Electrical resistivity imaging of an enhanced aquifer recharge site.

Enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) is defined as any engineered structure or enhanced natural feature designed to convey stormwater, surface water or wastewater directly into an aquifer (e.g. aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells) or into the vadose zone eventually percolating to an aquifer (e.g. spreading basins, dry well, etc.; USEPA 2021). Identifying the storage and flow capabilities of complex aquifers can improve the efficacy of many conceptual site models (CSM) for sites considered for ASR projects. In a karst setting, the EAR process may be able to take advantage of natural surficial features and the increased storage capacity of karst aquifers to improve recharge to groundwater. However, the suitability for an EAR project in a karst setting depends on the maturity of the karst and its preceding epikarst. The focus of flow within the epikarst causes enlargement of fractures and karst conduits. Thus, the storage and transmissivity within the karst vary greatly. Electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) is a well-known geophysical tool for mapping fractures and sinkholes, typical in karst settings. Locating enhanced water conveyance structures of a karst aquifer can improve the design and operation of an EAR site. This study investigated the hydraulic connection between shallow and deep groundwater using ERI to identify potential flow pathways and to improve our understanding of the storage mechanisms of the epikarst. The results presented in this paper validate the effectiveness of ERI in characterizing karst/epikarst and delineating soil, bedrock and local faults and fractures in the subsurface.

An Instrument for the Determination of a Hydropneumograph in a Bubbling Spring.

In order to enable greater accuracy in the determination of the mass discharge of gas and water-gas ratios (WGR) in groundwater from springs, we have developed a field-deployable instrument using commercially available components to independently measure the gas and water mass flow rates in springs with bubbling mixed-phase flow. Collecting and measuring the free gas phase will allow for further compositional analysis that may be useful in improving gas-derived parameters such as recharge temperature and age, as well as quantification of methanogenesis and flux of crustal/mantle gasses. By installing a phase separator at the spring discharge, a thermal mass flow sensor is utilized to measure the gas flow rate (ebullition + flux) generated from a spring. The water flow rate is determined by a standard weir. Field performance of the device was tested on a spring discharging from the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer near the town of Connerville in south-central Oklahoma, USA.

Patterns of Seismicity Associated with USGS Identified Areas of Potentially Induced Seismicity.

A systematic review across U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified potentially induced seismic locations was conducted to discover seismic distance patterns and trends over time away from injection disposal wells. Previous research indicates a 10 km (6 miles) average where the majority of induced seismicity is expected to occur within individual locations, with some areas reporting a larger radius of 35 km (22 miles) to over 70 km (43 miles). This research analyzed earthquake occurrences within nine USGS locations where specified wells were identified as contributors to induced seismicity to determine distance patterns from disposal wells or outward seismic migration over time using established principles of hydrogeology. Results indicate a radius of 31.6 km (20 miles) where 90% of felt earthquakes occur among locations, with the closest proximal felt seismic events, on average, occurring 3 km (1.9 miles) away from injection disposal wells. The results of this research found distance trends across multiple locations of potentially induced seismicity.

Modelling size constraints on carbonate platform formation in groundwater upwelling zones.

Carbonate depositional systems related to groundwater upwelling are ubiquitous around the world and form ecologically and culturally important features of many landscapes. Spring carbonate deposits record past climatic and hydrological conditions. The reconstruction of past processes using spring carbonate proxies requires fundamental understanding of the factors that control their geometry. In this work, we show that the spatial extent of spring carbonate platforms is amenable to quantitative prediction by simulating the early growth stage of their formation for the iconic mound springs in the central Australian outback. We exploit their well-defined, circular geometry to demonstrate the existence of two size-limiting regimes: one controlled by the spring flow rate and the other by the concentration of lattice ions. Deviations between modelled and observed size metrics are attributable to diminishing spring flow rates since formation, enabling assessment of the relative vulnerability of springs to further hydrological change.

Why Springs Bubble: A Framework for Gas Discharge in Groundwater.

The mechanisms leading to the formation of bubbles in springs and wells have received minimal attention beyond causation. Free-phase gas quantification provides insight into a range of topics, from hazards that need to be managed to the economic value of soda waters. The presence of free-phase gas or vapor bubbles in groundwater may provide valuable information about the subsurface flow system. Additionally, free-phase gas or vapor bubbles may strip dissolved gasses from solution and introduce error into the assessment of gasses in springs, affecting analyses such as groundwater dating techniques. Similar to Meinzer's (1927) classification of springs by discharge rate, this paper proposes a framework for discussing free-phase gas and bubble phenomenon in groundwater to organize literature and foster future research. The naming, description, and categorization of free-phase gas or bubbles in groundwater provided in this review use seven common bubble manifestations or facies. These facies are based upon the processes in which the groundwater is charged with a gaseous species and the processes that bring the gas out of solution. Gas bubbles found in groundwater rarely occur as a single gas; therefore, these facies may overlap, but the proposed structure provides a useful framework. A glossary of bubble terms is provided to assist in clarity of describing free-phase gas phenomena.

