Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-310). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Groundwater related courses are offered through several colleges at Virginia Tech. These classes enroll a diverse group of students with varied academic backgrounds and educational levels. Though these classes emphasize different aspects of groundwater resources, they lack a unified approach in instructional materials and learning methodologies for knowledge they do share. The goals of this research are to lessen the impact of variable student backgrounds and to better integrate the courses to improve teaching and learning, through the development of a multi-tiered, interdisciplinary website, Groundwater Interactive (GWI). GWI, as an educational technology, employs a variety of interactive multimedia. The primary educational components of the website include interactive and graphical models and quizzes, and a student-authored primer. An implementation strategy based on experiential and cooperative learning models is developed for application of the GWI tool in the classroom. An assessment methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of these new learning methods and techniques was also developed, but was not implemented as part of this work. / Master of Science

Tidally-induced head fluctuation is a natural phenomenon in coastal regions. The discharge of groundwater through sediments will occur anywhere that the aquifer is hydraulically connected to a surface water body and the time averaged tidally-influenced water level in the aquifer is higher than sea level, and almost all coastal regions are subject to such flow. With the development of coastal areas, the discharge of groundwater contaminants into tidally affected coastal water bodies has become a significant problem. Biota that live in the benthic region are known to be sensitive to the concentration of discharging anthropogenic chemical compounds. Thus the contaminant concentration entering the benthos is of very significant practical importance and its study is the focus of this dissertation. An investigation of the effect of tides on the concentration of groundwater contaminants discharging to a surface water body is studied using a one-dimensional homogeneous sand column. Results of the experiment are confirmed using a three-dimensional heterogeneous groundwater tank model. A constant water level is imposed upgradient, and the downgradient water level is controlled by a wave generator that controls the hydraulic head to mimic a 12 hour tidal fluctuation. The experimental results demonstrate that the tidal fluctuations in the downgradient reservoir result in a decrease in average contaminant concentration at the point of groundwater discharge to the surface-water body. The further upstream the well is located, the smaller the amplitude of the concentration oscillation. In addition, upstream migration of concentration oscillations is observed in spite of a net downgradient flow. Fourier analysis suggests that the dominant frequency of the peaks of pressure and chemical data at different locations along the length of the column is identically two cycles per day and that the amplitudes of the concentration oscillations increase with time at measurement locations at the upstream responding probes. As the classical groundwater flow and transport model cannot reproduce the phenomena we observed, an innovative multi-mobility model, is proposed with one highly mobile liquid phase, one less mobile liquid phase and a solid phase. Averaging theory is applied to develop the mass conservation equation from the microscale to the macroscale and facilitate the reduction of dimensionality to obtain one-dimensional governing equations with closure relations. A new finite volume method is utilized to solve the resulting equations. The simulation confirms the existence of the enhanced tidally-induced mixing process.

As a consequence of rising uranium prices an interest in Sweden’s U deposits has emerged. This raises the important question of the possible environmental impacts of U mining operations. One of the most significant and serious issues is the contamination of groundwater by U following mining activities. The processes of uranium release and subsequent transport in groundwater is closely tied to its aqueous chemistry i.e. aqueous speciation, adsorption to mineral surfaces and dissolved organic carbon (DOM). The chemical parameters exerting the most control over these processes are pH and redox potential. The redox potential plays a decisive role because it controls the solubility of uraninite, a common uranium mineral and ore in Sweden’s bedrock deposits. Thus, by gaining insight into how changing redox conditions affect uraninite solubility, assessments can be made in order to estimate the extent of uranium transport by groundwater. Therefore the effects of the redox po-tential on U mobility will be examined in this work by means of computer modeling in the geochemical software VISUAL MINTEQ 3.0. The composition of the water used for modeling resembled that of a typical bedrock groundwater of Northern Sweden in the areas above the highest coastline. The simulations were carried out under different redox potentials at different pH levels in the presence of ferrihydrite and DOM to include the effects of U adsorption. The results show that the redox potential at which the uraninite mineral dissolves varies depending on the pH of the groundwater. From pH 4.0 to 7.5 the redox potential at which uraninite oxidizes decreases from 240-250 mV to 50-60 mV. This means higher redox conditions are needed for the dissolution of uraninite at low pH. Additionally, it is further concluded that the adsorption of U to ferrihydrite and DOC is important at pH 5-8 and pH < 7 respectively, which therefore play an important role in controlling the mobility of U in the modeled groundwater.

