Engineering Commons^™

Investigating Gulf Coast Aquifer System: Stratigraphy Reconstruction, Inverse Modeling, And Groundwater Stress Assessment, Shuo Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Mississippi Embayment aquifer system (MEAS) and the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system (CLAS) provide substantial groundwater resources for human activities in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain. However, the overexploitation has led to groundwater depletion in the MEAS and the CLAS, threatening sustainable groundwater use. Such concern highlights the crucial need for an advanced understanding of stratigraphy and groundwater in these aquifer systems, which is essential for effective regional groundwater management. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of MEAS and CLAS in the Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi region, encompassing three fundamental dimensions: stratigraphy reconstruction, groundwater modeling, and groundwater stress assessments. A …

Evaluating The Feasibility Of Using Strain Measured During Sinusoidal Rate Pumping Tests To Characterize An Aquifer, Riley Blais

All Theses

Pumping tests with sinusoidal variation in pumping rate have been proposed as a method for improving aquifer characterization. These tests can interrogate a larger aquifer volume than slug tests and they can be more sensitive to small variations in drawdown. Current methods of using sinusoidal variations of rate are based on measuring pressure signals from the reservoir or aquifer, which requires access to monitoring wells. An alternative approach has been developed that measures the strain in the vadose zone instead of pressure in the reservoir. An instrument has been developed at Clemson University that can measure small strains using optical …

Methods For Characterizing Groundwater Resources With Sparse In-Situ Data, Ren Nishimura

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater water resources must be accurately characterized in order to be managed sustainably. Due to the cost to install monitoring wells and challenges in collecting and managing in-situ data, groundwater data is sparse in space and time especially in developing countries. In this study we analyzed long-term groundwater storage changes with limited times-series data where each well had only one groundwater measurement in time. We developed methods to synthetically create times-series groundwater table elevation (WTE) by clustering wells with uniform grid and k-means-constrained clustering and creating pseudo wells. Pseudo wells with the WTE values from the cluster-member wells were temporally …

Application Of Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technology In Detecting Water Abundance In Concealed Burnt Zone, Hou Enke, Fan Jiangwei, Gao Lijun, Wang Jianwen, Chen Dehai, Chi Baosuo, Wang Hongke

Coal Geology & Exploration

The overlying bedrock composite aquifer(including weathered bedrock and burnt rock aquifer) in the concealed burnt zone of coal seams is one of the main threats to coal mining. It is of great significance to clarify the water enrichment of the concealed burnt zone for the prevention and control of coal mine water hazards. Ningtiaota Coal Mine, which has experienced a large water inrush accident, was used as the research object, and the Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(SNMR) was used to detect the water enrichment of the aquifer in the concealed burnt area. The results show that there are two aquifers in …

Hydraulic Connection Of Aquifers In Barapukuria Coal Mine, Bangladesh, Yu Bo, Wang Hao, Liu Feng, Liu Ji, Wang Qiangmin, Shang Hongbo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Hydraulic connection of aquifers in Barapukuria Coal Mine, Bangladesh

Garver Industrial Design Project: Designing A Full-Scale Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Facility For The City Of Lawton, Oklahoma, Kayliana Warden, Marlando Collins, Sandrina Depaz, Reid Eakin, Reed Leasure, Vera Rodriguez

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A groundwater treatment facility was designed for Lawton, Oklahoma to address potential water scarcity due to drought conditions in southwest Oklahoma. The facility will produce five million gallons per day (MGD) of treated water. The plant will have the capacity of treating 4,085 gallons per minute of influent water at an 86% recovery. The water to be treated will come from the Arbuckle-Timbered Hills Aquifer. Studies have been conducted around the aquifer to identify the best well site locations.

A centralized treatment facility using reverse osmosis filtration as the main treatment technology has been designed. To prevent reverse osmosis membrane …

Numerical Simulation Of The Influence Of No-Flow Recharge Aquifer On Cbm Drainage, Liu Bing, Zhang Songhang, Tang Shuheng, Wang Pengfei, Zhai Jiayu, Ji Chaoqi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Coalbed methane wells in southern Qinshui Basin have the characteristics of high water yield and low gas yield, while some wells present high water yield and high gas yield characteristics. Generally speaking, the high water yield of coalbed methane wells is mostly related to the aquifer with recharge. In this case, based on the coal reservoir geological condition of Shizhuangnan Block and the actual situation of coalbed methane vertical well production, the influence of non-flow recharge aquifer on reservoir pressure variation and CBM outflow rule was simulated by using a three-dimensional coal reservoir simulation software (SIMEDWin) with gas and water …

The Overexploitation Of The Valle De Querétaro Aquifer And Its Impact In Small Peri-Urban Communities, Querétaro, México, Kelsey Kirkland

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Valle de Querétaro Aquifer is the only viable local water source satisfying the domestic, agricultural, and industrial water needs of the Querétaro Valley. Severe depletion of the groundwater source has had significant consequences throughout the region, especially in the peri-urban communities of Santo Niño de Praga, Tlacote el Bajo, and La Palma. Historically, residents depended on aquifer-fed freshwater springs (known as Los Tajos) to meet their basic and productive needs. Spring production ceased between 10 and 15 ago and investigating the causes formed the basis of this research.

