE HYDROLOGIC SYSTEM: GEOMORPHIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC CONTROLS ON SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE FLOW REGIMES IN RIPARIAN MEADOW ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian corridors in upland watersheds in the Great Basin of central Nevada contain the majority of the region's biodiversity. Water, in both surface and subsurface flow regimes, is an important resource sustaining these sensitive ecosystems and other similar riparian ecosystem...

Model reduction of the numerical analysis of Low Impact Developments techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunetti, Giuseppe; Šimůnek, Jirka; Wöhling, Thomas; Piro, Patrizia

2017-04-01

Mechanistic models have proven to be accurate and reliable tools for the numerical analysis of the hydrological behavior of Low Impact Development (LIDs) techniques. However, their widespread adoption is limited by their complexity and computational cost. Recent studies have tried to address this issue by investigating the application of new techniques, such as surrogate-based modeling. However, current results are still limited and fragmented. One of such approaches, the Model Order Reduction (MOR) technique, can represent a valuable tool for reducing the computational complexity of a numerical problems by computing an approximation of the original model. While this technique has been extensively used in water-related problems, no studies have evaluated its use in LIDs modeling. Thus, the main aim of this study is to apply the MOR technique for the development of a reduced order model (ROM) for the numerical analysis of the hydrologic behavior of LIDs, in particular green roofs. The model should be able to correctly reproduce all the hydrological processes of a green roof while reducing the computational cost. The proposed model decouples the subsurface water dynamic of a green roof in a) one-dimensional (1D) vertical flow through a green roof itself and b) one-dimensional saturated lateral flow along the impervious rooftop. The green roof is horizontally discretized in N elements. Each element represents a vertical domain, which can have different properties or boundary conditions. The 1D Richards equation is used to simulate flow in the substrate and drainage layers. Simulated outflow from the vertical domain is used as a recharge term for saturated lateral flow, which is described using the kinematic wave approximation of the Boussinesq equation. The proposed model has been compared with the mechanistic model HYDRUS-2D, which numerically solves the Richards equation for the whole domain. The HYDRUS-1D code has been used for the description of vertical flow, while a Finite Volume Scheme has been adopted for lateral flow. Two scenarios involving flat and steep green roofs were analyzed. Results confirmed the accuracy of the reduced order model, which was able to reproduce both subsurface outflow and the moisture distribution in the green roof, significantly reducing the computational cost.

Subsurface temperatures and surface heat flow in the Michigan Basin and their relationships to regional subsurface fluid movement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vugrinovich, R.

1989-01-01

Linear regression of 405 bottomhole temperature (BHT) measurements vs. associated depths from Michigan's Lower Peninsula results in the following equation relating BHT and depth: BHT(??C) = 14.5 + 0.0192 ?? depth(m) Temperature residuals, defined as (BHT measured)-(BHT calculated), were determined for each of the 405 BHT's. Areas of positive temperature residuals correspond to areas of regional groundwater discharge (determined from maps of equipotential surface) while areas of negative temperature residuals correspond to areas of regional groundwater recharge. These relationships are observed in the principal aquifers in rocks of Devonian and Ordovician age and in a portion of the principal aquifer in rocks of Silurian age. There is a similar correspondence between high surface heat flow (determined using the silica geothermometer) and regional groundwater discharge areas and low surface heat flow and regional groundwater recharge areas. Post-Jurassic depositional and tectonic histories suggest that the observed coupling of subsurface temperature and groundwater flow systems may have persisted since Jurassic time. Thus the higher subsurface palaeotemperatures (and palaeogeothermal gradients) indicated by recent studies most likely pre-date the Jurassic. ?? 1989.

Effects of spatial configuration of imperviousness and green infrastructure networks on hydrologic response in a residential sewershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Theodore C.; Welty, Claire

2017-09-01

Green infrastructure (GI) is an approach to stormwater management that promotes natural processes of infiltration and evapotranspiration, reducing surface runoff to conventional stormwater drainage infrastructure. As more urban areas incorporate GI into their stormwater management plans, greater understanding is needed on the effects of spatial configuration of GI networks on hydrological performance, especially in the context of potential subsurface and lateral interactions between distributed facilities. In this research, we apply a three-dimensional, coupled surface-subsurface, land-atmosphere model, ParFlow.CLM, to a residential urban sewershed in Washington DC that was retrofitted with a network of GI installations between 2009 and 2015. The model was used to test nine additional GI and imperviousness spatial network configurations for the site and was compared with monitored pipe-flow data. Results from the simulations show that GI located in higher flow-accumulation areas of the site intercepted more surface runoff, even during wetter and multiday events. However, a comparison of the differences between scenarios and levels of variation and noise in monitored data suggests that the differences would only be detectable between the most and least optimal GI/imperviousness configurations.

The Evolution of Oblique Impact Flow Fields Using Maxwell's Z Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. L. B.; Schultz, P. H.; Heineck, J. T.

2003-01-01

Oblique impacts are the norm rather than the exception for impact craters on planetary surfaces. This work focuses on the excavation of experimental oblique impact craters using the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). Three-dimensional particle image velocimetry (3D PIV) is used to obtain quantitative data on ejection positions, three-dimensional velocities and angles. These data are then used to test the applicability and limitations of Maxwell's Z Model in representing the subsurface evolution of the excavation-stage flow-field center during vertical and oblique impacts.

Modeling variably saturated multispecies reactive groundwater solute transport with MODFLOW-UZF and RT3D

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, Ryan T.; Morway, Eric D.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Gates, Timothy K.

2013-01-01

A numerical model was developed that is capable of simulating multispecies reactive solute transport in variably saturated porous media. This model consists of a modified version of the reactive transport model RT3D (Reactive Transport in 3 Dimensions) that is linked to the Unsaturated-Zone Flow (UZF1) package and MODFLOW. Referred to as UZF-RT3D, the model is tested against published analytical benchmarks as well as other published contaminant transport models, including HYDRUS-1D, VS2DT, and SUTRA, and the coupled flow and transport modeling system of CATHY and TRAN3D. Comparisons in one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional variably saturated systems are explored. While several test cases are included to verify the correct implementation of variably saturated transport in UZF-RT3D, other cases are included to demonstrate the usefulness of the code in terms of model run-time and handling the reaction kinetics of multiple interacting species in variably saturated subsurface systems. As UZF1 relies on a kinematic-wave approximation for unsaturated flow that neglects the diffusive terms in Richards equation, UZF-RT3D can be used for large-scale aquifer systems for which the UZF1 formulation is reasonable, that is, capillary-pressure gradients can be neglected and soil parameters can be treated as homogeneous. Decreased model run-time and the ability to include site-specific chemical species and chemical reactions make UZF-RT3D an attractive model for efficient simulation of multispecies reactive transport in variably saturated large-scale subsurface systems.

Timing and Distribution of Single-Layered Ejecta Craters Imply Sporadic Preservation of Tropical Subsurface Ice on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchoff, Michelle R.; Grimm, Robert E.

2018-01-01

Determining the evolution of tropical subsurface ice is a key component to understanding Mars's climate and geologic history. Study of an intriguing crater type on Mars—layered ejecta craters, which likely form by tapping subsurface ice—may provide constraints on this evolution. Layered ejecta craters have a continuous ejecta deposit with a fluidized-flow appearance. Single-layered ejecta (SLE) craters are the most common and dominate at tropical latitudes and therefore offer the best opportunity to derive new constraints on the temporal evolution of low-latitude subsurface ice. We estimate model formation ages of 54 SLE craters with diameter (D) ≥ 5 km using the density of small, superposed craters with D < 1 km on their continuous ejecta deposits. These model ages indicate that SLE craters have formed throughout the Amazonian and at a similar rate expected for all Martian craters. This suggests that tropical ice has remained at relatively shallow depths at least where these craters formed. In particular, the presence of equatorial SLE craters with D 1 km indicates that ice could be preserved as shallow as 100 m or less at those locations. Finally, there is a striking spatial mixing in an area of highlands near the equator of layered and radial (lunar-like ballistic) ejecta craters; the latter form where there are insufficient concentrations of subsurface ice. This implies strong spatial heterogeneity in the concentration of tropical subsurface ice.

Satellite Tidal Magnetic Signals Constrain Oceanic Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary Earth Tomography with Tidal Magnetic Signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grayver, Alexander V.; Schnepf, Neesha R.; Kuvshinov, Alexey V.; Sabaka, Terence J.; Chandrasekharan, Manoj; Olsen, Niles

2016-01-01

The tidal flow of electrically conductive oceans through the geomagnetic field results in the generation of secondary magnetic signals, which provide information on the subsurface structure. Data from the new generation of satellites were shown to contain magnetic signals due to tidal flow; however, there are no reports that these signals have been used to infer subsurface structure. Here we use satellite-detected tidal magnetic fields to image the global electrical structure of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle down to a depth of about 250 km. The model derived from more than 12 years of satellite data reveals an Approximately 72 km thick upper resistive layer followed by a sharp increase in electrical conductivity likely associated with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, which separates colder rigid oceanic plates from the ductile and hotter asthenosphere.

Satellite tidal magnetic signals constrain oceanic lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary

PubMed Central

Grayver, Alexander V.; Schnepf, Neesha R.; Kuvshinov, Alexey V.; Sabaka, Terence J.; Manoj, Chandrasekharan; Olsen, Nils

2016-01-01

The tidal flow of electrically conductive oceans through the geomagnetic field results in the generation of secondary magnetic signals, which provide information on the subsurface structure. Data from the new generation of satellites were shown to contain magnetic signals due to tidal flow; however, there are no reports that these signals have been used to infer subsurface structure. We use satellite-detected tidal magnetic fields to image the global electrical structure of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle down to a depth of about 250 km. The model derived from more than 12 years of satellite data reveals a ≈72-km-thick upper resistive layer followed by a sharp increase in electrical conductivity likely associated with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, which separates colder rigid oceanic plates from the ductile and hotter asthenosphere. PMID:27704045

GEOCHEMISTRY OF SUBSURFACE REACTIVE BARRIERS FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Reactive barriers that couple subsurface fluid flow with a passive chemical treatment zone are emerging, cost effective approaches for in-situ remediation of contaminated groundwater. Factors such as the build-up of surface precipitates, bio-fouling, and changes in subsurface tr...

A linear geospatial streamflow modeling system for data sparse environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asante, Kwabena O.; Arlan, Guleid A.; Pervez, Md Shahriar; Rowland, James

2008-01-01

In many river basins around the world, inaccessibility of flow data is a major obstacle to water resource studies and operational monitoring. This paper describes a geospatial streamflow modeling system which is parameterized with global terrain, soils and land cover data and run operationally with satellite‐derived precipitation and evapotranspiration datasets. Simple linear methods transfer water through the subsurface, overland and river flow phases, and the resulting flows are expressed in terms of standard deviations from mean annual flow. In sample applications, the modeling system was used to simulate flow variations in the Congo, Niger, Nile, Zambezi, Orange and Lake Chad basins between 1998 and 2005, and the resulting flows were compared with mean monthly values from the open‐access Global River Discharge Database. While the uncalibrated model cannot predict the absolute magnitude of flow, it can quantify flow anomalies in terms of relative departures from mean flow. Most of the severe flood events identified in the flow anomalies were independently verified by the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) and the Emergency Disaster Database (EM‐DAT). Despite its limitations, the modeling system is valuable for rapid characterization of the relative magnitude of flood hazards and seasonal flow changes in data sparse settings.

Thin‐ or thick‐skinned faulting in the Yakima fold and thrust belt (WA)? Constraints from kinematic modeling of the saddle mountains anticline

USGS Publications Warehouse

Casale, Gabriele; Pratt, Thomas L.

2015-01-01

The Yakima fold and thrust belt (YFTB) deforms the Columbia River Basalt Group flows of Washington State. The YFTB fault geometries and slip rates are crucial parameters for seismic‐hazard assessments of nearby dams and nuclear facilities, yet there are competing models for the subsurface fault geometry involving shallowly rooted versus deeply rooted fault systems. The YFTB is also thought to be analogous to the evenly spaced wrinkle ridges found on other terrestrial planets. Using seismic reflection data, borehole logs, and surface geologic data, we tested two proposed kinematic end‐member thick‐ and thin‐skinned fault models beneath the Saddle Mountains anticline of the YFTB. Observed subsurface geometry can be produced by 600–800 m of heave along a single listric‐reverse fault or ∼3.5  km of slip along two superposed low‐angle thrust faults. Both models require decollement slip between 7 and 9 km depth, resulting in greater fault areas than sometimes assumed in hazard assessments. Both models require initial slip much earlier than previously thought and may provide insight into the subsurface geometry of analogous comparisons to wrinkle ridges observed on other planets.

Non-linear hydraulic properties of woodchips necessary to design denitrification beds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Denitrification beds are being used to reduce the transport of water-soluble nitrate via subsurface drainage systems to surface water. Only recently has the non-linearity of water flow through woodchips been ascertained. To successfully design and model denitrification beds for optimum nitrate remov...

Shale Gas Well, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Formation Data to Support Modeling of Gas and Water Flow in Shale Formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Ryan W. J.; Celia, Michael A.

2018-04-01

The potential for shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing to cause subsurface water contamination has prompted a number of modeling studies to assess the risk. A significant impediment for conducting robust modeling is the lack of comprehensive publicly available information and data about the properties of shale formations, shale wells, the process of hydraulic fracturing, and properties of the hydraulic fractures. We have collated a substantial amount of these data that are relevant for modeling multiphase flow of water and gas in shale gas formations. We summarize these data and their sources in tabulated form.

Inputs and losses by surface runoff and subsurface leaching for pastures managed by continuous or rotational stocking.

PubMed

Owens, L B; Barker, D J; Loerch, S C; Shipitalo, M J; Bonta, J V; Sulc, R M

2012-01-01

Pasture management practices can affect forage quality and production, animal health and production, and surface and groundwater quality. In a 5-yr study conducted at the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed near Coshocton, Ohio, we compared the effects of two contrasting grazing methods on surface and subsurface water quantity and quality. Four pastures, each including a small, instrumented watershed (0.51-1.09 ha) for surface runoff measurements and a developed spring for subsurface flow collection, received 112 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) and were grazed at similar stocking rates (1.8-1.9 cows ha(-1)). Two pastures were continuously stocked; two were subdivided so that they were grazed with frequent rotational stocking (5-6 times weekly). In the preceding 5 yr, these pastures received 112 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) after several years of 0 N fertilizer and were grazed with weekly rotational stocking. Surface runoff losses of N were minimal. During these two periods, some years had precipitation up to 50% greater than the long-term average, which increased subsurface flow and NO(3)-N transport. Average annual NO(3)-N transported in subsurface flow from the four watersheds during the two 5-yr periods ranged from 11.3 to 22.7 kg N ha(-1), which was similar to or less than the mineral-N received in precipitation. Flow and transport variations were greater among seasons than among watersheds. Flow-weighted seasonal NO(3)-N concentrations in subsurface flow did not exceed 7 mg L(-1). Variations in NO(3)-N leached from pastures were primarily due to variable precipitation rather than the effects of continuous, weekly rotational, or frequent rotational stocking practices. This suggests that there was no difference among these grazing practices in terms of NO(3)-N leaching. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

An Open Source Framework for Coupled Hydro-Hydrogeo-Chemical Systems in Catchment Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delfs, J.; Sachse, A.; Gayler, S.; Grathwohl, P.; He, W.; Jang, E.; Kalbacher, T.; Klein, C.; Kolditz, O.; Maier, U.; Priesack, E.; Rink, K.; Selle, B.; Shao, H.; Singh, A. K.; Streck, T.; Sun, Y.; Wang, W.; Walther, M.

2013-12-01

This poster presents an open-source framework designed to assist water scientists in the study of catchment hydraulic functions with associated chemical processes, e.g. contaminant degradation, plant nutrient turnover. The model successfully calculates the feedbacks between surface water, subsurface water and air in standard benchmarks. In specific model applications to heterogeneous catchments, subsurface water is driven by density variations and runs through double porous media. Software codes of water science are tightly coupled by iteration, namely the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) for urban runoff, Expert-N for simulating water fluxes and nutrient turnover in agricultural and forested soils, and OpenGeoSys (OGS) for groundwater. The coupled model calculates flow of hydrostatic shallow water over the land surface with finite volume and difference methods. The flow equations for water in the porous subsurface are discretized in space with finite elements. Chemical components are transferred through 1D, 2D or 3D watershed representations with advection-dispersion solvers or, as an alternative, random walk particle tracking. A transport solver can be in sequence with a chemical solver, e.g. PHREEQ-C, BRNS, additionally. Besides coupled partial differential equations, the concept of hydrological response units is employed in simulations at regional scale with scarce data availability. In this case, a conceptual hydrological model, specifically the Jena Adaptable Modeling System (JAMS), passes groundwater recharge through a software interface into OGS, which solves the partial differential equations of groundwater flow. Most components of the modeling framework are open source and can be modified for individual purposes. Applications range from temperate climate regions in Germany (Ammer catchment and Hessian Ried) to arid regions in the Middle East (Oman and Dead See). Some of the presented examples originate from intensively monitored research sites of the WESS research centre and the monitoring initiative TERENO. Other examples originate from the IWAS project on integrated water resources management. The model applications are primarily concerned with groundwater resources, which are endangered by overexploitation, intrusion of saltwater, and nitrate loads.

Dynamics of Reactive Microbial Hotspots in Concentration Gradient.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubert, A.; Farasin, J.; Tabuteau, H.; Dufresne, A.; Meheust, Y.; Le Borgne, T.

2017-12-01

In subsurface environments, bacteria play a major role in controlling the kinetics of a broad range of biogeochemical reactions. In such environments, nutrients fluxes and solute concentrations needed for bacteria metabolism may be highly variable in space and intermittent in time. This can lead to the formation of reactive hotspots where and when conditions are favorable to particular microorganisms, hence inducing biogeochemical reaction kinetics that differ significantly from those measured in homogeneous model environments. To investigate the impact of chemical gradients on the spatial structure and temporal dynamics of subsurface microorganism populations, we develop microfluidic cells allowing for a precise control of flow and chemical gradient conditions, as well as quantitative monitoring of the bacteria's spatial distribution and biofilm development. Using the non-motile Escherichia coli JW1908-1 strain and Gallionella capsiferriformans ES-2 as model organisms, we investigate the behavior and development of bacteria over a range of single and double concentration gradients in the concentrations of nutrients, electron donors and electron acceptors. We measure bacterial activity and population growth locally in precisely known hydrodynamic and chemical environments. This approach allows time-resolved monitoring of the location and intensity of reactive hotspots in micromodels as a function of the flow and chemical gradient conditions. We compare reactive microbial hotspot dynamics in our micromodels to classic growth laws and well-known growth parameters for the laboratory model bacteria Escherichia coli.We also discuss consequences for the formation and temporal dynamics of biofilms in the subsurface.

Accounting for Hydrologic State in Ground-Penetrating Radar Classification Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-22

water content as a result of infiltration processes. • Demonstrated that effective medium approximations (one-dimensional flow and ray theory...280 290 300 310 320 330 340 -5 0 5 10 15 20 (a) (b) (c) Page 8 of 32 Figure 6: a) Conceptual model of flow experiment and GPR rays showing... ray theory for GPR) for characterizing the hydrologic state of the subsurface under arbitrary water content conditions. Figure 7: Comparison of

Salinization Sources Along the Lower Jordan River Under Draught Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holtzman, R.; Shavit, U.; Segal, M.; Vengosh, A.; Farber, E.; Gavrieli, I.

2003-12-01

The Lower Jordan River, once a flowing freshwater river, is suffering from an ongoing reduction of discharge and water quality. The river flows between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, an aerial distance of about 105 Km. The severe reduction is caused by an excessive exploitation of its sources and diversion of sewage and agricultural drainage into the river. The extreme low flows and low water quality threaten the natural existence of the river and its potential use for agriculture. In spite of its importance, little research has been done in the river. The objectives of the study were to measure the discharge and water composition along the river and to evaluate the main sources that control its flow and chemical characteristics. The hypothesis of the study was that interaction with subsurface flows significantly affects the river flow and chemical composition. The research is based on a detailed field study, which included flow rate measurements in the river and its tributaries, water sampling and analysis and mass balance calculations of water and solutes. A portable Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) was used to measure velocities and bathymetry at different locations across the river sections. Due to accessibility constraints, a floating traverse construction, which enables the ADV's deployment from one bank of the river, was developed. It was found that flow rate ranges between 500-1,100 L/s in northern (upstream) sections and 300-1,650 L/s in the south. This low discharge represents a significant reduction from historical values and is lower than recent published estimations. This research represents base flows only, as the measurements were done during a period of two consecutive draught years. Calculated mass balance of water flows in the northern sections shows that the subsurface source contributes to the river around 200-670 L/s (30-80% of the river flow). Calculations of solute balance show that the subsurface flows add 20-50% of the mass of solutes (e.g. Sulfate) that flows in the river. The assumption of a hydraulic gradient that points at inflows from subsurface flows is encouraged by high water levels measured in nearby piezometers. Possible natural subsurface sources include shallow groundwater or rising of water from deep formations. The existence of adjacent thermal wells strengthens the reasonability of such water rise. Possible anthropogenic sources include return flows and effluents. The results are consistent and agree with the geochemical and isotopic analyses. It is concluded that the impact of the subsurface component on the Jordan River is significant and must be taken into consideration, for future water management schemes and implementation of the Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan.

Crustal control of dissipative ocean tides in Enceladus and other icy moons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuthe, Mikael

2016-12-01

Could tidal dissipation within Enceladus' subsurface ocean account for the observed heat flow? Earthlike models of dynamical tides give no definitive answer because they neglect the influence of the crust. I propose here the first model of dissipative tides in a subsurface ocean, by combining the Laplace Tidal Equations with the membrane approach. For the first time, it is possible to compute tidal dissipation rates within the crust, ocean, and mantle in one go. I show that oceanic dissipation is strongly reduced by the crustal constraint, and thus contributes little to Enceladus' present heat budget. Tidal resonances could have played a role in a forming or freezing ocean less than 100 m deep. The model is general: it applies to all icy satellites with a thin crust and a shallow ocean. Scaling rules relate the resonances and dissipation rate of a subsurface ocean to the ones of a surface ocean. If the ocean has low viscosity, the westward obliquity tide does not move the crust. Therefore, crustal dissipation due to dynamical obliquity tides can differ from the static prediction by up to a factor of two.

Heat flow and subsurface temperature as evidence for basin-scale ground-water flow, North Slope of Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deming, D.; Sass, J.H.; Lachenbruch, A.H.; De Rito, R. F.

1992-01-01

Several high-resolution temperature logs were made in each of 21 drillholes and a total of 601 thermal conductivity measurements were made on drill cuttings and cores. Near-surface heat flow (??20%) is inversely correlated with elevation and ranges from a low of 27 mW/m2 in the foothills of the Brooks Range in the south, to a high of 90 mW/m2 near the north coast. Subsurface temperatures and thermal gradients estimated from corrected BHTs are similarly much higher on the coastal plain than in the foothills province to the south. Significant east-west variation in heat flow and subsurface temperature is also observed; higher heat flow and temperature coincide with higher basement topography. The observed thermal pattern is consistent with forced convection by a topographically driven ground-water flow system. Average ground-water (Darcy) velocity in the postulated flow system is estimated to be of the order of 0.1 m/yr; the effective basin-scale permeability is estimated to be of the order of 10-14 m2. -from Authors

Enhancement of subsurface geologic structure model based on gravity, magnetotelluric, and well log data in Kamojang geothermal field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yustin Kamah, Muhammad; Armando, Adilla; Larasati Rahmani, Dinda; Paramitha, Shabrina

2017-12-01

Geophysical methods such as gravity and magnetotelluric methods commonly used in conventional and unconventional energy exploration, notably for exploring geothermal prospect. They used to identify the subsurface geology structures which is estimated as a path of fluid flow. This study was conducted in Kamojang Geothermal Field with the aim of highlighting the volcanic lineament in West Java, precisely in Guntur-Papandayan chain where there are three geothermal systems. Kendang Fault has predominant direction NE-SW, identified by magnetotelluric techniques and gravity data processing techniques. Gravity techniques such as spectral analysis, derivative solutions, and Euler deconvolution indicate the type and geometry of anomaly. Magnetotelluric techniques such as inverse modeling and polar diagram are required to know subsurface resistivity charactersitics and major orientation. Furthermore, the result from those methods will be compared to geology information and some section of well data, which is sufficiently suitable. This research is very useful to trace out another potential development area.

The combined use of MODFLOW and precipitation-runoff modeling to simulate groundwater flow in a diffuse-pollution prone watershed.

PubMed

Elçi, A; Karadaş, D; Fistikoğlu, O

2010-01-01

A numerical modeling case study of groundwater flow in a diffuse pollution prone area is presented. The study area is located within the metropolitan borders of the city of Izmir, Turkey. This groundwater flow model was unconventional in the application since the groundwater recharge parameter in the model was estimated using a lumped, transient water-budget based precipitation-runoff model that was executed independent of the groundwater flow model. The recharge rate obtained from the calibrated precipitation-runoff model was used as input to the groundwater flow model, which was eventually calibrated to measured water table elevations. Overall, the flow model results were consistent with field observations and model statistics were satisfactory. Water budget results of the model revealed that groundwater recharge comprised about 20% of the total water input for the entire study area. Recharge was the second largest component in the budget after leakage from streams into the subsurface. It was concluded that the modeling results can be further used as input for contaminant transport modeling studies in order to evaluate the vulnerability of water resources of the study area to diffuse pollution.

Effects of turbulent hyporheic mixing on reach-scale solute transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roche, K. R.; Li, A.; Packman, A. I.

2017-12-01

Turbulence rapidly mixes solutes and fine particles into coarse-grained streambeds. Both hyporheic exchange rates and spatial variability of hyporheic mixing are known to be controlled by turbulence, but it is unclear how turbulent mixing influences mass transport at the scale of stream reaches. We used a process-based particle-tracking model to simulate local- and reach-scale solute transport for a coarse-bed stream. Two vertical mixing profiles, one with a smooth transition from in-stream to hyporheic transport conditions and a second with enhanced turbulent transport at the sediment-water interface, were fit to steady-state subsurface concentration profiles observed in laboratory experiments. The mixing profile with enhanced interfacial transport better matched the observed concentration profiles and overall mass retention in the streambed. The best-fit mixing profiles were then used to simulate upscaled solute transport in a stream. Enhanced mixing coupled in-stream and hyporheic solute transport, causing solutes exchanged into the shallow subsurface to have travel times similar to the water column. This extended the exponential region of the in-stream solute breakthrough curve, and delayed the onset of the heavy power-law tailing induced by deeper and slower hyporheic porewater velocities. Slopes of observed power-law tails were greater than those predicted from stochastic transport theory, and also changed in time. In addition, rapid hyporheic transport velocities truncated the hyporheic residence time distribution by causing mass to exit the stream reach via subsurface advection, yielding strong exponential tempering in the in-stream breakthrough curves at the timescale of advective hyporheic transport through the reach. These results show that strong turbulent mixing across the sediment-water interface violates the conventional separation of surface and subsurface flows used in current models for solute transport in rivers. Instead, the full distribution of flow and mixing over the surface-subsurface continuum must be explicitly considered to properly interpret solute transport in coarse-bed streams.

Demonstration of the Tilting of the Gas-Water Interface under Hydrodynamic Conditions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gretener, P. E.

1979-01-01

Describes the construction of an apparatus to demonstrate the tilting of an oil-water, gas-water, or gas-oil interface when the subsurface reservoir is under hydrodynamic conditions (i.e., when conditions of lateral flow exist). The model can be constructed of readily-available materials. (RE)

Modelling biofilm-induced formation damage and biocide treatment in subsurface geosystems

PubMed Central

Ezeuko, C C; Sen, A; Gates, I D

2013-01-01

Biofilm growth in subsurface porous media, and its treatment with biocides (antimicrobial agents), involves a complex interaction of biogeochemical processes which provide non-trivial mathematical modelling challenges. Although there are literature reports of mathematical models to evaluate biofilm tolerance to biocides, none of these models have investigated biocide treatment of biofilms growing in interconnected porous media with flow. In this paper, we present a numerical investigation using a pore network model of biofilm growth, formation damage and biocide treatment. The model includes three phases (aqueous, adsorbed biofilm, and solid matrix), a single growth-limiting nutrient and a single biocide dissolved in the water. Biofilm is assumed to contain a single species of microbe, in which each cell can be a viable persister, a viable non-persister, or non-viable (dead). Persisters describe small subpopulation of cells which are tolerant to biocide treatment. Biofilm tolerance to biocide treatment is regulated by persister cells and includes ‘innate’ and ‘biocide-induced’ factors. Simulations demonstrate that biofilm tolerance to biocides can increase with biofilm maturity, and that biocide treatment alone does not reverse biofilm-induced formation damage. Also, a successful application of biological permeability conformance treatment involving geologic layers with flow communication is more complicated than simply engineering the attachment of biofilm-forming cells at desired sites. PMID:23164434

Stochastic modeling of a lava-flow aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronkite-Ratcliff, Collin; Phelps, Geoffrey A.

2014-01-01

This report describes preliminary three-dimensional geostatistical modeling of a lava-flow aquifer system using a multiple-point geostatistical model. The purpose of this study is to provide a proof-of-concept for this modeling approach. An example of the method is demonstrated using a subset of borehole geologic data and aquifer test data from a portion of the Calico Hills Formation, a lava-flow aquifer system that partially underlies Pahute Mesa, Nevada. Groundwater movement in this aquifer system is assumed to be controlled by the spatial distribution of two geologic units—rhyolite lava flows and zeolitized tuffs. The configuration of subsurface lava flows and tuffs is largely unknown because of limited data. The spatial configuration of the lava flows and tuffs is modeled by using a multiple-point geostatistical simulation algorithm that generates a large number of alternative realizations, each honoring the available geologic data and drawn from a geologic conceptual model of the lava-flow aquifer system as represented by a training image. In order to demonstrate how results from the geostatistical model could be analyzed in terms of available hydrologic data, a numerical simulation of part of an aquifer test was applied to the realizations of the geostatistical model.

CRT--Cascade Routing Tool to define and visualize flow paths for grid-based watershed models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henson, Wesley R.; Medina, Rose L.; Mayers, C. Justin; Niswonger, Richard G.; Regan, R.S.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Cascade Routing Tool (CRT) is a computer application for watershed models that include the coupled Groundwater and Surface-water FLOW model, GSFLOW, and the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). CRT generates output to define cascading surface and shallow subsurface flow paths for grid-based model domains. CRT requires a land-surface elevation for each hydrologic response unit (HRU) of the model grid; these elevations can be derived from a Digital Elevation Model raster data set of the area containing the model domain. Additionally, a list is required of the HRUs containing streams, swales, lakes, and other cascade termination features along with indices that uniquely define these features. Cascade flow paths are determined from the altitudes of each HRU. Cascade paths can cross any of the four faces of an HRU to a stream or to a lake within or adjacent to an HRU. Cascades can terminate at a stream, lake, or HRU that has been designated as a watershed outflow location.

Subsurface Water Flow and its Subsequent Impact on Chemical Behavior

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The impact of the subsurface stratigraphy on crop growth and agrichemical behavior has been studied for several years at the OPE3 research site located at the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, in Beltsville Maryland. This site contains subsurface restricting layers that have been id...

A locally conservative stabilized continuous Galerkin finite element method for two-phase flow in poroelastic subsurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Q.; Ginting, V.; McCaskill, B.; Torsu, P.

