The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique has become popular in groundwater studies because it responds directly to the presence and mobility of water in a porous medium. There is a need to conduct laboratory experiments to aid in the development of NMR hydraulic conductivity models, as is typically done in the petroleum industry. However, the challenge has been obtaining high-quality laboratory samples from unconsolidated aquifers. At a study site in Denmark, we employed sonic drilling, which minimizes the disturbance of the surrounding material, and extracted twelve 7.6 cm diameter samples for laboratory measurements. We present a detailed comparison of the acquired laboratory and logging NMR data. The agreement observed between the laboratory and logging data suggests that the methodologies proposed in this study provide good conditions for studying NMR measurements of unconsolidated near-surface aquifers. Finally, we show how laboratory sample size and condition impact the NMR measurements.

The Henry Aquifer in Gallatin County Illinois provides groundwater for municipal, irrigation, industrial, and household wells. The greatest annual withdrawal is by a water utility that serves over 40,000 persons in southeast Illinois. Buried coal refuse at a mine near the water utility has contaminated the groundwater. Remediation efforts, including source control wells on the border of the mine site and low permeability caps over refuse areas attempt to control the migration of contaminants offsite. Current mine land owners believe source control well pumping over 20 years has reduced contamination in the aquifer enough to stop pumping. However, some monitoring wells off the mine site have recently sampled high concentrations of contaminants. Previous studies failed to account for the elevated concentrations found offsite. The purpose of this research is to reevaluate contaminant transport in this region. Specific objectives include a new conceptual model of the hydrostratigraphy and hydrology, revised contaminant source locations and loading, and new groundwater models accurately calibrated to a comprehensive set of monitoring well data. The research included extensive review of prior studies and historical records from the past 50 years. Relevant information was combined in Quantum Geographic Information System (GIS) software for the conceptual and numerical models. A new groundwater modeling pre/post processor for MODFLOW and MT3DMS was ii created for Quantum GIS to calibrate the models and simulate future conditions for risk assessment. Observed hydraulic head and sulfate concentrations from 1984-2015 were used for calibration. In addition, modeled baseflow was compared with observed streamflow in 2017. The calibrated models were used for twelve unique scenarios that forecast contamination from 2017- 2068. The scenarios tested model sensitivity to changes in groundwater management and environmental conditions. The results show that groundwater quality about 300 meters west of the mine deteriorates in all scenarios, water utility wells near the mine are at risk in most scenarios, and that the location and discharge of wells have a commanding effect on the regional groundwater flow and transport systems. This research offers important questions for further study, valuable tools for groundwater management in the region, and shows that without active source control wells, negative impacts to water quality near the mine will likely occur.

During the last half century researchers have suggested that active deformation driven by neotectonic activity has locally influenced areas of southeastern Louisiana in the form of wetland loss and coastal erosion. This study, within the Pearl River Delta Area of Louisiana, applied geomorphologic and stratigraphic methods of analysis to assess whether evidence of recent fault motion is present within the shallow, unconsolidated Holocene strata of the study area. Geomorphological historical change analyses focused on meander patterns, elongated water bodies and spatial changes in vegetation identify areas where fault motion may have recently occurred. The shallow stratigraphy was then investigated in these locations using vibracores and seismic reflection profiling. Facies relationships coupled with radiocarbon ages of select stratigraphic intervals led to the development of a detailed stratigraphic framework. Based on these relationships, data suggest that subsurface deformation, resultant of neotectonic activity, has recently occurred within the shallow, unconsolidated Holocene strata.