Mechanism for detecting NAPL using electrical resistivity imaging.

The detection of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) related impacts in freshwater environments by electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) has been clearly demonstrated in field conditions, but the mechanism generating the resistive signature is poorly understood. An electrical barrier mechanism which allows for detecting NAPLs with ERI is tested by developing a theoretical basis for the mechanism, testing the mechanism in a two-dimensional sand tank with ERI, and performing forward modeling of the laboratory experiment. The NAPL barrier theory assumes at low bulk soil NAPL concentrations, thin saturated NAPL barriers can block pore throats and generate a detectable electrically resistive signal. The sand tank experiment utilized a photographic technique to quantify petroleum saturation, and to help determine whether ERI can detect and quantify NAPL across the water table. This experiment demonstrates electrical imaging methods can detect small quantities of NAPL of sufficient thickness in formations. The bulk volume of NAPL is not the controlling variable for the amount of resistivity signal generated. The resistivity signal is primarily due to a zone of high resistivity separate phase liquid blocking current flow through the fully NAPL saturated pores spaces. For the conditions in this tank experiment, NAPL thicknesses of 3.3cm and higher in the formation was the threshold for detectable changes in resistivity of 3% and greater. The maximum change in resistivity due to the presence of NAPL was an increase of 37%. Forward resistivity models of the experiment confirm the barrier mechanism theory for the tank experiment.

Vegetation Controls on the Spatio-Temporal Heterogeneity of Deep Moisture in the Unsaturated Zone: A Hydrogeophysical Evaluation.

Information on the spatio-temporal variability of soil moisture in the vadose zone is important to assess groundwater recharge and solute transport in unconsolidated substrate as influenced by biological processes. Time-lapse electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) was used to monitor soil moisture dynamics to a depth of 9 m in a grassland, a grassland encroached by a juniper species (eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana), a juniper woodland and an oak forest in the south-central Great Plains, Oklahoma, USA. A site-specific relationship between moisture content and electrical conductivity data was developed for the soil zone, and a perched water zone was monitored at two of the sites. Results showed that (a) change in soil moisture content was linearly correlated to change in electric conductivity in the soil zone; (b) vegetation cover type induced differences in vertical bulk electrical resistivity (ER) profiles and influenced the temporal evolution of soil moisture profiles; and (c) juniper encroachment lowered the water level in the perched groundwater aquifer. Our results suggest land use and vegetation cover type, as opposed to rock properties, controls deep water drainage for the vegetation transition zone. Methods used to measure hydrogeophysical changes, such as ERI, can be used for broader understanding of geological, physical, and biological processes and their links in Earth's critical zones.

Transmissivity of Aquifer by Capture Zone Method: An Application in the Sete Lagoas Karst Aquifer, MG, Brazil.

Transmissivity is an important hydraulic parameter to determine the amount of water passed horizontally across a given saturated thickness of an aquifer. The techniques to quantify this parameter, such as grain size analyses or pumping tests, can have limitations of time/spatial scale, viability, or economically. One technique that can be used, but little adopted, is the capture zone analysis. In this paper, capture zone analytical equations were used to estimate transmissivity values in order to verify the effectiveness of this methodology as alternative in situations where other traditional methods present implementation difficulties. The results were compared with field data estimated by aquifer tests conducted in the same region. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to identify possible discrepancies between the analytical and field data results. The aquifer studied was the Sete Lagoas Karst Aquifer in the urban region of the municipality of Sete Lagoas, Brazil. The method proved to be a viable and economical tool, where the analytical values compared to the aquifer tests showed similarities, being confirmed by a sensitivity analysis. However, a reliable potentiometric surface map, which enables the identification of the parameters for analytical capture zone equations, is needed.

Transmissivity of Aquifer by Capture Zone Method: An Application in the Sete Lagoas Karst Aquifer, MG, Brazil

ABSTRACT Transmissivity is an important hydraulic parameter to determine the amount of water passed horizontally across a given saturated thickness of an aquifer. The techniques to quantify this parameter, such as grain size analyses or pumping tests, can have limitations of time/spatial scale, viability, or economically. One technique that can be used, but little adopted, is the capture zone analysis. In this paper, capture zone analytical equations were used to estimate transmissivity values in order to verify the effectiveness of this methodology as alternative in situations where other traditional methods present implementation difficulties. The results were compared with field data estimated by aquifer tests conducted in the same region. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to identify possible discrepancies between the analytical and field data results. The aquifer studied was the Sete Lagoas Karst Aquifer in the urban region of the municipality of Sete Lagoas, Brazil. The method proved to be a viable and economical tool, where the analytical values compared to the aquifer tests showed similarities, being confirmed by a sensitivity analysis. However, a reliable potentiometric surface map, which enables the identification of the parameters for analytical capture zone equations, is needed.

Identifying aquifer type in fractured rock aquifers using harmonic analysis.