2017-10-01

We study the application of a stabilized continuous Galerkin finite element method (CGFEM) in the simulation of multiphase flow in poroelastic subsurfaces. The system involves a nonlinear coupling between the fluid pressure, subsurface's deformation, and the fluid phase saturation, and as such, we represent this coupling through an iterative procedure. Spatial discretization of the poroelastic system employs the standard linear finite element in combination with a numerical diffusion term to maintain stability of the algebraic system. Furthermore, direct calculation of the normal velocities from pressure and deformation does not entail a locally conservative field. To alleviate this drawback, we propose an element based post-processing technique through which local conservation can be established. The performance of the method is validated through several examples illustrating the convergence of the method, the effectivity of the stabilization term, and the ability to achieve locally conservative normal velocities. Finally, the efficacy of the method is demonstrated through simulations of realistic multiphase flow in poroelastic subsurfaces.

Glaciation and regional ground-water flow in the Fennoscandian Shield: Site 94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Provost, Alden M.; Voss, Clifford I.; Neuzil, C.E.

1998-01-01

Results from a regional-scale ground-water flow model of the Fennoscandian shield suggest that ground-water flow is strongly affected by surface conditions associated with climatic change and glaciation. The model was used to run a series of numerical simulations of variable-density ground-water flow in a 1500-km-long and approximately 10-km-deep cross-section that passes through southern Sweden. Ground-water flow and shield brine transport in the cross-sectional model are controlled by an assumed time evolution of surface conditions over the next 140 ka. Simulations show that, under periglacial conditions, permafrost may locally or extensively impede the free recharge or discharge of ground water. Below cold-based glacial ice, no recharge or discharge of ground water occurs. Both of these conditions result in the settling of shield brine and consequent freshening of near-surface water in areas of natural discharge blocked by permafrost. The presence of warm-based ice with basal melting creates a potential for ground-water recharge rates much larger than under present, ice-free conditions. Recharging basal meltwater can reach depths of a few kilometers in a few thousand years. The vast majority of recharged water is accommodated through storage in the volume of bedrock below the local area of recharge; regional (lateral) redistribution of recharged water by subsurface flow is minor over the duration of a glacial advance (~10 ka). During glacial retreat, the weight of the ice overlying a given surface location decreases, and significant upward flow of ground water may occur below the ice sheet due to pressure release, despite the continued potential for recharge of basal meltwater. Excess meltwater must exit from below the glacier through subglacial cavities and channels. Subsurface penetration of meltwater during glacial advance and up-flow during glacial retreat are greatest if the loading efficiency of the shield rock is low. The maximum rate of ground-water discharge occurs at the receding ice margin, and some discharge occurs below incursive post-glacial seas. The simulation results suggest that vertical movement of deep shield brines induced by the next few glacial cycles should not increase the concentration of dissolved solids significantly above present-day levels. However, the concentration of dissolved solids should decrease significantly at depths of up to several kilometers during periods of glacial meltwater recharge. The meltwater may reside in the subsurface for periods exceeding 10 ka and may bring oxygenated conditions to an otherwise reducing chemical environment.

Finding the best windows: An apparent environmental threshold determines which diffuse flows are dominated by subsurface microbes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olins, H. C.; Rogers, D.; Scholin, C. A.; Preston, C. J.; Vidoudez, C.; Ussler, W.; Pargett, D.; Jensen, S.; Roman, B.; Birch, J. M.; Girguis, P. R.

2014-12-01

Hydrothermal vents are hotspots of microbial primary productivity often described as "windows into the subsurface biosphere." High temperature vents have received the majority of research attention, but cooler diffuse flows are as, if not more, important a source of heat and chemicals to the overlying ocean. We studied patterns of in situ gene expression and co-registered geochemistry in order to 1) describe the diversity and physiological poise of active microbial communities that span thermal and geochemical gradients from active diffuse flow to background vent field seawater, and 2) determine to what extent seawater or subsurface microbes were active throughout this environment. Analyses of multiple metatranscriptomes from 5 geochemically distinct sites (some from samples preserved in situ) show that proximate diffuse flows showed strikingly different transcription profiles. Specifically, caldera background and some diffuse flows were similar, both dominated by seawater-derived Gammaproteobacteria despite having distinct geochemistries. Intra-field community shows evidence of increased primary productivity throughout the entire vent field and not just at individual diffuse flows. In contrast, a more spatially limited, Epsilonproteobacteria-dominated transcription profile from the most hydrothermally-influenced diffuse flow appeared to be driven by the activity of vent-endemic microbes, likely reflecting subsurface microbial activity. We suggest that the microbial activity within many diffuse flow vents is primarily attributable to seawater derived Gammaproteobacterial sulfur oxidizers, while in certain other flows vent-endemic Epsilonproteobactiera are most active. These data reveal a diversity in microbial activity at diffuse flows that has not previously been recognized, and reshapes our thinking about the relative influence that different microbial communities may have on local processes (such as primary production) and potentially global biogeochemical cycles.

Independent Review of Simulation of Net Infiltration for Present-Day and Potential Future Climates

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

Review Panel: Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D., Panel Chairperson, University of California, Irvine; Jan M. H. Hendrickx, Ph.D., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Binayak P. Mohanty, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

The DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) tasked Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) with providing an independent expert review of the documented model and prediction results for net infiltration of water into the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain. The specific purpose of the model, as documented in the report MDL-NBS-HS-000023, Rev. 01, is “to provide a spatial representation, including epistemic and aleatory uncertainty, of the predicted mean annual net infiltration at the Yucca Mountain site ...” (p. 1-1) The expert review panel assembled by ORISE concluded that the model report does not provide a technicallymore » credible spatial representation of net infiltration at Yucca Mountain. Specifically, the ORISE Review Panel found that: • A critical lack of site-specific meteorological, surface, and subsurface information prevents verification of (i) the net infiltration estimates, (ii) the uncertainty estimates of parameters caused by their spatial variability, and (iii) the assumptions used by the modelers (ranges and distributions) for the characterization of parameters. The paucity of site-specific data used by the modeling team for model implementation and validation is a major deficiency in this effort. • The model does not incorporate at least one potentially important hydrologic process. Subsurface lateral flow is not accounted for by the model, and the assumption that the effect of subsurface lateral flow is negligible is not adequately justified. This issue is especially critical for the wetter climate periods. This omission may be one reason the model results appear to underestimate net infiltration beneath wash environments and therefore imprecisely represent the spatial variability of net infiltration. • While the model uses assumptions consistently, such as uniform soil depths and a constant vegetation rooting depth, such assumptions may not be appropriate for this net infiltration simulation because they oversimplify a complex landscape and associated hydrologic processes, especially since the model assumptions have not been adequately corroborated by field and laboratory observations at Yucca Mountain.« less

Glaciation and regional groundwater flow in the Fennoscandian shield

USGS Publications Warehouse

Provost, A.M.; Voss, C.I.; Neuzil, C.E.

2012-01-01

Regional-scale groundwater flow modeling of the Fennoscandian shield suggests that groundwater flow can be strongly affected by future climate change and glaciation. We considered variable-density groundwater flow in a 1500-km-long and approximately 10-km-deep cross-section through southern Sweden. Groundwater flow and shield brine transport in the cross-sectional model were analyzed under projected surface conditions for the next 140 ka. Simulations suggest that blockage of recharge and discharge by low-permeability permafrost or cold-based ice causes sinking of brine and consequent freshening of near-surface water in areas of natural discharge. Although recharge of basal meltwater is limited by the requirement that water pressure at the base of the ice sheet not exceed the pressure exerted by the weight of the ice, warm-based ice with basal melting creates a potential for groundwater recharge rates much larger than those of present, ice-free conditions. In the simulations, regional-scale redistribution of recharged water by subsurface flow is minor over the duration of a glacial advance (approximately 10 ka). During glacial retreat, significant upward flow of groundwater may occur below the ice sheet owing to pressure release. If the mechanical loading efficiency of the rocks is high, both subsurface penetration of meltwater during glacial advance and up-flow during glacial retreat are reduced because of loading-induced pressure changes. The maximum rate of groundwater discharge in the simulations occurs at the receding ice margin, and some discharge occurs below incursive postglacial seas. Recharge of basal meltwater could decrease the concentration of dissolved solids significantly below present-day levels at depths of up to several kilometers and may bring oxygenated conditions to an otherwise reducing chemical environment for periods exceeding 10 ka.

Efficient uncertainty quantification in fully-integrated surface and subsurface hydrologic simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, K. L.; Berg, S. J.; Davison, J. H.; Sudicky, E. A.; Forsyth, P. A.

2018-01-01

Although high performance computers and advanced numerical methods have made the application of fully-integrated surface and subsurface flow and transport models such as HydroGeoSphere common place, run times for large complex basin models can still be on the order of days to weeks, thus, limiting the usefulness of traditional workhorse algorithms for uncertainty quantification (UQ) such as Latin Hypercube simulation (LHS) or Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), which generally require thousands of simulations to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy. In this paper we investigate non-intrusive polynomial chaos for uncertainty quantification, which in contrast to random sampling methods (e.g., LHS and MCS), represents a model response of interest as a weighted sum of polynomials over the random inputs. Once a chaos expansion has been constructed, approximating the mean, covariance, probability density function, cumulative distribution function, and other common statistics as well as local and global sensitivity measures is straightforward and computationally inexpensive, thus making PCE an attractive UQ method for hydrologic models with long run times. Our polynomial chaos implementation was validated through comparison with analytical solutions as well as solutions obtained via LHS for simple numerical problems. It was then used to quantify parametric uncertainty in a series of numerical problems with increasing complexity, including a two-dimensional fully-saturated, steady flow and transient transport problem with six uncertain parameters and one quantity of interest; a one-dimensional variably-saturated column test involving transient flow and transport, four uncertain parameters, and two quantities of interest at 101 spatial locations and five different times each (1010 total); and a three-dimensional fully-integrated surface and subsurface flow and transport problem for a small test catchment involving seven uncertain parameters and three quantities of interest at 241 different times each. Numerical experiments show that polynomial chaos is an effective and robust method for quantifying uncertainty in fully-integrated hydrologic simulations, which provides a rich set of features and is computationally efficient. Our approach has the potential for significant speedup over existing sampling based methods when the number of uncertain model parameters is modest ( ≤ 20). To our knowledge, this is the first implementation of the algorithm in a comprehensive, fully-integrated, physically-based three-dimensional hydrosystem model.

[Correlation of substrate structure and hydraulic characteristics in subsurface flow constructed wetlands].

PubMed

Bai, Shao-Yuan; Song, Zhi-Xin; Ding, Yan-Li; You, Shao-Hong; He, Shan

2014-02-01

The correlation of substrate structure and hydraulic characteristics was studied by numerical simulation combined with experimental method. The numerical simulation results showed that the permeability coefficient of matrix had a great influence on hydraulic efficiency in subsurface flow constructed wetlands. The filler with a high permeability coefficient had a worse flow field distribution in the constructed wetland with single layer structure. The layered substrate structure with the filler permeability coefficient increased from surface to bottom could avoid the short-circuited flow and dead-zones, and thus, increased the hydraulic efficiency. Two parallel pilot-scale constructed wetlands were built according to the numerical simulation results, and tracer experiments were conducted to validate the simulation results. The tracer experiment result showed that hydraulic characteristics in the layered constructed wetland were obviously better than that in the single layer system, and the substrate effective utilization rates were 0.87 and 0.49, respectively. It was appeared that numerical simulation would be favorable for substrate structure optimization in subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

Physically-Based Assessment of Intrinsic Groundwater Resource Vulnerability in AN Urban Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graf, T.; Therrien, R.; Lemieux, J.; Molson, J. W.

2013-12-01

Several methods exist to assess intrinsic groundwater (re)source vulnerability for the purpose of sustainable groundwater management and protection. However, several methods are empirical and limited in their application to specific types of hydrogeological systems. Recent studies suggest that a physically-based approach could be better suited to provide a general, conceptual and operational basis for groundwater vulnerability assessment. A novel method for physically-based assessment of intrinsic aquifer vulnerability is currently under development and tested to explore the potential of an integrated modelling approach, combining groundwater travel time probability and future scenario modelling in conjunction with the fully integrated HydroGeoSphere model. To determine the intrinsic groundwater resource vulnerability, a fully coupled 2D surface water and 3D variably-saturated groundwater flow model in conjunction with a 3D geological model (GoCAD) has been developed for a case study of the Rivière Saint-Charles (Québec/Canada) regional scale, urban watershed. The model has been calibrated under transient flow conditions for the hydrogeological, variably-saturated subsurface system, coupled with the overland flow zone by taking into account monthly recharge variation and evapotranspiration. To better determine the intrinsic groundwater vulnerability, two independent approaches are considered and subsequently combined in a simple, holistic multi-criteria-decision analyse. Most data for the model comes from an extensive hydrogeological database for the watershed, whereas data gaps have been complemented via field tests and literature review. The subsurface is composed of nine hydrofacies, ranging from unconsolidated fluvioglacial sediments to low permeability bedrock. The overland flow zone is divided into five major zones (Urban, Rural, Forest, River and Lake) to simulate the differences in landuse, whereas the unsaturated zone is represented via the model integrated Van-Genuchten function. The model setup and optimisation turn out to be the most challenging part because of the non-trivial nature (due to the highly non-linear PDEs) of the coupling procedure between the surface and subsurface domain, while keeping realistic parameter ranges and obtaining realistic simulation results in both domains. The model calibration is based on water level monitoring as well as daily mean river discharge measurement at different gauge stations within the catchment. It is intended to create multiple model outcomes for the numerical modelling of the groundwater vulnerability to take into account uncertainty due to the model input data. The next step of the overall vulnerability assessment consists in modelling future vulnerability scenario(s), applying realistic changes to the model by using PEST with SENSAN for subsequent sensitivity analysis. The PEST model could also potentially be used for a model recalibration as a function of the model parameters sensitivity (simple perturbation method). Preliminary results showing a good fit between the observed and simulated water levels and hydrographs. However the simulated water depth at the overland flow domain as well as the simulated saturation distribution in the porous media domain are still showing room for improvement of the numerical model.

Changing spatial patterns of evapotranspiration and deep drainage in response to the interactions among impervious surface arrangement, soil characteristics, and weather on a residential parcel.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voter, C. B.; Steven, L. I.

2015-12-01

The introduction impervious surfaces in urban areas is a key driver of hydrologic change. It is now well understood that the amount of "effective" impervious area directly connected to the storm sewer network is a better indicator of hydrologic behavior than the total amount of impervious area. Most studies in urban hydrology have focused on the relationship between impervious connectivity and stormwater runoff or other surface water flows, with the result that the effect on subsurface flow is not as well understood. In the field, we observe differences in soil moisture availability that are dependent on proximity to impervious features and significant from a root water uptake perspective, which indicates that parcel-scale subsurface and plant water fluxes may also be sensitive to fine-scaled heterogeneity in impervious surface arrangement and connectivity. We use ParFlow with CLM, a watershed model with fully integrated variably-saturated subsurface flow, overland flow, and land-surface processes, to explore the extent to which soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and deep drainage vary under various impervious surface arrangement and soil condition scenarios, as well as under a range of precipitation regimes. We investigate the effect of several impervious surface and soil characteristics, including general lot layout, downspout disconnect, and direction of driveway/sidewalk slope, and soil compaction. We show that that some impervious connectivity schemes transfer more water from impervious areas to pervious ones and promote localized recharge by developing well-defined, fast-moving wetting fronts that are able to penetrate the root zone. Enhanced infiltration is translated more directly to recharge in normal to wet years but partitioned more often to transpiration in dry years, leading to a nonlinear relationship among precipitation, runoff and recharge.

Relative importance of impervious area, drainage density, width function, and subsurface storm drainage on flood runoff from an urbanized catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogden, Fred L.; Raj Pradhan, Nawa; Downer, Charles W.; Zahner, Jon A.

2011-12-01

The literature contains contradictory conclusions regarding the relative effects of urbanization on peak flood flows due to increases in impervious area, drainage density and width function, and the addition of subsurface storm drains. We used data from an urbanized catchment, the 14.3 km2 Dead Run watershed near Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and the physics-based gridded surface/subsurface hydrologic analysis (GSSHA) model to examine the relative effect of each of these factors on flood peaks, runoff volumes, and runoff production efficiencies. GSSHA was used because the model explicitly includes the spatial variability of land-surface and hydrodynamic parameters, including subsurface storm drains. Results indicate that increases in drainage density, particularly increases in density from low values, produce significant increases in the flood peaks. For a fixed land-use and rainfall input, the flood magnitude approaches an upper limit regardless of the increase in the channel drainage density. Changes in imperviousness can have a significant effect on flood peaks for both moderately extreme and extreme storms. For an extreme rainfall event with a recurrence interval in excess of 100 years, imperviousness is relatively unimportant in terms of runoff efficiency and volume, but can affect the peak flow depending on rainfall rate. Changes to the width function affect flood peaks much more than runoff efficiency, primarily in the case of lower density drainage networks with less impermeable area. Storm drains increase flood peaks, but are overwhelmed during extreme rainfall events when they have a negligible effect. Runoff in urbanized watersheds with considerable impervious area shows a marked sensitivity to rainfall rate. This sensitivity explains some of the contradictory findings in the literature.

Long-term predictions of minewater geothermal systems heat resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harcout-Menou, Virginie; de ridder, fjo; laenen, ben; ferket, helga

2014-05-01

Abandoned underground mines usually flood due to the natural rise of the water table. In most cases the process is relatively slow giving the mine water time to equilibrate thermally with the the surrounding rock massif. Typical mine water temperature is too low to be used for direct heating, but is well suited to be combined with heat pumps. For example, heat extracted from the mine can be used during winter for space heating, while the process could be reversed during summer to provide space cooling. Altough not yet widely spread, the use of low temperature geothermal energy from abandoned mines has already been implemented in the Netherlands, Spain, USA, Germany and the UK. Reliable reservoir modelling is crucial to predict how geothermal minewater systems will react to predefined exploitation schemes and to define the energy potential and development strategy of a large-scale geothermal - cold/heat storage mine water systems. However, most numerical reservoir modelling software are developed for typical environments, such as porous media (a.o. many codes developed for petroleum reservoirs or groundwater formations) and cannot be applied to mine systems. Indeed, mines are atypical environments that encompass different types of flow, namely porous media flow, fracture flow and open pipe flow usually described with different modelling codes. Ideally, 3D models accounting for the subsurface geometry, geology, hydrogeology, thermal aspects and flooding history of the mine as well as long-term effects of heat extraction should be used. A new modelling approach is proposed here to predict the long-term behaviour of Minewater geothermal systems in a reactive and reliable manner. The simulation method integrates concepts for heat and mass transport through various media (e.g., back-filled areas, fractured rock, fault zones). As a base, the standard software EPANET2 (Rossman 1999; 2000) was used. Additional equations for describing heat flow through the mine (both through open pipes and from the rock massif) have been implemented. Among others, parametric methods are used to bypass some shortcomings in the physical models used for the subsurface. The advantage is that the complete geometry of the mine workings can be integrated and that computing is fast enough to allow implementing and testing several scenarios (e.g. contributions from fault zones, different assumptions about the actual status of shafts, drifts and mined out areas) in an efficient way (Ferket et al., 2011). EPANET allows to incorporate the full complexity of the subsurface mine structure. As a result, the flooded mine is considered as a network of pipes, each with a custom-defined diameter, length and roughness.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payn, R.A.; Gooseff, M.N.; McGlynn, B.L.; Bencala, K.E.; Wondzell, S.M.

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payn, R.A.; Gooseff, M.N.; McGlynn, B.L.; Bencala, K.E.; Wondzell, S.M.

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Coupled prediction of flood response and debris flow initiation during warm and cold season events in the Southern Appalachians, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, J.; Barros, A. P.

2013-07-01

Debris flows associated with rainstorms are a frequent and devastating hazard in the Southern Appalachians in the United States. Whereas warm season events are clearly associated with heavy rainfall intensity, the same cannot be said for the cold season events. Instead, there is a relationship between large (cumulative) rainfall events independently of season, and thus hydrometeorological regime, and debris flows. This suggests that the dynamics of subsurface hydrologic processes play an important role as a trigger mechanism, specifically through soil moisture redistribution by interflow. The first objective of this study is to investigate this hypothesis. The second objective is to assess the physical basis for a regional coupled flood prediction and debris flow warning system. For this purpose, uncalibrated model simulations of well-documented debris flows in headwater catchments of the Southern Appalachians using a 3-D surface-groundwater hydrologic model coupled with slope stability models are examined in detail. Specifically, we focus on two vulnerable headwater catchments that experience frequent debris flows, the Big Creek and the Jonathan Creek in the Upper Pigeon River Basin, North Carolina, and three distinct weather systems: an extremely heavy summertime convective storm in 2011; a persistent winter storm lasting several days; and a severe winter storm in 2009. These events were selected due to the optimal availability of rainfall observations, availability of detailed field surveys of the landslides shortly after they occurred, which can be used to evaluate model predictions, and because they are representative of events that cause major economic losses in the region. The model results substantiate that interflow is a useful prognostic of conditions necessary for the initiation of slope instability, and should therefore be considered explicitly in landslide hazard assessments. Moreover, the relationships between slope stability and interflow are strongly modulated by the topography and catchment specific geomorphologic features that determine subsurface flow convergence zones. The three case-studies demonstrate the value of coupled prediction of flood response and debris flow initiation potential in the context of developing a regional hazard warning system.

Statistics of chemical gradients in heterogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Borgne, T.; Huck, P. D.; Dentz, M.; Villermaux, E.

2017-12-01

As they create chemical disequilibrium and drive mixing fluxes, spatial gradients in solute concentrations exert a strong control on mixing and biogeochemical reactions in the subsurface. Large concentration gradients may develop in particular at interfaces between surface water and groundwater bodies, such as hyporheic zones, sea water - surface water interfaces or recharge areas. They also develop around contaminant plumes and fluids injected in subsurface operations. While macrodispersion theories predict smooth gradients, decaying in time due to dispersive dissipation, we show that concentration gradients are sustained by flow heterogeneity and have broadly distributed values. We present a general theory predicting the statistics of concentration gradients from the flow heterogeneity (Le Borgne et al., 2017). Analytical predictions are validated from high resolution simulations of transport in heterogeneous Darcy fields ranging from low to high permeability variances and low to high Peclet numbers. This modelling framework hence opens new perspectives for quantifying the dynamics of chemical gradients and the kinetics of associated biogeochemical reactions in heterogeneous subsurface environments.Reference:Le Borgne T., P.D. Huck, M. Dentz and E. Villermaux (2017) Scalar gradients in stirred mixtures and the deconstruction of random fields, J. of Fluid Mech. vol. 812, pp. 578-610 doi:10.1017/jfm.2016.799

Chemotaxis and flow disorder shape microbial dispersion in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Anna, Pietro; Yawata, Yutaka; Stocker, Roman; Juanes, Ruben

2017-04-01

Bacteria drive a plethora of natural processes in the subsurface, consuming organic matter and catalysing chemical reactions that are key to global elemental cycles. These macro-scale consequences result from the collective action of individual bacteria at the micro-scale, which are modulated by the highly heterogeneous subsurface environment, dominated by flow disorder and strong chemical gradients. Yet, despite the generally recognized importance of these microscale processes, microbe-host medium interaction at the pore scale remain poorly characterized and understood. Here, we introduce a microfluidic model system to directly image and quantify the role of cell motility on bacterial dispersion and residence time in confined, porous, media. Using the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the common amino acid serine as a resource, we observe that chemotaxis in highly disordered and confined physico-chemical environment affords bacteria an increase in their ability to persistently occupy the host medium. Our findings illustrate that the interplay between bacterial behaviour and pore-scale disorder in fluid velocity and nutrient concentration directly impacts the residence time, transport and bio-geo-chemical transformation rates of biota in the subsurface, and thus likely the processes they mediate.

Improving Flash Flood Prediction in Multiple Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broxton, P. D.; Troch, P. A.; Schaffner, M.; Unkrich, C.; Goodrich, D.; Wagener, T.; Yatheendradas, S.

2009-12-01

Flash flooding is a major concern in many fast responding headwater catchments . There are many efforts to model and to predict these flood events, though it is not currently possible to adequately predict the nature of flash flood events with a single model, and furthermore, many of these efforts do not even consider snow, which can, by itself, or in combination with rainfall events, cause destructive floods. The current research is aimed at broadening the applicability of flash flood modeling. Specifically, we will take a state of the art flash flood model that is designed to work with warm season precipitation in arid environments, the KINematic runoff and EROSion model (KINEROS2), and combine it with a continuous subsurface flow model and an energy balance snow model. This should improve its predictive capacity in humid environments where lateral subsurface flow significantly contributes to streamflow, and it will make possible the prediction of flooding events that involve rain-on-snow or rapid snowmelt. By modeling changes in the hydrologic state of a catchment before a flood begins, we can also better understand the factors or combination of factors that are necessary to produce large floods. Broadening the applicability of an already state of the art flash flood model, such as KINEROS2, is logical because flash floods can occur in all types of environments, and it may lead to better predictions, which are necessary to preserve life and property.

On the Representation of Subgrid Microtopography Effects in Process-based Hydrologic Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jan, A.; Painter, S. L.; Coon, E. T.

2017-12-01

Increased availability of high-resolution digital elevation are enabling process-based hydrologic modeling on finer and finer scales. However, spatial variability in surface elevation (microtopography) exists below the scale of a typical hyper-resolution grid cell and has the potential to play a significant role in water retention, runoff, and surface/subsurface interactions. Though the concept of microtopographic features (depressions, obstructions) and the associated implications on flow and discharge are well established, representing those effects in watershed-scale integrated surface/subsurface hydrology models remains a challenge. Using the complex and coupled hydrologic environment of the Arctic polygonal tundra as an example, we study the effects of submeter topography and present a subgrid model parameterized by small-scale spatial heterogeneities for use in hyper-resolution models with polygons at a scale of 15-20 meters forming the surface cells. The subgrid model alters the flow and storage terms in the diffusion wave equation for surface flow. We compare our results against sub-meter scale simulations (acts as a benchmark for our simulations) and hyper-resolution models without the subgrid representation. The initiation of runoff in the fine-scale simulations is delayed and the recession curve is slowed relative to simulated runoff using the hyper-resolution model with no subgrid representation. Our subgrid modeling approach improves the representation of runoff and water retention relative to models that ignore subgrid topography. We evaluate different strategies for parameterizing subgrid model and present a classification-based method to efficiently move forward to larger landscapes. This work was supported by the Interoperable Design of Extreme-scale Application Software (IDEAS) project and the Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments-Arctic (NGEE Arctic) project. NGEE-Arctic is supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science.

Evaluation of a distributed catchment scale water balance model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troch, Peter A.; Mancini, Marco; Paniconi, Claudio; Wood, Eric F.

1993-01-01

The validity of some of the simplifying assumptions in a conceptual water balance model is investigated by comparing simulation results from the conceptual model with simulation results from a three-dimensional physically based numerical model and with field observations. We examine, in particular, assumptions and simplifications related to water table dynamics, vertical soil moisture and pressure head distributions, and subsurface flow contributions to stream discharge. The conceptual model relies on a topographic index to predict saturation excess runoff and on Philip's infiltration equation to predict infiltration excess runoff. The numerical model solves the three-dimensional Richards equation describing flow in variably saturated porous media, and handles seepage face boundaries, infiltration excess and saturation excess runoff production, and soil driven and atmosphere driven surface fluxes. The study catchments (a 7.2 sq km catchment and a 0.64 sq km subcatchment) are located in the North Appalachian ridge and valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Hydrologic data collected during the MACHYDRO 90 field experiment are used to calibrate the models and to evaluate simulation results. It is found that water table dynamics as predicted by the conceptual model are close to the observations in a shallow water well and therefore, that a linear relationship between a topographic index and the local water table depth is found to be a reasonable assumption for catchment scale modeling. However, the hydraulic equilibrium assumption is not valid for the upper 100 cm layer of the unsaturated zone and a conceptual model that incorporates a root zone is suggested. Furthermore, theoretical subsurface flow characteristics from the conceptual model are found to be different from field observations, numerical simulation results, and theoretical baseflow recession characteristics based on Boussinesq's groundwater equation.

Design of combination biofilter and subsurface constructed wetland-multilayer filtration with vertical flow type using Vetiveria zizanioides (akar wangi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astuti, A. D.; Lindu, M.; Yanidar, R.; Faruq, M.

2018-01-01

As environmental regulation has become stricter in recent years, there is an increasing concern about the issue of wastewater treatment in urban areas. Senior High School as center of student activity has a potential source to generated domestic wastewater from toilet, bathroom and canteen. Canteen wastewater contains high-organic content that to be treated before discharged. Based on previous research the subsurface constructed wetland-multilayer filtration with vertical flow is an attractive alternative to provide efficient treatment of canteen wastewater. The effluent concentration complied with regulation according to [9]. Due to limited land, addition of preliminary treatment such as the presence of biofilter was found to improve the performance. The aim of this study was to design combination biofilter and subsurface constructed wetland-multilayer filtration with vertical flow type using vetiveria zizanioides (akar wangi) treating canteen wastewater. Vetiveria zizanioides (akar wangi) is used because from previous research, subsurface constructed wetland-multilayer filtration (SCW-MLF) with vertical flow type using vetiveria zizanioides (akar wangi) can be an alternative canteen wastewater treatment that is uncomplicated in technology, low cost in operational and have a beautiful landscape view, besides no odors or insects were presented during the operation.

Effects of basin size on low-flow stream chemistry and subsurface contact time in the neversink river watershed, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolock, D.M.; Fan, J.; Lawrence, G.B.

1997-01-01

The effects of basin size on low-flow stream chemistry and subsurface contact time were examined for a part of the Neversink River watershed in southern New York State. Acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), the sum of base cation concentrations (SBC), pH and concentrations of total aluminum (Al), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and silicon (Si) were measured during low stream flow at the outlets of nested basins ranging in size from 0.2 to 166.3 km2. ANC, SBC, pH, Al and DOC showed pronounced changes as basin size increased from 0.2 to 3 km2, but relatively small variations were observed as basin size increased beyond 3 km2. An index of subsurface contact time computed from basin topography and soil hydraulic conductivity also showed pronounced changes as basin size increased from 0.2 to 3 km2 and smaller changes as basin size increased beyond 3 km2. These results suggest that basin size affects low-flow stream chemistry because of the effects of basin size on subsurface contact time. ?? 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Stability of Gas Hydrates on Continental Margins: Implications of Subsurface Fluid Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunn, J. A.

2008-12-01

Gas hydrates are found at or just below the sediment-ocean interface in continental margins settings throughout the world. They are also found on land in high latitude regions such as the north slope of Alaska. While gas hydrate occurrence is common, gas hydrates are stable under a fairly restricted range of temperatures and pressures. In a purely conductive thermal regime, near surface temperatures depend on basal heat flow, thermal conductivity of sediments, and temperature at the sediment-water or sediment-air interface. Thermal conductivity depends on porosity and sediment composition. Gas hydrates are most stable in areas of low heat flow and high thermal conductivity which produce low temperature gradients. Older margins with thin continental crust and coarse grained sediments would tend to be colder. Another potentially important control on subsurface temperatures is advective heat transport by recharge/discharge of groundwater. Upward fluid flow depresses temperature gradients over a purely conductive regime with the same heat flow which would make gas hydrates more stable. Downward fluid flow would have the opposite effect. However, regional scale fluid flow may substantially increase heat flow in discharge areas which would destabilize gas hydrates. For example, discharge of topographically driven groundwater along the coast in the Central North Slope of Alaska has increased surface heat flow in some areas by more than 50% over a purely conductive thermal regime. Fluid flow also alters the pressure regime which can affect gas hydrate stability. Modeling results suggest a positive feedback between gas hydrate formation/disassociation and fluid flow. Disassociation of gas hydrates or permafrost due to global warming could increase permeability. This could enhance fluid flow and associated heat transport causing a more rapid and/or more spatially extensive gas hydrate disassociation than predicted solely from conductive propagation of temporal changes in surface or water bottom temperature. Model results from both the North Slope of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico are compared.