Frac-pack design is still done on conventional hydraulic fracturing models that employ linear elastic fracture mechanics. However it has become evident that the traditional models of fracture growth are not applicable to soft rocks/unconsolidated formations due to elastoplastic material behavior and strong coupling between flow and stress model. Conventional hydraulic fracture models do not explain the very high net fracturing pressures reported in field and experiments and predict smaller fracture widths than expected. The key observations from past experimental work are that the fracture propagation in poorly consolidated sands is a strong function of fluid rheology and leak off and is accompanied by large inelastic deformation and shear failure leading to higher net fracturing pressures. In this thesis a numerical model is formulated to better understand the mechanisms governing fracture propagation in poorly consolidated sands under different conditions. The key issues to be accounted for are the low shear strength of soft rocks/unconsolidated sands making them susceptible to shear failure and the high permeabilities and subsequently high leakoff in these formations causing substantial pore pressure changes in the near wellbore region. The pore pressure changes cause poroelastic stress changes resulting in a strong fluid/solid coupling. Also, the formation of internal and external filtercakes due to plugging by particles present in the injected fluids can have a major impact on the failure mechanism and observed fracturing pressures. In the presented model the fracture propagation mechanism is different from the linear elastic fracture mechanics approach. Elastoplastic material behavior and poroelastic stress effects are accounted for. Shear failure takes place at the tip due to fluid invasion and pore pressure increase. Subsequently the tip may fail in tension and the fracture propagates. The model also accounts for reduction in porosity and permeability due to plugging by particles in the injected fluids. The key influence of pore pressure gradients, fluid leakoff and the elastic and strength properties of rock on the failure mechanisms in sands have been demonstrated and found to be consistent with experimental observations. / text

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:01:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6535.pdf: 23060077 bytes, checksum: acd3f30579aa1fec7f7cb1a94cf3ed7e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-04 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The increased degradation of surface and subsurface waters are attributed to the indiscriminate use and to the lack of preservation of their sources. Given the scope of efficient management in the use of water sources, this paper presents a diagnosis of the area, featuring the unconsolidated materials and their hydraulic properties in different uses and land use. The study area is about 47.08 square kilometers and is located between the cities São Carlos and Ibaté, in the State of São Paulo, comprised by UTM coordinates 193000 / 202000KmE and 7.578 million / 7582000KmN, located in the central region of the State of São Paulo. In such region, there are the bedrock formations Itaqueri, Botucatu Formation and Serra Geral Formation, characteristic of the geological profile of São Paulo. The maps and charts were drawn up in ArcGIS® software. Some of the drawn up maps were: Rocky Substrate and Unconsolidated Material map (update made from the maps by Lemos, 2010) and; use maps and land use for the years 1972, 2003, 2010 and 2012. With such area historic it was possible to identify changes in uses. The most visible one is from 1972 to 2003 where there is a change in pasture uses for sugarcane. The results show that in some areas, the infiltration process has been affected by the use of soil, especially due to the sugar cane crop. The results of the hydraulic conductivity for residual formation of Botucatu are between 10-2 and 10-3 cm / s that show the water dynamics changes in geological materials. The degradation of water resources is evident, in addition to the aforementioned aspects through springs that are dried and drainage channels without the springs and riparian forests. In the study field there is a need for conservation of water diffusion zones since they are essential for maintenance of water sources. / O aumento da degradação das águas superficiais e subsuperficiais atribuíram-se ao uso indiscriminado e sem a preservação de suas fontes. Dado o âmbito da gestão eficiente no uso das fontes de água, o trabalho apresenta um diagnóstico da área, caracterizando os materiais inconsolidados e suas propriedades hidráulicas em diferentes usos e ocupação do solo. A área de estudo tem aproximadamente 47.08 Km² e está localizada entre os municípios de São Carlos e Ibaté, no interior do estado de São Paulo, compreendida pelas coordenadas UTM 