[1] A set of water level time series collected along a transect through a sedimentary island aquifer was used to test the utility of various simple models of ocean tidal propagation in bounded one-dimensional aquifers. Fourier spectra were calculated for the ocean tidal modes and compared with spectra measured in wells along the island transect. Other sources of fluctuation could be neglected. An observed spatial bias in the well responses (attenuations and lags) could not be modeled by a homogeneous aquifer theory. A theory involving composite heterogeneity accounted well for the spatial bias, yielding estimates of aquifer transmissivities and storage coefficients indicating a fivefold difference in hydraulic diffusivity along the transect. A lack of well locations toward one end of the transect reduced the statistical significance of this result, with correlations between regression parameters evident. At the same time, a second bias was seen involving the ratio of signal amplitude and lag with penetration distance into the aquifer, as observed in prior tidal studies. A brief set of numerical experiments showed that horizontal layering in aquifer properties was the most probable cause of this propagation bias. Application of these results to the island data set supported a conceptual stratigraphic model of a highly conductive, sloping stratum underlying a less conductive, superficial sand layer. This model is inconsistent with well logs along the island transect but is supported by additional off-transect well logs. It was concluded that one-dimensional tidal propagation models may be useful in inverse characterization of aquifers with macroscale hydrogeological structures, and that the analysis of measured propagation bias has the potential to yield extra information on aquifer properties in the vertical direction.
We show that chaotic advection is inherent to flow through all types of porous media, from granular and packed media to fractured and open networks. The basic topological complexity inherent to all porous media gives rise to chaotic flow dynamics under steady flow conditions, where fluid deformation local to stagnation points imparts a 3D fluid mechanical analog of the baker's map. The ubiquitous nature of chaotic advection has significant implications for the description of transport, mixing, chemical reaction and biological activity in porous media.
Petroleum hydrocarbon vapors biodegrade aerobically in the subsurface. Depth profiles of petroleum hydrocarbon vapor and oxygen concentrations from seven locations in sandy and clay soils across four states of Australia are summarized. The data are evaluated to support a simple model of biodegradation that can be used to assess hydrocarbon vapors migrating toward built environments. Multilevel samplers and probes that allow near-continuous monitoring of oxygen and total volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were used to determine concentration depth profiles and changes over time. Collation of all data across all sites showed distinct separation of oxygen from hydrocarbon vapors, and that most oxygen and hydrocarbon concentration profiles were linear or near linear with depth. The low detection limit on the oxygen probe data and because it is an in situ measurement strengthened the case that little or no overlapping of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapor concentration profiles occurred, and that indeed oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors were largely only coincident near the location where they both decreased to zero. First-order biodegradation rates determined from all depth profiles were generally lower than other published rates. With lower biodegradation rates, the overlapping of depth profiles might be expected, and yet such overlapping was not observed. A model of rapid (instantaneous) reaction of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors compared to diffusive transport processes is shown to explain the important aspects of the 13 depth profiles. The model is simply based on the ratio of diffusion coefficients of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors, the ratio of the maximum concentrations of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors, the depth to the maximum hydrocarbon source concentration, and the stoichiometry coefficient. Whilst simple, the model offers the potential to incorporate aerobic biodegradation into an oxygen-limited flux-reduction approach for vapor intrusion assessments of petroleum hydrocarbon compounds.
[1] The objective of this work is to determine whether conventional solute macrodispersion theories adequately predict the behavior of individual subsurface plumes over time and length scales relevant to practical risk assessment and remediation activities. This issue is studied with a set of high-resolution numerical simulations of conservative tracers moving through saturated two-dimensional heterogeneous conductivity fields. The simulation experiments are designed to mimic long-term field studies. Spatially correlated statistically stationary lognormal conductivity realizations are generated with a Fourier transform procedure. Steady state velocity solutions are calculated for these fields using an accurate Darcian solver. Velocity contour plots reveal the presence of disconnected networks of preferential pathways over a range of correlation lengths. Reverse flow cells are rare. The velocity probability density functions have exponential tails and strong longitudinal asymmetries. Solute concentrations are derived from the simulated velocity fields with an accurate taut-spline transport code that minimizes numerical dispersion. The resulting plumes are tracked for travel distances of over one hundred spatial correlation lengths, corresponding to scales of practical interest. First moments and macrodispersivities, which measure the location and extent of the plume, are reasonably well approximated by conventional Fickian theories but continue to vary after long travel distances. This temporal variability highlights the slow convergence of the plume moments to Gaussian limits. Calculations of the relative dilution index, which is a measure of the plume mixing state, indicate strongly non-Gaussian behavior. Other measures of plume structure suggested by anomalous dispersion theories also reveal the persistence of non-Gaussian behavior after long travel distances. These measures appear to be more sensitive to non-Gaussian behavior than the spatial moments. Taken together, the simulation results suggest that conservative solute plumes moving through statistically stationary random media may not converge to Gaussian limits even after traveling hundreds of log conductivity correlation scales.