Reactive transport codes for subsurface environmental simulation

DOE PAGES

Steefel, C. I.; Appelo, C. A. J.; Arora, B.; ...

2014-09-26

A general description of the mathematical and numerical formulations used in modern numerical reactive transport codes relevant for subsurface environmental simulations is presented. The formulations are followed by short descriptions of commonly used and available subsurface simulators that consider continuum representations of flow, transport, and reactions in porous media. These formulations are applicable to most of the subsurface environmental benchmark problems included in this special issue. The list of codes described briefly here includes PHREEQC, HPx, PHT3D, OpenGeoSys (OGS), HYTEC, ORCHESTRA, TOUGHREACT, eSTOMP, HYDROGEOCHEM, CrunchFlow, MIN3P, and PFLOTRAN. The descriptions include a high-level list of capabilities for each of themore » codes, along with a selective list of applications that highlight their capabilities and historical development.« less

Exploring the Dynamics of Transit Times and Subsurface Mixing in a Small Agricultural Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jie; Heidbüchel, Ingo; Musolff, Andreas; Reinstorf, Frido; Fleckenstein, Jan H.

2018-03-01

The analysis of transit/residence time distributions (TTDs and RTDs) provides important insights into the dynamics of stream-water ages and subsurface mixing. These insights have significant implications for water quality. For a small agricultural catchment in central Germany, we use a 3D fully coupled surface-subsurface hydrological model to simulate water flow and perform particle tracking to determine flow paths and transit times. The TTDs of discharge, RTDs of storage and fractional StorAge Selection (fSAS) functions are computed and analyzed on daily basis for a period of 10 years. Results show strong seasonal fluctuations of the median transit time of discharge and the median residence time, with the former being strongly related to the catchment wetness. Computed fSAS functions suggest systematic shifts of the discharge selection preference over four main periods: In the wet period, the youngest water in storage is preferentially selected, and this preference shifts gradually toward older ages of stored water when the catchment transitions into the drying, dry and wetting periods. These changes are driven by distinct shifts in the dominance of deeper flow paths and fast shallow flow paths. Changes in the shape of the fSAS functions can be captured by changes in the two parameters of the approximating Beta distributions, allowing the generation of continuous fSAS functions representing the general catchment behavior. These results improve our understanding of the seasonal dynamics of TTDs and fSAS functions for a complex real-world catchment and are important for interpreting solute export to the stream in a spatially implicit manner.

Subsurface architecture of Las Bombas volcano circular structure (Southern Mendoza, Argentina) from geophysical studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prezzi, Claudia; Risso, Corina; Orgeira, María Julia; Nullo, Francisco; Sigismondi, Mario E.; Margonari, Liliana

2017-08-01

The Plio-Pleistocene Llancanelo volcanic field is located in the south-eastern region of the province of Mendoza, Argentina. This wide back-arc lava plateau, with hundreds of monogenetic pyroclastic cones, covers a large area behind the active Andean volcanic arc. Here we focus on the northern Llancanelo volcanic field, particularly in Las Bombas volcano. Las Bombas volcano is an eroded, but still recognizable, scoria cone located in a circular depression surrounded by a basaltic lava flow, suggesting that Las Bombas volcano was there when the lava flow field formed and, therefore, the lava flow engulfed it completely. While this explanation seems reasonable, the common presence of similar landforms in this part of the field justifies the need to establish correctly the stratigraphic relationship between lava flow fields and these circular depressions. The main purpose of this research is to investigate Las Bombas volcano 3D subsurface architecture by means of geophysical methods. We carried out a paleomagnetic study and detailed topographic, magnetic and gravimetric land surveys. Magnetic anomalies of normal and reverse polarity and paleomagnetic results point to the occurrence of two different volcanic episodes. A circular low Bouguer anomaly was detected beneath Las Bombas scoria cone indicating the existence of a mass deficit. A 3D forward gravity model was constructed, which suggests that the mass deficit would be related to the presence of fracture zones below Las Bombas volcano cone, due to sudden degassing of younger magma beneath it, or to a single phreatomagmatic explosion. Our results provide new and detailed information about Las Bombas volcano subsurface architecture.

Identification of runoff formation with two dyes in a mid-latitude mountain headwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlček, Lukáš; Falátková, Kristýna; Schneider, Philipp

2017-06-01

Subsurface flow in peat bog areas and its role in the hydrologic cycle has garnered increased attention as water scarcity and floods have increased due to a changing climate. In order to further probe the mechanisms in peat bog areas and contextualize them at the catchment scale, this experimental study identifies runoff formation at two opposite hillslopes in a peaty mountain headwater; a slope with organic peat soils and a shallow phreatic zone (0.5 m below surface), and a slope with mineral Podzol soils and no detectable groundwater (> 2 m below surface). Similarities and differences in infiltration, percolation and preferential flow paths between both hillslopes could be identified by sprinkling experiments with Brilliant Blue and Fluorescein sodium. To our knowledge, this is the first time these two dyes have been compared in their ability to stain preferential flow paths in soils. Dye-stained soil profiles within and downstream of the sprinkling areas were excavated parallel (lateral profiles) and perpendicular (frontal profiles) to the slopes' gradients. That way preferential flow patterns in the soil could be clearly identified. The results show that biomat flow, shallow subsurface flow in the organic topsoil layer, occurred at both hillslopes; however, at the peat bog hillslope it was significantly more prominent. The dye solutions infiltrated into the soil and continued either as lateral subsurface pipe flow in the case of the peat bog, or percolated vertically towards the bedrock in the case of the Podzol. This study provides evidence that subsurface pipe flow, lateral preferential flow along decomposed tree roots or logs in the unsaturated zone, is a major runoff formation process at the peat bog hillslope and in the adjacent riparian zone.

Internal Catchment Process Simulation in a Snow-Dominated Basin: Performance Evaluation with Spatiotemporally Variable Runoff Generation and Groundwater Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuras, P. K.; Weiler, M.; Alila, Y.; Spittlehouse, D.; Winkler, R.

2006-12-01

Hydrologic models have been increasingly used in forest hydrology to overcome the limitations of paired watershed experiments, where vegetative recovery and natural variability obscure the inferences and conclusions that can be drawn from such studies. Models, however, are also plagued by uncertainty stemming from a limited understanding of hydrological processes in forested catchments and parameter equifinality is a common concern. This has created the necessity to improve our understanding of how hydrological systems work, through the development of hydrological measures, analyses and models that address the question: are we getting the right answers for the right reasons? Hence, physically-based, spatially-distributed hydrologic models should be validated with high-quality experimental data describing multiple concurrent internal catchment processes under a range of hydrologic regimes. The distributed hydrology soil vegetation model (DHSVM) frequently used in forest management applications is an example of a process-based model used to address the aforementioned circumstances, and this study takes a novel approach at collectively examining the ability of a pre-calibrated model application to realistically simulate outlet flows along with the spatial-temporal variation of internal catchment processes including: continuous groundwater dynamics at 9 locations, stream and road network flow at 67 locations for six individual days throughout the freshet, and pre-melt season snow distribution. Model efficiency was improved over prior evaluations due to continuous efforts in improving the quality of meteorological data in the watershed. Road and stream network flows were very well simulated for a range of hydrological conditions, and the spatial distribution of the pre-melt season snowpack was in general agreement with observed values. The model was effective in simulating the spatial variability of subsurface flow generation, except at locations where strong stream-groundwater interactions existed, as the model is not capable of simulating such processes and subsurface flows always drain to the stream network. The model has proven overall to be quite capable in realistically simulating internal catchment processes in the watershed, which creates more confidence in future model applications exploring the effects of various forest management scenarios on the watershed's hydrological processes.

Using an Integrated Hydrologic Model to Assess the Ecohydrological Impacts of Change on a Mountain Headwaters Critical Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, C.; Maxwell, R. M.; Visser, A.

2016-12-01

The critical zone is the region of the Earth's crust where hydrogeology, ecology, and climate interact. As many critical zone processes are fundamental, the significance of studying critical zone processes goes beyond understanding the local ecohydrological setting. Therefore studying critical zone governing processes requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates simulation and observation. In this study, a high-resolution integrated hydrologic model, ParFlow-CLM, was developed for the Providence Creek watershed. Providence Creek is a highly instrumented critical zone observatory (CZO) located in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, a region currently experiencing a range of short-term responses (i.e. tree mortality) to a severe four-year drought. Sources of plant water use, pathways and residence times of water through the subsurface are identified using a suite of isotopic signatures and numerical particle tracking. Implications of using a fully coupled integrated hydrologic model accompanied by tracer analysis include better understanding of water partitioning and water storage in the regolith and vegetation water use during drought time conditions. The importance of subsurface storage, plant available water and lateral flow during the 2012-2015 drought to mitigate vegetation stress are addressed and verified against observed tree mortality. The stream flow response to tree mortality in the aftermath of the drought, analogous to the Colorado Mountain Pine Beetle case, provides insight into the potential effects of proposed forest management practices.

Coupling LaGrit unstructured mesh generation and model setup with TOUGH2 flow and transport: A case study

DOE PAGES

Sentis, Manuel Lorenzo; Gable, Carl W.

2017-06-15

Furthermore, there are many applications in science and engineering modeling where an accurate representation of a complex model geometry in the form of a mesh is important. In applications of flow and transport in subsurface porous media, this is manifest in models that must capture complex geologic stratigraphy, structure (faults, folds, erosion, deposition) and infrastructure (tunnels, boreholes, excavations). Model setup, defined as the activities of geometry definition, mesh generation (creation, optimization, modification, refine, de-refine, smooth), assigning material properties, initial conditions and boundary conditions requires specialized software tools to automate and streamline the process. In addition, some model setup tools willmore » provide more utility if they are designed to interface with and meet the needs of a particular flow and transport software suite. A control volume discretization that uses a two point flux approximation is for example most accurate when the underlying control volumes are 2D or 3D Voronoi tessellations. In this paper we will present the coupling of LaGriT, a mesh generation and model setup software suite and TOUGH2 to model subsurface flow problems and we show an example of how LaGriT can be used as a model setup tool for the generation of a Voronoi mesh for the simulation program TOUGH2. To generate the MESH file for TOUGH2 from the LaGriT output a standalone module Lagrit2Tough2 was developed, which is presented here and will be included in a future release of LaGriT. Here in this paper an alternative method to generate a Voronoi mesh for TOUGH2 with LaGriT is presented and thanks to the modular and command based structure of LaGriT this method is well suited to generating a mesh for complex models.« less

Coupling LaGrit unstructured mesh generation and model setup with TOUGH2 flow and transport: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sentís, Manuel Lorenzo; Gable, Carl W.

2017-11-01

There are many applications in science and engineering modeling where an accurate representation of a complex model geometry in the form of a mesh is important. In applications of flow and transport in subsurface porous media, this is manifest in models that must capture complex geologic stratigraphy, structure (faults, folds, erosion, deposition) and infrastructure (tunnels, boreholes, excavations). Model setup, defined as the activities of geometry definition, mesh generation (creation, optimization, modification, refine, de-refine, smooth), assigning material properties, initial conditions and boundary conditions requires specialized software tools to automate and streamline the process. In addition, some model setup tools will provide more utility if they are designed to interface with and meet the needs of a particular flow and transport software suite. A control volume discretization that uses a two point flux approximation is for example most accurate when the underlying control volumes are 2D or 3D Voronoi tessellations. In this paper we will present the coupling of LaGriT, a mesh generation and model setup software suite and TOUGH2 (Pruess et al., 1999) to model subsurface flow problems and we show an example of how LaGriT can be used as a model setup tool for the generation of a Voronoi mesh for the simulation program TOUGH2. To generate the MESH file for TOUGH2 from the LaGriT output a standalone module Lagrit2Tough2 was developed, which is presented here and will be included in a future release of LaGriT. In this paper an alternative method to generate a Voronoi mesh for TOUGH2 with LaGriT is presented and thanks to the modular and command based structure of LaGriT this method is well suited to generating a mesh for complex models.

The Influence of Runoff and Surface Hydrology on Titan's Weather and Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulk, S.; Lora, J. M.; Mitchell, J.; Moon, S.

2017-12-01

Titan's surface liquid distribution has been shown by general circulation models (GCMs) to greatly influence the hydrological cycle, producing characteristic weather and seasonal climate patterns. Simulations from the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM) with imposed polar methane "wetlands" reservoirs realistically produce observed cloud features and temperature profiles of Titan's atmosphere, whereas "aquaplanet" simulations with a global methane ocean are not as successful. In addition, wetlands simulations, unlike aquaplanet simulations, demonstrate strong correlations between extreme rainfall behavior and observed geomorphic features, indicating the influential role of precipitation in shaping Titan's surface. The wetlands configuration is, in part, motivated by Titan's large-scale topography featuring low-latitude highlands and high-latitude lowlands, with the implication being that methane may concentrate in the high-latitude lowlands by way of runoff and subsurface flow of a global or regional methane table. However, the extent to which topography controls the surface liquid distribution and thus impacts the global hydrological cycle by driving surface and subsurface flow is unclear. Here we present TAM simulations wherein the imposed wetlands reservoirs are replaced by a surface runoff scheme that allows surface liquid to self-consistently redistribute under the influence of topography. We discuss the impact of surface runoff on the surface liquid distribution over seasonal timescales and compare the resulting hydrological cycle to observed cloud and surface features, as well as to the hydrological cycles of the TAM wetlands and aquaplanet simulations. While still idealized, this more realistic representation of Titan's hydrology provides new insight into the complex interaction between Titan's atmosphere and surface, demonstrates the influence of surface runoff on Titan's global climate, and lays the groundwork for further surface hydrology developments in Titan GCMs, including infiltration and subsurface flow.

The impact of runoff and surface hydrology on Titan's climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulk, Sean; Lora, Juan; Mitchell, Jonathan

2017-10-01

Titan’s surface liquid distribution has been shown by general circulation models (GCMs) to greatly influence the hydrological cycle. Simulations from the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM) with imposed polar methane “wetlands” reservoirs realistically produce many observed features of Titan’s atmosphere, whereas “aquaplanet” simulations with a global methane ocean are not as successful. In addition, wetlands simulations, unlike aquaplanet simulations, demonstrate strong correlations between extreme rainfall behavior and observed geomorphic features, indicating the influential role of precipitation in shaping Titan’s surface. The wetlands configuration is, in part, motivated by Titan’s large-scale topography featuring low-latitude highlands and high-latitude lowlands, with the implication being that methane may concentrate in the high-latitude lowlands by way of runoff and subsurface flow. However, the extent to which topography controls the surface liquid distribution and thus impacts the global hydrological cycle by driving surface and subsurface flow is unclear. Here we present TAM simulations wherein the imposed wetlands reservoirs are replaced by a surface runoff scheme that allows surface liquid to self-consistently redistribute under the influence of topography. To isolate the singular impact of surface runoff on Titan’s climatology, we run simulations without parameterizations of subsurface flow and topography-atmosphere interactions. We discuss the impact of surface runoff on the surface liquid distribution over seasonal timescales and compare the resulting hydrological cycle to observed cloud and surface features, as well as to the hydrological cycles of the TAM wetlands and aquaplanet simulations. While still idealized, this more realistic representation of Titan’s hydrology provides new insight into the complex interaction between Titan’s atmosphere and surface, demonstrates the influence of surface runoff on Titan’s global climate, and lays the groundwork for further surface hydrology developments in Titan GCMs.

Murt user`s guide: A hybrid Lagrangian-Eulerian finite element model of multiple-pore-region solute transport through subsurface media

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

Gwo, J.P.; Jardine, P.M.; Yeh, G.T.

Matrix diffusion, a diffusive mass transfer process,in the structured soils and geologic units at ORNL, is believe to be an important subsurface mass transfer mechanism; it may affect off-site movement of radioactive wastes and remediation of waste disposal sites by locally exchanging wastes between soil/rock matrix and macropores/fractures. Advective mass transfer also contributes to waste movement but is largely neglected by researchers. This report presents the first documented 2-D multiregion solute transport code (MURT) that incorporates not only diffusive but also advective mass transfer and can be applied to heterogeneous porous media under transient flow conditions. In this report, theoreticalmore » background is reviewed and the derivation of multiregion solute transport equations is presented. Similar to MURF (Gwo et al. 1994), a multiregion subsurface flow code, multiplepore domains as suggested by previous investigators (eg, Wilson and Luxmoore 1988) can be implemented in MURT. Transient or steady-state flow fields of the pore domains can be either calculated by MURF or by modelers. The mass transfer process is briefly discussed through a three-pore-region multiregion solute transport mechanism. Mass transfer equations that describe mass flux across pore region interfaces are also presented and parameters needed to calculate mass transfer coefficients detailed. Three applications of MURT (tracer injection problem, sensitivity analysis of advective and diffusive mass transfer, hillslope ponding infiltration and secondary source problem) were simulated and results discussed. Program structure of MURT and functions of MURT subroutiness are discussed so that users can adapt the code; guides for input data preparation are provided in appendices.« less

Geophysical characterization of the role of fault and fracture systems for recharging groundwater aquifers from surface water of Lake Nasser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansour, Khamis; Omar, Khaled; Ali, Kamal; Abdel Zaher, Mohamed

2018-06-01

The role of the fracture system is important for enhancing the recharge or discharge of fluids in the subsurface reservoir. The Lake Nasser is consider one of the largest artificial lakes all over the world and contains huge bulk of storage water. In this study, the influence of fracture zones on subsurface fluid flow in groundwater reservoirs is investigated using geophysical techniques including seismicity, geoelectric and gravity data. These data have been utilized for exploring structural structure in south west Lake Nasser, and subsurface discontinuities (joints or faults) notwithstanding its related fracture systems. Seismicity investigation gave us the comprehension of the dynamic geological structure sets and proposing the main recharging paths for the Nubian aquifer from Lake Nasser surface water. Processing and modelling of aerogravity data show that the greater thickness of sedimentary cover (700 m) is located eastward and northward while basement outcrops occur at Umm Shaghir and Al Asr areas. Sixty-nine vertical electrical soundings (VES's) were used to delineate the subsurface geoelectric layers along eight profiles that help to realize the subsurface geological structure behind the hydrogeological conditions of the studied area.

Study of the Effect of Wind Speed on Evaporation from Soil Through Integrated Modeling of Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Shallow Subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smits, K. M.; Davarzani, H.; Illangasekare, T. H.

2012-12-01

The study of the interaction between the land and atmosphere is paramount to our understanding of many emerging problems to include climate change and the movement of green house gases such as possible leaking of sequestered CO2. Soil moisture distribution in the shallow subsurface becomes a critical factor in these problems. The heat and mass flux in the form of soil evaporation across the land surface couples the atmospheric boundary layer to the shallow subsurface. The coupling between land and the atmosphere leads to highly dynamic interactions between the porous media properties, transport processes and boundary conditions, resulting in dynamic evaporative behavior. However, the coupling at the land-atmospheric interface is rarely considered in most current models and their validation for practical applications. This is due to the complexity of the problem in field scenarios and the scarcity of field or laboratory data capable of testing and refining coupled energy and mass transfer theories. In most efforts to compute evaporation from soil, only indirect coupling is provided to characterize the interaction between non-isothermal multiphase flows under realistic atmospheric conditions even though heat and mass flux are controlled by the coupled dynamics of the land and the atmospheric boundary layer. In earlier drying modeling concepts, imposing evaporation flux (kinetic of relative humidity) and temperature as surface boundary condition is often needed. With the goal of improving our understanding of the land/atmospheric coupling, we developed a model based on the coupling of Navier-Stokes free flow and Darcy flow in porous medium. The model consists of the coupled equations of mass conservation for the liquid phase (water) and gas phase (water vapor and air) in porous medium with gas phase (water vapor and air) in free flow domain under non-isothermal, non-equilibrium conditions. The boundary conditions at the porous medium-free flow medium interface include dynamical, thermal and solutal equilibriums, and using the Beavers-Joseph slip boundary condition. What is unique about this model is that the evaporation rate and soil surface temperature conditions come directly from the model output. In order to experimentally validate the numerical results, we developed and used a unique two dimensional wind tunnel placed above a soil tank equipped with a network of different sensors. A series of experiments under varying boundary conditions were performed. Precision data under well-controlled transient heat and wind boundary conditions was generated. Results from numerical simulations were compared with experimental data. Results demonstrate that the coupling concept can predict the different stages of the drying process in porous media with good accuracy. Increasing the wind speed increases the first stage evaporation rate and decreases the transition time at low velocity values; then, at high values of wind speed the evaporation rate becomes less dependent of flow in free fluid. In the opposite, the impact of the wind speed on the second stage evaporation (diffusion dominant stage) is not significant. The proposed theoretical model can be used to predict the evaporation process where a porous medium flow is coupled to a free flow for different practical applications.

Coarsening of three-dimensional structured and unstructured grids for subsurface flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aarnes, Jørg Espen; Hauge, Vera Louise; Efendiev, Yalchin

2007-11-01

We present a generic, semi-automated algorithm for generating non-uniform coarse grids for modeling subsurface flow. The method is applicable to arbitrary grids and does not impose smoothness constraints on the coarse grid. One therefore avoids conventional smoothing procedures that are commonly used to ensure that the grids obtained with standard coarsening procedures are not too rough. The coarsening algorithm is very simple and essentially involves only two parameters that specify the level of coarsening. Consequently the algorithm allows the user to specify the simulation grid dynamically to fit available computer resources, and, e.g., use the original geomodel as input for flow simulations. This is of great importance since coarse grid-generation is normally the most time-consuming part of an upscaling phase, and therefore the main obstacle that has prevented simulation workflows with user-defined resolution. We apply the coarsening algorithm to a series of two-phase flow problems on both structured (Cartesian) and unstructured grids. The numerical results demonstrate that one consistently obtains significantly more accurate results using the proposed non-uniform coarsening strategy than with corresponding uniform coarse grids with roughly the same number of cells.

Rye cover crop and gamagrass strip effects on NO3 concentration and load in tile drainage.

PubMed

Kaspar, T C; Jaynes, D B; Parkin, T B; Moorman, T B

2007-01-01

A significant portion of the NO3 from agricultural fields that contaminates surface waters in the Midwest Corn Belt is transported to streams or rivers by subsurface drainage systems or "tiles." Previous research has shown that N fertilizer management alone is not sufficient for reducing NO3 concentrations in subsurface drainage to acceptable levels; therefore, additional approaches need to be devised. We compared two cropping system modifications for NO3 concentration and load in subsurface drainage water for a no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) management system. In one treatment, eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) was grown in permanent 3.05-m-wide strips above the tiles. For the second treatment, a rye (Secale cereale L.) winter cover crop was seeded over the entire plot area each year near harvest and chemically killed before planting the following spring. Twelve 30.5x42.7-m subsurface-drained field plots were established in 1999 with an automated system for measuring tile flow and collecting flow-weighted samples. Both treatments and a control were initiated in 2000 and replicated four times. Full establishment of both treatments did not occur until fall 2001 because of dry conditions. Treatment comparisons were conducted from 2002 through 2005. The rye cover crop treatment significantly reduced subsurface drainage water flow-weighted NO3 concentrations and NO3 loads in all 4 yr. The rye cover crop treatment did not significantly reduce cumulative annual drainage. Averaged over 4 yr, the rye cover crop reduced flow-weighted NO3 concentrations by 59% and loads by 61%. The gamagrass strips did not significantly reduce cumulative drainage, the average annual flow-weighted NO3 concentrations, or cumulative NO3 loads averaged over the 4 yr. Rye winter cover crops grown after corn and soybean have the potential to reduce the NO3 concentrations and loads delivered to surface waters by subsurface drainage systems.

Beach groundwater dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horn, Diane P.

2002-11-01

An understanding of the interaction between surface and groundwater flows in the swash zone is necessary to understand beach profile evolution. Coastal researchers have recognized the importance of beach watertable and swash interaction to accretion and erosion above the still water level (SWL), but the exact nature of the relationship between swash flows, beach watertable flow and cross-shore sediment transport is not fully understood. This paper reviews research on beach groundwater dynamics and identifies research questions which will need to be answered before swash zone sediment transport can be successfully modelled. After defining the principal terms relating to beach groundwater, the behavior, measurement and modelling of beach groundwater dynamics is described. Research questions related to the mechanisms of surface-subsurface flow interaction are reviewed, particularly infiltration, exfiltration and fluidisation. The implications of these mechanisms for sediment transport are discussed.

Accelerated Weathering of Waste Glass at 90°C with the Pressurized Unsaturated Flow (PUF) Apparatus: Implications for Predicting Glass Corrosion with a Reactive Transport Model

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

Pierce, Eric M.; Bacon, Diana H.

2009-09-21

The interest in the long-term durability of waste glass stems from the need to predict radionuclide release rates from the corroding glass over geologic time-scales. Several long-term test methods have been developed to accelerate the glass-water reaction [drip test, vapor hydration test, product consistency test-B, and pressurized unsaturated flow (PUF)]. Currently, the PUF test is the only method that can mimic the unsaturated hydraulic properties expected in a subsurface disposal facility and simultaneously monitor the glass-water reaction. PUF tests are being conducted to accelerate the weathering of glass and validate the model parameters being used to predict long-term glass behavior.more » One dimensional reactive chemical transport simulations of glass dissolution and secondary phase formation during a 1.5-year long PUF experiment was conducted with the subsurface transport over reactive multi-phases (STORM) code. Results show that parameterization of the computer model by combining direct laboratory measurements and thermodynamic data provides an integrated approach to predicting glass behavior over geologic-time scales.« less

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.

Hydrometric, Hydrochemical, and Hydrogeophysical Runoff Characterization Across Multiple Land Covers in the Agua Salud Project, Panama

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litt, Guy Finley

As the Panama Canal Authority faces sensitivity to water shortages, managing water resources becomes crucial for the global shipping industry's security. These studies address knowledge gaps in tropical water resources to aid hydrological model development and validation. Field-based hydrological investigations in the Agua Salud Project within the Panama Canal Watershed employed multiple tools across a variety of land covers to investigate hydrological processes. Geochemical tracers informed where storm runoff in a stream comes from and identified electrical conductivity (EC) as an economical, high sample frequency tracer during small storms. EC-based hydrograph separation coupled with hydrograph recession rate analyses identified shallow and deep groundwater storage-discharge relationships that varied by season and land cover. A series of plot-scale electrical resistivity imaging geophysical experiments coupled with rainfall simulation characterized subsurface flow pathway behavior and quantified respectively increasing infiltration rates across pasture, 10 year old secondary succession forest, teak (tectona grandis), and 30 year old secondary succession forest land covers. Additional soil water, groundwater, and geochemical studies informed conceptual model development in subsurface flow pathways and groundwater, and identified future research needs.

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

Sentis, Manuel Lorenzo; Gable, Carl W.

Furthermore, there are many applications in science and engineering modeling where an accurate representation of a complex model geometry in the form of a mesh is important. In applications of flow and transport in subsurface porous media, this is manifest in models that must capture complex geologic stratigraphy, structure (faults, folds, erosion, deposition) and infrastructure (tunnels, boreholes, excavations). Model setup, defined as the activities of geometry definition, mesh generation (creation, optimization, modification, refine, de-refine, smooth), assigning material properties, initial conditions and boundary conditions requires specialized software tools to automate and streamline the process. In addition, some model setup tools willmore » provide more utility if they are designed to interface with and meet the needs of a particular flow and transport software suite. A control volume discretization that uses a two point flux approximation is for example most accurate when the underlying control volumes are 2D or 3D Voronoi tessellations. In this paper we will present the coupling of LaGriT, a mesh generation and model setup software suite and TOUGH2 to model subsurface flow problems and we show an example of how LaGriT can be used as a model setup tool for the generation of a Voronoi mesh for the simulation program TOUGH2. To generate the MESH file for TOUGH2 from the LaGriT output a standalone module Lagrit2Tough2 was developed, which is presented here and will be included in a future release of LaGriT. Here in this paper an alternative method to generate a Voronoi mesh for TOUGH2 with LaGriT is presented and thanks to the modular and command based structure of LaGriT this method is well suited to generating a mesh for complex models.« less

Challenging dyke ascent models using novel laboratory experiments: Implications for reinterpreting evidence of magma ascent and volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavanagh, Janine L.; Burns, Alec J.; Hilmi Hazim, Suraya; Wood, Elliot P.; Martin, Simon A.; Hignett, Sam; Dennis, David J. C.

2018-04-01

Volcanic eruptions are fed by plumbing systems that transport magma from its source to the surface, mostly fed by dykes. Here we present laboratory experiments that model dyke ascent to eruption using a tank filled with a crust analogue (gelatine, which is transparent and elastic) that is injected from below by a magma analogue (dyed water). This novel experimental setup allows, for the first time, the simultaneous measurement of fluid flow, sub-surface and surface deformation during dyke ascent. During injection, a penny-shaped fluid-filled crack is formed, intrudes, and traverses the gelatine slab vertically to then erupt at the surface. Polarised light shows the internal stress evolution as the dyke ascends, and an overhead laser scanner measures the surface elevation change in the lead-up to dyke eruption. Fluorescent passive-tracer particles that are illuminated by a laser sheet are monitored, and the intruding fluid's flow dynamics and gelatine's sub-surface strain evolution is measured using particle image velocimetry and digital image correlation, respectively. We identify 4 previously undescribed stages of dyke ascent. Stage 1, early dyke growth: the initial dyke grows from the source, and two fluid jets circulate as the penny-shaped crack is formed. Stage 2, pseudo-steady dyke growth: characterised by the development of a rapidly uprising, central, single pseudo-steady fluid jet, as the dyke grows equally in length and width, and the fluid down-wells at the dyke margin. Sub-surface host strain is localised at the head region and the tail of the dyke is largely static. Stage 3, pre-eruption unsteady dyke growth: an instability in the fluid flow appears as the central fluid jet meanders, the dyke tip accelerates towards the surface and the tail thins. Surface deformation is only detected in the immediate lead-up to eruption and is characterised by an overall topographic increase, with axis-symmetric topographic highs developed above the dyke tip. Stage 4 is the onset of eruption, when fluid flow is projected outwards and focused towards the erupting fissure as the dyke closes. A simultaneous and abrupt decrease in sub-surface strain occurs as the fluid pressure is released. Our results provide a comprehensive physical framework upon which to interpret evidence of dyke ascent in nature, and suggest dyke ascent models need to be re-evaluated to account for coupled intrusive and extrusive processes and improve the recognition of monitoring signals that lead to volcanic eruptions in nature.

Coupled Multi-physics analysis of Caprock Integrity and Fault Reactivation during CO2 Sequestration*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newell, P.; Martinez, M. J.; Bishop, J.

2012-12-01

Structural/stratigraphic trapping beneath a low-permeable caprock layer is the primary trapping mechanism for long-term subsurface sequestration of CO2. Pre-existing fracture networks, injection induced fractures, and faults are of concern for possible CO2 leakage both during and after injection. In this work we model the effects of both caprock jointing and a fault on the caprock sealing integrity during various injection scenarios. The modeling effort uses a three-dimensional finite-element based coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics simulator. The joints within the caprock are idealized as equally spaced and parallel. Both the mechanical and flow behavior of the joint network are treated within an effective continuum formulation. The mechanical behavior of the joint network is linear elastic in shear and nonlinear elastic in the normal direction. The flow behavior of the joint network is treated using the classical cubic-law relating flow rate and aperture. The flow behavior is then upscaled to obtain an effective permeability. The fault is modeled as a finite-thickness layer with multiple joint sets. The joint sets within the fault region are modeled following the same mechanical and flow formulation as the joints within the caprock. Various injection schedules as well as fault and caprock jointing configurations within a proto-typical sequestration site have been investigated. The resulting leakage rates through the caprock and fault are compared to those assuming intact material. The predicted leakage rates are a strong nonlinear function of the injection rate. *This material is based upon work supported as part of the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001114. Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Editorial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijeljic, Branko; Icardi, Matteo; Prodanović, Maša

2018-05-01

Substantial progress has been made over last few decades on understanding the physics of multiphase flow and reactive transport phenomena in subsurface porous media. Confluence of advances in experimental techniques (including micromodels, X-ray microtomography, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)) as well as computational power have made it possible to observe static and dynamic multi-scale flow, transport and reactive processes, thus stimulating development of new generation of modelling tools from pore to field scale. One of the key challenges is to make experiment and models as complementary as possible, with continuously improving experimental methods in order to increase predictive capabilities of theoretical models across scales. This creates need to establish rigorous benchmark studies of flow, transport and reaction in porous media which can then serve as the basis for introducing more complex phenomena in future developments.

