Inaug.-diss. - Würzburg. / Lebenslauf.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2004. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Science and Engineering. Bibliography: p. 277-301.

Thesis (M.S.)--Western Kentucky University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-96 ).

Karst regions are composed of soluble rock, often limestone, which leads to the formation of fissures, sinkholes and water flow conduits such as caves. Pollutants in karst waters tend to be quickly directed and concentrated into these subsurface conduits. As a result of this and other factors, water resources are especially sensitive to contamination and pollution in karst areas. Pollutant concentrations going into fluvial systems travelling through the subsurface in karst areas are often very similar to the concentrations arriving at outlets such as springs. Areas connected by karst conduit flows must be distinctly determined and special attention should be given to water quality impacts from land-use practices near conduit inputs. The climate which affects a certain karst area can also have different impacts on water resources considerations. For example, in the temperate climate of Kentucky precipitation is essentially even in distribution throughout the year. In contrast, southwest China is affected by a monsoon climate with high precipitation in the spring to summer and drier conditions in other seasons. In the wet season large storm pulses can effectively transport contaminants to water sources resulting in loads that can be unhealthy for frequent human consumption in drinking water. The dry seasons can be particularly severe in karst areas as water quickly drains to the subsurface, making water access a major hardship. The research for this study focused on the seasonal influences that the climate of southwest China poses for water quality, including differences in pesticide concentrations between agricultural and residential areas hydrologically linked by karst conduits. In late 2007 the fluvial connections in a simple karst system near Chongqing were confirmed using dye tracing techniques. Once these connections were established and the flow of the subterranean stream was assessed, the transport of agricultural runoff in the system was studied. Data loggers were used to record continuous data of the water conditions, including nitrate concentrations. The pesticides in the agricultural runoff entering and exiting the subterranean stream were quantified using ELISA methods. The concentrations were found to be within safe limits for drinking water. The hypothesis that there is a close relationship between concentrations of the pesticides glyphosate, chlorothalonil, and triazines in the input and the output of the system was supported by the results. When considering the hydrology and water chemistry data of the site, along with the water samples tested for pesticides, non-parametric statistical testing showed the correlations between these factors to be significant with p<0.01. The percent difference between the input and the output concentrations of glyphosate, chlorothalonil, and triazines were 31, 43, and 57% respectively. Taking into account the rapid and direct flows in this karst system, the concentrations of the pesticides found in the output were more similar to the input than would be expected in a surface stream. This suggests that there are fewer natural remediation effects reducing contamination in subsurface karst rivers of southwest China than in surface rivers. Therefore, these systems should be handled with extra attention to possible contamination of water resources. The research was conducted in the spring and summer of 2007-2008 and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Karst aquifers can be conceptualized as dual flow systems comprised of a low-conductive matrix with embedded high-conductive conduits / preferential flow zones. Discharge in conduits ranges from low-velocity laminar flow to high-velocity transitional and turbulent flow. Commonly employed continuum models do not account for the specific behavior of transitional and turbulent flow. In response to this limitation, enhancements have been made to MODFLOW, a commonly used groundwater flow model, by adding a discrete conduit network to the matrix continuum (hybrid model). The Conduit Flow Process (CFP) package is the latest realization of this model approach. CFP Mode 1 (CFPM1) computes laminar and turbulent flow in discrete conduits that are coupled to the laminar continuum model. CFP Mode 2 (CFPM2) accounts for turbulent flow in preferential flow layers by adapting the continuum model. Therefore, laminar hydraulic conduc-tivities are converted into turbulent hydraulic conductivities. CFPM2 was further modified