Jury et al.Fine-scale measurement of gasoline vapors, major gases (O 2 , CO 2 , and Baehr, 1996; Anderssen et al., 1997; Anderssen and N 2 , and CH 4 ), residual nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) gasoline, Markey, 1997; Bekins et al., 1998;Johnson et al., 1999; and soil physical properties has allowed detailed assessment of the role of soil layering and seasonal variability on hydrocarbon vapor Turczynowicz and Robinson, fate and biodegradation. In this study we conducted coring and static 2001), some in combination with field studies (Barber depth profile monitoring at the end of summer and end of winter for and Davis, 1991aand Davis, , 1991bÖ hman, 1999;Hers et al., 2000). a layered sandy vadose zone in Perth, Western Australia. Transient Despite the modeling efforts and related work, there on-line monitoring of vapors and O 2 was also performed with in situ are still only limited field data sets with sufficient detail multilevel volatile organic compound (VOC) and O 2 probes. For high for evaluating vapor processes in impacted soil profiles soil moisture contents at the end of winter, vapors were shown to and for model validation. Additional well-documented accumulate beneath a compacted, cemented layer approximately 0.3 m studies are required (Johnson et al., 1999). Also, changes below the ground surface, and O 2 penetrated only to depths of 0.4 m in soil moisture distribution and soil layering have been below ground. At the end of summer, when soil moisture was lower, reported to impact vapor behavior and lead to complica-O 2 penetrated to depths of up to 1.5 m, and hydrocarbon vapors remained at or below this depth. Regardless of seasonal changes, sharp tions when estimating biodegradation rates (Johnson separations were seen between the depth of O 2 penetration from the and Perrott, 1991; Fischer et al., 1996;. ground surface and the depth of penetration of the vapors upwardWe present the results of field research and modelfrom the hydrocarbon-contaminated zone. Modeling of steady-state ing to quantify the role of a fine-scale moisture-retentive O 2 profiles indicated that a number of simple O 2 consumption models layer in a soil profile in changing the subsurface distribumight apply, including point-sink, distributed zero-order, or distribtion of gasoline vapors and the major gases due to seauted first-order models, each leading to different biodegradation rates. sonal changes in moisture contents. Simple analytical Combining independent data with modeling helped determine the and numerical modeling was performed to assess the most appropriate model, and hence estimates of O 2 consumption and impact of moisture variability on estimates of the biohydrocarbon biodegradation. Also, reliable estimates of the biodegdegradation rate based on depth profiles. Coring, depth radation rate could only be calculated after consideration of the layered features.
Abstract. Steady flow regimes for three-dimensional lake-aquifer systems are studied via idealized mathematical models that are extensions of earlier simplified vertical section models of interaction between shallow lakes and underlying aquifers. The present models apply to a shallow circular lake at the surface of a rectangular aquifer of finite depth, yielding a truly three-dimensional representation of the resulting flow system. Flux boundary conditions are applied at the ends of the aquifer, with net vertical recharge or evapotranspiration at the water table. The lake is defined by a region with constant head. By determining and visualizing solutions to the discretized saturated flow equations, a range of possible flow regimes is identified, and their topological properties are studied. Tools for analyzing flow regimes are described, including a method for locating and mapping three-dimensional dividing surfaces within steady flow fields. Results show strong similarities between two-and three-dimensional systems, including a large number of flowthrough, recharge, and discharge regimes and reverse flow cells. Flow lines calculated on a vertical plane through the middle of a lake resemble but are not identical to twodimensional streamlines for a range of aquifer flow and recharge conditions. Estimates of the widths and depths of capture and release zones for various lake-aquifer geometries are asymptotic to earlier results for two-dimensional systems. Numerical predictions are compared with analytical results for certain limiting flow regimes.
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