Visualizing landscape hydrology as a means of education - The water cycle in a box

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehr, Christian; Rauneker, Philipp; Fahle, Marcus; Hohenbrink, Tobias; Böttcher, Steven; Natkhin, Marco; Thomas, Björn; Dannowski, Ralf; Schwien, Bernd; Lischeid, Gunnar

2016-04-01

We used an aquarium to construct a physical model of the water cycle. The model can be used to visualize the movement of the water through the landscape from precipitation and infiltration via surface and subsurface flow to discharge into the sea. The model consists of two aquifers that are divided by a loamy aquitard. The 'geological' setting enables us to establish confining groundwater conditions and to demonstrate the functioning of artesian wells. Furthermore, small experiments with colored water as tracer can be performed to identify flow paths below the ground, simulate water supply problems like pollution of drinking water wells from inflowing contaminated groundwater or changes in subsurface flow direction due to changes in the predominant pressure gradients. Hydrological basics such as the connectivity of streams, lakes and the surrounding groundwater or the dependency of groundwater flow velocity from different substrates can directly be visualized. We used the model as an instructive tool in education and for public relations. We presented the model to different audiences from primary school pupils to laymen, students of hydrology up to university professors. The model was presented to the scientific community as part of the "Face of the Earth" exhibition at the EGU general assembly 2014. Independent of the antecedent knowledge of the audience, the predominant reactions were very positive. The model often acted as icebreaker to get a conversation on hydrological topics started. Because of the great interest, we prepared video material and a photo documentation on 1) the construction of the model and 2) the visualization of steady and dynamic hydrological situations. The videos will be published soon under creative common license and the collected material will be made accessible online. Accompanying documents will address professionals in hydrology as well as non-experts. In the PICO session, we will present details about the construction of the model and its main features. Further, short videos of specific processes and experiments will be shown.

Effects of leaf area index on the coupling between water table, land surface energy fluxes, and planetary boundary layer at the regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y.; Rihani, J.; Langensiepen, M.; Simmer, C.

2013-12-01

Vegetation plays an important role in the exchange of moisture and energy at the land surface. Previous studies indicate that vegetation increases the complexity of the feedbacks between the atmosphere and subsurface through processes such as interception, root water uptake, leaf surface evaporation, and transpiration. Vegetation cover can affect not only the interaction between water table depth and energy fluxes, but also the development of the planetary boundary layer. Leaf Area Index (LAI) is shown to be a major factor influencing these interactions. In this work, we investigate the sensitivity of water table, surface energy fluxes, and atmospheric boundary layer interactions to LAI as a model input. We particularly focus on the role LAI plays on the location and extent of transition zones of strongest coupling and how this role changes over seasonal timescales for a real catchment. The Terrestrial System Modelling Platform (TerrSysMP), developed within the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 32 (TR32), is used in this study. TerrSysMP consists of the variably saturated groundwater model ParFlow, the land surface model Community Land Model (CLM), and the regional climate and weather forecast model COSMO (COnsortium for Small-scale Modeling). The sensitivity analysis is performed over a range of LAI values for different vegetation types as extracted from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) dataset for the Rur catchment in Germany. In the first part of this work, effects of vegetation structure on land surface energy fluxes and their connection to water table dynamics are studied using the stand-alone CLM and the coupled subsurface-surface components of TerrSysMP (ParFlow-CLM), respectively. The interconnection between LAI and transition zones of strongest coupling are investigated and analyzed through a subsequent set of subsurface-surface-atmosphere coupled simulations implementing the full TerrSysMP model system.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

Treesearch

R.A. Payn; M.N. Gooseff; B.L. McGlynn; K.E. Bencala; S.M. Wondzell

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6-...

The Effect of Subsurface Parameterizations on Modeled Flows in the Catchment Land Surface Model, Fortuna 2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roningen, J. M.; Eylander, J. B.

2014-12-01

Groundwater use and management is subject to economic, legal, technical, and informational constraints and incentives at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Planned and de facto management practices influenced by tax structures, legal frameworks, and agricultural and trade policies that vary at the country scale may have medium- and long-term effects on the ability of a region to support current and projected agricultural and industrial development. USACE is working to explore and develop global-scale, physically-based frameworks to serve as a baseline for hydrologic policy comparisons and consequence assessment, and such frameworks must include a reasonable representation of groundwater systems. To this end, we demonstrate the effects of different subsurface parameterizations, scaling, and meteorological forcings on surface and subsurface components of the Catchment Land Surface Model Fortuna v2.5 (Koster et al. 2000). We use the Land Information System 7 (Kumar et al. 2006) to process model runs using meteorological components of the Air Force Weather Agency's AGRMET forcing data from 2006 through 2011. Seasonal patterns and trends are examined in areas of the Upper Nile basin, northern China, and the Mississippi Valley. We also discuss the relevance of the model's representation of the catchment deficit with respect to local hydrogeologic structures.

Influence of UV radiation on chlorophyll, and antioxidant enzymes of wetland plants in different types of constructed wetland.

PubMed

Xu, Defu; Wu, Yinjuan; Li, Yingxue; Howard, Alan; Jiang, Xiaodong; Guan, Yidong; Gao, Yongxia

2014-09-01

A surface- and vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland were designed to study the response of chlorophyll and antioxidant enzymes to elevated UV radiation in three types of wetland plants (Canna indica, Phragmites austrail, and Typha augustifolia). Results showed that (1) chlorophyll content of C. indica, P. austrail, and T. augustifolia in the constructed wetland was significantly lower where UV radiation was increased by 10 and 20 % above ambient solar level than in treatment with ambient solar UV radiation (p < 0.05). (2) The malondialdehyde (MDA) content, guaiacol peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities of wetland plants increased with elevated UV radiation intensity. (3) The increased rate of MDA, SOD, POD, and CAT activities of C. indica, P. australis, and T. angustifolia by elevated UV radiation of 10 % was higher in vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland than in surface-flow-constructed wetland. The sensitivity of MDA, SOD, POD, and CAT activities of C. indica, P. austrail, and T. augustifolia to the elevated UV radiation was lower in surface-flow-constructed wetland than in the vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland, which was related to a reduction in UV radiation intensity through the dissolved organic carbon and suspended matter in the water. C. indica had the highest SOD and POD activities, which implied it is more sensitive to enhanced UV radiation. Therefore, different wetland plants had different antioxidant enzymes by elevated UV radiation, which were more sensitive in vertical subsurface-flow-constructed wetland than in surface-flow-constructed wetland.

A 3D visualization of spatial relationship between geological structure and groundwater chemical profile around Iwate volcano, Japan: based on the ARCGIS 3D Analyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibahara, A.; Ohwada, M.; Itoh, J.; Kazahaya, K.; Tsukamoto, H.; Takahashi, M.; Morikawa, N.; Takahashi, H.; Yasuhara, M.; Inamura, A.; Oyama, Y.

2009-12-01

We established 3D geological and hydrological model around Iwate volcano to visualize 3D relationships between subsurface structure and groundwater profile. Iwate volcano is a typical polygenetic volcano located in NE Japan, and its body is composed of two stratovolcanoes which have experienced sector collapses several times. Because of this complex structure, groundwater flow around Iwate volcano is strongly restricted by subsurface construction. For example, Kazahaya and Yasuhara (1999) clarified that shallow groundwater in north and east flanks of Iwate volcano are recharged at the mountaintop, and these flow systems are restricted in north and east area because of the structure of younger volcanic body collapse. In addition, Ohwada et al. (2006) found that these shallow groundwater in north and east flanks have relatively high concentration of major chemical components and high 3He/4He ratios. In this study, we succeeded to visualize the spatial relationship between subsurface structure and chemical profile of shallow and deep groundwater system using 3D model on the GIS. In the study region, a number of geological and hydrological datasets, such as boring log data and groundwater chemical profile, were reported. All these paper data are digitized and converted to meshed data on the GIS, and plotted in the three dimensional space to visualize spatial distribution. We also inputted digital elevation model (DEM) around Iwate volcano issued by the Geographical Survey Institute of Japan, and digital geological maps issued by Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. All 3D models are converted into VRML format, and can be used as a versatile dataset on personal computer.

Assessing geotechnical centrifuge modelling in addressing variably saturated flow in soil and fractured rock.

PubMed

Jones, Brendon R; Brouwers, Luke B; Van Tonder, Warren D; Dippenaar, Matthys A

2017-05-01

The vadose zone typically comprises soil underlain by fractured rock. Often, surface water and groundwater parameters are readily available, but variably saturated flow through soil and rock are oversimplified or estimated as input for hydrological models. In this paper, a series of geotechnical centrifuge experiments are conducted to contribute to the knowledge gaps in: (i) variably saturated flow and dispersion in soil and (ii) variably saturated flow in discrete vertical and horizontal fractures. Findings from the research show that the hydraulic gradient, and not the hydraulic conductivity, is scaled for seepage flow in the geotechnical centrifuge. Furthermore, geotechnical centrifuge modelling has been proven as a viable experimental tool for the modelling of hydrodynamic dispersion as well as the replication of similar flow mechanisms for unsaturated fracture flow, as previously observed in literature. Despite the imminent challenges of modelling variable saturation in the vadose zone, the geotechnical centrifuge offers a powerful experimental tool to physically model and observe variably saturated flow. This can be used to give valuable insight into mechanisms associated with solid-fluid interaction problems under these conditions. Findings from future research can be used to validate current numerical modelling techniques and address the subsequent influence on aquifer recharge and vulnerability, contaminant transport, waste disposal, dam construction, slope stability and seepage into subsurface excavations.

Spatial and Temporal Scales of Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boano, F.

2016-12-01

The interfaces between surface water and groundwater (i.e., river and lake sediments) represent hotspots for nutrient transformation in watersheds. This intense biochemical activity stems from the peculiar physicochemical properties of these interface areas. Here, the exchange of water and nutrients between surface and subsurface environments creates an ecotone region that can support the presence of different microbial species responsible for nutrient transformation. Previous studies have elucidated that water exchange between rivers and aquifers is organized in a complex system of nested flow cells. Each cell entails a range of residence timescales spanning multiple order of magnitudes, providing opportunities for different biochemical reactions to occur. Physically-bases models represent useful tools to deal with the wide range of spatial and temporal scales that characterize surface-subsurface water exchange. This contribution will present insights about how hydrodynamic processes control scale organization for surface water - groundwater interactions. The specific focus will be the influence of exchange processes on microbial activity and nutrient transformation, discussing how groundwater flow at watershed scale controls flow conditions and hence constrain microbial reactions at much smaller scales.

Introduction to the hydrogeochemical investigations within the International Stripa Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Olsson, T.; Carlsson, L.; Fritz, P.

1989-01-01

The International Stripa Project (1980-1990) has sponsored hydrogeochemical investigations at several subsurface drillholes in the granitic portion of an abandoned iron ore mine, central Sweden. The purpose has been to advance our understanding of geochemical processes in crystalline bedrock that may affect the safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories. More than a dozen investigators have collected close to a thousand water and gas samples for chemical and isotopic analyses to develop concepts for the behavior of solutes in a granitic repository environment. The Stripa granite is highly radioactive and has provided an exceptional opportunity to study the behavior of natural radionuclides, especially subsurface production. Extensive microfracturing, low permeability with isolated fracture zones of high permeability, unusual water chemistry, and a typical granitic mineral assemblage with thin veins and fracture coatings of calcite, chlorite, seriate, epidote and quartz characterize the site. Preliminary groundwater flow modeling indicates that the mine has perturbed the flow environment to a depth of about 3 km and may have induced deep groundwaters to flow into the mine. ?? 1989.

Basic Research on Three-Dimensional (3D) Electromagnetic (EM) Methods for Imaging the Flow of Organic Fluids in the Subsurface.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-04-30

Currently there are no systems available which allow for economical and accurate subsurface imaging of remediation sites. In some cases, high...system to address this need. This project has been very successful in showing a promising new direction for high resolution subsurface imaging . Our

Corn stover harvest increases herbicide movement to subsurface drains: RZWQM simulations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shipitalo, Martin J.; Malone, Robert W.; Ma, Liwang; Nolan, Bernard T.; Kanwar, Rameshwar S.; Shaner, Dale L.; Pederson, Carl H.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Crop residue removal for bioenergy production can alter soil hydrologic properties and the movement of agrochemicals to subsurface drains. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM), previously calibrated using measured flow and atrazine concentrations in drainage from a 0.4 ha chisel-tilled plot, was used to investigate effects of 50 and 100% corn (Zea mays L.) stover harvest and the accompanying reductions in soil crust hydraulic conductivity and total macroporosity on transport of atrazine, metolachlor, and metolachlor oxanilic acid (OXA). RESULTS The model accurately simulated field-measured metolachlor transport in drainage. A 3-yr simulation indicated that 50% residue removal decreased subsurface drainage by 31% and increased atrazine and metolachlor transport in drainage 4 to 5-fold when surface crust conductivity and macroporosity were reduced by 25%. Based on its measured sorption coefficient, ~ 2-fold reductions in OXA losses were simulated with residue removal. CONCLUSION RZWQM indicated that if corn stover harvest reduces crust conductivity and soil macroporosity, losses of atrazine and metolachlor in subsurface drainage will increase due to reduced sorption related to more water moving through fewer macropores. Losses of the metolachlor degradation product OXA will decrease due to the more rapid movement of the parent compound into the soil.

Identification and characterization of natural pipe systems in forested tropical soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bovi, Renata Cristina; Moreira, Cesar Augusto; Stucchi Boschi, Raquel; Cooper, Miguel

2017-04-01

Erosive processes on soil surface have been well studied and comprehended by several researchers, however little is known about subsurface erosive processes (piping). Piping is a type of subsurface erosion caused by water flowing in the subsurface and is still considered one of the most difficult erosive processes to be studied. Several processes have been considered as resposible for subsurface erosion and their interaction is complex and difficult to be studied separately. Surface investigations on their own may underestimate the erosion processes, due to the possible occurrence of subsurface processes that are not yet exposed on the surface. The network of subsurface processes should also be understood to better control erosion. Conservation practices that focus on water runoff control may be inefficient if the subsurface flow is not considered. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize subsurface cavities in the field, as well as understand the network of these cavities, by using geophysical methods (electrical tomography). The study area is situated at the Experimental Station of Tupi, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The soil of the area was classified as Hapludults. The area presents several erosive features, ranging from laminar to permanent gullies and subsurface erosions. The geophysical equipment used was the Terrameter LS resistivity meter, manufactured by ABEM Instruments. The method of electrical tomography was efficient to detect collapsed and non-collapsed pipes. The results presented valuable information to detect areas of risk.

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.

On the Representation of Aquifer Compressibility in General Subsurface Flow Codes: How an Alternate Definition of Aquifer Compressibility Matches Results from the Groundwater Flow Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birdsell, D.; Karra, S.; Rajaram, H.

2016-12-01

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in deformable porous media are derived from the fluid mass balance equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow (GSF) codes, does not explicitly track the motion of the solid porous media but does accept general constitutive relations for porosity, density, and fluid flux. Examples of GSF codes include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, STOMP, and TOUGH2. Meanwhile, analytical and numerical solutions based on the groundwater flow equation have assumed forms for porosity, density, and fluid flux. We review the derivation of the groundwater flow equation, which uses the form of Darcy's equation that accounts for the velocity of fluids with respect to solids and defines the soil matrix compressibility accordingly. We then show how GSF codes have a different governing equation if they use the form of Darcy's equation that is written only in terms of fluid velocity. The difference is seen in the porosity change, which is part of the specific storage term in the groundwater flow equation. We propose an alternative definition of soil matrix compressibility to correct for the untracked solid velocity. Simulation results show significantly less error for our new compressibility definition than the traditional compressibility when compared to analytical solutions from the groundwater literature. For example, the error in one calculation for a pumped sandstone aquifer goes from 940 to <70 Pa when the new compressibility is used. Code users and developers need to be aware of assumptions in the governing equations and constitutive relations in subsurface flow codes, and our newly-proposed compressibility function should be incorporated into GSF codes.

On the Representation of Aquifer Compressibility in General Subsurface Flow Codes: How an Alternate Definition of Aquifer Compressibility Matches Results from the Groundwater Flow Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birdsell, D.; Karra, S.; Rajaram, H.

2017-12-01

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in deformable porous media are derived from the fluid mass balance equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow (GSF) codes, does not explicitly track the motion of the solid porous media but does accept general constitutive relations for porosity, density, and fluid flux. Examples of GSF codes include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, STOMP, and TOUGH2. Meanwhile, analytical and numerical solutions based on the groundwater flow equation have assumed forms for porosity, density, and fluid flux. We review the derivation of the groundwater flow equation, which uses the form of Darcy's equation that accounts for the velocity of fluids with respect to solids and defines the soil matrix compressibility accordingly. We then show how GSF codes have a different governing equation if they use the form of Darcy's equation that is written only in terms of fluid velocity. The difference is seen in the porosity change, which is part of the specific storage term in the groundwater flow equation. We propose an alternative definition of soil matrix compressibility to correct for the untracked solid velocity. Simulation results show significantly less error for our new compressibility definition than the traditional compressibility when compared to analytical solutions from the groundwater literature. For example, the error in one calculation for a pumped sandstone aquifer goes from 940 to <70 Pa when the new compressibility is used. Code users and developers need to be aware of assumptions in the governing equations and constitutive relations in subsurface flow codes, and our newly-proposed compressibility function should be incorporated into GSF codes.

Subsurface phosphorus transport through a no-till field in the semi arid Palouse region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norby, J. C.; Brooks, E. S.; Strawn, D. G.

2017-12-01

Excess application of fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus for farming use has led to ongoing water quality issues in the United States. When these nutrients leave agronomic systems, and enter water bodies in large quantities, algal bloom and eutrophication can occur. Extensive studies focusing on phosphorus as a pollutant from agronomic systems have been conducted in the many regions of the United States; however, there has been a lack of studies completed in the semiarid Palouse region of eastern Washington and western Idaho. The goal of this research study was to better understand how no-till farm management has altered soil P temporally and the current availability for off-site transport of P throughout an artificially drained catchment at the Cook Agronomy Farm in Pullman, WA. We also attempted to determine the processes responsible for subsurface flow of phosphorus, specifically through preferential flow pathways. Dissolved reactive P (DRP)concentrations of subsurface drainage from a artificial drain exceeded TMDL threshold concentrations during numerous seasonal high flow events over the two-year study time frame. Soil analyses show a highly variable distribution of water-extractable P across the sub-catchment area and initial results suggest a translocation of P species deeper into the soil profile after implementing no-till practices in 1998. We hypothesized that a greater network of macropores from lack of soil disturbance allow for preferential flow of nutrient-laden water deeper into the subsurface and to the artificial drain system. Simulated flow experiments on soil cores from the study site showed large-scale macropore development, extreme variability in soil conductivity, and high P adsorption potential for the soils, suggesting a disconnect between P movement through macropore soil and subsurface drainage water rich in DRP at the artificial drain line outlet.

Tile drainage as karst: Conduit flow and diffuse flow in a tile-drained watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, K.E.; Helmers, M.

2008-01-01

The similarity of tiled-drained watersheds to karst drainage basins can be used to improve understanding of watershed-scale nutrient losses from subsurface tile drainage networks. In this study, short-term variations in discharge and chemistry were examined from a tile outlet collecting subsurface tile flow from a 963 ha agricultural watershed. Study objectives were to apply analytical techniques from karst springs to tile discharge to evaluate water sources and estimate the loads of agricultural pollutants discharged from the tile with conduit, intermediate and diffuse flow regimes. A two-member mixing model using nitrate, chloride and specific conductance was used to distinguish rainwater versus groundwater inputs. Results indicated that groundwater comprised 75% of the discharge for a three-day storm period and rainwater was primarily concentrated during the hydrograph peak. A contrasting pattern of solute concentrations and export loads was observed in tile flow. During base flow periods, tile flow consisted of diffuse flow from groundwater sources and contained elevated levels of nitrate, chloride and specific conductance. During storm events, suspended solids and pollutants adhered to soil surfaces (phosphorus, ammonium and organic nitrogen) were concentrated and discharged during the rapid, conduit flow portion of the hydrograph. During a three-day period, conduit flow occurred for 5.6% of the time but accounted for 16.5% of the total flow. Nitrate and chloride were delivered primarily with diffuse flow (more than 70%), whereas 80-94% of total suspended sediment, phosphorus and ammonium were exported with conduit and intermediate flow regimes. Understanding the water sources contributing to tile drainage and the manner by which pollutant discharge occurs from these systems (conduit, intermediate or diffuse flow) may be useful for designing, implementing and evaluating non-point source reduction strategies in tile-drained landscapes. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bridging Numerical and Analytical Models of Transient Travel Time Distributions: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danesh Yazdi, M.; Klaus, J.; Condon, L. E.; Maxwell, R. M.

2017-12-01

Recent advancements in analytical solutions to quantify water and solute time-variant travel time distributions (TTDs) and the related StorAge Selection (SAS) functions synthesize catchment complexity into a simplified, lumped representation. While these analytical approaches are easy and efficient in application, they require high frequency hydrochemical data for parameter estimation. Alternatively, integrated hydrologic models coupled to Lagrangian particle-tracking approaches can directly simulate age under different catchment geometries and complexity at a greater computational expense. Here, we compare and contrast the two approaches by exploring the influence of the spatial distribution of subsurface heterogeneity, interactions between distinct flow domains, diversity of flow pathways, and recharge rate on the shape of TTDs and the relating SAS functions. To this end, we use a parallel three-dimensional variably saturated groundwater model, ParFlow, to solve for the velocity fields in the subsurface. A particle-tracking model, SLIM, is then implemented to determine the age distributions at every real time and domain location, facilitating a direct characterization of the SAS functions as opposed to analytical approaches requiring calibration of such functions. Steady-state results reveal that the assumption of random age sampling scheme might only hold in the saturated region of homogeneous catchments resulting in an exponential TTD. This assumption is however violated when the vadose zone is included as the underlying SAS function gives a higher preference to older ages. The dynamical variability of the true SAS functions is also shown to be largely masked by the smooth analytical SAS functions. As the variability of subsurface spatial heterogeneity increases, the shape of TTD approaches a power-law distribution function, including a broader distribution of shorter and longer travel times. We further found that larger (smaller) magnitude of effective precipitation shifts the scale of TTD towards younger (older) travel times, while the shape of the TTD remains untouched. This work constitutes a first step in linking a numerical transport model and analytical solutions of TTD to study their assumptions and limitations, providing physical inferences for empirical parameters.

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

Gutierrez, Marte

Colorado School of Mines conducted research and training in the development and validation of an advanced CO{sub 2} GS (Geological Sequestration) probabilistic simulation and risk assessment model. CO{sub 2} GS simulation and risk assessment is used to develop advanced numerical simulation models of the subsurface to forecast CO2 behavior and transport; optimize site operational practices; ensure site safety; and refine site monitoring, verification, and accounting efforts. As simulation models are refined with new data, the uncertainty surrounding the identified risks decrease, thereby providing more accurate risk assessment. The models considered the full coupling of multiple physical processes (geomechanical and fluidmore » flow) and describe the effects of stochastic hydro-mechanical (H-M) parameters on the modeling of CO{sub 2} flow and transport in fractured porous rocks. Graduate students were involved in the development and validation of the model that can be used to predict the fate, movement, and storage of CO{sub 2} in subsurface formations, and to evaluate the risk of potential leakage to the atmosphere and underground aquifers. The main major contributions from the project include the development of: 1) an improved procedure to rigorously couple the simulations of hydro-thermomechanical (H-M) processes involved in CO{sub 2} GS; 2) models for the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured porous rocks with random fracture patterns; and 3) probabilistic methods to account for the effects of stochastic fluid flow and geomechanical properties on flow, transport, storage and leakage associated with CO{sub 2} GS. The research project provided the means to educate and train graduate students in the science and technology of CO{sub 2} GS, with a focus on geologic storage. Specifically, the training included the investigation of an advanced CO{sub 2} GS simulation and risk assessment model that can be used to predict the fate, movement, and storage of CO{sub 2} in underground formations, and the evaluation of the risk of potential CO{sub 2} leakage to the atmosphere and underground aquifers.« less

Hydrogeophysical investigations at Hidden Dam, Raymond, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minsley, Burke J.; Burton, Bethany L.; Ikard, Scott; Powers, Michael H.

2011-01-01

Self-potential and direct current resistivity surveys are carried out at the Hidden Dam site in Raymond, California to assess present-day seepage patterns and better understand the hydrogeologic mechanisms that likely influence seepage. Numerical modeling is utilized in conjunction with the geophysical measurements to predict variably-saturated flow through typical two-dimensional dam cross-sections as a function of reservoir elevation. Several different flow scenarios are investigated based on the known hydrogeology, as well as information about typical subsurface structures gained from the resistivity survey. The flow models are also used to simulate the bulk electrical resistivity in the subsurface under varying saturation conditions, as well as the self-potential response using petrophysical relationships and electrokinetic coupling equations.The self-potential survey consists of 512 measurements on the downstream area of the dam, and corroborates known seepage areas on the northwest side of the dam. Two direct-current resistivity profiles, each approximately 2,500 ft (762 m) long, indicate a broad sediment channel under the northwest side of the dam, which may be a significant seepage pathway through the foundation. A focusing of seepage in low-topography areas downstream of the dam is confirmed from the numerical flow simulations, which is also consistent with past observations. Little evidence of seepage is identified from the self-potential data on the southeast side of the dam, also consistent with historical records, though one possible area of focused seepage is identified near the outlet works. Integration of the geophysical surveys, numerical modeling, and observation well data provides a framework for better understanding seepage at the site through a combined hydrogeophysical approach.

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faybishenko, Boris; Witherspoon, Paul A.; Gale, John

How to characterize fluid flow, heat, and chemical transport in geologic media remains a central challenge for geoscientists and engineers worldwide. Investigations of fluid flow and transport within rock relate to such fundamental and applied problems as environmental remediation; nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) transport; exploitation of oil, gas, and geothermal resources; disposal of spent nuclear fuel; and geotechnical engineering. It is widely acknowledged that fractures in unsaturated-saturated rock can play a major role in solute transport from the land surface to underlying aquifers. It is also evident that general issues concerning flow and transport predictions in subsurface fractured zones can be resolved in a practical manner by integrating investigations into the physical nature of flow in fractures, developing relevant mathematical models and modeling approaches, and collecting site characterization data. Because of the complexity of flow and transport processes in most fractured rock flow problems, it is not yet possible to develop models directly from first principles. One reason for this is the presence of episodic, preferential water seepage and solute transport, which usually proceed more rapidly than expected from volume-averaged and time-averaged models. However, the physics of these processes is still known.

Hyporheic flow and transport processes: mechanisms, models, and biogeochemical implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boano, Fulvio; Harvey, Judson W.; Marion, Andrea; Packman, Aaron I.; Revelli, Roberto; Ridolfi, Luca; Anders, Wörman

2014-01-01

Fifty years of hyporheic zone research have shown the important role played by the hyporheic zone as an interface between groundwater and surface waters. However, it is only in the last two decades that what began as an empirical science has become a mechanistic science devoted to modeling studies of the complex fluid dynamical and biogeochemical mechanisms occurring in the hyporheic zone. These efforts have led to the picture of surface-subsurface water interactions as regulators of the form and function of fluvial ecosystems. Rather than being isolated systems, surface water bodies continuously interact with the subsurface. Exploration of hyporheic zone processes has led to a new appreciation of their wide reaching consequences for water quality and stream ecology. Modern research aims toward a unified approach, in which processes occurring in the hyporheic zone are key elements for the appreciation, management, and restoration of the whole river environment. In this unifying context, this review summarizes results from modeling studies and field observations about flow and transport processes in the hyporheic zone and describes the theories proposed in hydrology and fluid dynamics developed to quantitatively model and predict the hyporheic transport of water, heat, and dissolved and suspended compounds from sediment grain scale up to the watershed scale. The implications of these processes for stream biogeochemistry and ecology are also discussed."

Hyporheic flow and transport processes: Mechanisms, models, and biogeochemical implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boano, F.; Harvey, J. W.; Marion, A.; Packman, A. I.; Revelli, R.; Ridolfi, L.; Wörman, A.

2014-12-01

Fifty years of hyporheic zone research have shown the important role played by the hyporheic zone as an interface between groundwater and surface waters. However, it is only in the last two decades that what began as an empirical science has become a mechanistic science devoted to modeling studies of the complex fluid dynamical and biogeochemical mechanisms occurring in the hyporheic zone. These efforts have led to the picture of surface-subsurface water interactions as regulators of the form and function of fluvial ecosystems. Rather than being isolated systems, surface water bodies continuously interact with the subsurface. Exploration of hyporheic zone processes has led to a new appreciation of their wide reaching consequences for water quality and stream ecology. Modern research aims toward a unified approach, in which processes occurring in the hyporheic zone are key elements for the appreciation, management, and restoration of the whole river environment. In this unifying context, this review summarizes results from modeling studies and field observations about flow and transport processes in the hyporheic zone and describes the theories proposed in hydrology and fluid dynamics developed to quantitatively model and predict the hyporheic transport of water, heat, and dissolved and suspended compounds from sediment grain scale up to the watershed scale. The implications of these processes for stream biogeochemistry and ecology are also discussed.

Deep subsurface microbial processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lovley, D.R.; Chapelle, F.H.

1995-01-01

Information on the microbiology of the deep subsurface is necessary in order to understand the factors controlling the rate and extent of the microbially catalyzed redox reactions that influence the geophysical properties of these environments. Furthermore, there is an increasing threat that deep aquifers, an important drinking water resource, may be contaminated by man's activities, and there is a need to predict the extent to which microbial activity may remediate such contamination. Metabolically active microorganisms can be recovered from a diversity of deep subsurface environments. The available evidence suggests that these microorganisms are responsible for catalyzing the oxidation of organic matter coupled to a variety of electron acceptors just as microorganisms do in surface sediments, but at much slower rates. The technical difficulties in aseptically sampling deep subsurface sediments and the fact that microbial processes in laboratory incubations of deep subsurface material often do not mimic in situ processes frequently necessitate that microbial activity in the deep subsurface be inferred through nonmicrobiological analyses of ground water. These approaches include measurements of dissolved H2, which can predict the predominant microbially catalyzed redox reactions in aquifers, as well as geochemical and groundwater flow modeling, which can be used to estimate the rates of microbial processes. Microorganisms recovered from the deep subsurface have the potential to affect the fate of toxic organics and inorganic contaminants in groundwater. Microbial activity also greatly influences 1 the chemistry of many pristine groundwaters and contributes to such phenomena as porosity development in carbonate aquifers, accumulation of undesirably high concentrations of dissolved iron, and production of methane and hydrogen sulfide. Although the last decade has seen a dramatic increase in interest in deep subsurface microbiology, in comparison with the study of other habitats, the study of deep subsurface microbiology is still in its infancy.