Analysis of available qualitative and quantitative data was used to identify …

Water Yield Analysis Of Underground Drainage Boreholes On The Basis Of Logarithmic Normal Distribution, Ma Lianjing, Zhao Baofeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to analyze the distribution rule of water flow from underground drainage borehole in coal mines, histogram, Q-Q chart and nonparametric tests were used to test the logarithmic normal distribution model for water flow from underground drainage borehole in typical working face, and the nonlinear regression model was fitted. Combined with hydrogeological conditions, the parameters in the model were analyzed. The result shows that water flow from underground drainage boreholes in working face obeys the lognormal distritution. The logarithmic mean and standard deviation of water flow from drainage borehole of typical working face have a positive linear dependence relation …

The Seepage Characteristics Of A Single Well Dewatering From An Unconfined Aquifer Bottom, Li Yang, Wang Wenxue, Xiao Hang, Sun Yi, Wang Yun, Di Mengna

Coal Geology & Exploration

Dewatering from an aquifer bottom for drain and depressurization is one common method to ensure safety mining. This method is significantly different from pumping from the ground. In order to study the seepage characteristics of the dewatering hole(well), the seepage characteristics of a single well dewatering from an unconfined aquifer bottom was taken as an example and studied using numerical simulation method. The results show that when l_w<l_c, the pore water pressure above the dewatering well is greater than zero, which presents the rule of increasing first then decreasing from bottom to top, and the seepage …

Assessment And Optimization Of Environmental Systems Using Data Analysis And Simulation., Milad Ebrahimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For most environmental systems, specifically wastewater treatment plants and aquifers, a significant number of performance data variables are attained on a time series basis. Due to the interconnectedness of the variables, it is often difficult to assess over-arching trends and quantify temporal operational performance. The objective of this research study was to provide an effective means for comprehensive temporal evaluation of environmental systems. The proposed methodology used several multivariate data analyses and statistical techniques to present an assessment framework for the water quality monitoring programs as well as optimization of treatment plants and aquifer systems. The developed procedure considered the …

Numerical Analysis And Case Study On The Mitigation Of Mining Damage To The Floor Of No. 5 Coal Seam Of Taiyuan Group By Grouting, A. Li, Y. Liu, L. Mou, K. Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Based on the geological condition of panel 22507 of the no. 5 coal seam at Dongjiahe coal mine, numerical analysis of the stability and water permeability of the floor aquiclude before and after grouting was conducted using Rock Failure Process Analysis (F-RFPA2D). The dynamic development, extension, and distribution of the cracks in the aquiclude are discussed. It is shown that grouting can increase the effective thickness of the aquiclude, reduce the floor damage depth, and control the floor water inrush path, thus effectively improving the overall strength and water blocking capability of the aquiclude. These numerical study results were applied …

2013, November 19 - Protective Elevations To Control Sea Water Intrusion In The Salinas Valley, Geoscience For Mcwra

Miscellaneous Monterey and San Luis Obispo County Documents and Reports

A report prepared in support of preventing revocation of Permit 1043 (State of California Division of Water Rights Permit for Diversion of Use of Water – Amended Permit 11043 dated 110-Jul-49) that allows for appropriation of water from the Salinas River in Monterey County California not to exceed 400 cfs with annual maximum diversion not to exceed 168,538 acre feet per year. The report addresses the potential beneficial uses of diverting water to help increase groundwater levels in the Pressure and East Side Subareas that would in turn help to control seawater intrusion.

Understanding The Nano- And Macroscale Processes Impacting Arsenic Mobilization During Managed Aquifer Recharge Using Reclaimed Wastewater, Chelsea Wren Neil

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) utilizing reclaimed wastewater is a vital means of replenishing natural freshwater supplies in order to meet growing demands. Unfortunately, this process has been found to induce unfavorable geochemical reactions which mobilize arsenic from aquifer sediments. This process is further complicated by the simultaneous formation of iron(III) (hydr)oxide secondary minerals, which can sorb aqueous arsenic. It is crucial to fully elucidate these physico-chemical processes in order to establish safe MAR operations which minimize arsenic release. Thus, the mechanisms controlling arsenic release from arsenopyrite during MAR were investigated from the nano- to macroscale.