193000/202000KmE e 7578000/7582000KmN, situada na região central do Estado de São Paulo. Nesta região encontram-se os substratos rochosos da Formação Itaqueri, Formação Botucatu e Formação Serra Geral, características do perfil geológico do estado de São Paulo. Os mapas e cartas foram elaborados no software ArcGIS®. Alguns dos mapas elaborados foram: Mapa de Substrato Rochoso e Material Inconsolidado (atualização feita a partir dos mapas de Lemos, 2010) e; mapas de uso e ocupação do solo para os anos, 1972, 2003, 2010 e 2012. Com esse histórico da área foi possível identificar as mudanças nos usos, a mais visível é de 1972 a 2003 onde há uma inversão nos usos pastagem para cana. Os resultados mostram que algumas áreas o processo de infiltração já foi afetado pelo uso do solo, principalmente pelo cultivo de cana-de-açúcar, os resultados de condutividade hidráulica para a formação residual do Botucatu ficam entre 10-2 e 10-3 cm/s, que evidenciam as alterações da dinâmica das águas nos materiais geológicos. A degradação dos recursos hídricos fica evidente, além dos aspectos já citados através das minas que secam e de canais de drenagem sem as nascentes e matas ciliares. Na área de estudos existe uma necessidade de conservação de zonas de difusão hídrica, pois as mesmas são essenciais para manutenção dos recursos hídricos.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第15338号 / 工博第3217号 / 新制||工||1484(附属図書館) / 27816 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科社会基盤工学専攻 / (主査)教授 石田 毅, 教授 松岡 俊文, 教授 三ケ田 均 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

Dentre as diferentes propriedades de um solo, a erodibilidade é uma das mais importantes, por refletir a tendência de um determinado solo à erosão. Os fatores que mais interferem nesta propriedade são: a textura, a presença de agregados, a mineralogia e teor de argila presente, o pH, o Eh, a condutividade elétrica, entre outras. Neste contexto, devido à presença de inúmeras feições erosivas, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa sobre os materiais inconsolidados, na bacia do Ribeirão Samambaia, região dos municípios de São Pedro e Águas de São Pedro, no Estado de São Paulo, área de aproximadamente 60 Km2. Para a elaboração dessa pesquisa, foram realizados ensaios laboratoriais de caracterização química e física de materiais inconsolidados presentes nesta bacia. Na quantificação de erodibilidade utilizou-se dois ensaios de absorção e perda de massa por imersão, pelos quais obtiveram-se respectivamente os coeficientes S e P, e posteriormente índices internacionais baseados em fatores como a presença de agregados, teores de argila, entre outros. Foram obtidos valores de erodibilidade altos, principalmente para os materiais inconsolidados transportados arenosos com matéria orgânica. Os altos resultados obtidos nos ensaios de erodibilidade para alguns materiais estão relacionados às baixas perdas de massa por imersão. Estas baixas perdas podem ser explicadas por algumas propriedades peculiares observadas nos ensaios básicos de caracterização, e posteriormente, confirmadas em observações com lupa e microscópio eletrônicos, dentre elas a presença de agregados, raízes e cimento herdado da rocha fonte. Também foi realizado um monitoramento hidrológico em quatro seções da bacia do Ribeirão Samambaia, com o qual pretendeu-se obter algumas informações sobre o comportamento dos sedimentos no interior desta bacia. / The erodibility is one of the most important among the different properties of a soil, for reflecting the tendency to the erosion. The factors that more interfers in this property are: texture, presence of aggregate, mineralogy and clay content, pH, electric conductivity, among others. This research was developed with the unconsolidated materials of the Ribeirão Samambaia basin, of São Pedro and Águas de São Pedro region, located in the state of São Paulo, due to countless erosive features. Laboratory tests were carried out for chemical and physical characterization of unconsolidated materials. For the quantification of the erodibility were performed water absorption and mass loss by immersion tests and international indexes based on basic properties as the presence of aggregate, clay content were done, too. High erodibility values were obtained for transported unconsolidated materials: alluvial deposit with organic material, and for some samples of others unconsolidated. For residual unconsolidated materials of Pirambóia, Botucatu, and Serra Geral formations were got low erodibility values due to peculiar intrinsic characteristics as observed by magnifying glass and electronic optical microscope, such as: presence of aggregates, roots and inherited cement of the original rock. An accompaniment hydrological was also accomplished in four sections of the basin of Ribeirão Samambaia, with which intended to obtain some information about the behavior of the sediments inside this basin.