Control of topography gradients on residence time distributions, mixing dynamics and reactive hotspot development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandopadhyay, Aditya; Le Borgne, Tanguy; Davy, Philippe

2017-04-01

Topography-driven subsurface flows are thought to play a central role in determining solute turnover and biogeochemical processes at different scales in the critical zone, including river-hyporheic zone exchanges, hillslope solute transport and reactions, and catchment biogeochemical cycles. Hydraulic head gradients, induced by topography gradients at different scales, generate a distribution of streamlines at depth, dictating the spatial distribution of redox sensitive species, the magnitude of surface water - ground water exchanges and ultimately the source/sink function of the subsurface. Flow velocities generally decrease with depth, leading to broad residence time distributions, which have been shown to affect river chemistry and geochemical reactions in catchments. In this presentation, we discuss the impact of topography-driven flows on mixing processes and the formation of localized reactive hotspots. For this, we solve analytically the coupled flow, mixing and reaction equations in two-dimensional vertical cross-sections of subsurface domains with different topography gradients. For a given topography gradient, we derive the spatial distribution of subsurface velocities, the rates of solute mixing accross streamlines and the induced kinetics of redox, precipitation and dissolution reactions using a Lagrangian approach (Le Borgne et al. 2014). We demonstrate that vertical velocity profiles driven by topography variations, act effectively as shear flows, hence stretching continuously the mixing fronts between recently infiltrated and resident water (Bandopadhyay et al. 2017). We thus derive analytical expressions for residence time distributions, mixing rates and kinetics of chemical reactions as a function of the topography gradients. We show that the rates dissolution and precipitation reactions are significantly enhanced by the existence of vertical velocity gradients and that reaction rates reach a maximum in a localized subsurface reactive layer, whose location and intensity depends on topography gradients. As a consequence of these findings, we discuss the links between topography variations, subsurface velocity gradients and biogeochemical processes in the critical zone. References: Bandopadhyay A., T. Le Borgne, Y. Méheust and M. Dentz (2017) Enhanced reaction kinetics and reactive mixing scale dynamics in mixing fronts under shear flow for arbitrary Damkohler numbers, Adv. in Water Resour. Vol. 100, p. 78-95 Le Borgne T., T. Ginn and M. Dentz (2014) Impact of Fluid Deformation on Mixing-Induced Chemical Reactions in Heterogeneous Flows, Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 41, 22, p. 7898-790

Radio Sounding Techniques for the Galilean Icy Moons and their Jovian Magnetospheric Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, James L.; Markus, Thursten; Fung, Shing F.; Benson, Robert F.; Reinich, Bodo W.; Song, Paul; Gogineni, S. Prasad; Cooper, John F.; Taylor, William W. L.; Garcia, Leonard

2004-01-01

Radio sounding of the Earth's topside ionosphere and magnetosphere is a proven technique from geospace missions such as the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) and the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE). Application of this technique to Jupiter's icy moons and the surrounding Jovian magnetosphere will provide unique remote sensing observations of the plasma and magnetic field environments and the subsurface conductivities, of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Spatial structures of ionospheric plasma above the surfaces of the moons vary in response to magnetic-field perturbations from (1) magnetospheric plasma flows, (2) ionospheric currents from ionization of sputtered surface material, and (3) induced electric currents in salty subsurface oceans and from the plasma flows and ionospheric currents themselves. Radio sounding from 3 kHz to 10 MHz can provide the global electron densities necessary for the extraction of the oceanic current signals and supplements in-situ plasma and magnetic field measurements. While radio sounding requires high transmitter power for subsurface sounding, little power is needed to probe the electron density and magnetic field intensity near the spacecraft. For subsurface sounding, reflections occur at changes in the dielectric index, e.g., at the interfaces between two different phases of water or between water and soil. Variations in sub-surface conductivity of the icy moons can be investigated by radio sounding in the frequency range from 10 MHz to 50 MHz, allowing the determination of the presence of density and solid-liquid phase boundaries associated with oceans and related structures in overlying ice crusts. The detection of subsurface oceans underneath the icy crusts of the Jovian moons is one of the primary objectives of the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission. Preliminary modeling results show that return signals are clearly distinguishable be&een an ice crust with a thickness of 7 km on 1) an ocean and 2) a layer of bedrock. Knowledge of the ionospheric contributions to the time delay of the low-frequency subsurface radar is shown to be important in obtaining accurate depth information.

Hydrology and simulation of ground-water flow in Juab Valley, Juab County, Utah.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.; Stolp, Bernard J.; Hadley, Heidi K.; Steiger, Judy I.

1996-01-01

Plans to import water to Juab Valley, Utah, primarily for irrigation, are part of the Central Utah Project. A better understanding of the hydrology of the valley is needed to help manage the water resources and to develop conjunctive-use plans.The saturated unconsolidated basin-fill deposits form the ground-water system in Juab Valley. Recharge is by seepage from streams, unconsumed irrigation water, and distribution systems; infiltration of precipitation; and subsurface inflow from consolidated rocks that surround the valley. Discharge is by wells, springs, seeps, evapotranspiration, and subsurface outflow to consolidated rocks. Ground-water pumpage is used to supplement surface water for irrigation in most of the valley and has altered the direction of groundwater flow from that of pre-ground-water development time in areas near and in Nephi and Levan.Greater-than-average precipitation during 1980-87 corresponds with a rise in water levels measured in most wells in the valley and the highest water level measured in some wells. Less-than average precipitation during 1988-91 corresponds with a decline in water levels measured during 1988-93 in most wells. Geochemical analyses indicate that the sources of dissolved ions in water sampled from the southern part of the valley are the Arapien Shale, evaporite deposits that occur in the unconsolidated basin-fill deposits, and possibly residual sea water that has undergone evaporation in unconsolidated basin-fill deposits in selected areas. Water discharging from a spring at Burriston Ponds is a mixture of about 70 percent ground water from a hypothesized flow path that extends downgradient from where Salt Creek enters Juab Valley and 30 percent from a hypothesized flow path from the base of the southern Wasatch Range.The ground-water system of Juab Valley was simulated by using the U.S. Geological Survey modular, three-dimensional, finite-difference, ground-water flow model. The numerical model was calibrated to simulate the steady-state conditions of 1949, multi-year transient-state conditions during 1949-92, and seasonal transient-state conditions during 1992-94. Calibration parameters were adjusted until model-computed water levels reasonably matched measured water levels. Parameters important to the calibration process include horizontal hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and the spatial distribution and amount of recharge from subsurface inflow and seepage from ephemeral streams to the east side of Juab Valley.

Dynamics of reactive microbial hotspots in concentration gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubert, Antoine; Farasin, Julien; Tabuteau, Hervé; Méheust, Yves; Le Borgne, Tanguy

2017-04-01

In subsurface environments, bacteria play a major role in controlling the kinetics of a broad range of biogeochemical reactions. In such environments, nutrients fluxes and solute concentrations needed for bacteria metabolism may be highly variable in space and intermittent in time. This can lead to the formation of reactive hotspots where and when conditions are favorable to particular microorganisms, hence inducing biogeochemical reaction kinetics that differ significantly from those measured in homogeneous model environments. To investigate the impact of chemical gradients on the spatial structure and temporal dynamics of subsurface microorganism populations, we develop microfluidic cells allowing for a precise control of flow and chemical gradient conditions, as well as a quantitative monitoring of the bacteria's spatial distribution and biofilm development. Using the non-motile Escherichia coli JW1908-1 strain and Gallionella as model organisms, we investigate the behavior and development of bacteria over a range of single and double concentration gradients in the concentrations of nutrients, electron donors and electron acceptors. To quantify bacterial activity we use Fluorescein Diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis by bacterial enzymes which transforms FDA into Fluorescein, whose local concentration is measured optically. We thus measure bacterial activity locally from the time derivative of the measured fluorescence. This approach allows time-resolved monitoring of the location and intensity of reactive hotspots in micromodels as a function of the flow and chemical gradient conditions. We discuss consequences for the formation and temporal dynamics of biofilms in the subsurface.

Analysis of chemical reaction kinetics of depredating organic pollutants from secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plant in constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Wang, Hao; Jiang, Dengling; Yang, Yong; Cao, Guoping

2013-01-01

Four subsurface constructed wetlands were built to treat the secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant in Tangshan, China. The chemical pollutant indexes of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed to evaluate the removal efficiency of organic pollutants from the secondary effluent of the wastewater treatment plant. In all cases, the subsurface constructed wetlands were efficient in treating organic pollutants. Under the same hydraulic loading condition, the horizontal flow wetlands exhibited better efficiency of COD removal than vertical flow wetlands: the removal rates in horizontal flow wetlands could be maintained at 68.4 ± 2.42% to 92.2 ± 1.61%, compared with 63.8 ± 1.19% to 85.0 ± 1.25% in the vertical flow wetlands. Meanwhile, the chemical reaction kinetics of organic pollutants was analyzed, and the results showed that the degradation courses of the four subsurface wetlands all corresponded with the first order reaction kinetics to a large extent.

Facilitated strontium transport by remobilization of strontium-containing secondary precipitates in Hanford Site subsurface.

PubMed

Wang, Guohui; Um, Wooyong

2013-03-15

Significantly enhanced immobilization of radionuclides (such as (90)Sr and (137)Cs) due to adsorption and coprecipitation with neo-formed colloid-sized secondary precipitates has been reported at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. However, the stability of these secondary precipitates containing radionuclides in the subsurface under changeable field conditions is not clear. Here, the authors tested the remobilization possibility of Sr-containing secondary precipitates (nitrate-cancrinite) in the subsurface using saturated column experiments under different geochemical and flow conditions. The columns were packed with quartz sand that contained secondary precipitates (nitrate-cancrinite containing Sr), and leached using colloid-free solutions under different flow rates, varying pH, and ionic strength conditions. The results indicate remobilization of the neo-formed secondary precipitates could be possible given a change of pH of ionic strength and flow rate conditions. The remobility of the neo-formed precipitates increased with the rise in the leaching solution flow rate and pH (in a range of pH 4-11), as well as with decreasing solution ionic strength. The increased mobility of Sr-containing secondary precipitates with changing background conditions can be a potential source for additional radionuclide transport in Hanford Site subsurface environments. Published by Elsevier B.V.

System analysis to estimate subsurface flow: from global level to the State of Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmagin, Boris A.; Kanivetsky, Roman

2002-06-01

Stream runoff data globally and in the state of Minnesota were used to estimate subsurface water flow. This system approach is based, in principal, on unity of groundwater and surface water systems, and it is in stark contrast to the traditional deterministic approach based on modeling. In coordination with methodology of system analysis, two levels of study were used to estimate subsurface flow. First, the global stream runoff data were assessed to estimate the temporal-spatial variability of surface water runoff. Factor analysis was used to study the temporal-spatial variability of global runoff for the period from 1918 to 1967. Results of these analysis demonstrate that the variability of global runoff could be represented by seven major components (factor scores) that could be grouped into seven distinct independent grouping from the total of 18 continental slopes on the Earth. Computed variance value in this analysis is 76% and supports such analysis. The global stream runoff for this period is stationary, and is more closely connected with the stream flow of Asia to the Pacific Ocean as well as with the stream runoff of North America towards the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. The second level examines the distribution of river runoff (annual and for February) for various landscapes and the hydrogeological conditions in the State of Minnesota (218,000 km2). The annual and minimal monthly rate of stream runoff for 115 gauging stations with a period of observation of 47 years (1935-1981) were used to characterize the spatio-temporal distribution of stream runoff in Minnesota. Results of this analysis demonstrate that the annual stream runoff rate changes from 6.3, towards 3.95, and then to 2.09 l s-1 km-2 (the difference is significant based on Student's criteria). These values in Minnesota correspond to ecological provinces from a mixed forest province towards the broadleaf forest and to prairie province, respectively. The distribution of minimal monthly stream runoff rate (February runoff) is controlled by hydrogeological systems in Minnesota. The difference between the two hydrogeological regions, Precambrian crystalline basement and Paleozoic artesian basin of 0.83 and 2.09 l/s/km2, is statistically significant. Within these regions, the monthly minimal runoff (0.5 and 1.68, and 0.87 and 3.11 l s-1 km-2 for February, respectively) is also distinctly different for delineated subregions, depending on whether or not the Quaternary cover is present. The spatio-temporal structure that emerges could thus be used to generate river runoff and subsurface flow maps at any scale - from the global level to local detail. Such analysis was carried out in Minnesota with the detailed mapping of the subsurface flow for the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

System analysis to estimate subsurface flow: From global level to the State of Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shmagin, B.A.; Kanivetsky, R.

2002-01-01

Stream runoff data globally and in the state of Minnesota were used to estimate subsurface water flow. This system approach is based, in principal, on unity of groundwater and surface water systems, and it is in stark contrast to the traditional deterministic approach based on modeling. In coordination with methodology of system analysis, two levels of study were used to estimate subsurface flow. First, the global stream runoff data were assessed to estimate the temporal-spatial variability of surface water runoff. Factor analysis was used to study the temporal-spatial variability of global runoff for the period from 1918 to 1967. Results of these analysis demonstrate that the variability of global runoff could be represented by seven major components (factor scores) that could be grouped into seven distinct independent grouping from the total of 18 continental slopes on the Earth. Computed variance value in this analysis is 76% and supports such analysis. The global stream runoff for this period is stationary, and is more closely connected with the stream flow of Asia to the Pacific Ocean as well as with the stream runoff of North America towards the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. The second level examines the distribution of river runoff (annual and for February) for various landscapes and the hydrogeological conditions in the State of Minnesota (218,000 km2). The annual and minimal monthly rate of stream runoff for 115 gauging stations with a period of observation of 47 years (1935-1981) were used to characterize the spatio-temporal distribution of stream runoff in Minnesota. Results of this analysis demonstrate that the annual stream runoff rate changes from 6.3, towards 3.95, and then to 2.09 1 s-1 km-2 (the difference is significant based on Student's criteria). These values in Minnesota correspond to ecological provinces from a mixed forest province towards the broadleaf forest and to prairie province, respectively. The distribution of minimal monthly stream runoff rate (February runoff) is controlled by hydrogeological systems in Minnesota. The difference between the two hydrogeological regions, Precambrian crystalline basement and Paleozoic artesian basin of 0.83 and 2.09 1/s/km2, is statistically significant. Within these regions, the monthly minimal runoff (0.5 and 1.68, and 0.87 and 3.11 1 s-1 km-2 for February, respectively) is also distinctly different for delineated subregions, depending on whether or not the Quaternary cover is present. The spatio-temporal structure that emerges could thus be used to generate river runoff and subsurface flow maps at any scale - from the global level to local detail. Such analysis was carried out in Minnesota with the detailed mapping of the subsurface flow for the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

Coupled prediction of flood response and debris flow initiation during warm- and cold-season events in the Southern Appalachians, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, J.; Barros, A. P.

2014-01-01

Debris flows associated with rainstorms are a frequent and devastating hazard in the Southern Appalachians in the United States. Whereas warm-season events are clearly associated with heavy rainfall intensity, the same cannot be said for the cold-season events. Instead, there is a relationship between large (cumulative) rainfall events independently of season, and thus hydrometeorological regime, and debris flows. This suggests that the dynamics of subsurface hydrologic processes play an important role as a trigger mechanism, specifically through soil moisture redistribution by interflow. We further hypothesize that the transient mass fluxes associated with the temporal-spatial dynamics of interflow govern the timing of shallow landslide initiation, and subsequent debris flow mobilization. The first objective of this study is to investigate this relationship. The second objective is to assess the physical basis for a regional coupled flood prediction and debris flow warning system. For this purpose, uncalibrated model simulations of well-documented debris flows in headwater catchments of the Southern Appalachians using a 3-D surface-groundwater hydrologic model coupled with slope stability models are examined in detail. Specifically, we focus on two vulnerable headwater catchments that experience frequent debris flows, the Big Creek and the Jonathan Creek in the Upper Pigeon River Basin, North Carolina, and three distinct weather systems: an extremely heavy summertime convective storm in 2011; a persistent winter storm lasting several days; and a severe winter storm in 2009. These events were selected due to the optimal availability of rainfall observations; availability of detailed field surveys of the landslides shortly after they occurred, which can be used to evaluate model predictions; and because they are representative of events that cause major economic losses in the region. The model results substantiate that interflow is a useful prognostic of conditions necessary for the initiation of slope instability, and should therefore be considered explicitly in landslide hazard assessments. Moreover, the relationships between slope stability and interflow are strongly modulated by the topography and catchment-specific geomorphologic features that determine subsurface flow convergence zones. The three case studies demonstrate the value of coupled prediction of flood response and debris flow initiation potential in the context of developing a regional hazard warning system.

A Cloud Based Framework For Monitoring And Predicting Subsurface System Behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Versteeg, R. J.; Rodzianko, A.; Johnson, D. V.; Soltanian, M. R.; Dwivedi, D.; Dafflon, B.; Tran, A. P.; Versteeg, O. J.

2015-12-01

Subsurface system behavior is driven and controlled by the interplay of physical, chemical, and biological processes which occur at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Capabilities to monitor, understand and predict this behavior in an effective and timely manner are needed for both scientific purposes and for effective subsurface system management. Such capabilities require three elements: Models, Data and an enabling cyberinfrastructure, which allow users to use these models and data in an effective manner. Under a DOE Office of Science funded STTR award Subsurface Insights and LBNL have designed and implemented a cloud based predictive assimilation framework (PAF) which automatically ingests, controls quality and stores heterogeneous physical and chemical subsurface data and processes these data using different inversion and modeling codes to provide information on the current state and evolution of subsurface systems. PAF is implemented as a modular cloud based software application with five components: (1) data acquisition, (2) data management, (3) data assimilation and processing, (4) visualization and result delivery and (5) orchestration. Serverside PAF uses ZF2 (a PHP web application framework) and Python and both open source (ODM2) and in house developed data models. Clientside PAF uses CSS and JS to allow for interactive data visualization and analysis. Client side modularity (which allows for a responsive interface) of the system is achieved by implementing each core capability of PAF (such as data visualization, user configuration and control, electrical geophysical monitoring and email/SMS alerts on data streams) as a SPA (Single Page Application). One of the recent enhancements is the full integration of a number of flow and mass transport and parameter estimation codes (e.g., MODFLOW, MT3DMS, PHT3D, TOUGH, PFLOTRAN) in this framework. This integration allows for autonomous and user controlled modeling of hydrological and geochemical processes. In our presentation we will discuss our software architecture and present the results of using these codes and the overall developed performance of our framework using hydrological, geochemical and geophysical data from the LBNL SFA2 Rifle field site.

A Review of distribution and quantity of lingering subsurface oil from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nixon, Zachary; Michel, Jacqueline

2018-01-01

Remaining lingering subsurface oil residues from the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) are, at present, patchily distributed across the geologically complex and spatially extensive shorelines of Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska. We review and synthesize previous literature describing the causal geomorphic and physical mechanisms for persistence of oil in the intertidal subsurface sediments of these areas. We also summarize previous sampling and modeling efforts, and refine previously presented models with additional data to characterize the present-day linear and areal spatial extent, and quantity of lingering subsurface oil. In the weeks after the spill in March of 1989, approximately 17,750 t of oil were stranded along impacted shorelines, and by October of 1992, only 2% of the mass of spilled oil was estimated to remain in intertidal areas. We estimate that lingering subsurface residues, generally between 5 and 20 cm thick and sequestered below 10-20 cm of clean sediment, are present over 30 ha of intertidal area, along 11.4 km of shoreline, and represent approximately 227 t or 0.6% of the total mass of spilled oil. These residues are typically located in finer-grained sand and gravel sediments, often under an armor of cobble- or boulder-sized clasts, in areas with limited groundwater flow and porosity. Persistence of these residues is correlated with heavy initial oil loading together with localized sheltering from physical disturbance such as wave energy within the beach face. While no longer generally bioavailable and increasingly chemically weathered, present removal rates for these remaining subsurface oil residues have slowed to nearly zero. The only remaining plausible removal mechanisms will operate over time scales of decades.

Integrated water flow model and modflow-farm process: A comparison of theory, approaches, and features of two integrated hydrologic models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dogrul, Emin C.; Schmid, Wolfgang; Hanson, Randall T.; Kadir, Tariq; Chung, Francis

2016-01-01

Effective modeling of conjunctive use of surface and subsurface water resources requires simulation of land use-based root zone and surface flow processes as well as groundwater flows, streamflows, and their interactions. Recently, two computer models developed for this purpose, the Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) from the California Department of Water Resources and the MODFLOW with Farm Process (MF-FMP) from the US Geological Survey, have been applied to complex basins such as the Central Valley of California. As both IWFM and MFFMP are publicly available for download and can be applied to other basins, there is a need to objectively compare the main approaches and features used in both models. This paper compares the concepts, as well as the method and simulation features of each hydrologic model pertaining to groundwater, surface water, and landscape processes. The comparison is focused on the integrated simulation of water demand and supply, water use, and the flow between coupled hydrologic processes. The differences in the capabilities and features of these two models could affect the outcome and types of water resource problems that can be simulated.

Carbon dioxide fluid-flow modeling and injectivity calculations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burke, Lauri

2011-01-01

These results were used to classify subsurface formations into three permeability classifications for the probabilistic calculations of storage efficiency and containment risk of the U.S. Geological Survey geologic carbon sequestration assessment methodology. This methodology is currently in use to determine the total carbon dioxide containment capacity of the onshore and State waters areas of the United States.

Evaluating the spatial distribution of water balance in a small watershed, Pennsylvania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhongbo; Gburek, W. J.; Schwartz, F. W.

2000-04-01

A conceptual water-balance model was modified from a point application to be distributed for evaluating the spatial distribution of watershed water balance based on daily precipitation, temperature and other hydrological parameters. The model was calibrated by comparing simulated daily variation in soil moisture with field observed data and results of another model that simulates the vertical soil moisture flow by numerically solving Richards' equation. The impacts of soil and land use on the hydrological components of the water balance, such as evapotranspiration, soil moisture deficit, runoff and subsurface drainage, were evaluated with the calibrated model in this study. Given the same meteorological conditions and land use, the soil moisture deficit, evapotranspiration and surface runoff increase, and subsurface drainage decreases, as the available water capacity of soil increases. Among various land uses, alfalfa produced high soil moisture deficit and evapotranspiration and lower surface runoff and subsurface drainage, whereas soybeans produced an opposite trend. The simulated distribution of various hydrological components shows the combined effect of soil and land use. Simulated hydrological components compare well with observed data. The study demonstrated that the distributed water balance approach is efficient and has advantages over the use of single average value of hydrological variables and the application at a single point in the traditional practice.

Hyporheic zone influences on concentration-discharge relationships in a headwater sandstone stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoagland, Beth; Russo, Tess A.; Gu, Xin; Hill, Lillian; Kaye, Jason; Forsythe, Brandon; Brantley, Susan L.

2017-06-01

Complex subsurface flow dynamics impact the storage, routing, and transport of water and solutes to streams in headwater catchments. Many of these hydrogeologic processes are indirectly reflected in observations of stream chemistry responses to rain events, also known as concentration-discharge (CQ) relations. Identifying the relative importance of subsurface flows to stream CQ relationships is often challenging in headwater environments due to spatial and temporal variability. Therefore, this study combines a diverse set of methods, including tracer injection tests, cation exchange experiments, geochemical analyses, and numerical modeling, to map groundwater-surface water interactions along a first-order, sandstone stream (Garner Run) in the Appalachian Mountains of central Pennsylvania. The primary flow paths to the stream include preferential flow through the unsaturated zone ("interflow"), flow discharging from a spring, and groundwater discharge. Garner Run stream inherits geochemical signatures from geochemical reactions occurring along each of these flow paths. In addition to end-member mixing effects on CQ, we find that the exchange of solutes, nutrients, and water between the hyporheic zone and the main stream channel is a relevant control on the chemistry of Garner Run. CQ relationships for Garner Run were compared to prior results from a nearby headwater catchment overlying shale bedrock (Shale Hills). At the sandstone site, solutes associated with organo-mineral associations in the hyporheic zone influence CQ, while CQ trends in the shale catchment are affected by preferential flow through hillslope swales. The difference in CQ trends document how the lithology and catchment hydrology control CQ relationships.

Solute transport with time-variable flow paths during upward and downward flux in a heterogeneous unsaturated porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa; Bechtold, Michel; Vanderborght, Jan

2014-05-01

To acquire knowledge of solute transport through the unsaturated zone in the shallow subsurface is decisive to assess groundwater quality, nutrient cycling or to plan remediation strategies. The shallow subsurface is characterized by structural heterogeneity and strongly influenced by atmospheric conditions. This leads to changing flow directions, strong temporal changes in saturation and heterogeneous water fluxes during infiltration and evaporation events. Recent studies (e.g. Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al.,2011) demonstrated the importance of lateral flow and solute transport during evaporation conditions (upward flux). The heterogeneous structure in these studies was constructed using two types of sand with strong material contrasts and arranged in parallel with a vertical orientation. Lateral transport and redistribution of solute from coarse to fine media was observed deeper in the soil column and from fine to coarse close to the soil surface. However, if boundary conditions are reversed due to precipitation, the flow field is not necessarily reversed in the same manner, resulting in entirely different transport patterns for downward and upward flow. Therefore, considering net-flow rates alone is misleading when describing transport under those conditions. In this contribution we analyze transport of a solute in the shallow subsurface to assess effects resulting from the temporal change of heterogeneous soil structures due to dynamic flow conditions. Two-dimensional numerical simulations of unsaturated flow and transport are conducted using a coupled finite volume and random walk particle tracking algorithm to quantify solute transport and leaching rates. Following previous studies (Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al., 2011), the chosen domain is composed of two materials, coarse and fine sand, arranged in parallel with a vertical orientation. Hence, one sharp interface of strong material heterogeneity is induced. During evaporation both sands are assumed to stay under liquid-flow dominated evaporation conditions ("stage 1"). Simulations considering dynamic (infiltration-evaporation) and steady (solely infiltration) boundary conditions are carried out. The influence of dynamic boundary conditions (intensity and duration of precipitation and evaporation events) is examined in a multitude of simulations. If flow rates smaller than the saturated hydraulic conductivity of both materials are chosen to be applied as boundary condition, simulation results indicate that the flow field within the domain is exactly reversed. However, if applied flow rates exceed the saturated hydraulic conductivity of one material, the flow field is not just reversed, but different flow paths during downward and upward flow are observed. Results show the tendency of faster solute leaching under dynamic boundary conditions compared to steady infiltration conditions with the same net-infiltration rate. We use a double domain transport method as an upscaled model to reproduce vertically averaged concentration profiles with net flux only and compare the model parameters for information about flow dynamics and soil heterogeneity.

The Science and Policy of the First Environmental Flows to the Colorado River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flessa, K. W.; Kendy, E.; Schlatter, K.

2014-12-01

The first transboundary flow of water for the environment was delivered to the Colorado River Delta in spring of 2014. This engineered mini-spring flood of 130 million cubic meters (105,000 acre-feet) was implemented as part of Minute 319, an addition to the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty. Minute 319 is a temporary agreement, expiring in 2017. Teams of scientists from government agencies, universities, and environmental NGOs from both the U.S. and Mexico are measuring the surface flow rates, inundation, ground water recharge, ground water levels and subsurface flows, geomorphic change, recruitment, survival and health of vegetation, and avian response to the environmental flow. Monitoring includes on-the-ground observations and measurements and remote sensing. Surface water from the pulse flow reached restoration sites, prompted germination of both native and non-native vegetation, recharged groundwater and reached the Gulf of California - the first reconnection of the Colorado River and the sea in 16 years. People in local communities joyously welcomed the return of the river; extensive media coverage was overwhelmingly positive - despite widespread drought in the West. After about ten weeks, most of the pulse flow had infiltrated the subsurface, ponded in a few cut-off meanders, or run to the sea. The river no longer flows. Monitoring of seedling survival, groundwater, vegetation and wildlife will continue through 2017. Results of this landscape-scale experiment will play a role in negotiations to renew the agreement, help model and design future flows and guide the efficient use of water for restoration in semi-arid river systems.

Knowing requires data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naranjo, Ramon C.

2017-01-01

Groundwater-flow models are often calibrated using a limited number of observations relative to the unknown inputs required for the model. This is especially true for models that simulate groundwater surface-water interactions. In this case, subsurface temperature sensors can be an efficient means for collecting long-term data that capture the transient nature of physical processes such as seepage losses. Continuous and spatially dense network of diverse observation data can be used to improve knowledge of important physical drivers, conceptualize and calibrate variably saturated groundwater flow models. An example is presented for which the results of such analysis were used to help guide irrigation districts and water management decisions on costly upgrades to conveyance systems to improve water usage, farm productivity and restoration efforts to improve downstream water quality and ecosystems.

Numerical Modeling of Artificial Recharge: Determining Spatial/Temporal Sampling Resolution to Quantify Infiltration Rates and Effective Hydraulic Conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glose, T. J.; Hausner, M. B.; Lowry, C.

2016-12-01

The accurate, fine scale quantification of groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interactions over large expanses in hydrologic systems is a fundamental need in order to accurately characterize critical zones of biogeochemical transformation and fluxes, as well as to provide insight into near-surface geologic heterogeneity. Paired fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) is a tool that is capable of synoptically sampling hydrologic systems, allowing GW-SW interactions to be examined at a fine scale over large distances. Within managed aquifer recharge (MAR) sites, differential recharge dynamics controlled by bed clogging and subsurface heterogeneity dictate the effectiveness of these sites at infiltrating water. Numerical modeling indicates that the use of paired FO-DTS in an MAR site can provide accurate quantification of flux at the GW-SW interface, as well as provide insight to the areal extent of geologic heterogeneity in the subsurface. However, the lateral and vertical separation of the fiber-optic cables is of vital importance. Here we present a 2-D, fully coupled groundwater flow and heat transport model with prescribed heterogeneity. Following a forward modeling approach, realizations simulating varying fiber-optic cable positioning, differential bed clogging, and hydraulic conductivity variability were analyzed over a suite of scenarios. The results from the model were then used as observations to calculate groundwater recharge rates and calibration targets for an inverse model to estimate subsurface heterogeneity.

Hydrology and numerical simulation of groundwater movement and heat transport in Snake Valley and surrounding areas, Juab, Miller, and Beaver Counties, Utah, and White Pine and Lincoln Counties, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masbruch, Melissa D.; Gardner, Philip M.; Brooks, Lynette E.

