Enhancement of bedrock permeability by weathering

Worthington, Stephen R. H.; Davies, Gareth; Alexander, E. Calvin

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.07.002

Cited by 104 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 120 publications

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“…In this paper, we confine our modeling domain to carbonate rock regions. Such regions typically exhibit the most extreme subsurface heterogeneity in terms of hydraulic conductivities and storage capacities due to the weathering of carbonate rock, a process also referred to as "karstification" (8,11). We focus on Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East, where ∼560 million people depend on drinking water from karst aquifers (12,13) and where information on karst recharge is most available.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Hartmann

Gleeson

Wada

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

164

109

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Our environment is heterogeneous. In hydrological sciences, the heterogeneity of subsurface properties, such as hydraulic conductivities or porosities, exerts an important control on water balance. This notably includes groundwater recharge, which is an important variable for efficient and sustainable groundwater resources management. Current large-scale hydrological models do not adequately consider this subsurface heterogeneity. Here we show that regions with strong subsurface heterogeneity have enhanced present and future recharge rates due to a different sensitivity of recharge to climate variability compared with regions with homogeneous subsurface properties. Our study domain comprises the carbonate rock regions of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East, which cover ∼25% of the total land area. We compare the simulations of two large-scale hydrological models, one of them accounting for subsurface heterogeneity. Carbonate rock regions strongly exhibit "karstification," which is known to produce particularly strong subsurface heterogeneity. Aquifers from these regions contribute up to half of the drinking water supply for some European countries. Our results suggest that water management for these regions cannot rely on most of the presently available projections of groundwater recharge because spatially variable storages and spatial concentration of recharge result in actual recharge rates that are up to four times larger for present conditions and changes up to five times larger for potential future conditions than previously estimated. These differences in recharge rates for strongly heterogeneous regions suggest a need for groundwater management strategies that are adapted to the fast transit of water from the surface to the aquifers.groundwater recharge | subsurface heterogeneity | water resources | climate variability | climate change

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Hartmann

Gleeson

Wada

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

164

109

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Optical logs in the shallow St Bees Sandstone aquifer (< 150 m BGL) also show development of karst pathways in correspondence of intersections between bedding planes and stratabound fractures (Medici et al 2016). This suggests how~2.5 Ma of exposure to the processes of enhancement of fracture permeability, typical of shallow aquifers, might have played a key role in influencing transmissivity distribution in this fractured fluvial aquifer, which is markedly decreased where tested at depths > 150 m below the ground surface (Chadwick et al 1994;Streetly et al 2000;Worthington et al 2016). Hence, a second groundwater alteration zone in the aquifer (see Fig.…”

Section: Effect Of Burial History and Exhumationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Investigation depths of > 150 m BGL are sufficient to avoid 'karstic' features common at shallower depths (Worthington et al 2016). Hence, petrohydraulic characterization at these depths (> 150 m BGL) can also contribute to enhance recovery in hydrocarbon reservoirs, assessing, on analogous successions, compartmentalization effects made by sedimentary structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, petrohydraulic characterization at these depths (> 150 m BGL) can also contribute to enhance recovery in hydrocarbon reservoirs, assessing, on analogous successions, compartmentalization effects made by sedimentary structures. Thus, the research presented here may find application in (1) safeguarding water supply from wells, (2) influencing the design of deep geological repositories, and (3) enhancing recovery in geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs (Bianchi et al 2015;Gellasch et al 2013;Huysmans and Dassargues 2006;Olivarius et al 2015;Worthington et al 2016;Zheng et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assessment of groundwater behavior at such depths is important in geoscience since depth of well screens for water abstraction is typically < 100 m below ground level (BGL) in the major European and American industrial cities (De Simone 2008;Tellam and Barker 2006;Toccalino et al 2010;Worthington et al 2016), whereas depth intervals associated with nuclear waste repositories are typically 200-1,100 m BGL (Martin and Christiansson 2009;Min et al 2004;Tsang et al 2012;Voss and Andersson 1993). Thus, the proposed characterization allows investigation of the role of a range of geological discontinuities (e.g., stratabound joints and faults) which potentially establish hydraulic connection between a nuclear waste repository and aquifers exploited for civil use (Tsang et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Characterization of a fluvial aquifer at a range of depths and scales: the Triassic St Bees Sandstone Formation, Cumbria, UK

2017

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Fluvial sedimentary successions represent porous media that host groundwater and geothermal resources. Additionally, they overlie crystalline rocks hosting nuclear waste repositories in rift settings. The permeability characteristics of an arenaceous fluvial succession, the Triassic St Bees Sandstone Formation in England (UK), are described, from core-plug to well-test scale up to~1 km depth. Within such lithified successions, dissolution associated with the circulation of meteoric water results in increased permeability (K~10 −1 -10 0 m/day) to depths of at least 150 m below ground level (BGL) in aquifer systems that are subject to rapid groundwater circulation. Thus, contaminant transport is likely to occur at relatively high rates. In a deeper investigation (> 150 m depth), where the aquifer has not been subjected to rapid groundwater circulation, well-test-scale hydraulic conductivity is lower, decreasing from K~10 −2 m/day at 150-400 m BGL to 10 −3 m/day down-dip at~1 km BGL, where the pore fluid is hypersaline. Here, pore-scale permeability becomes progressively dominant with increasing lithostatic load. Notably, this work investigates a sandstone aquifer of fluvial origin at investigation depths consistent with highly enthalpy geothermal reservoirs (~0.7-1.1 km). At such depths, intergranular flow dominates in unfaulted areas with only minor contribution by bedding plane fractures. However, extensional faults represent preferential flow pathways, due to presence of high connective open fractures. Therefore, such faults may (1) drive nuclear waste contaminants towards the highly permeable shallow (< 150 m BGL) zone of the aquifer, and (2) influence fluid recovery in geothermal fields.

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Critical Zone Biogeochemistry

Moravec

Chorover

2020

Biogeochemical Cycles

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Enhancement of bedrock permeability by weathering

Cited by 104 publications

References 120 publications

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

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

Characterization of a fluvial aquifer at a range of depths and scales: the Triassic St Bees Sandstone Formation, Cumbria, UK

Critical Zone Biogeochemistry

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