Digital simulation of the regional effects of subsurface injection of liquid waste near Pensacola, Florida

Abstract

Industrial, organic, liquid waste has been injected into a permeable part of the lower limestone of the Floridan aquifer at one site since 1963 and at another site since 1975, raising water levels in the injection zone throughout a large region in northwestern Florida. Data from the injection operations have made possible the application of a computerized mathematical model for a simulation of injection effects in the region. into the regional hydraulic model, numerical dispersion introduced by the large time and spatial discretizations required by the scale of the problem was far greater in degree than the hydrodynamic dispersion directly entered into the model as a best estimate of that occurring in the aquifer, making this simulation approach infeasible. 'Hydraulic, geologic, and chemical data collected during and after well construction are described by Pascale and Martin (1977), and are included in the data summary of Hull and Martin (1982).