Determining aquifer type, unconfined, semi-confined, or confined, by drilling or performing pumping tests has inherent problems (i.e., cost and complex field issues) while sometimes yielding inconclusive results. An improved method to cost-effectively determine aquifer type would be beneficial for hydraulic mapping of complex aquifer systems like fractured rock aquifers. Earth tides are known to influence water levels in wells penetrating confined aquifers or unconfined thick, low-porosity aquifers. Water-level fluctuations in wells tapping confined and unconfined aquifers are also influenced by changes in barometric pressure. Harmonic analyses of water-level fluctuations of a thick (~1000 m) carbonate aquifer located in south-central Oklahoma (Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer) were utilized in nine wells to identify aquifer type by evaluating the influence of earth tides and barometric-pressure variations using signal identification. On the basis of the results, portions of the aquifer responded hydraulically as each type of aquifer even though there was no significant variation in lithostratigraphy. The aquifer type was depth dependent with confined conditions becoming more prevalent with depth. The results demonstrate that harmonic analysis is an accurate and low-cost method to determine aquifer type.

Design and application of a direct-push vadose zone gravel permeameter.

A borehole permeameter is well suited for testing saturated hydraulic conductivity (K(sat)) at specific depths in the vadose zone. Most applications of the method involve fine-grained soils that allow hand auguring of test holes and require a small water reservoir to maintain a constant head. In non-cohesive gravels, hand-dug test holes are difficult to excavate, holes are prone to collapse, and large volumes of water are necessary to maintain a constant head for the duration of the test. For coarse alluvial gravels, a direct-push steel permeameter was designed to place a slotted pipe at a specific sampling depth. Measurements can be made at successive depths at the same location. A 3790 L (1000 gallons) trailer-mounted water tank maintained a constant head in the permeameter. Head in the portable tank was measured with a pressure transducer and flow was calculated based on a volumetric rating curve. A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation analytical method was utilized to calculate K(sat). Measurements with the permeameter at a field site were similar to those reported from falling-head tests.

Identifying connections in a fractured rock aquifer using ADFTs.

Fractured rock aquifers are difficult to characterize because of their extremely heterogeneous nature. Developing an understanding of fracture network hydraulic properties in these aquifers is difficult and time consuming, and field testing techniques for determining the location and connectivity of fractures in these aquifers are limited. In the Clare Valley, South Australia, well interference is an important issue for a major viticultural area that uses a fractured aquifer. Five fracture sets exist in the aquifer, all dipping > 25 degrees . In this setting, we evaluate the ability of steady-state asymmetric dipole-flow tests (ADFTs) to determine the connections between a test well and a set of piezometers. The procedure involves dividing a test well into two chambers using a single packer and pumping fluid from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. By conducting a series of tests at different packer elevations, an "input" signal is generated in fracture zones connected to the test well. By monitoring the "output" response of the hydraulic dipole field at piezometers, the connectivity of the fractures between the test well and piezometers can be determined. Results indicate the test well used in this study is connected in a complex three-dimensional geometry, with drawdown occurring above and below areas of potentiometric buildup. The ADFT method demonstrates that the aquifer evaluated in this study cannot be modeled effectively on the well scale using continuum flow models.

Post-remediation evaluation of a LNAPL site using electrical resistivity imaging.

Present understanding of the earth's subsurface is most often derived from samples at discrete points (wells) and interpolations or models that interpret the space between these points. Electrical resistivity imaging techniques have produced an improved capability to map contaminants (especially NAPLs--NonAqueous Phase Liquids) away from traditional wells using actual field data. Electrical resistivity image data, confirmed by drilling, have demonstrated that LNAPL (Light NAPL--less dense than water, such as gasoline) contaminants exist outside of a delineated and remediated area in Golden, Oklahoma. The data also demonstrate that LNAPL exists between monitoring and remediation wells which indicate low contaminant levels when sampled. Additionally, the electrical images provided the drilling location with the highest concentration of hydrocarbon ever found on the site, even after two phases of remediation work had been performed, although the sampling protocols varied. The results indicate that current methods of post-remediation site characterization are inadequate for complete site characterization.

Asymmetric dipole-flow test in a fractured carbonate aquifer.

In this study, a new method-the asymmetric dipole-flow test-is proposed and tested for characterization of conductive properties and structure of fractured aquifers. Analytical solutions were developed and then used for interpretation of a modification of the dipole-flow test with a single packer at the Bissen Quarry test site (Wisconsin, USA). The asymmetric dipole-flow tests were conducted by packing a well at various elevations, and fluids were pumped from the upper section (chamber) of the well to the lower section (chamber). The head was then monitored at 11 observation points and in both sections of the well, and the conductivities of the well segments were determined. The tests at seven packer elevations in the well were rapid (less than one hour to reach steady state). The asymmetric dipole-flow test demonstrates the potential to quantify heterogeneities of a fractured aquifer and delineate the applicability of the continuum and discrete approaches for conceptualization of ground water flow.