to consider steady turbulent pipe flow. Karst models based on CFPM2 require potentially less input data and computational efforts than karst models based on CFPM1. Furthermore, CFPM2 integrates more easily into MODFLOW versions including e.g. transport models. Parameter studies for a synthetic catchment demonstrates that continuum models with turbulent flow representation and an additional flow barrier between conduits and matrix can represent karst systems similar to hybrid models. For simulation of highly transient flow processes in karst conduit systems, i.e. during flood events, it is crucial to consider dynamics such as free-surface flow, wave propagation, and changes between pressurized and non-pressurized conduit flow. The coupled overland- and groundwater flow model MODBRANCH was therefore enhanced to consider unsteady and non-uniform flow processes in karst conduits. Flow in discrete conduits is simulated using the Saint-Venant-equations for free-surface flow. Contrary to overland flow, the cross sectional area of karst conduits is finite. Accordingly, both pressurized and non-pressurized flow may occur within conduits. To simulate pressurized flow, a hypothetical, narrow, open-top slot (Preissmann slot) is added to the conduit crown, which allows the use of the free-surface flow equations for fully filled conduits. Beyond this, the model features a variable time step to consider wave speed variations, for example due to the transition from free-surface to pressurized flow. Parameter studies for a synthetic catchment demonstrate the significance of free-surface flow representation for variably filled conduits. / Karstgrundwasserleiter können als duale Fließsysteme konzeptionalisiert werden, bestehend aus einer geringdurchlässigen Matrix mit eingebundenen hochdurchlässigen Bereichen, z. B. Karströhren. Der Abfluss in den hochdurchlässigen Bereichen reicht von langsamer laminarer Strömung bis zu schneller turbulenter Strömung. Herkömmliche numerische Grundwasser-strömungsmodelle berücksichtigen nicht die spezifischen Eigenschaften von nicht-laminarer Strömung (Übergangsbereich laminar-turbulent bzw. turbulente Verhältnisse). Ein Ansatz um diese Einschränkung zu umgehen, ist die Erweiterung des laminaren Kontinuums um ein dis-kretes Röhrenmodell, das zustandsabhängig laminare und turbulente Strömung berücksichtigt (Hybridmodell). Eine aktuelle Umsetzung dieses Ansatzes ist Conduit Flow Process (CFP), ein Modul für das weitverbreitete Grundwasserströmungsmodell MODFLOW. CFP Mode 1 (CFPM1) berechnet laminare und turbulente Strömung in diskreten, mit dem Kontinuummodell gekoppelten Röhren. CFP Mode 2 (CFPM2) berücksichtigt nicht-laminare Strömung in hochdurchlässigen Schichten mit einer angepassten hydraulischen Leitfähigkeit des Kontinuummodells. CFPM2 wurde weiter modifiziert, so dass auch turbulente Strömung in Karströhren berechnet werden kann. Dadurch kann möglicherweise der Parameterbedarf sowie der Rechenaufwand gegenüber Hybrid¬modellen reduziert werden. CFPM2 lässt sich einfach in vorhandene MODFLOW Modelle einbinden, z. B. zur Berechnung von Transportprozessen. Parameterstudien für ein idealisiertes Karsteinzugsgebiet zeigen, dass Kontinuummodelle bei Berücksichtigung der turbulenten Strömung sowie des zusätzlichen hydraulischen Widerstand zwischen Röhren und Matrix, Karstsysteme ähnlich wie Hybridmodelle darstellen. Zur Simulation von instationären Prozessen in Karströhren, z. B. ausgeprägte Abflusssignale infolge pulsförmiger Grundwasserneubildung, ist es notwendig, dynamische Prozesse infolge Freispiegelabfluss, Wellenausbreitung sowie Wechsel zwischen Abfluss in teil- und vollgefüllten Röhren zu berücksichtigen. Aus diesem Grund wurde das numerische Modell MODBRANCH, welches ein diskretes Oberflächenwassermodell mit einem Kontinuummodell koppelt, so angepasst, dass instationäre und nichtgleichförmige Abflussprozesse in Karströhren berücksichtigt werden können. Der Abfluss in diskreten Röhren wird dabei mit den Saint-Venant-Gleichungen für Freispiegelabfluss berechnet. Im Gegensatz zu Oberflächengewässern ist der für den Abfluss zur Verfügung stehende Querschnitt in Karströhren limitiert, so dass sowohl Freispiegel- als auch Druckabfluss innerhalb der Röhren auftreten kann. Druckabfluss wird mit Hilfe eines schmalen virtuellen Schlitzes an der Röhrenoberkante simuliert (Preissmann Schlitz), der auch im Fall vollgefüllter Röhren die Anwendung der Gleichungen für Freispiegelabfluss erlaubt. Durch die Verwendung eines variablen Zeitschrittes kann die geänderte Dynamik beim Übergang von Freispiegel- zu Druckabfluss berücksichtigt werden. Parameterstudien für idealisierte, synthetische Karsteinzugsgebiete demonstrieren die Bedeutung der Berücksichtigung von Freispiegelabfluss in teilgefüllter Röhren.