Dentre as diferentes propriedades de um solo, a erodibilidade é uma das mais importantes, por refletir a tendência de um determinado solo à erosão. Os fatores que mais interferem nesta propriedade são: a textura, a presença de agregados, a mineralogia e teor de argila presente, o pH, o Eh, a condutividade elétrica, entre outras. Neste contexto, devido à presença de inúmeras feições erosivas, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa sobre os materiais inconsolidados, na bacia do Ribeirão Samambaia, região dos municípios de São Pedro e Águas de São Pedro, no Estado de São Paulo, área de aproximadamente 60 Km2. Para a elaboração dessa pesquisa, foram realizados ensaios laboratoriais de caracterização química e física de materiais inconsolidados presentes nesta bacia. Na quantificação de erodibilidade utilizou-se dois ensaios de absorção e perda de massa por imersão, pelos quais obtiveram-se respectivamente os coeficientes S e P, e posteriormente índices internacionais baseados em fatores como a presença de agregados, teores de argila, entre outros. Foram obtidos valores de erodibilidade altos, principalmente para os materiais inconsolidados transportados arenosos com matéria orgânica. Os altos resultados obtidos nos ensaios de erodibilidade para alguns materiais estão relacionados às baixas perdas de massa por imersão. Estas baixas perdas podem ser explicadas por algumas propriedades peculiares observadas nos ensaios básicos de caracterização, e posteriormente, confirmadas em observações com lupa e microscópio eletrônicos, dentre elas a presença de agregados, raízes e cimento herdado da rocha fonte. Também foi realizado um monitoramento hidrológico em quatro seções da bacia do Ribeirão Samambaia, com o qual pretendeu-se obter algumas informações sobre o comportamento dos sedimentos no interior desta bacia. / The erodibility is one of the most important among the different properties of a soil, for reflecting the tendency to the erosion. The factors that more interfers in this property are: texture, presence of aggregate, mineralogy and clay content, pH, electric conductivity, among others. This research was developed with the unconsolidated materials of the Ribeirão Samambaia basin, of São Pedro and Águas de São Pedro region, located in the state of São Paulo, due to countless erosive features. Laboratory tests were carried out for chemical and physical characterization of unconsolidated materials. For the quantification of the erodibility were performed water absorption and mass loss by immersion tests and international indexes based on basic properties as the presence of aggregate, clay content were done, too. High erodibility values were obtained for transported unconsolidated materials: alluvial deposit with organic material, and for some samples of others unconsolidated. For residual unconsolidated materials of Pirambóia, Botucatu, and Serra Geral formations were got low erodibility values due to peculiar intrinsic characteristics as observed by magnifying glass and electronic optical microscope, such as: presence of aggregates, roots and inherited cement of the original rock. An accompaniment hydrological was also accomplished in four sections of the basin of Ribeirão Samambaia, with which intended to obtain some information about the behavior of the sediments inside this basin.

