Numerical modeling approaches with varying complexity were explored to investigate coupled groundwater flow and geochemical processes in saline basins. Long‐term model simulations of a playa system gain insights into the complex feedback mechanisms between density‐driven flow and the spatiotemporal patterns of precipitating evaporites and evolving brines. Using a reactive multicomponent transport model approach, the simulations reproduced, for the first time in a numerical study, the evaporite precipitation sequences frequently observed in saline basins (“bull's eyes”). Playa‐specific flow, evapoconcentration, and chemical divides were found to be the primary controls for the location of evaporites formed, and the resulting brine chemistry. Comparative simulations with the computationally far less demanding surrogate single‐species transport models showed that these were still able to replicate the major flow patterns obtained by the more complex reactive transport simulations. However, the simulated degree of salinization was clearly lower than in reactive multicomponent transport simulations. For example, in the late stages of the simulations, when the brine becomes halite‐saturated, the nonreactive simulation overestimated the solute mass by almost 20%. The simulations highlight the importance of the consideration of reactive transport processes for understanding and quantifying geochemical patterns, concentrations of individual dissolved solutes, and evaporite evolution.
[1] Advective transport in the porous matrix of sediments surrounding burrows formed by fauna such as Chironomus plumosus has been generally neglected. A positron emission tomography study recently revealed that the pumping activity of the midge larvae can indeed induce fluid flow in the sediment. We present a numerical model study which explores the conditions at which advective transport in the sediment becomes relevant. A 0.15 m deep U-shaped burrow with a diameter of 0.002 m within the sediment was represented in a 3-D domain. Fluid flow in the burrow was calculated using the NavierStokes equation for incompressible laminar flow in the burrow, and flow in the sediment was described by Darcy's law. Nonreactive and reactive transport scenarios were simulated considering diffusion and advection. The pumping activity of the model larva results in considerable advective flow in the sediment at reasonable high permeabilities with flow velocities of up to 7.0 Â 10 À6 m s À1 close to the larva for a permeability of 3 Â 10 À12 m 2 . At permeabilities below 7 Â 10 À13 m 2 advection is negligible compared to diffusion. Reactive transport simulations using first-order kinetics for oxygen revealed that advective flux into the sediment downstream of the pumping larva enhances sedimentary uptake, while the advective flux into the burrow upstream of the larvae inhibits diffusive sedimentary uptake. Despite the fact that both effects cancel each other with respect to total solute uptake, the advection-induced asymmetry in concentration distribution can lead to a heterogeneous solute and redox distribution in the sediment relevant to complex reaction networks.Citation: Brand, A., J. Lewandowski, E. Hamann, and G. N€ utzmann (2013), Advection around ventilated U-shaped burrows: A model study, Water Resour.
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