Dissertação(mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Física, Química e Geológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, 2007. / Submitted by Cristiane Silva (cristiane_gomides@hotmail.com) on 2013-02-18T17:26:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2007_karina_attisano.pdf: 8850374 bytes, checksum: 292caec84f69bf4efc38580f79e98729 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Bruna Vieira(bruninha_vieira@ibest.com.br) on 2013-06-13T18:40:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2007_karina_attisano.pdf: 8850374 bytes, checksum: 292caec84f69bf4efc38580f79e98729 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-13T18:40:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2007_karina_attisano.pdf: 8850374 bytes, checksum: 292caec84f69bf4efc38580f79e98729 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / A costa sul do Brasil, constituída pelas áreas costeiras e oceânicas do Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina, é conhecida como uma das regiões de maior potencial pesqueiro de todo o litoral brasileiro. Isto se deve, sobretudo, a presença de várias massas de água que interagem formando um sistema complexo, dinâmico e altamente produtivo. Além dos intensos processos de mistura, essas regiões apresentam frentes termohalinas e ação de ventos. O presente trabalho apresenta um diagnóstico comparativo, de enfoque químico, entre a plataforma das regiões de Santa Marta (SC) e Albardão (RS). Para tanto, são utilizados parâmetros hidroquímicos, amostrados em 33 estações oceanográficas importantes para a avaliação da produção biológica, e também a interpretação dos processos oceanográficos. Ao efetuar a comparação entre as referidas regiões de plataforma, durante o inverno de 2005, observou-se claramente maiores concentrações de nutrientes dissolvidos na região do Albardão, devido a menor influência da Água Tropical, apresentando-se submetida a processos oceanográficos mais intensos resultantes da proximidade à Convergência Subtropical, da intrusão da Água Subtropical de Plataforma (através do paleocanal), da formação da Frente Subtropical de Plataforma, frentes frias e do volume de descarga continental substancial proveniente do Rio do Prata, Lagoa dos Patos e do transporte subterrâneo que potencializam a dinâmica entre as massas de água, elevando a produtividade da região. / The southern Brazilian Coast comprises of the coastal and oceanic areas of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina and is a region with the highest fishing potential along the Brazilian coast. This is due to the presence of several water masses that interact form a complex, dynamic and highly productive system. Mixing is also provided by thermohaline fronts, upwelling and wind. The present work presents a diagnosis, using hydrochemical data, between Santa Marta Shelf (SC) and Albardão (RS) (33 oceanographic stations) to determine biological production and other oceanographical processes. During the 2005 winter there were higher nutrients concentrations in Albardão zone, due to less influence of Tropical Water. There is high productivity in the region due to mixing of water masses by proximity to Subtropical Convergence, intrusion of the Subtropical Water on to the Shelf (through the paleochannel), formation of Subtropical Shelf Front, groundwater transport, cold fronts discharge from Prata River, Patos Lagoon.

Drinking water contamination is a big concern in Sweden and is commonly traced back to being waste from former manufacturing industrial sites. Pollutants in the topsoil can be remediated by several techniques, such as decontamination or excavation but the toxins already enclosed in the bedrock cannot be treated the same and is harder to track possible contaminant pathways. To gain knowledge of modelling fluid flow and solute transport in the bedrock is therefore highly crucial to detect any safety risks. Not only for drinking water safety but also to understand possible reservoir storage or to store disposals from radioactive waste.  For this study, high levels of chlorinated solvents have been measured at a former industrial plant manufacturing electronic products, where the prominent chemicals are PCE and its degradation products. The soil will be remediated from the site, but the remaining question is if the contaminants can be further transported in the bedrock fractures to a drinking water source for the municipality. The lake is located approximately 4km from the site and will take too much time and computational effort to run the model. Instead, this study will focus on a small-scale model estimating a suitable distance from the source where additional boreholes can be placed. The model will have a size of 455 x 436 x 38m and the study will be divided into three main tasks; improve understanding of the fracture geometry by statistical analyses of the measured fractures in the study area, build and run a groundwater flow model representing the study area, investigate possible pathways of contaminant transport in the fracture networks and analyze the impact of geological features.  The methodology is divided into several parts. First, statistical analyses of the fractures will be done using the software FracMan version 8.0, which will act as a foundation of the DFN model. Next part includes calibration of the model and generation of fracture network based on the statistical analysis. The last part includes flow and transport simulations using the application Pflotran within FracMan version 8.1.  