O conhecido histórico de contaminação por passivos da mineração de galena (PbS) da região do Vale do Ribeira (SP) faz com que seja de grande importância o estudo da adsorção de Pb com a finalidade de determinar a capacidade de sorção de materiais inconsolidados do município de Eldorado Paulista (SP) para serem empregados como barreira selante na contenção da lixiviação de metais por resíduos de mineração (com destaque para o Pb). O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a adsorção de Pb por meio de ensaios de equilíbrio em lote. Para realizar tal objetivo, foram coletadas 4 amostras de materiais inconsolidados (3 transportados e 1 residual) no município de Eldorado Paulista, anteriormente caracterizadas. Foram realizados ensaios de caracterização dos materiais (MO, \'delta\'pH, compactação e permeabilidade) visando determinar as principais características que influenciam na retenção de metais, assim como ensaios de equilíbrio em lote para avaliar a capacidade de adsorção de Pb. O ensaio BET foi realizado com amostras triplicatas dos 4 solos, empregando concentrações iniciais de Pb aproximadas de 30, 60, 90 e 120 mg L-1, massa de solo de 20 g, tempo de contato de 24 horas e razão massa/solução de 1/5. Com os resultados obtidos foram confeccionadas isotermas de sorção segundo os modelos Linear, de Freundlich e Langmuir I e II. Os resultados indicaram que os materiais inconsolidados transportados T2 e T3 são os mais adequados para o emprego em barreira selante para contenção de Pb, sendo suas capacidades de adsorção influenciadas, principalmente, pelo teor de óxidos de ferro e fração argila. As melhores sorções foram obtidas para os solos T2 e T3 para concentrações iniciais aproximadas entre 30 e 120 mg L-1. Desta forma, conclui-se que o ensaio BET foi adequado para determinação da adsorção por metais. / The known history of contamination by galena (PbS) mining liabilities from Ribeira Valley region (SP) provides importance to the Pb adsorption study in order to determine the sorption by unconsolidated materials from Eldorado Paulista city (SP) to be employed as liners to contain metals leaching derived from mining (with emphasis on Pb). The objective of the current work was assess the Pb adsorption by Batch Equilibrium Tests. To accomplish this objective, 4 unconsolidated materials samples were collected in Eldorado Paulista, previously characterized. Characterization tests were performed (MO, \'delta\'pH, compaction and permeability) to determine the main characteristics that influence the retention of metals, and Batch Equilibrium Tests to assess soils capacities of Pb adsorption. BET was performed with triplicate samples of the 4 materials, applying initial Pb concentrations around 30, 60, 90 and 120 mg L-1, mass of soil about 20 g, mass/solution rate of 1/5 and 24 hours of contact time. the results provide sorption isotherms modeled by Linear, Freundlich and Langmuir I and II equations. The results indicated that unconsolidated materials T2 and T3 are the best suited for use in liners to retain Pb, and their sorption capacities are mainly influenced by iron oxides content and clay content. Best sorption were obtained to soils T2 and T3 with initial concentrations about 30 to 120 mg L-1. Thus, it is concluded that BET is appropriated to determine metals adsorption.

This work explains the effect of failure on permeability anisotropy and dilation in sands. Shear failure is widely observed in field operations. There is incomplete understanding of the influence of shear failure in sand formations. Shear plane orientations are dependent on the stress anisotropy and that view is confirmed in this research. The effect of shear failure on the permeability is confirmed and calculated. Description of permeability anisotropy due to shear failure has also been discussed. In this work, three-dimensional discrete element modeling is used to model the behavior of uncemented and weakly cemented sand samples. Mechanical deformation data from experiments conducted on sand samples is used to calibrate the properties of the spherical particles in the simulations. Orientation of the failure planes (due to mechanical deformation) is analyzed both in an axi-symmetric stress regime (cylindrical specimen) and a non-axi-symmetric stress regime (right cuboidal specimen). Pore network fluid flow simulations are conducted before and after mechanical deformation to observe the effect of failure and stress anisotropy on the permeability and dilation of the granular specimen. A rolling resistance strategy is applied in the simulations, incorporating the stiffness of the specimens due to particle angularity, aiding in the calibration of the simulated samples against experimental data to derive optimum granular scale elastic and friction properties. A flexible membrane algorithm is applied on the lateral boundary of the simulation samples to implement the effect of a rubber/latex jacket. The effect of particle size distribution, stress anisotropy, and confining pressure on failure, permeability and dilation is studied. Using the calibrated micro-properties, simulations are extended to non-cylindrical specimen geometries to simulate field-like anisotropic stress regimes. The shear failure plane alignment is observed to be parallel to the maximum horizontal stress plane. Pore network fluid flow simulations confirm the increase in permeability due to shear failure and show a significantly greater permeability increase in the maximum horizontal stress direction. Using the flow simulations, anisotropy in the permeability field is observed by plotting the permeability ellipsoid. Samples with a small value of inter-granular cohesion depict greater shear failure, larger permeability increase and a greater permeability anisotropy than samples with a larger value of inter-granular cohesion. This is estimated by the number of micro-cracks observed. / text