2014-01-01

Snake Valley and surrounding areas, along the Utah-Nevada state border, are part of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system. The groundwater system in the study area consists of water in unconsolidated deposits in basins and water in consolidated rock underlying the basins and in the adjacent mountain blocks. Most recharge occurs from precipitation on the mountain blocks and most discharge occurs from the lower altitude basin-fill deposits mainly as evapotranspiration, springflow, and well withdrawals.The Snake Valley area regional groundwater system was simulated using a three-dimensional model incorporating both groundwater flow and heat transport. The model was constructed with MODFLOW-2000, a version of the U.S. Geological Survey’s groundwater flow model, and MT3DMS, a transport model that simulates advection, dispersion, and chemical reactions of solutes or heat in groundwater systems. Observations of groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, springflow, mountain stream base flow, and well withdrawals; groundwater-level altitudes; and groundwater temperatures were used to calibrate the model. Parameter values estimated by regression analyses were reasonable and within the range of expected values.This study represents one of the first regional modeling efforts to include calibration to groundwater temperature data. The inclusion of temperature observations reduced parameter uncertainty, in some cases quite significantly, over using just water-level altitude and discharge observations. Of the 39 parameters used to simulate horizontal hydraulic conductivity, uncertainty on 11 of these parameters was reduced to one order of magnitude or less. Other significant reductions in parameter uncertainty occurred in parameters representing the vertical anisotropy ratio, drain and river conductance, recharge rates, and well withdrawal rates.The model provides a good representation of the groundwater system. Simulated water-level altitudes range over almost 2,000 meters (m); 98 percent of the simulated values of water-level altitudes in wells are within 30 m of observed water-level altitudes, and 58 percent of them are within 12 m. Nineteen of 20 simulated discharges are within 30 percent of observed discharge. Eighty-one percent of the simulated values of groundwater temperatures in wells are within 2 degrees Celsius (°C) of the observed values, and 55 percent of them are within 0.75 °C. The numerical model represents a more robust quantification of groundwater budget components than previous studies because the model integrates all components of the groundwater budget. The model also incorporates new data including (1) a detailed hydrogeologic framework, and (2) more observations, including several new water-level altitudes throughout the study area, several new measurements of spring discharge within Snake Valley which had not previously been monitored, and groundwater temperature data. Uncertainty in the estimates of subsurface flow are less than those of previous studies because the model balanced recharge and discharge across the entire simulated area, not just in each hydrographic area, and because of the large dataset of observations (water-level altitudes, discharge, and temperatures) used to calibrate the model and the resulting transmissivity distribution.Groundwater recharge from precipitation and unconsumed irrigation in Snake Valley is 160,000 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr), which is within the range of previous estimates. Subsurface inflow from southern Spring Valley to southern Snake Valley is 13,000 acre-ft/yr and is within the range of previous estimates; subsurface inflow from Spring Valley to Snake Valley north of the Snake Range, however, is only 2,200 acre-ft/yr, which is much less than has been previously estimated. Groundwater discharge from groundwater evapotranspiration and springs is 100,000 acre-ft/yr, and discharge to mountain streams is 3,300 acre-ft/yr; these are within the range of previous estimates. Current well withdrawals are 28,000 acre-ft/yr. Subsurface outflow from Snake Valley moves into Pine Valley (2,000 acre-ft/yr), Wah Wah Valley (23 acre-ft/yr), Tule Valley (33,000 acre-ft/yr), Fish Springs Flat (790 acre-ft/yr), and outside of the study area towards Great Salt Lake Desert (8,400 acre-ft/yr); these outflows, totaling about 44,000 acre-ft/yr, are within the range of previous estimates.The subsurface flow amounts indicate the degree of connectivity between hydrographic areas within the study area. The simulated transmissivity and locations of natural discharge, however, provide a better estimate of the effect of groundwater withdrawals on groundwater resources than does the amount and direction of subsurface flow between hydrographic areas. The distribution of simulated transmissivity throughout the study area includes many areas of high transmissivity within and between hydrographic areas. Increased well withdrawals within these high transmissivity areas will likely affect a large part of the study area, resulting in declining groundwater levels, as well as leading to a decrease in natural discharge to springs and evapotranspiration.

Solar-Cycle Variation of Subsurface-Flow Divergence: A Proxy of Magnetic Activity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komm, R.; Howe, R.; Hill, F.

2017-09-01

We study the solar-cycle variation of subsurface flows from the surface to a depth of 16 Mm. We have analyzed Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Dopplergrams with a ring-diagram analysis covering about 15 years and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Dopplergrams covering more than 6 years. After subtracting the average rotation rate and meridional flow, we have calculated the divergence of the horizontal residual flows from the maximum of Solar Cycle 23 through the declining phase of Cycle 24. The subsurface flows are mainly divergent at quiet regions and convergent at locations of high magnetic activity. The relationship is essentially linear between divergence and magnetic activity at all activity levels at depths shallower than about 10 Mm. At greater depths, the relationship changes sign at locations of high activity; the flows are increasingly divergent at locations with a magnetic activity index (MAI) greater than about 24 G. The flows are more convergent by about a factor of two during the rising phase of Cycle 24 than during the declining phase of Cycle 23 at locations of medium and high activity (about 10 to 40 G MAI) from the surface to at least 10 Mm. The subsurface divergence pattern of Solar Cycle 24 first appears during the declining phase of Cycle 23 and is present during the extended minimum. It appears several years before the magnetic pattern of the new cycle is noticeable in synoptic maps. Using linear regression, we estimate the amount of magnetic activity that would be required to generate the precursor pattern and find that it should be almost twice the amount of activity that is observed.

Geologic and climatic controls on streamflow generation processes in a complex eogenetic karst basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vibhava, F.; Graham, W. D.; Maxwell, R. M.

2012-12-01

Streamflow at any given location and time is representative of surface and subsurface contributions from various sources. The ability to fully identify the factors controlling these contributions is key to successfully understanding the transport of contaminants through the system. In this study we developed a fully integrated 3D surface water-groundwater-land surface model, PARFLOW, to evaluate geologic and climatic controls on streamflow generation processes in a complex eogenetic karst basin in North Central Florida. In addition to traditional model evaluation criterion, such as comparing field observations to model simulated streamflow and groundwater elevations, we quantitatively evaluated the model's predictions of surface-groundwater interactions over space and time using a suite of binary end-member mixing models that were developed using observed specific conductivity differences among surface and groundwater sources throughout the domain. Analysis of model predictions showed that geologic heterogeneity exerts a strong control on both streamflow generation processes and land atmospheric fluxes in this watershed. In the upper basin, where the karst aquifer is overlain by a thick confining layer, approximately 92% of streamflow is "young" event flow, produced by near stream rainfall. Throughout the upper basin the confining layer produces a persistent high surficial water table which results in high evapotranspiration, low groundwater recharge and thus negligible "inter-event" streamflow. In the lower basin, where the karst aquifer is unconfined, deeper water tables result in less evapotranspiration. Thus, over 80% of the streamflow is "old" subsurface flow produced by diffuse infiltration through the epikarst throughout the lower basin, and all surface contributions to streamflow originate in the upper confined basin. Climatic variability provides a secondary control on surface-subsurface and land-atmosphere fluxes, producing significant seasonal and interannual variability in these processes. Spatial and temporal patterns of evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge and streamflow generation processes reveal potential hot spots and hot moments for surface and groundwater contamination in this basin.

ITOUGH2(UNIX). Inverse Modeling for TOUGH2 Family of Multiphase Flow Simulators

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

Finsterle, S.

1999-03-01

ITOUGH2 provides inverse modeling capabilities for the TOUGH2 family of numerical simulators for non-isothermal multiphase flows in fractured-porous media. The ITOUGH2 can be used for estimating parameters by automatic modeling calibration, for sensitivity analyses, and for uncertainity propagation analyses (linear and Monte Carlo simulations). Any input parameter to the TOUGH2 simulator can be estimated based on any type of observation for which a corresponding TOUGH2 output is calculated. ITOUGH2 solves a non-linear least-squares problem using direct or gradient-based minimization algorithms. A detailed residual and error analysis is performed, which includes the evaluation of model identification criteria. ITOUGH2 can also bemore » run in forward mode, solving subsurface flow problems related to nuclear waste isolation, oil, gas, and geothermal resevoir engineering, and vadose zone hydrology.« less

On the effects of subsurface parameters on evaporite dissolution (Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zidane, Ali; Zechner, Eric; Huggenberger, Peter; Younes, Anis

2014-05-01

Uncontrolled subsurface evaporite dissolution could lead to hazards such as land subsidence. Observed subsidences in a study area of Northwestern Switzerland were mainly due to subsurface dissolution (subrosion) of evaporites such as halite and gypsum. A set of 2D density driven flow simulations were evaluated along 1000 m long and 150 m deep 2D cross sections within the study area that is characterized by tectonic horst and graben structures. The simulations were conducted to study the effect of the different subsurface parameters that could affect the dissolution process. The heterogeneity of normal faults and its impact on the dissolution of evaporites is studied by considering several permeable faults that include non-permeable areas. The mixed finite element method (MFE) is used to solve the flow equation, coupled with the multipoint flux approximation (MPFA) and the discontinuous Galerkin method (DG) to solve the diffusion and the advection parts of the transport equation.

A Method for Partitioning Surface and Subsurface Flow Using Rainfall Simulaton and Two-Dimensional Surface Electrical Resistivity Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, A. M.; Paige, G. B.; Miller, S. N.; Carr, B. J.; Holbrook, W. S.

2014-12-01

In semi-arid rangeland environments understanding how surface and subsurface flow processes and their interactions are influenced by watershed and rainfall characteristics is critical. However, it is difficult to resolve the temporal variations between mechanisms controlling these processes and challenging to obtain field measurements that document their interactions. Better insight into how these complex systems respond hydrologically is necessary in order to refine hydrologic models and decision support tools. We are conducting field studies integrating high resolution, two-dimensional surface electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) with variable intensity rainfall simulation, to quantify real-time partitioning of rainfall into surface and subsurface response. These studies are being conducted at the hillslope scale on long-term runoff plots on four different ecological sites in the Upper Crow Creek Watershed in southeastern Wyoming. Variable intensity rainfall rates were applied using the Walnut Gulch Rainfall Simulator in which intensities were increased incrementally from 49 to 180 mm hr-1 and steady-state runoff rates for each intensity were measured. Two 13.5 m electrode arrays at 0.5 m spacing were positioned on the surface perpendicular to each plot and potentials were measured at given time intervals prior to, during and following simulations using a dipole-dipole array configuration. The configuration allows for a 2.47 m depth of investigation in which magnitude and direction of subsurface flux can be determined. We used the calculated steady state infiltration rates to quantify the variability in the partial area runoff response on the ecological sites. Coupling this information with time-lapse difference inversions of ERI data, we are able to track areas of increasing and decreasing resistivity in the subsurface related to localized areas of infiltration during and following rainfall events. We anticipate implementing this method across a variety of ecological sites in the Upper Crow Creek in order to characterize the variable hydrologic response of this complex rangeland watershed. This information is being used to refine current physically based hydrologic models and watershed assessment tools.

Corn stover harvest increases herbicide movement to subsurface drains - Root Zone Water Quality Model simulations.

PubMed

Shipitalo, Martin J; Malone, Robert W; Ma, Liwang; Nolan, Bernard T; Kanwar, Rameshwar S; Shaner, Dale L; Pederson, Carl H

2016-06-01

Crop residue removal for bioenergy production can alter soil hydrologic properties and the movement of agrochemicals to subsurface drains. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM), previously calibrated using measured flow and atrazine concentrations in drainage from a 0.4 ha chisel-tilled plot, was used to investigate effects of 50 and 100% corn (Zea mays L.) stover harvest and the accompanying reductions in soil crust hydraulic conductivity and total macroporosity on transport of atrazine, metolachlor and metolachlor oxanilic acid (OXA). The model accurately simulated field-measured metolachlor transport in drainage. A 3 year simulation indicated that 50% residue removal reduced subsurface drainage by 31% and increased atrazine and metolachlor transport in drainage 4-5-fold when surface crust conductivity and macroporosity were reduced by 25%. Based on its measured sorption coefficient, approximately twofold reductions in OXA losses were simulated with residue removal. The RZWQM indicated that, if corn stover harvest reduces crust conductivity and soil macroporosity, losses of atrazine and metolachlor in subsurface drainage will increase owing to reduced sorption related to more water moving through fewer macropores. Losses of the metolachlor degradation product OXA will decrease as a result of the more rapid movement of the parent compound into the soil. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Advances in Multiphase Flow and Transport in the Subsurface Environment

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

Shi, Xiaoqing; Finsterle, Stefan; Zhang, Keni

Multiphase flow and transport processes in the subsurface environment are extremely important in a number of industrial and environmental applications at various spatial and temporal scales. Thus, it is necessary to identify, understand, and predict these processes to improve the production of conventional and unconventional oil and gas, to increase the safety of geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and nuclear waste disposal, and to make remediation of contaminated aquifers more effective.

Advances in Multiphase Flow and Transport in the Subsurface Environment

DOE PAGES

Shi, Xiaoqing; Finsterle, Stefan; Zhang, Keni; ...

2018-03-04

Multiphase flow and transport processes in the subsurface environment are extremely important in a number of industrial and environmental applications at various spatial and temporal scales. Thus, it is necessary to identify, understand, and predict these processes to improve the production of conventional and unconventional oil and gas, to increase the safety of geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and nuclear waste disposal, and to make remediation of contaminated aquifers more effective.

Component flow processes at four streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York, analysed using episodic concentration/discharge relationship

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, C.; Davies, T.D.; Murdoch, Peter S.

1999-01-01

Plots of solute concentration against discharge have been used to relate stream hydrochemical variations to processes of flow generation, using data collected at four streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York, during the Episodic Response Project of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results suggest that a two-component system of shallow and deep saturated subsurface flow, in which the two components respond simultaneously during hydrologic events, may be applicable to the study basins. Using a large natural sea-salt sodium input as a tracer for precipitation, it is argued that an additional distinction can be made between pre-event and event water travelling along the shallow subsurface flow path. Pre-event water is thought to be displaced by infiltrating event water, which becomes dominant on the falling limb of the hydrograph. Where, as appears to be the case for sulfate, a solute equilibrates rapidly within the soil, the pre-event-event water distinction is unimportant. However, for some solutes there are clear and consistent compositional differences between water from the two sources, evident as a hysteresis loop in concentration-discharge plots. Nitrate and acidity, in particular, appear to be elevated in event water following percolation through the organic horizon. Consequently, the most acidic, high nitrate conditions during an episode generally occur after peak discharge. A simple conceptual model of episode runoff generation is presented on the basis of these results.Plots of solute concentration against discharge have been used to relate stream hydrochemical variations to processes of flow generation, using data collected at four streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York, during the Episodic Response Project of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results suggest that a two-component system of shallow and deep saturated subsurface flow, in which the two components respond simultaneously during hydrologic events, may be applicable to the study basins. Using a large natural sea-salt sodium input as a tracer for precipitation, it is argued that an additional distinction can be made between pre-event and event water travelling along the shallow subsurface flow path. Pre-event water is thought to be displaced by infiltrating event water, which becomes dominant on the falling limb of the hydrograph. Where, as appears to be the case for sulfate, a solute equilibrates rapidly within the soil, the pre-event - event water distinction is unimportant. However, for some solutes there are clear and consistent compositional differences between water from the two sources, evident as a hysteresis loop in concentration-discharge plots. Nitrate and acidity, in particular, appear to be elevated in event water following percolation through the organic horizon. Consequently, the most acidic, high nitrate conditions during an episode generally occur after peak discharge. A simple conceptual model of episode runoff generation is presented on the basis of these results.

TOUGHREACT: a new code of the TOUGH Family for Non-Isothermal multiphase reactive geochemical transport in variably saturated geologic media

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

Xu, Tianfu; Sonnenthal, Eric; Spycher, Nicolas

Coupled modeling of subsurface multiphase fluid and heat flow, solute transport and chemical reactions can be used for the assessment of acid mine drainage remediation, waste disposal sites, hydrothermal convection, contaminant transport, and groundwater quality. We have developed a comprehensive numerical simulator, TOUGHREACT, which considers non-isothermal multi-component chemical transport in both liquid and gas phases. A wide range of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes is considered under various thermohydrological and geochemical conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, and ionic strength. The code can be applied to one-, two- or three-dimensional porous and fractured media with physical and chemical heterogeneity.

Retention and transport of nutrients in a third-order stream in northwestern California; hyporheic processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Triska, F.J.; Kennedy, V.C.; Avanzino, R.J.; Zellweger, G.W.; Bencala, K.E.

1989-01-01

Chloride and nitrate were coinjected into the surface waters of a third-order stream for 20 d to exmaine solute retention, and the fate of nitrate during subsurface transport. A series of wells (shallow pits) 0.5-10 m from the adjacent channel were sampled to estimate the lateral interflow of water. Two subsurface return flows beneath the wetted channel were also examined. Results indicated that the capacity of the hyporheic zone for transient solute storage and as potential biological habitat varies with channel morphology, bed roughness, and permeability. A conceptual model that considers the groundwater-stream water interface as the fluvial boundary is proposed. -from Authors

Removal of microbial pathogens in a sandy gravel aquifer under forced-gradient subsurface flow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oudega, Thomas James; Derx, Julia; van Driezum, Inge; Cisneros, Anibal; Sommer, Regina; Kirschner, Alexander; Farnleitner, Andreas; Blaschke, Alfred Paul

2017-04-01

Subsurface media are being used around the world as a means to mitigate microbial contamination, but vary widely in their ability to remove pathogens. To help to provide accurate risk assessments of microbial contamination of groundwaters, and establish safe setback distances between receiving waters and disposal fields, this study aims to use aquifer tracer tests to evaluate the ability of subsurface media to attenuate these pathogens. The novelty of this work is the use of a variety of different tracer substances (e.g. phages, spores, microspheres, conservative tracers) together in field experiments. This will be done by means of injecting these substances under a forced gradient in a sandy gravel aquifer in Lobau, Austria. The extraction of the tracers will be monitored in a pumping well at a distrance of 50m downgradient. This will be able to provide us with insight to the characteristics of microbial transport and how the microorganisms react to the subsurface in the study site. Subsequent numerical modelling of the experiments can tell us more about quantification of subsurface processes such as attachment/detachment, inactivation and die-off of these substances. The first field experiment with conservative tracers (NaCl) has been carried out in December 2016, and subsequent tests are being planned for the next months.

How does subsurface retain and release stored water? An explicit estimation of young water fraction and mean transit time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ameli, Ali; McDonnell, Jeffrey; Laudon, Hjalmar; Bishop, Kevin

2017-04-01

The stable isotopes of water have served science well as hydrological tracers which have demonstrated that there is often a large component of "old" water in stream runoff. It has been more problematic to define the full transit time distribution of that stream water. Non-linear mixing of previous precipitation signals that is stored for extended periods and slowly travel through the subsurface before reaching the stream results in a large range of possible transit times. It difficult to find tracers can represent this, especially if all that one has is data on the precipitation input and the stream runoff. In this paper, we explicitly characterize this "old water" displacement using a novel quasi-steady physically-based flow and transport model in the well-studied S-Transect hillslope in Sweden where the concentration of hydrological tracers in the subsurface and stream has been measured. We explore how subsurface conductivity profile impacts the characteristics of old water displacement, and then test these scenarios against the observed dynamics of conservative hydrological tracers in both the stream and subsurface. This work explores the efficiency of convolution-based approaches in the estimation of stream "young water" fraction and time-variant mean transit times. We also suggest how celerity and velocity differ with landscape structure

Quantifying wetland–aquifer interactions in a humid subtropical climate region: An integrated approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mendoza-Sanchez, Itza; Phanikumar, Mantha S.; Niu, Jie; Masoner, Jason R.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; McGuire, Jennifer T.

2013-01-01

Wetlands are widely recognized as sentinels of global climate change. Long-term monitoring data combined with process-based modeling has the potential to shed light on key processes and how they change over time. This paper reports the development and application of a simple water balance model based on long-term climate, soil, vegetation and hydrological dynamics to quantify groundwater–surface water (GW–SW) interactions at the Norman landfill research site in Oklahoma, USA. Our integrated approach involved model evaluation by means of the following independent measurements: (a) groundwater inflow calculation using stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen (16O, 18O, 1H, 2H); (b) seepage flux measurements in the wetland hyporheic sediment; and (c) pan evaporation measurements on land and in the wetland. The integrated approach was useful for identifying the dominant hydrological processes at the site, including recharge and subsurface flows. Simulated recharge compared well with estimates obtained using isotope methods from previous studies and allowed us to identify specific annual signatures of this important process during the period of study (1997–2007). Similarly, observations of groundwater inflow and outflow rates to and from the wetland using seepage meters and isotope methods were found to be in good agreement with simulation results. Results indicate that subsurface flow components in the system are seasonal and readily respond to rainfall events. The wetland water balance is dominated by local groundwater inputs and regional groundwater flow contributes little to the overall water balance.

Performance Analysis and Scaling Behavior of the Terrestrial Systems Modeling Platform TerrSysMP in Large-Scale Supercomputing Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollet, S. J.; Goergen, K.; Gasper, F.; Shresta, P.; Sulis, M.; Rihani, J.; Simmer, C.; Vereecken, H.

2013-12-01

In studies of the terrestrial hydrologic, energy and biogeochemical cycles, integrated multi-physics simulation platforms take a central role in characterizing non-linear interactions, variances and uncertainties of system states and fluxes in reciprocity with observations. Recently developed integrated simulation platforms attempt to honor the complexity of the terrestrial system across multiple time and space scales from the deeper subsurface including groundwater dynamics into the atmosphere. Technically, this requires the coupling of atmospheric, land surface, and subsurface-surface flow models in supercomputing environments, while ensuring a high-degree of efficiency in the utilization of e.g., standard Linux clusters and massively parallel resources. A systematic performance analysis including profiling and tracing in such an application is crucial in the understanding of the runtime behavior, to identify optimum model settings, and is an efficient way to distinguish potential parallel deficiencies. On sophisticated leadership-class supercomputers, such as the 28-rack 5.9 petaFLOP IBM Blue Gene/Q 'JUQUEEN' of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), this is a challenging task, but even more so important, when complex coupled component models are to be analysed. Here we want to present our experience from coupling, application tuning (e.g. 5-times speedup through compiler optimizations), parallel scaling and performance monitoring of the parallel Terrestrial Systems Modeling Platform TerrSysMP. The modeling platform consists of the weather prediction system COSMO of the German Weather Service; the Community Land Model, CLM of NCAR; and the variably saturated surface-subsurface flow code ParFlow. The model system relies on the Multiple Program Multiple Data (MPMD) execution model where the external Ocean-Atmosphere-Sea-Ice-Soil coupler (OASIS3) links the component models. TerrSysMP has been instrumented with the performance analysis tool Scalasca and analyzed on JUQUEEN with processor counts on the order of 10,000. The instrumentation is used in weak and strong scaling studies with real data cases and hypothetical idealized numerical experiments for detailed profiling and tracing analysis. The profiling is not only useful in identifying wait states that are due to the MPMD execution model, but also in fine-tuning resource allocation to the component models in search of the most suitable load balancing. This is especially necessary, as with numerical experiments that cover multiple (high resolution) spatial scales, the time stepping, coupling frequencies, and communication overheads are constantly shifting, which makes it necessary to re-determine the model setup with each new experimental design.

Paleomagnetic correlation of surface and subsurface basaltic lava flows and flow groups in the southern part of the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, with paleomagnetic data tables for drill cores

USGS Publications Warehouse

Champion, Duane E.; Hodges, Mary K.V.; Davis, Linda C.; Lanphere, Marvin A.

2011-01-01

Paleomagnetic inclination and polarity studies have been conducted on thousands of subcore samples from 51 coreholes located at and near the Idaho National Laboratory. These studies are used to paleomagnetically characterize and correlate successive stratigraphic intervals in each corehole to similar depth intervals in adjacent coreholes. Paleomagnetic results from 83 surface paleomagnetic sites, within and near the INL, are used to correlate these buried lava flow groups to basaltic shield volcanoes still exposed on the surface of the eastern Snake River Plain. Sample handling and demagnetization protocols are described as well as the paleomagnetic data averaging process. Paleomagnetic inclination comparisons between coreholes located only kilometers apart show comparable stratigraphic successions of mean inclination values over tens of meters of depth. At greater distance between coreholes, comparable correlation of mean inclination values is less consistent because flow groups may be missing or additional flow groups may be present and found at different depth intervals. Two shallow intersecting cross-sections, A-A- and B-B- (oriented southwest-northeast and northwest-southeast, respectively), drawn through southwest Idaho National Laboratory coreholes show the corehole to corehole or surface to corehole correlations derived from the paleomagnetic inclination data. From stratigraphic top to bottom, key results included the (1) Quaking Aspen Butte flow group, which erupted from Quaking Aspen Butte southwest of the Idaho National Laboratory, flowed northeast, and has been found in the subsurface in corehole USGS 132; (2) Vent 5206 flow group, which erupted near the southwestern border of the Idaho National Laboratory, flowed north and east, and has been found in the subsurface in coreholes USGS 132, USGS 129, USGS 131, USGS 127, USGS 130, USGS 128, and STF-AQ-01; and (3) Mid Butte flow group, which erupted north of U.S. Highway 20, flowed northwest, and has been found in the subsurface at coreholes ARA-COR-005 and STF-AQ-01. The high K20 flow group erupted from a vent that may now be buried south of U.S. Highway 20 near Middle Butte, flowed north, and is found in the subsurface in coreholes USGS 131, USGS 127, USGS 130, USGS 128, USGS 123, STF-AQ-01, and ARA-COR-005 ending near the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. The vent 5252 flow group erupted just south of U.S. Highway 20 near Middle and East Buttes, flowed northwest, and is found in the subsurface in coreholes ARA-COR-005, STF-AQ-01, USGS 130, USGS 128, ICPP 214, USGS 123, ICPP 023, USGS 121, USGS 127, and USGS 131. The Big Lost flow group erupted from a now-buried vent near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, flowed southwest to corehole USGS 135, and northeast to coreholes USGS 132, USGS 129, USGS 131, USGS 127, USGS 130, STF-AQ-01, and ARA-COR-005. The AEC Butte flow group erupted from AEC Butte near the Advanced Test Reactor Complex and flowed south to corehole Middle 1823, northwest to corehole USGS 134, northeast to coreholes USGS 133 and NRF 7P, and south to coreholes USGS 121, ICPP 023, USGS 123, and USGS 128. Evidence of progressive subsidence of the axial zone of the ESRP is shown in these cross-sections, distorting the original attitudes of the lava flow groups and interbedded sediments. A deeper cross-section, C-C- (oriented west to east), spanning the entire southern Idaho National Laboratory shows correlations of the lava flow groups in the saturated part of the ESRP aquifer. Areally extensive flow groups in the deep subsurface (from about 100-800 meters below land surface) can be traced over long distances. In cross-section C-C-, the flow group labeled "Matuyama" can be correlated from corehole USGS 135 to corehole NPR Test/W-02, a distance of about 28 kilometers (17 miles). The flow group labeled "Matuyama 1.21 Ma" can be correlated from corehole Middle 1823 to corehole ANL-OBS-A-001, a distance of 26 kilometers (16 miles). Other flo

Study of the effect of wind speed on evaporation from soil through integrated modeling of atmospheric boundary layer and shallow subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davarzani, Hossein; Smits, Kathleen; Tolene, Ryan; Illangasekare, Tissa

2013-04-01

The study of the interaction between the land and atmosphere is paramount to our understanding of many emerging problems to include climate change, the movement of green house gases such as possible leaking of sequestered CO2 and the accurate detection of buried objects such as landmines. Soil moisture distribution in the shallow subsurface becomes a critical factor in all these problems. The heat and mass flux in the form of soil evaporation across the land surface couples the atmospheric boundary layer to the shallow subsurface. The coupling between land and the atmosphere leads to highly dynamic interactions between the porous media properties, transport processes and boundary conditions, resulting in dynamic evaporative behavior. However, the coupling at the land-atmospheric interface is rarely considered in most current models and their validation for practical applications. This is due to the complexity of the problem in field scenarios and the scarcity of field or laboratory data capable of testing and refining coupled energy and mass transfer theories. In most efforts to compute evaporation from soil, only indirect coupling is provided to characterize the interaction between non-isothermal multiphase flows under realistic atmospheric conditions even though heat and mass flux are controlled by the coupled dynamics of the land and the atmospheric boundary layer. In earlier drying modeling concepts, imposing evaporation flux (kinetic of relative humidity) and temperature as surface boundary condition is often needed. With the goal of improving our understanding of the land/atmospheric coupling, we developed a model based on the coupling of Navier-Stokes free flow and Darcy flow in porous medium. The model consists of the coupled equations of mass conservation for the liquid phase (water) and gas phase (water vapor and air) in porous medium with gas phase (water vapor and air) in free flow domain under non-isothermal, non-equilibrium conditions. The boundary conditions at the porous medium-free flow medium interface include dynamical, thermal and solutal equilibriums, and using the Beavers-Joseph slip boundary condition. What is unique about this model is that the evaporation rate and soil surface temperature conditions come directly from the model output. In order to experimentally validate the numerical results, we developed and used a unique two dimensional wind tunnel placed above a soil tank equipped with a network of different sensors. A series of experiments under varying boundary conditions, using a test sand for which the hydraulic and thermal properties were well characterized, were performed. Precision data for soil moisture, soil and air temperature and relative humidity, and also wind velocity under well-controlled transient heat and wind boundary conditions was generated. Results from numerical simulations were compared with experimental data. Results demonstrate that the coupling concept can predict the different stages of the drying process in porous media with good accuracy. Increasing the wind speed increases the first stage evaporation rate and decreases the transition time at low velocity values; then, at high values of wind speed the evaporation rate becomes less dependent of flow in free fluid. In the opposite, the impact of the wind speed on the second stage evaporation (diffusion dominant stage) is not significant. The proposed theoretical model can be used to predict the evaporation process where a porous medium flow is coupled to a free flow for different practical applications.

Vertical Subsurface Flow Mixing and Horizontal Anisotropy in Coarse Fluvial Aquifers: Structural Aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huggenberger, P.; Huber, E.

2014-12-01

Detailed descriptions of the subsurface heterogeneities in coarse fluvial aquifer gravel often lack in concepts to distinguish between the essence and the noise of a permeability structure and the ability to extrapolate site specific hydraulic information at the tens to several hundred meters scale. At this scale the heterogeneity strongly influences the anisotropies of the flow field and the mixing processes in groundwater. However, in many hydrogeological models the complexity of natural systems is oversimplified. Understanding the link between the dynamics of the surface processes of braided-river systems and the resulting subsurface sedimentary structures is the key to characterizing the complexity of horizontal and vertical mixing processes in groundwater. From the different depositional elements of coarse braided-river systems, the largest permeability contrasts can be observed in the scour-fills. Other elements (e.g. different types of gravel sheets) show much smaller variabilities and could be considered as a kind of matrix. Field experiments on the river Tagliamento (Northeast Italy) based on morphological observation and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys, as well as outcrop analyses of gravel pit exposures (Switzerland) allowed us to define the shape, sizes, spatial distribution and preservation potential of scour-fills. In vertical sections (e.g. 2D GPR data, vertical outcrop), the spatial density of remnant erosional bounding surfaces of scours is an indicator for the dynamics of the braided-river system (lateral mobility of the active floodplain, rate of sediment net deposition and spatial distribution of the confluence scours). In case of combined low aggradation rate and low lateral mobility the deposits may be dominated by a complex overprinting of scour-fills. The delineation of the erosional bounding surfaces, that are coherent over the survey area, is based on the identification of angular discontinuities of the reflectors. Fence diagrams and horizontal time-slices from GPR data are used to construct simplified 3D hydraulic properties distribution models and to derive anisotropy patterns. On the basis of this work, conceptual models could be designed and implemented into numerical models to simulate the flow field and mixing in heterogeneous braided-river deposits.

Simulation of ground-water flow near the nuclear-fuel reprocessing facility at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, Cattaraugus County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, R.M.

1987-01-01

A two-dimensional finite-difference model was developed to simulate groundwater flow in a surficial sand and gravel deposit underlying the nuclear fuel reprocessing facility at Western New York Nuclear Service Center near West Valley, N.Y. The sand and gravel deposit overlies a till plateau that abuts an upland area of siltstone and shale on its west side, and is bounded on the other three sides by deeply incised stream channels that drain to Buttermilk Creek, a tributary to Cattaraugus Creek. Radioactive materials are stored within the reprocessing plant and are also buried within a till deposit at the facility. Tritiated water is stored in a lagoon system near the plant and released under permit to Franks Creek, a tributary to Buttermilk Creek. Groundwater levels predicted by steady-state simulations closely matched those measured in 23 observation wells, with an average error of 0.5 meter. Simulated groundwater discharges to two stream channels and a subsurface drain were within 5% of recorded values. Steady-state simulations used an average annual recharge rate of 46 cm/yr; predicted evapotranspiration loss from the ground was 20 cm/yr. The lateral range in hydraulic conductivity obtained through model calibration was 0.6 to 10 m/day. Model simulations indicated that 33% of the groundwater discharged from the sand and gravel unit (2.6 L/sec) is lost by evapotranspiration, 3% (3.0 L/sec) flows to seepage faces at the periphery of the plateau, 20% (1.6 L/sec) discharges to stream channels that drain a large wetland area near the center of the plateau, and the remaining 8% (0.6 L/sec) discharges to a subsurface french drain and to a wastewater treatment system. Groundwater levels computed by a transient-state simulation of an annual climatic cycle, including seasonal variation in recharge and evapotranspiration, closely matched water levels measured in eight observation wells. The model predicted that the subsurface drain and the stream channel that drains the wetland would intercept most of the recharge originating near the reprocessing plant. (Lantz-PTT)

Patterns in coupled water and energy cycle: Modeling, synthesis with observations, and assessing the subsurface-landsurface interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, A.; Kollet, S. J.; Sulis, M.