The results shows that large fracture zones affect the flow to a great extent and therefore also control the transport of contaminants in the bedrock. Because of uncertainties regarding size of the zones, additional boreholes should be placed upon their respective orientations close to the already existing boreholes to investigate their characteristics. It is also necessary to place additional boreholes randomly within the study model to detect other fracture zones and possible dominant fracture sets. The additional boreholes should be deeper than the existing ones to detect possible fracture networks further down in the bedrock. Contaminant pathways are hard to establish because of the deterministic zones that determines the flow. The scenario where no zones were included, two dominant pathways are visible, one on the upper part and one in the lower part of the model. The scenario where zones were included, one dominant pathway is visible, following the large fracture zone reaching from one borehole towards the outlet boundary. In conclusion, these results highlight the importance of doing more measurements to strengthen the basis for evaluation of pollutant transport to the nearby lake. Because of the risk of poisoning the drinking water, it is extremely important to be able to make a realistic model for contaminant transport. Since the results of flow simulations differs between different input transmissivities, next step should be to do hydraulic tests in the already existing boreholes to establish the local transmissivity for the fractures. After that, additional boreholes in the field, both on top of the measured zones close to the existing boreholes as well as boreholes randomly throughout the study area should be placed. / Rent dricksvatten är en angelägenhet för alla i Sverige och för att säkerhetsställa rent dricksvatten krävs förebyggande åtgärder som kan förhindra att föroreningar tar sig till dricksvattenkällor. Dessa åtgärder kan bland annat innehålla mätningar för att spåra föroreningens ursprung och transportvägar. Ursprungen kan oftast kopplas till avfall från gamla tillverkningsindustrier. Föroreningar som spåras till matjorden kan åtgärdas genom sanering eller schaktning medan föroreningar som tagit sig ner i berggrunden inte kan behandlas på samma sätt. Föroreningars transport genom sprickor är svåra att spåra och lokalisera på grund av oförutsägbara förhållanden med olika bergarter, kvalitéer, sprickstorlek etcetera. På grund av detta är det viktigt att kunna modellera flöden och transport av lösa ämnen för att förhindra hälso-och säkerhetsrisker. Modellering av spricksystem är även viktigt för att undersöka framtidens energiextraktion från geotermisk aktivitet, eller att kunna lagra avfall från radioaktiva ämnen.  Denna studie görs då det har mätts upp höga nivåer av klorerade lösningsmedel från en gammal fabrik som tillverkat elektronikprodukter, främst kemikalierna PCE och dess nedbrytningsprodukter. Mätningar har gjorts på platsen i form av tre borrningar och bergkartering. Föroreningar i jordmånen kommer att åtgärdas men den kvarstående funderingen är om de föroreningarna som redan tagit sig ner i berggrunden, kan transporteras genom spricknätverket fram till en sjö som kommunen använder som dricksvattenkälla. Sjön är lokaliserad ungefär fyra kilometer från den gamla anläggningen och på grund av den långa distansen kommer det krävas mycket lagring och beräkningskraft av den använda datorn. För att undvika detta, kommer denna studie i stället fokusera på en småskalig modell med den ungefärliga storleken 455 x 436 x 38m där syftet är att uppskatta var nya borrningar kan göras för att få fram mer information angående potentiella föroreningar och dess flyktvägar. Denna studie kommer vara uppdelad i tre huvudsakliga syften; göra statistiska analyser av data som samlats in från fält, bygga upp och köra en grundvattenmodell som representerar studieområdet, undersöka potentiella vägar för transport av föroreningar i spricksystemet samt analysera dess påverkan av geologiska egenskaper.  För denna studie har metoden delats upp i flera steg. Det första steget innehåller statistiska analyser av sprickorna i området som kommer utgöra grundinformationen för spricknätverket. Detta görs i programmet FracMan version 8.0. Nästa del innehåller kalibrering av modellen samt flödes- och transportsimuleringar genom applikationen Pflotran som är installerat i FracMan version 8.1.  Resultatet av flödes- och transportsimuleringarna visar att stora sprickzoner påverkar flödet i stor utsträckning och kontrollerar därför transporten av föroreningar. Storleken av sprickzonerna är svåra att bedöma då det inte finns någon mer information än det som mätts i borrhålet, där den minsta storleken är av borrhålets radie. På grund av detta lades zonerna in deterministiskt med en radie lika stor som modellen. Detta medför att resultaten över transporteringsvägar är högst bestämmande av zonerna där zonen som går mot utflödesgränsen agerar som en motorväg för föroreningar medan zonen som går mot en gräns utan utflöde agerar likt en sjö, vilket gör att partiklarna som hamnar i zonen stannar där och kan inte ta sig därifrån och fortsätta transporten. På grund av denna osäkerhet kring storleken för zonerna bör det placeras ytligare borrhål längs med orienteringen av sprickorna max 10 meter från de existerande borrhålen för att se om zonerna fortsätter eller blivit avkapade. Eftersom inga hydrauliska tester gjorts i borrhålen är det ett viktigt nästa steg för att bestämma rätt transmissivitet i sprickorna. Det är möjligt att det finns fler zoner inom området som kan bestämma flödesvägar, därför är det också viktigt att placera ut fler borrhål slumpmässigt inom området för att upptäcka fler zoner eller andra dominerande sprickorienteringar än de som hittills mätts. Alla nya borrhål bör även gå djupare än de som redan finns för att kunna upptäcka andra eventuella spricknätverk djupare ner i berggrunden. På grund av risken att kontaminera dricksvattnet är det otroligt viktigt att kunna göra en realistisk modell som representerar transporten av föroreningar. Fortsatt arbete bör därför prioritera hydrauliska tester för att bestämma transmissiviteten i spricknätverket, därefter utföra fler och djupare borrhål i området för att undersöka andra potentiella deformationer.