2013-12-01

In the terrestrial hydrological cycle, the atmosphere and the free groundwater table act as the upper and lower boundary condition, respectively, in the non-linear two-way exchange of mass and energy across the land surface. Identifying and quantifying the interactions among various atmospheric-subsurface-landsurface processes is complicated due to the diverse spatiotemporal scales associated with these processes. In this study, the coupled subsurface-landsurface model ParFlow.CLM was applied over a ~28,000 km2 model domain encompassing the Rur catchment, Germany, to simulate the fluxes of the coupled water and energy cycle. The model was forced by hourly atmospheric data from the COSMO-DE model (numerical weather prediction system of the German Weather Service) over one year. Following a spinup period, the model results were synthesized with observed river discharge, soil moisture, groundwater table depth, temperature, and landsurface energy flux data at different sites in the Rur catchment. It was shown that the model is able to reproduce reasonably the dynamics and also absolute values in observed fluxes and state variables without calibration. The spatiotemporal patterns in simulated water and energy fluxes as well as the interactions were studied using statistical, geostatistical and wavelet transform methods. While spatial patterns in the mass and energy fluxes can be predicted from atmospheric forcing and power law scaling in the transition and winter months, it appears that, in the summer months, the spatial patterns are determined by the spatially correlated variability in groundwater table depth. Continuous wavelet transform techniques were applied to study the variability of the catchment average mass and energy fluxes at varying time scales. From this analysis, the time scales associated with significant interactions among different mass and energy balance components were identified. The memory of precipitation variability in subsurface hydrodynamics acts at the 20-30 day time scale, while the groundwater contribution to sustain the long-term variability patterns in evapotranspiration acts at the 40-60 day scale. Diurnal patterns in connection with subsurface hydrodynamics were also detected. Thus, it appears that the subsurface hydrodynamics respond to the temporal patterns in land surface fluxes due to the variability in atmospheric forcing across multiple space and time scales.

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karra, S.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J. D.; Viswanathan, H. S.; Srinivasan, G.

2018-03-01

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizations of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. The good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O (104) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs.

PubMed

Karra, S; O'Malley, D; Hyman, J D; Viswanathan, H S; Srinivasan, G

2018-03-01

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizations of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. The good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O(10^{4}) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs

DOE PAGES

Karra, S.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J. D.; ...

2018-03-09

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizationsmore » of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. In conclusion, the good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O(10 4) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.« less

Modeling flow and transport in fracture networks using graphs

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

Karra, S.; O'Malley, D.; Hyman, J. D.

Fractures form the main pathways for flow in the subsurface within low-permeability rock. For this reason, accurately predicting flow and transport in fractured systems is vital for improving the performance of subsurface applications. Fracture sizes in these systems can range from millimeters to kilometers. Although modeling flow and transport using the discrete fracture network (DFN) approach is known to be more accurate due to incorporation of the detailed fracture network structure over continuum-based methods, capturing the flow and transport in such a wide range of scales is still computationally intractable. Furthermore, if one has to quantify uncertainty, hundreds of realizationsmore » of these DFN models have to be run. To reduce the computational burden, we solve flow and transport on a graph representation of a DFN. We study the accuracy of the graph approach by comparing breakthrough times and tracer particle statistical data between the graph-based and the high-fidelity DFN approaches, for fracture networks with varying number of fractures and degree of heterogeneity. Due to our recent developments in capabilities to perform DFN high-fidelity simulations on fracture networks with large number of fractures, we are in a unique position to perform such a comparison. We show that the graph approach shows a consistent bias with up to an order of magnitude slower breakthrough when compared to the DFN approach. We show that this is due to graph algorithm's underprediction of the pressure gradients across intersections on a given fracture, leading to slower tracer particle speeds between intersections and longer travel times. We present a bias correction methodology to the graph algorithm that reduces the discrepancy between the DFN and graph predictions. We show that with this bias correction, the graph algorithm predictions significantly improve and the results are very accurate. In conclusion, the good accuracy and the low computational cost, with O(10 4) times lower times than the DFN, makes the graph algorithm an ideal technique to incorporate in uncertainty quantification methods.« less

Multiphase modeling of geologic carbon sequestration in saline aquifers.

PubMed

Bandilla, Karl W; Celia, Michael A; Birkholzer, Jens T; Cihan, Abdullah; Leister, Evan C

2015-01-01

Geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) is being considered as a climate change mitigation option in many future energy scenarios. Mathematical modeling is routinely used to predict subsurface CO2 and resident brine migration for the design of injection operations, to demonstrate the permanence of CO2 storage, and to show that other subsurface resources will not be degraded. Many processes impact the migration of CO2 and brine, including multiphase flow dynamics, geochemistry, and geomechanics, along with the spatial distribution of parameters such as porosity and permeability. In this article, we review a set of multiphase modeling approaches with different levels of conceptual complexity that have been used to model GCS. Model complexity ranges from coupled multiprocess models to simplified vertical equilibrium (VE) models and macroscopic invasion percolation models. The goal of this article is to give a framework of conceptual model complexity, and to show the types of modeling approaches that have been used to address specific GCS questions. Application of the modeling approaches is shown using five ongoing or proposed CO2 injection sites. For the selected sites, the majority of GCS models follow a simplified multiphase approach, especially for questions related to injection and local-scale heterogeneity. Coupled multiprocess models are only applied in one case where geomechanics have a strong impact on the flow. Owing to their computational efficiency, VE models tend to be applied at large scales. A macroscopic invasion percolation approach was used to predict the CO2 migration at one site to examine details of CO2 migration under the caprock. © 2015, National Ground Water Association.

Geothermal studies at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico

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

Riddle, L.; Grant, B.

Due to an effort by government installations to discontinue use of natural gas, alternative energy sources are being investigated at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. New Mexico has geologic characteristics favorable for geothermal energy utilization. Local heat flow and geochemical studies indicate a normal subsurface temperature regime. The alluvial deposits, however, extend to great depths where hot fluids, heated by the normal geothermal gradient, could be encountered. Two potential models for tapping geothermal energy are presented: the basin model and the fault model.

Evaluating the Competitive Use of the Subsurface: The Influence of Energy Storage and Production in Groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmig, R.; Becker, B.; Flemisch, B.

2015-12-01

The natural subsurface is gaining in importance for a variety of engineering applications related to energy supply. At the same time it is already utilized in many ways. On the one hand, the subsurface with its groundwater system represents the most important source of drinking water; on the other hand, it contains natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas and coal. In recent years, the subsurface has been gaining importance as a resource of energy and as an energy and waste repository. It can serve as a short-, medium- or long-term storage medium for energy in various forms, e.g. in the form of methane (CH4), hydrogen (H2) or compressed air. The subsurface is also attracting increasing interest as a natural source of energy, regarding, for instance, the extraction of fossil methane by hydraulic fracturing or the utilization of geothermal energy as a renewable energy source. As a result, with increasing exploitation, resource conflicts are becoming more and more common and complex. Modeling concepts for simulating multiphase flow that can reproduce the high complexity of the underlying processes in an efficient way need to be developed. The application of these model concepts is of great importance with respect to feasibility, risk analysis, storage capacity and sensitivity issues. This talk will give an overview on possible utilization conflicts in subsurface systems and how the groundwater is affected. It will focus on presenting fundamental properties and functions of a compositional multiphase system in a porous medium and introduce basic multiscale and multiphysics concepts as well as formulate conser­vation laws for simulating energy storage in the subsurface. Large-scale simulations that show the general applicability of the modeling concepts of such complicated natural systems, especially the impact on the groundwater of simultaneously using geothermal energy and storing chemical and thermal energy, and how such real large-scale systems provide a good environment for balancing the efficiency potential and possible weaknesses of the approaches will be discussed.

Using an integrated approach between hydrological and crop models to assess surface water balance in ungauged basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negm, Amro; D'Agostino, Daniela; Lamaddalena, Nicola; Bacchi, Baldassare; Iacobellis, Vito

2013-04-01

In the last decades hydrological models have been extensively used in research fields in order to improve water balance assessment and to support integrated water resources management by quantifying the soil-plant-atmosphere interface. Due to complexity of the physical system, the mathematical models can generally represent and simulate only the basic components of the system. On the other hand, calibration and validation processes of the hydrological models in ungauged basins are still complex tasks, due to the lack of reliable methods and the uncertainty in representing the hydrological processes and the physical features of a basin. Therefore, in order to practically apply model's results, there is a continuous needing to assess their accuracy through the calibration and validation processes at gauged sites. In this context, an integrated approach is presented that couples a semi-distributed hydrological model called Distributed model for Runoff, Evapotranspiration, and Antecedent soil Moisture simulation (DREAM) with the FAO's Crop Water Productivity Simulation Model (AQUACROP). DREAM uses rainfall, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and potential evapotranspiration as inputs and streamflow, infiltration, real evapotranspiration, subsurface flow and deep percolation as outputs. Soil moisture content is accounted for as an internal variable. The simulations were done for Lama San Giorgio, a basin located in a wadi area in the central part of Apulia region (Southern Italy) for the period 2001-2005 and the meadow is mainly covered by durum wheat. According to ACLA2 project survey (Caliandro et al., 2005), the depth of the soil upper layers is about 80 cm. Calibration and validation of the DREAM model were carried out by assessing an accurate estimation of soil water content using AQUACROP model which is a more detailed model in terms of soil water dynamics. Instead, one of the most significant features of DREAM model is the evaluation of lateral flow exchanges by means of a redistribution function weighted by the wetness index. The calibration process was done by adjusting a specific parameter of the water balance, the subsurface flow (through a subsurface flow coefficient C), by exploiting the results of soil moisture content provided by AQUACROP model. Then, the outputs of daily soil water content obtained by DREAM model were compared with the estimations of soil behaviour provided by the AQUACROP model. The simulations were done for a certain number of cells in the study area, for different years. The chosen factors were used to obtain an average value of C in time and space, which in this study is equal to 0.5. Finally, the results of the DREAM model in terms of evapotranspiration provided a satisfactory approximation of those obtained by AQUACROP model, while the Canopy Cover, an output of AQUACROP, was compared with the LAI used as input for the DREAM model.

Investigating and predicting landslides using a rainfall runoff model in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kråbøl, Eline; Skaugen, Thomas; Devoli, Graziella; Xu, Chong-Yu

2016-04-01

Landslides are amongst the most destructive natural hazards, causing damage to infrastructures, such as roads, railroads and houses, and can, in a worst-case scenario, take lives. A better understanding of the triggering processes of landslides are important as it enables us to perform better forecasts, improve mapping of zones with landslide risk and carry out mitigation measures. In this study, a parameter-parsimonious rainfall-runoff model, DDD (Distance Distribution Dynamics), is used to simulate the hydrological conditions for rainfall-induced landslide events. The model estimates the capacity of the subsurface reservoir at different levels of saturation and predicts overland flow. The subsurface in the DDD has a 2-D representation in that it calculates the saturated and unsaturated soil moisture along a hillslope representing the entire catchment in question. In this study, 50 landslide events in 10 catchments in Southern Norway are investigated. Characteristics of the subsurface states, before, during and after the landslide are analysed for the whole catchment and at three points (lower, middle and upper part) of the hillslope. Preliminary results show that the hysteretic loop of storage and discharge follow complex clockwise and anti-clockwise patterns. Anti-clockwise loops occur more frequent, except for the middle part of the hillslope. In the upper part of the hillslope, anti-clockwise loop occur almost exclusively (94 %). Evaluated for the entire catchment, 57 % of the landslide events occurred at maximum saturation, while 77 % of the events occurred at saturation above 80 %. We found the majority of the landslide events to be associated with the rising limb and the top of the hysteretic curve with 64 % and 17 %, respectively. Overland flow was found for 68 % of the events.

Parametric sensitivity analysis of leachate transport simulations at landfills.

PubMed

Bou-Zeid, E; El-Fadel, M

2004-01-01

This paper presents a case study in simulating leachate generation and transport at a 2000 ton/day landfill facility and assesses leachate migration away from the landfill in order to control associated environmental impacts, particularly on groundwater wells down gradient of the site. The site offers unique characteristics in that it is a former quarry converted to a landfill and is planned to have refuse depths that could reach 100 m, making it one of the deepest in the world. Leachate quantity and potential percolation into the subsurface are estimated using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. A three-dimensional subsurface model (PORFLOW) was adopted to simulate ground water flow and contaminant transport away from the site. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis to leachate transport control parameters was also conducted. Sensitivity analysis suggests that changes in partition coefficient, source strength, aquifer hydraulic conductivity, and dispersivity have the most significant impact on model output indicating that these parameters should be carefully selected when similar modeling studies are performed. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Modeling and risk assessment of a 30-Year-old subsurface radioactive-liquid drain field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Lon A.; Pohl, Phillip I.

1997-11-01

The contamination from a 30-year-old radioactive liquid drain field was assessed for movement in the subsurface and potential risks to humans. This assessment included determining field concentrations of cesium 137 (137Cs) and other inorganic contaminants and modeling of the flow and transport of the liquid waste that was sent to the drain field. The field investigation detected no contamination deeper than 15 feet (4.6 m) from the bottom of the drain field. Prediction of the water content of the vadose zone showed no saturated conditions for times greater than 10 years after the known infiltration. Sensitivity analysis of the modeling parameters showed the equilibrium sorption coefficient to be the most important factor in predicting the contaminant plumes. Calibration of modeling results with field data gave a 137Cs sorption coefficient that is within the range of values found in the literature. The risk assessment for the site showed that the contamination poses no significant risk to human health.

Modeling the poroelastic response to megathrust earthquakes: A look at the 2012 Mw 7.6 Costa Rican event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCormack, Kimberly A.; Hesse, Marc A.

2018-04-01

We model the subsurface hydrologic response to the 7.6 Mw subduction zone earthquake that occurred on the plate interface beneath the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica on September 5, 2012. The regional-scale poroelastic model of the overlying plate integrates seismologic, geodetic and hydrologic data sets to predict the post-seismic poroelastic response. A representative two-dimensional model shows that thrust earthquakes with a slip width less than a third of their depth produce complex multi-lobed pressure perturbations in the shallow subsurface. This leads to multiple poroelastic relaxation timescales that may overlap with the longer viscoelastic timescales. In the three-dimensional model, the complex slip distribution of 2012 Nicoya event and its small width to depth ratio lead to a pore pressure distribution comprising multiple trench parallel ridges of high and low pressure. This leads to complex groundwater flow patterns, non-monotonic variations in predicted well water levels, and poroelastic relaxation on multiple time scales. The model also predicts significant tectonically driven submarine groundwater discharge off-shore. In the weeks following the earthquake, the predicted net submarine groundwater discharge in the study area increases, creating a 100 fold increase in net discharge relative to topography-driven flow over the first 30 days. Our model suggests the hydrological response on land is more complex than typically acknowledged in tectonic studies. This may complicate the interpretation of transient post-seismic surface deformations. Combined tectonic-hydrological observation networks have the potential to reduce such ambiguities.

Monitoring the Dynamics of Water Flow at a High-Mountain Permafrost Site Using Electrical Self-Potential Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemna, A.; Weigand, M.; Wagner, F.; Hilbich, C.; Hauck, C.

2016-12-01

Flow of (liquid) water plays a crucial role in the dynamics of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in terrestrial permafrost systems. To better understand these processes in the active layer of permafrost regions, with the ultimate goal of adequately incorporating them in numerical models for improved scenario prediction, monitoring approaches offering high spatial and temporal resolution, areal coverage, and especially sensitivity to subsurface water flow, are highly desired. This particularly holds for high-mountain slopes, where strong variability in topography, precipitation, and snow cover, along with significant subsurface soil/rock heterogeneity, gives rise to complex spatio-temporal patterns of water flow during seasonal thawing and freezing periods. The electrical self-potential (SP) method is well known to, in theory, meeting the above monitoring demands by measuring the electrical streaming potential which is generated at the microscopic scale when water flows along electrically non-neutral interfaces. Despite its inherent sensitivity to subsurface water flow, the SP method has not yet been used for the monitoring of high-mountain permafrost sites. We here present first results from an SP monitoring survey conducted at the Schilthorn (2970 m asl) in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, where SP data have been collected since September 2013 at a sampling rate of 10 min on a permanently installed array of 12 non-polarizing electrodes covering an area of 35 m by 15 m. While the SP time series exhibit systematic daily variations, with part of the signal clearly correlated with temperature, in particular in the snow-free periods, the largest temporal changes in the SP signal occur in spring, when the snow cover melts and thawing sets on in the active layer. The period of higher temporal SP variations continues until autumn, when the signal gradually returns to relatively low variations, coinciding with the freezing of the ground. Our results suggest that the SP method is a suitable tool for the monitoring of seasonal water flow dynamics at high-mountain permafrost sites. Current work is directed towards an improved field setup, as well as the quantitative analysis of the SP data based on laboratory calibration measurements.

Effects of Droplet Size on Intrusion of Sub-Surface Oil Spills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Eric; Chan, Godine; Wang, Dayang

2014-11-01

We explore effects of droplet size on droplet intrusion and transport in sub-surface oil spills. Negatively buoyant glass beads released continuously to a stratified ambient simulate oil droplets in a rising multiphase plume, and distributions of settled beads are used to infer signatures of surfacing oil. Initial tests used quiescent conditions, while ongoing tests simulate currents by towing the source and a bottom sled. Without current, deposited beads have a Gaussian distribution, with variance increasing with decreasing particle size. Distributions agree with a model assuming first order particle loss from an intrusion layer of constant thickness, and empirically determined flow rate. With current, deposited beads display a parabolic distribution similar to that expected from a source in uniform flow; we are currently comparing observed distributions with similar analytical models. Because chemical dispersants have been used to reduce oil droplet size, our study provides one measure of their effectiveness. Results are applied to conditions from the `Deep Spill' field experiment, and the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and are being used to provide ``inner boundary conditions'' for subsequent far field modeling of these events. This research was made possible by grants from Chevron Energy Technology Co., through the Chevron-MITEI University Partnership Program, and BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, GISR.

Final report on "Modeling Diurnal Variations of California Land Biosphere CO2 Fluxes"

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

Fung, Inez

In Mediterranean climates, the season of water availability (winter) is out of phase with the season of light availability and atmospheric demand for moisture (summer). Multi-year half-hourly observations of sap flow velocities in 26 evergreen trees in a small watershed in Northern California show that different species of evergreen trees have different seasonalities of transpiration: Douglas-firs respond immediately to the first winter rain, while Pacific madrones have peak transpiration in the dry summer. Using these observations, we have derived species-specific parameterization of normalized sap flow velocities in terms of insolation, vapor pressure deficit and near-surface soil moisture. A simple 1-Dmore » boundary layer model showed that afternoon temperatures may be higher by 1 degree Celsius in an area with Douglas-firs than with Pacific madrones. The results point to the need to develop a new representation of subsurface moisture, in particular pools beneath the organic soil mantle and the vadose zone. Our ongoing and future work includes coupling our new parameterization of transpiration with new representation of sub-surface moisture in saprolite and weathered bedrock. The results will be implemented in a regional climate model to explore vegetation-climate feedbacks, especially in the dry season.« less

Environmental Impacts of a Multi-Borehole Geothermal System: Model Sensitivity Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krol, M.; Daemi, N.

2017-12-01

Problems associated with fossil fuel consumption has increased worldwide interest in discovering and developing sustainable energy systems. One such system is geothermal heating, which uses the constant temperature of the ground to heat or cool buildings. Since geothermal heating offers low maintenance, high heating/cooling comfort, and a low carbon footprint, compared to conventional systems, there has been an increasing trend in equipping large buildings with geothermal heating. However, little is known on the potential environmental impact geothermal heating can have on the subsurface, such as the creation of subsurface thermal plumes or changes in groundwater flow dynamics. In the present study, the environmental impacts of a closed-loop, ground source heat pump (GSHP) system was examined with respect to different system parameters. To do this a three-dimensional model, developed using FEFLOW, was used to examine the thermal plumes resulting from ten years of operation of a vertical closed-loop GSHP system with multiple boreholes. A required thermal load typical of an office building located in Canada was calculated and groundwater flow and heat transport in the geological formation was simulated. Consequently, the resulting thermal plumes were studied and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the effect of different parameters like groundwater flow and soil type on the development and movement of thermal plumes. Since thermal plumes can affect the efficiency of a GSHP system, this study provides insight into important system parameters.

The effects of orbital and climatic variations on Martian surface heat flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mellon, Michael T.; Jakosky, Bruce M.

1993-01-01

Large changes in the orbital elements of Mars on timescales of 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 6) years will cause widely varying climate, specifically surface temperatures, as a result of varying insolation. These surface temperature oscillations will produce subsurface thermal gradients which contribute to the total surface heat flux. We investigate the thermal behavior of the Martian regolith on orbital timescales and show that this climatological surface heat flux is spatially variable and contributes significantly to the total surface heat flux at many locations. We model the thermal behavior of the Martian regolith by calculating the mean annual surface temperatures for each epoch (spaced 1000 years apart to resolve orbital variations) for the past 200,000 years at a chosen location on the surface. These temperatures are used as a boundary condition for the deeper regolith and subsurface temperature oscillation are then computed. The surface climatological heat flux due to past climate changes can then be found from the temperature gradient between the surface and about 150 m depth (a fraction of the thermal skin depth on these timescales). This method provides a fairly accurate determination of the climatological heat flow component at a point; however, this method is computationally time consuming and cannot be applied to all points on the globe. To map the spatial variations in the surface heat flow we recognize that the subsurface temperature structure will be largely dominated by the most recent surface temperature oscillations. In fact, the climate component of the surface heat flow will be approximately proportional to the magnitude of the most recent surface temperature change. By calculating surface temperatures at all points globally for the present epoch and an appropriate past epoch, and combining these results with a series of more precise calculations described above, we estimate the global distribution of climatological surface heat flow.

Percolation induced heat transfer in deep unsaturated zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, N.; LeCain, G.D.

2003-01-01

Subsurface temperature data from a borehole located in a desert wash were measured and used to delineate the conductive and advective heat transfer regimes, and to estimate the percolation quantity associated with the 1997-1998 El Ni??no precipitation. In an arid environment, conductive heat transfer dominates the variation of shallow subsurface temperature most of the time, except during sporadic precipitation periods. The subsurface time-varying temperature due to conductive heat transfer is highly correlated with the surface atmospheric temperature variation, whereas temperature variation due to advective heat transfer is strongly correlated with precipitation events. The advective heat transfer associated with precipitation and infiltration is the focus of this paper. Disruptions of the subsurface conductive temperature regime, associated with the 1997-1998 El Ni??no precipitation, were detected and used to quantify the percolation quantity. Modeling synthesis using a one-dimensional coupled heat and unsaturated flow model indicated that a percolation per unit area of 0.7 to 1.3 m height of water in two weeks during February 1998 was responsible for the observed temperature deviations down to a depth of 35.2 m. The reported study demonstrated quantitatively, for the first time, that the near surface temperature variation due to advective heat transfer can be significant at a depth greater than 10 m in unsaturated soils and can be used to infer the percolation amount in thick unsaturated soils.

Constraining the Enceladus Plume and Understanding Its Physics via Numerical Simulation from Underground Source to Infinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeoh, S. K.; Li, Z.; Goldstein, D. B.; Varghese, P. L.; Trafton, L. M.; Levin, D. A.

2014-12-01

The Enceladus ice/vapor plume not only accounts for the various features observed in the Saturnian system, such as the E-ring, the narrow neutral H2O torus, and Enceladus' own bright albedo, but also raises exciting new possibilities, including the existence of liquid water on Enceladus. Therefore, understanding the plume and its physics is important. Here we assume that the plume arises from flow expansion within multiple narrow subsurface cracks connected to reservoirs of liquid water underground, and simulate this expanding flow from the underground reservoir out to several Enceladus radii where Cassini data are available for comparison. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is used to simulate the subsurface and near-field collisional regions and a free-molecular model is used to propagate the plume out into the far-field. We include the following physical processes in our simulations: the flow interaction with the crack walls, grain condensation from the vapor phase, non-equilibrium effects (e.g. freezing of molecular internal energy modes), the interaction between the vapor and the ice grains, the gravitational fields of Enceladus and Saturn, and Coriolis and centrifugal forces (due to motion in non-inertial reference frame). The end result is a plume model that includes the relevant physics of the flow from the underground source out to where Cassini measurements are taken. We have made certain assumptions about the channel geometry and reservoir conditions. The model is constrained using various available Cassini data (particularly those of INMS, CDA and UVIS) to understand the plume physics as well as estimate the vapor and grain production rates and its temporal variability.

Modelling of spatial contaminant probabilities of occurrence of chlorinated hydrocarbons in an urban aquifer.

PubMed

Greis, Tillman; Helmholz, Kathrin; Schöniger, Hans Matthias; Haarstrick, Andreas

2012-06-01

In this study, a 3D urban groundwater model is presented which serves for calculation of multispecies contaminant transport in the subsurface on the regional scale. The total model consists of two submodels, the groundwater flow and reactive transport model, and is validated against field data. The model equations are solved applying finite element method. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to perform parameter identification of flow, transport and reaction processes. Coming from the latter, stochastic variation of flow, transport, and reaction input parameters and Monte Carlo simulation are used in calculating probabilities of pollutant occurrence in the domain. These probabilities could be part of determining future spots of contamination and their measure of damages. Application and validation is exemplarily shown for a contaminated site in Braunschweig (Germany), where a vast plume of chlorinated ethenes pollutes the groundwater. With respect to field application, the methods used for modelling reveal feasible and helpful tools to assess natural attenuation (MNA) and the risk that might be reduced by remediation actions.

A Simple, Efficient and Effective Modeling Approach to Determine Baseflow Based on Concentration-Discharge Relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, F.; Miller, M. P.; Conklin, M. H.

2017-12-01

Concentration-discharge relationships in streamflow are a precursor for diagnosing endmember mixing. With a strong power-law relationship between concentration and discharge, previous studies have shown that conservative solute concentrations in streamflow can be explained by mixing of two endmembers, i.e., quick runoff (QR) and baseflow (BF). This current study showed that the unique concentration-discharge power-law curve provides two characteristic values of solute concentrations at extremely high and low flows and these envelope values can be used to aid two-endmember mixing models. In an example conducted in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), daily specific conductance (SC) and discharge were strongly correlated by a power-law function on both rising and falling limbs from 1983 to 2015 (R2 > 0.9 for all years). The high envelope SC value in each year was directly used to characterize baseflow for that year, while the low envelope SC value was adjusted to represent quick runoff, a collective term for surface runoff and responsive shallow subsurface runoff. The peak flow was considered to be dominated by QR with only a small portion of BF. The ratio of minimum to maximum flows was used to calibrate the low envelope SC value. This ratio represents the least fraction of baseflow to total flow at the peak flow, as baseflow increases with total flow based on published studies. The SC value at the peak flow was considered to be a mixture of QR and BF with the minimum/maximum flow ratio as baseflow fraction and thus SC value in QR was determined with a mass balance equation. The baseflow fractions determined in two-endmember mixing models by this characterization of QR from 1983 to 2011 match those by Miller et al. [2014] very well (R2 = 0.96, slope = 1.07, intercept = -0.13). Baseflow fractions were slightly under-estimated by this approach mainly due to the fact that responsive shallow subsurface runoff was considered to be part of quick flow in this study rather than part of baseflow. This approach provides a simple, efficient and effective modeling tool for estimating baseflow without requiring any samples from endmembers in catchments with a strong power-law relation.

30 CFR 250.601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... installed: (a) Cutting paraffin; (b) Removing and setting pump-through-type tubing plugs, gas-lift valves...) Corrosion inhibitor treatment; (i) Removing or replacing subsurface pumps; (j) Through-tubing logging (diagnostics); (k) Wireline fishing; and (l) Setting and retrieving other subsurface flow-control devices...

30 CFR 250.601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... installed: (a) Cutting paraffin; (b) Removing and setting pump-through-type tubing plugs, gas-lift valves...) Corrosion inhibitor treatment; (i) Removing or replacing subsurface pumps; (j) Through-tubing logging (diagnostics); (k) Wireline fishing; and (l) Setting and retrieving other subsurface flow-control devices...

30 CFR 250.601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... installed: (a) Cutting paraffin; (b) Removing and setting pump-through-type tubing plugs, gas-lift valves...) Corrosion inhibitor treatment; (i) Removing or replacing subsurface pumps; (j) Through-tubing logging (diagnostics); (k) Wireline fishing; and (l) Setting and retrieving other subsurface flow-control devices...

Forward modeling to investigate inversion artifacts resulting from time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography during rainfall simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, Austin M.; Paige, Ginger B.; Carr, Bradley J.; Dogan, Mine

2017-10-01

Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is commonly used as a minimally invasive tool to study infiltration processes. In 2014, we conducted field studies coupling variable intensity rainfall simulation with high-resolution ERT to study the real-time partitioning of rainfall into surface and subsurface response. The significant contrast in resistivity in the subsurface from large changes in subsurface moisture resulted in artifacts during the inversion process of the time-lapse ERT data collected using a dipole-dipole electrode array. These artifacts, which are not representative of real subsurface moisture dynamics, have been shown to arise during time-lapse inversion of ERT data and may be subject to misinterpretation. Forward modeling of the infiltration process post field experiments using a two-layer system (saprolite overlain by a soil layer) was used to generate synthetic datasets. The synthetic data were used to investigate the influence of both changes in volumetric moisture content and electrode configuration on the development of the artifacts identified in the field datasets. For the dipole-dipole array, we found that a decrease in the resistivity of the bottom layer by 67% resulted in a 50% reduction in artifact development. Artifacts for the seven additional array configurations tested, ranged from a 19% increase in artifact development (using an extended dipole-dipole array) to as much as a 96% decrease in artifact development (using a wenner-alpha array), compared to that of the dipole-dipole array. Moreover, these arrays varied in their ability to accurately delineate the infiltration front. Model results showed that the modified pole-dipole array was able to accurately image the infiltration zone and presented fewer artifacts for our experiments. In this study, we identify an optimal array type for imaging rainfall-infiltration dynamics that reduces artifacts. The influence of moisture contrast between the infiltrating water and the bulk subsurface material was characterized and shown to be a major factor in contributing to artifact development. Through forward modeling, this study highlights the importance of considering array type and subsurface moisture conditions when using time-lapse resistivity to obtain reliable estimates of vadose zone flow processes during rainfall-infiltration events.

Coupled Flow and Mechanics in Porous and Fractured Media*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, M. J.; Newell, P.; Bishop, J.

2012-12-01

Numerical models describing subsurface flow through deformable porous materials are important for understanding and enabling energy security and climate security. Some applications of current interest come from such diverse areas as geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO2, hydro-fracturing for stimulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs, and modeling electrochemistry-induced swelling of fluid-filled porous electrodes. Induced stress fields in any of these applications can lead to structural failure and fracture. The ultimate goal of this research is to model evolving faults and fracture networks and flow within the networks while coupling to flow and mechanics within the intact porous structure. We report here on a new computational capability for coupling of multiphase porous flow with geomechanics including assessment of over-pressure-induced structural damage. The geomechanics is coupled to the flow via the variation in the fluid pore pressures, whereas the flow problem is coupled to mechanics by the concomitant material strains which alter the pore volume (porosity field) and hence the permeability field. For linear elastic solid mechanics a monolithic coupling strategy is utilized. For nonlinear elastic/plastic and fractured media, a segregated coupling is presented. To facilitate coupling with disparate flow and mechanics time scales, the coupling strategy allows for different time steps in the flow solve compared to the mechanics solve. If time steps are synchronized, the controller allows user-specified intra-time-step iterations. The iterative coupling is dynamically controlled based on a norm measuring the degree of variation in the deformed porosity. The model is applied for evaluation of the integrity of jointed caprock systems during CO2 sequestration operations. Creation or reactivation of joints can lead to enhanced pathways for leakage. Similarly, over-pressures can induce flow along faults. Fluid flow rates in fractures are strongly dependent on the effective hydraulic aperture, which is a non-linear function of effective normal stress. The dynamically evolving aperture field updates the effective, anisotropic permeability tensor, thus resulting in a highly coupled multiphysics problem. Two models of geomechanical damage are discussed: critical shear-slip criteria and a sub-grid joint model. Leakage rates through the caprock resulting from the joint model are compared to those assuming intact material, allowing a correlation between potential for leakage and injection rates/pressures, for various in-situ stratigraphies. *This material is based upon work supported as part of the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001114. Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Paleofluid-flow circulation within a Triassic rift basin: Evidence from oil inclusions and thermal histories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tseng, H.-Y.; Burruss, R.C.; Onstott, T.C.; Omar, G.

1999-01-01

The migration of subsurface fluid flow within continental rift basins has been increasingly recognized to significantly affect the thermal history of sediments and petroleum formation. To gain insight into these paleofluid flow effects, the thermal history of the Taylorsville basin in Virginia was reconstructed from fluid-inclusion studies, apatite fission-track data, and vitrinite reflectance data. Models of thermal history indicate that the basin was buried to the thermal maximum at 200 Ma; a cooling event followed during which the eastern side of the basin cooled earlier and faster than the western side, suggesting that there was a differential uplift and topographically driven fluid flow. This hypothesis is supported by analyses of secondary oil and aqueous inclusions trapped in calcite and quartz veins during the uplift stage. Gas chromatograms of inclusion oils exhibit variable but extensive depletion of light molecular-weight hydrocarbons. The relative abundance of n-alkanes, petrographic observations, and the geological data indicate that the alteration process on these inclusion oils was probably neither phase separation nor biodegradation, but water washing. Water:oil ratios necessary to produce the observed alteration are much greater than 10000:1. These exceedingly high ratios are consistent with the migration of inclusion oils along with fluid flow during the early stages of basin evolution. The results provide significant evidence about the role of a subsurface flow system in modifying the temperature structure of the basin and the composition of petroleum generated within the basin.

Application of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) Model to simulate streamflow in a PNW forest watershed

Treesearch

A. Srivastava; M. Dobre; E. Bruner; W. J. Elliot; I. S. Miller; J. Q. Wu

2011-01-01

Assessment of water yields from watersheds into streams and rivers is critical to managing water supply and supporting aquatic life. Surface runoff typically contributes the most to peak discharge of a hydrograph while subsurface flow dominates the falling limb of hydrograph and baseflow contributes to streamflow from shallow unconfined aquifers primarily during the...

How old is streamwater? Open questions in catchment transit time conceptualization, modeling and analysis

Treesearch

J.J. McDonnell; K. McGuire; P. Aggarwal; K.J. Beven; D. Biondi; G. Destouni; S. Dunn; A. James; J. Kirchner; P. Kraft; S. Lyon; P. Maloszewski; B. Newman; L. Pfister; A. Rinaldo; A. Rodhe; T. Sayama; J. Seibert; K. Solomon; C. Soulsby; M. Stewart; D. Tetzlaff; C. Tobin; P. Troch; M. Weiler; A. Western; A. Wörman; S. Wrede

2010-01-01

The time water spends travelling subsurface through a catchment to the stream network (i.e. the catchment water transit time) fundamentally describes the storage, flow pathway heterogeneity and sources of water in a catchment. The distribution of transit times reflects how catchments retain and release water and solutes that in turn set biogeochemical conditions and...

Vertical flow constructed wetlands: kinetics of nutrient and organic matter removal.

PubMed

Pérez, M M; Hernández, J M; Bossens, J; Jiménez, T; Rosa, E; Tack, F

2014-01-01

The kinetics of organic matter and nutrient removal in a pilot vertical subsurface wetland with red ferralitic soil as substrate were evaluated. The wetland (20 m(2)) was planted with Cyperus alternifolius. The domestic wastewater that was treated in the wetland had undergone a primary treatment consisting of a septic moat and a buffer tank. From the sixth week of operation, the performance of the wetland stabilized, and a significant reduction in pollutant concentration of the effluent wastewater was obtained. Also a significant increase of dissolved oxygen (5 mg/l) was obtained. The organic matter removal efficiency was greater than 85% and the nutrient removal efficiency was greater than 75% in the vertical subsurface wetland. Nitrogen and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal could be described by a first-order model. The kinetic constants were 3.64 and 3.27 d(-1) for BOD and for total nitrogen, respectively. Data on the removal of phosphorus were adapted to a second-order model. The kinetic constant was 0.96 (mg/l)(-1) d(-1). The results demonstrated the potential of vertical flow constructed wetlands to clean treated domestic wastewater before discharge into the environment.

Dissolved phosphorus retention of light-weight expanded shale and masonry sand used in subsurface flow treatment wetlands.

PubMed

Forbes, Margaret G; Dickson, Kenneth R; Golden, Teresa D; Hudak, Paul; Doyle, Robert D

2004-02-01

Using surface flow constructed wetlands for long-term phosphorus (P) retention presents a challenge due to the fact that P is stored primarily in the sediments. Subsurface flow wetlands have the potential to greatly increase P retention; however, the substrate needs to have both high hydraulic conductivity and high P sorption capacity. The objective of our study was to assess the P retention capacity of two substrates, masonry sand and lightweight expanded shale. We used sorption/desorption isotherms, flow-through column experiments, and pilot-scale wetlands to quantify P retained from treated municipal wastewater. Langmuir sorption isotherms predicted that the expanded shale has a maximum sorption capacity of 971 mg/kg and the masonry sand 58.8 mg/kg. In column desorption and column flow-through experiments, the masonry sand desorbed P when exposed to dilute P solutions. The expanded shale, however, had very little desorption and phosphorus did not break through the columns during our experiment. In pilot cells, masonry sand retained (mean +/- standard deviation) 45 +/- 62 g P/m2/yr and expanded shale retained 164 +/- 110 g P/m2/yr. We conclude that only the expanded shale would be a suitable substrate for retaining P in a subsurface flow wetland.

Characterization of the fate and transport of nitroaromatic compounds at a former DoD ordnance depot site

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

Klausmeier, M.E.; Yoon, J.

1999-07-01

The 975-acre Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot (FNOD) in Suffolk, Virginia was used by the Department of Defense (DoD) from 1917 until the mid-1950's for preparation, storage, transportation, inspection and demilitarization of many classes of ammunition and ordnance. Approximately 28 areas of Concern (AOC) have been identified by the EPA as areas that could pose potential risk to human health or the environment. The primary contaminants of concern are some trace metals and explosive compounds. During a summer 1987 field investigation, a slab of crystalline TNT was found which was estimated to weigh several tons. An enhanced MODFLOW model is beingmore » used to identify subsurface flow patterns. The calibrated model will be used to identify contaminant fate and transport behavior at the site. Enhancements to the MODFLOW model include an updated block-centered flow package (BCF4) and an updated recharge-seepage face boundary package (RSF4) to utilize for the FNOD site flow characterization. BCF4 package accurately delineates the water table without relying on an ad hoc rewetting procedure. This is accomplished by calculating the hydraulic head value required to transmit recharging water through the unsaturated zone without inactivating dry cells. The recharge-seepage face package eliminates the projection of heads above the ground surface by adjusting recharge to a cell when a user supplied ponding depth is reached. Using a regional model, a telescoping grid refinement technique was implemented to calculate the boundary conditions around the area of interest and to model quantity and quality interactions between surface and subsurface water regimes in a realistic manner.« less

Adaptive Multiscale Modeling of Geochemical Impacts on Fracture Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molins, S.; Trebotich, D.; Steefel, C. I.; Deng, H.

2016-12-01

Understanding fracture evolution is essential for many subsurface energy applications, including subsurface storage, shale gas production, fracking, CO2 sequestration, and geothermal energy extraction. Geochemical processes in particular play a significant role in the evolution of fractures through dissolution-driven widening, fines migration, and/or fracture sealing due to precipitation. One obstacle to understanding and exploiting geochemical fracture evolution is that it is a multiscale process. However, current geochemical modeling of fractures cannot capture this multi-scale nature of geochemical and mechanical impacts on fracture evolution, and is limited to either a continuum or pore-scale representation. Conventional continuum-scale models treat fractures as preferential flow paths, with their permeability evolving as a function (often, a cubic law) of the fracture aperture. This approach has the limitation that it oversimplifies flow within the fracture in its omission of pore scale effects while also assuming well-mixed conditions. More recently, pore-scale models along with advanced characterization techniques have allowed for accurate simulations of flow and reactive transport within the pore space (Molins et al., 2014, 2015). However, these models, even with high performance computing, are currently limited in their ability to treat tractable domain sizes (Steefel et al., 2013). Thus, there is a critical need to develop an adaptive modeling capability that can account for separate properties and processes, emergent and otherwise, in the fracture and the rock matrix at different spatial scales. Here we present an adaptive modeling capability that treats geochemical impacts on fracture evolution within a single multiscale framework. Model development makes use of the high performance simulation capability, Chombo-Crunch, leveraged by high resolution characterization and experiments. The modeling framework is based on the adaptive capability in Chombo which not only enables mesh refinement, but also refinement of the model-pore scale or continuum Darcy scale-in a dynamic way such that the appropriate model is used only when and where it is needed. Explicit flux matching provides coupling betwen the scales.

Time-Distance Helioseismology Data-Analysis Pipeline for Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO-HMI) and Its Initial Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, J.; Couvidat, S.; Bogart, R. S.; Parchevsky, K. V.; Birch, A. C.; Duvall, Thomas L., Jr.; Beck, J. G.; Kosovichev, A. G.; Scherrer, P. H.

2011-01-01

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/HMI) provides continuous full-disk observations of solar oscillations. We develop a data-analysis pipeline based on the time-distance helioseismology method to measure acoustic travel times using HMI Doppler-shift observations, and infer solar interior properties by inverting these measurements. The pipeline is used for routine production of near-real-time full-disk maps of subsurface wave-speed perturbations and horizontal flow velocities for depths ranging from 0 to 20 Mm, every eight hours. In addition, Carrington synoptic maps for the subsurface properties are made from these full-disk maps. The pipeline can also be used for selected target areas and time periods. We explain details of the pipeline organization and procedures, including processing of the HMI Doppler observations, measurements of the travel times, inversions, and constructions of the full-disk and synoptic maps. Some initial results from the pipeline, including full-disk flow maps, sunspot subsurface flow fields, and the interior rotation and meridional flow speeds, are presented.

Geohydrologic Framework of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, South-Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blome, Charles D.; Faith, Jason R.; Ozuna, George B.

2007-01-01

This five-year USGS project, funded by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, is using multidisciplinary approaches to reveal the surface and subsurface geologic architecture of two important Texas aquifers: (1) the Edwards aquifer that extends from south of Austin to west of San Antonio and (2) the southern part of the Trinity aquifer in the Texas Hill Country west and south of Austin. The project's principal areas of research include: Geologic Mapping, Geophysical Surveys, Geochronology, Three-dimensional Modeling, and Noble Gas Geochemistry. The Edwards aquifer is one of the most productive carbonate aquifers in the United States. It also has been designated a sole source aquifer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is the primary source of water for San Antonio, America's eighth largest city. The Trinity aquifer forms the catchment area for the Edwards aquifer and it intercepts some surface flow above the Edwards recharge zone. The Trinity may also contribute to the Edwards water budget by subsurface flow across formation boundaries at considerable depths. Dissolution, karst development, and faulting and fracturing in both aquifers directly control aquifer geometry by compartmentalizing the aquifer and creating unique ground-water flow paths.

The soil hydrologic response to forest regrowth: a case study from southwestern Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godsey, Sarah; Elsenbeer, Helmut

2002-05-01

As a large and dynamic land-use category, tropical secondary forests may affect climate, soils, and hydrology in a manner different from primary forests or agricultural areas. We investigated the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ksat of a Kandiudult under different land uses in Rondonia, Brazil. We measured Ksat at four depths (12·5, 20, 30 and 50 cm) under (a) primary forest, (b) a former banana-cacao plantation (SF1), and (c) an abandoned pasture (SF2). At 12·5 cm, all three land uses differ significantly ( = 0·1), but not at the 20 and 30 cm depths. At 50 cm, Ksat was significantly greater in the former pasture than in other land uses. Lateral subsurface flow is expected during intense rainfall (about 30 times per year) at 30 cm depth in SF1 and at 50 cm depth in the forest, whereas the relatively low permeability at shallow 12·5 cm in the SF2 may result not only in lateral subsurface flow, but also saturation overland flow. For modelling purposes, recovering systems seem to have Ksat values distinct from primary forest at shallow depths, whereas at deeper layers (>20 cm) they may be considered similar to forests.

Continuous Temperature and Water-Level Data Collected for a Heat Tracer Study on a Selected Reach of Tri-State Canal, Western Nebraska, 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hobza, Christopher M.

2008-01-01

The water supply in parts of the North Platte River Basin in the Nebraska Panhandle has been designated as fully appropriated or over appropriated by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. Recent legislation (LB 962) requires the North Platte Natural Resources District and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources to develop an Integrated Management Plan to balance ground- and surface-water supply and demand within the North Platte Natural Resources District. For a ground-water-flow model to accurately simulate existing or future ground-water and surface-water conditions, accurate estimates of specific input variables such as streambed conductance or canal-seepage rates are required. As of 2008, the values input into ground-water models were estimated on the basis of interpreted lithology from test holes and geophysical surveys. Often, contrasts of several orders of magnitude exist for streambed conductance among the various sediment textures present locally, and thin, near-surface layers of fine sediment can clog the streambed, substantially reducing conductance. To accurately quantify the rates of leakage from irrigation canals and estimate ground-water recharge, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Platte Natural Resources District, collected continuous temperature and water-level data to use heat as a tracer for a selected reach of Tri-State Canal west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Continuous records of subsurface temperature, ground-water level, canal stage, and water temperature, and sediment core data are presented in this report. Subsurface temperature was monitored at four vertical sensor arrays of thermocouples installed at various depths beneath the canal bed from March through September 2007. Canal stage and water temperature were measured from June to September 2007. Ground-water level was recorded continuously in an observation well drilled near the subsurface temperature monitoring site. These data sets were collected for use as inputs for a computer model to estimate the vertical hydraulic conductivity. Before the initiation of flow, diurnal variations in subsurface temperature occurred because of daytime heating and nighttime cooling of bed sediment. Flow in Tri-State Canal was first detected on June 16 at the monitoring site as a disruption in the temperature signal in the shallowest thermocouple in all four vertical sensor arrays. This disruption in the temperature pattern occurred in deeper thermocouples at slightly later times during the rapid infiltration of canal water. The ground-water level began to rise approximately 23 hours after flow was first detected at the monitoring site. Canal stage rose for 7 days until the maximum flow capacity of the canal was approached on June 23, 2007. Measured water temperatures ranged from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius (C) while the canal was flowing near maximum capacity. Small diurnal variations of 1.0 to 1.5 degrees C in water temperature were recorded during this time. Measured ground-water levels rose constantly during the entire irrigation season until levels peaked on September 3, 2007, 3 days after diversions to Tri-State Canal ceased.

Long-term fluid expulsion revealed by carbonate crusts and pockmarks connected to subsurface gas anomalies and palaeo-channels in the central North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chand, Shyam; Crémière, Antoine; Lepland, Aivo; Thorsnes, Terje; Brunstad, Harald; Stoddart, Daniel

2017-06-01

Gas seepage through the seafloor into the water column is inferred based on acoustic mapping, video observations and geochemical analyses at multiple locations in the Viking Graben and Utsira High areas of the central North Sea. Flares in the Viking Graben occur both inside and along the periphery of a submarine melt water channel where pockmarks (up to 500 m in diameter) and methane-derived carbonate crusts are found on the seafloor, indicating focussing of fluid flow in the vicinity of the channel. The flares can be related to gas accumulations close to the seafloor as well as in Quaternary and deeper strata, observed as high-amplitude reflections on seismic data. Many palaeo-channels, which act as accumulation zones, are observed in the subsurface of both the Viking Graben and Utsira High areas. The deeper origin of gas is partially supported by results of isotope analyses of headspace gas collected from sediment samples of the Viking Graben, which show a mixed microbial/thermogenic origin whereas isotope data on free seeping gas in the Viking Graben indicate a predominantly microbial origin. Based on these lines of evidence, a structure-controlled fluid flow model is proposed whereby hydrocarbons migrate in limited amount from deep thermogenic reservoirs along faults, and these deep fluids are strongly diluted by microbial methane. Moreover, the existence of subsurface pockmarks at several stratigraphic levels indicates long-term fluid flow, interpreted to be caused by gas hydrate destabilisation and stress-related high overpressures.

Dynamics of Fluids and Transport in Fractured Rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faybishenko, Boris; Witherspoon, Paul A.; Gale, John

How to characterize fluid flow, heat, and chemical transport in geologic media remains a central challenge for geo-scientists and engineers worldwide. Investigations of fluid flow and transport within rock relate to such fundamental and applied problems as environmental remediation; nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) transport; exploitation of oil, gas, and geothermal resources; disposal of spent nuclear fuel; and geotechnical engineering. It is widely acknowledged that fractures in unsaturated-saturated rock can play a major role in solute transport from the land surface to underlying aquifers. It is also evident that general issues concerning flow and transport predictions in subsurface fractured zones can be resolved in a practical manner by integrating investigations into the physical nature of flow in fractures, developing relevant mathematical models and modeling approaches, and collecting site characterization data. Because of the complexity of flow and transport processes in most fractured rock flow problems, it is not yet possible to develop models directly from first principles. One reason for this is the presence of episodic, preferential water seepage and solute transport, which usually proceed more rapidly than expected from volume-averaged and time-averaged models. However, the physics of these processes is still known.

Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reitman, Nadine G.; Ge, Shemin; Mueller, Karl

2014-09-01

Groundwater flow is an important control on subsurface evaporite (salt) dissolution. Salt dissolution can drive faulting and associated subsidence on the land surface and increase salinity in groundwater. This study aims to understand the groundwater flow system of Gypsum Canyon watershed in the Paradox Basin, Utah, USA, and whether or not groundwater-driven dissolution affects surface deformation. The work characterizes the groundwater flow and solute transport systems of the watershed using a three-dimensional (3D) finite element flow and transport model, SUTRA. Spring samples were analyzed for stable isotopes of water and total dissolved solids. Spring water and hydraulic conductivity data provide constraints for model parameters. Model results indicate that regional groundwater flow is to the northwest towards the Colorado River, and shallow flow systems are influenced by topography. The low permeability obtained from laboratory tests is inconsistent with field observed discharges, supporting the notion that fracture permeability plays a significant role in controlling groundwater flow. Model output implies that groundwater-driven dissolution is small on average, and cannot account for volume changes in the evaporite deposits that could cause surface deformation, but it is speculated that dissolution may be highly localized and/or weaken evaporite deposits, and could lead to surface deformation over time.

The perceptual trap: Experimental and modelling examples of soil moisture, hydraulic conductivity and response units in complex subsurface settings.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackisch, Conrad; Demand, Dominic; Allroggen, Niklas; Loritz, Ralf; Zehe, Erwin

2017-04-01

In order to discuss hypothesis testing in hydrology, the question of the solid foundation of such tests has to be answered. But how certain are we about our measurements of the components of the water balance and the states and dynamics of the complex systems? What implicit assumptions or bias are already embedded in our perception of the processes? How can we find light in the darkness of heterogeneity? We will contribute examples from experimental findings, modelling approaches and landscape analysis to the discussion. Example soil moisture and the soil continuum: The definition of soil moisture as fraction of water in the porous medium assumes locally well-mixed conditions. Moreover, a unique relation of soil water retention presumes instant local thermodynamic equilibrium in the pore water arrangement. We will show findings from soil moisture responses to precipitation events, from irrigation experiments, and from a model study of initial infiltration velocities. The results highlight, that the implicit assumption relating soil moisture state dynamics with actual soil water flow is biased towards the slow end of the actual velocity distribution and rather blind for preferential flow acting in a very small proportion of the pore space. Moreover, we highlight the assumption of a well-defined continuum during the extrapolation of point-scale measurements and why spatially and temporally continuous observation techniques of soil water states are essential for advancing our understanding and development of subsurface process theories. Example hydraulic conductivity: Hydraulic conductivity lies at the heart of hydrological research and modelling. Its values can range across several orders of magnitude at a single site alone. Yet, we often consider it a crisp, effective parameter. We have conducted measurements of soil hydraulic conductivity in the lab and in the field. Moreover, we assessed infiltration capacity and conducted plot-scale irrigation experiments to analyse the apparent vertical soil water velocity for different soils and different measurement techniques. The results give rise to questions about the universality of the Darcy-scale assumptions and a scale-invariant assessment of hydraulic conductivity. Example surface characteristics and subsurface processes: Hydrological models require the identification of some sort of response units based on available data. For this purpose many approaches relating surface properties to hydrological function have been developed. To test the coherence of surface characteristics and subsurface processes we contrasted in situ measurements, pedo-physical analyses of soil samples, an examination of the flow regimes and an investigation of GIS and remote sensing data. Our results show that landscape features and process characteristics do not necessarily align. Landscape classes and pedo-physical property means are not sufficient to define hydrologically functional units.

Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis Modeling for Analysis of Flood Design Features at the Picayune Strand Restoration Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

the POI. ............................................................... 17  Figure 9. Discharge time series for the Miller pump system...2. In C2, the Miller Canal pump system was implicitly simulated by a time series of outflows assigned to model cells. This flow time series was...representative of how the pump system would operate during the storm events simulated in this work (USACE 2004). The outflow time series for the Miller

Application of a 3D Model to Assess the Thermo-Hydrological Effects of Climate Warming in a Discontinuous Permafrost Zone, Umiujaq, Northern Quebec, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parhizkar, M.; Therrien, R.; Molson, J. W. H.; Lemieux, J. M.; Fortier, R.; Talbot Poulin, M. C.; Therrien, P.; Ouellet, M.

2016-12-01

The rate of permafrost degradation in northern Quebec, Canada, has increased over the last two decades due to climate warming, which is expected to significantly modify the hydrogeologic and thermal regimes. Groundwater accessibility is also expected to increase and could become a significant source of drinking water for northern communities. In this project, an integrated surface water / groundwater flow model, HydroGeoSphere, is being applied to a 2 km2catchment in northern Quebec to assess the effect of future climate change on thermo-hydrological conditions as well as on changes in groundwater availability for northern communities. The catchment is located in a discontinuous but widespread permafrost zone near Umiujaq (northern Quebec, Canada) where the subsurface consists of a 10-30 m-thick coarse-grained glaciofluvial layer forming a good aquifer beneath a permafrost-rich silty marine unit. A conceptual thermo-hydrological model of the catchment has been built from field data collected over 5 years, including hydraulic heads, stream flow rates, subsurface geology, as well as ground temperatures and thermal fluxes around two 10-20 m-thick permafrost mounds. The integrated 3D numerical model includes variably-saturated groundwater flow with transient recharge, as well as advective-conductive heat transport driven by transient air temperatures (varying from about -40 to +30 ºC) and a geothermal heat flux of 60 mW/m2. The model is calibrated to observed heads and temperatures by coupling PEST with HydroGeoSphere, allowing changes in hydraulic and thermal conductivities. Preliminary results are consistent with the available observed data, however non-uniqueness remains an important issue. The simulations are providing useful predictions of the permafrost thaw rate and associated changes to the hydrogeological flow system, including increased aquifer recharge following permafrost thaw.

Uncertainty Quantification and Global Sensitivity Analysis of Subsurface Flow Parameters to Gravimetric Variations During Pumping Tests in Unconfined Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maina, Fadji Zaouna; Guadagnini, Alberto

2018-01-01

We study the contribution of typically uncertain subsurface flow parameters to gravity changes that can be recorded during pumping tests in unconfined aquifers. We do so in the framework of a Global Sensitivity Analysis and quantify the effects of uncertainty of such parameters on the first four statistical moments of the probability distribution of gravimetric variations induced by the operation of the well. System parameters are grouped into two main categories, respectively, governing groundwater flow in the unsaturated and saturated portions of the domain. We ground our work on the three-dimensional analytical model proposed by Mishra and Neuman (2011), which fully takes into account the richness of the physical process taking place across the unsaturated and saturated zones and storage effects in a finite radius pumping well. The relative influence of model parameter uncertainties on drawdown, moisture content, and gravity changes are quantified through (a) the Sobol' indices, derived from a classical decomposition of variance and (b) recently developed indices quantifying the relative contribution of each uncertain model parameter to the (ensemble) mean, skewness, and kurtosis of the model output. Our results document (i) the importance of the effects of the parameters governing the unsaturated flow dynamics on the mean and variance of local drawdown and gravity changes; (ii) the marked sensitivity (as expressed in terms of the statistical moments analyzed) of gravity changes to the employed water retention curve model parameter, specific yield, and storage, and (iii) the influential role of hydraulic conductivity of the unsaturated and saturated zones to the skewness and kurtosis of gravimetric variation distributions. The observed temporal dynamics of the strength of the relative contribution of system parameters to gravimetric variations suggest that gravity data have a clear potential to provide useful information for estimating the key hydraulic parameters of the system.

Assessment of Managed Aquifer Recharge Site Suitability Using a GIS and Modeling.

PubMed

Russo, Tess A; Fisher, Andrew T; Lockwood, Brian S

2015-01-01

We completed a two-step regional analysis of a coastal groundwater basin to (1) assess regional suitability for managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and (2) quantify the relative impact of MAR activities on groundwater levels and sea water intrusion. The first step comprised an analysis of surface and subsurface hydrologic properties and conditions, using a geographic information system (GIS). Surface and subsurface data coverages were compiled, georeferenced, reclassified, and integrated (including novel approaches for combining related datasets) to derive a spatial distribution of MAR suitability values. In the second step, results from the GIS analysis were used with a regional groundwater model to assess the hydrologic impact of potential MAR placement and operating scenarios. For the region evaluated in this study, the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin, California, GIS results suggest that about 7% (15 km2) of the basin may be highly suitable for MAR. Modeling suggests that simulated MAR projects placed near the coast help to reduce sea water intrusion more rapidly, but these projects also result in increased groundwater flows to the ocean. In contrast, projects placed farther inland result in more long-term reduction in sea water intrusion and less groundwater flowing to the ocean. This work shows how combined GIS analysis and modeling can assist with regional water supply planning, including evaluation of options for enhancing groundwater resources. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Modeling Subsurface Hydrology in Floodplains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Cristina M.; Dritschel, David G.; Singer, Michael B.

2018-03-01

Soil-moisture patterns in floodplains are highly dynamic, owing to the complex relationships between soil properties, climatic conditions at the surface, and the position of the water table. Given this complexity, along with climate change scenarios in many regions, there is a need for a model to investigate the implications of different conditions on water availability to riparian vegetation. We present a model, HaughFlow, which is able to predict coupled water movement in the vadose and phreatic zones of hydraulically connected floodplains. Model output was calibrated and evaluated at six sites in Australia to identify key patterns in subsurface hydrology. This study identifies the importance of the capillary fringe in vadose zone hydrology due to its water storage capacity and creation of conductive pathways. Following peaks in water table elevation, water can be stored in the capillary fringe for up to months (depending on the soil properties). This water can provide a critical resource for vegetation that is unable to access the water table. When water table peaks coincide with heavy rainfall events, the capillary fringe can support saturation of the entire soil profile. HaughFlow is used to investigate the water availability to riparian vegetation, producing daily output of water content in the soil over decadal time periods within different depth ranges. These outputs can be summarized to support scientific investigations of plant-water relations, as well as in management applications.

Investigations of subsurface flow constructed wetlands and associated geomaterial resources in the Akumal and Reforma regions, Quintana Roo, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krekeler, Mark P. S.; Probst, Pete; Samsonov, Misha; Tselepis, Cynthia M.; Bates, William; Kearns, Lance E.; Maynard, J. Barry

2007-12-01

Subsurface flow constructed wetlands in the village of Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico were surveyed to determine the general status of the wetland systems and provide baseline information for long term monitoring and further study. Twenty subsurface flow wetlands were surveyed and common problems observed in the systems were overloading, poor plant cover, odor, and no secondary containment. Bulk mineral composition of aggregate from two subsurface flow constructed wetlands was determined to consist solely of calcite using bulk powder X-ray diffraction. Some soil structure is developed in the aggregate and aggregate levels in wetlands drop at an estimated rate between 3 and 10 cm/year for overloaded wetlands owing to dissolution. Mineral composition from fresh aggregate samples commonly is a mixture of calcite and aragonite. Trace amounts of Pb, Zn, Co, and Cr were observed in fresh aggregate. Coefficients of permeability ( k) varied from 0.006 to 0.027 cm/s with an average values being 0.016 cm/s. Grain size analysis of fresh aggregate samples indicates there are unimodal and multimodal size distributions in the samples with modes in the coarse and fine sand being common. Investigations of other geologic media from the Reforma region indicate that a dolomite with minor amounts of Fe-oxide and palygorskite is abundant and may be a better aggregate source that the current materials used. A Ca-montmorillonite bed was identified in the Reforma region as well and this unit is suitable to serve as a clay liner to prevent leaks for new and existing wetland systems. These newly discovered geologic resources should aid in the improvement of subsurface flow constructed wetlands in the region. Although problems do exist in these wetlands with respect to design, these systems represent a successful implementation of constructed wetlands at a community level in developing regions.

Hillslope response to sprinkling and natural rainfall using velocity and celerity estimates in a slate-bedrock catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaini, Anna; Hissler, Christophe; Fenicia, Fabrizio; Juilleret, Jérôme; Iffly, Jean François; Pfister, Laurent; Beven, Keith

2018-03-01

Subsurface flow is often recognized as a dominant runoff generation process. However, observing subsurface properties, and understanding how they control flow pathways, remains challenging. This paper investigates how surface slope and bedrock cleavage control subsurface flow pathways in a slate bedrock headwater catchment in Luxembourg, characterised by a double-peak streamflow response. We use a range of experimental techniques, including field observations of soil and bedrock characteristics, and a sprinkling experiment at a site located 40 m upslope from the stream channel. The sprinkling experiment uses Br- as a tracer, which is measured at a well downslope from the plot and at various locations along the stream, together with well and stream hydrometric responses. The sprinkling experiment is used to estimate velocities and celerities, which in turn are used to infer flow pathways. Our results indicate that the single or first peak of double-peak events is rainfall-driven (controlled by rainfall) while the second peak is storage-driven (controlled by storage). The comparison between velocity and celerity estimates suggests a fast flowpath component connecting the hillslope to the stream, but velocity information was too scarce to fully support such a hypothesis. In addition, different estimates of celerities suggest a seasonal influence of both rainfall intensity rate and residual water storage on the celerity responses at the hillslope scale. At the catchment outlet, the estimated of the total mass of Br- recovered in the stream was about 2.5% of the application. Further downstream, the estimate mass of Br- was about 4.0% of the application. This demonstrates that flowpaths do not appear to align with the slope gradient. In contrast, they appear to follow the strike of the bedrock cleavage. Our results have expanded our understanding of the importance of the subsurface, in particular the underlying bedrock systems, and the importance of cleavage orientation, as well as topography, in controlling subsurface flow direction in this catchment.