First, nanoscale iron(III) (hydr)oxide nucleation …

Phosphorus Mobility In The Shallow Unconfined Aquifer At Pineview Reservoir, Utah, Christine Rumsey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Significant phosphorus transport is occurring in the groundwater surrounding Pineview Reservoir. A set of investigations was completed to identify factors contributing to phosphorus mobility. Water quality monitoring was conducted to understand groundwater characteristics and phosphorus movement. Several water quality parameters were evaluated to specifically determine whether septic systems influence groundwater quality. Results indicate that septic systems pollute at least two locations in the aquifer around the reservoir. Given this information, it may be necessary to implement advanced septic system treatment options to reduce the amount of phosphorus in groundwater.

Experiments were conducted on two aquifer sediment types to identify factors …

Characterization And Uncertainty Analysis Of Siliciclastic Aquifer-Fault System, Ahmed Saad Elshall

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The complex siliciclastic aquifer system underneath the Baton Rouge area, Louisiana, USA, is fluvial in origin. The east-west trending Baton Rouge fault and Denham Springs-Scotlandville fault cut across East Baton Rouge Parish and play an important role in groundwater flow and aquifer salinization. To better understand the salinization underneath Baton Rouge, it is imperative to study the hydrofacies architecture and the groundwater flow field of the Baton Rogue aquifer-fault system. This is done through developing multiple detailed hydrofacies architecture models and multiple groundwater flow models of the aquifer-fault system, representing various uncertain model propositions. The hydrofacies architecture models focus on …

Using Ground Penetrating Radar Signal Reflection To Model A Highly Transmissive Bedrock Aquifer, Daniel J. Brockmeyer Mr.

Master's Theses

The use of numerical modeling software to characterize groundwater contaminant fate and transport requires an understanding of the distribution of hydraulic properties of the aquifer. As the complexity of this distribution increases, a more sophisticated understanding is required. Modeling contaminant transport in bedrock aquifers requires that the spatial distributions of highly conductive geologic features are characterized along with the hydraulic transmissivities of those features (Shapiro, 2003). The goal of this research is to refine the numerical model of a highly transmissive crystalline aquifer by characterizing the spatial variability of the hydraulic transmissivity using the attenuation of the ground penetrating radar …

Brooklyn's Thirst, Long Island's Water: Consolidation, Local Control, And The Aquifer, Jeffrey A. Kroessler

Publications and Research

The creation of greater New York City in 1898 promised a solution to the problem of supplying Brooklyn and Queens with water. In the 1850s, the City of Brooklyn tapped ponds and streams on the south side of Queens County, and in the 1880s, dug wells for additional supply. This lowered the water table and caused problems for farmers and oystermen, many of whom sued the city for damages. Ultimately, salt water seeped into some wells from over-pumping. By 1896, Brooklyn’s system had reached its limit. Prevented by the state legislature from tapping the aquifer beneath Suffolk’s Pine Barrens, the …

Slides: Shale Drilling And Completions, William Fleckenstein

Shale Plays in the Intermountain West: Legal and Policy Issues (November 12)

Presenter: William Fleckenstein, BP Adjunct Professor in the Petroleum Department and Director of PERFORM Research, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, and Managing Partner of Fleckenstein, Eustes & Associates

20 slides

Slides: Groundwater Law And Administration: From Conflict To Reform, Michael A. Gheleta

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Michael A. Gheleta, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, Denver, CO

14 slides

Groundwater Abstraction From Aquitard, Aquiclude And Thin Aquifer In Barind, M. Asad Uz Zaman

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Barind is the land where the quality of life is inextricably linked to the availability of water. We are trying to help the section of people of such area where water is considered only from the viewpoint of quantity; they do not have the scope to think from quality aspect for their survival. The scale of poverty level here is normally measured on the basis of per capita income; however, to give a better indication about the quality of life, the accessibility for food, education, health, safe drinking water, sanitation, medicine and social empowerment for decision-making should also be included …

Slides: Encana, John Moran

Workshop on Directional Drilling in the Rocky Mountain Region (November 13)

Presenter: John Moran, Reservoir Engineer, Encana Oil & Gas

23 slides

Abstract: For companies doing directional drilling, what are the direct and indirect costs and benefits? When is it economical and what factors does industry take into account in making the decision to utilize directional drilling?

The Geology And Production Characteristics Of The Powder River And Other Cbm Basins In Wyoming, Lance Cook

Coalbed Methane Development in the Intermountain West (April 4-5)

7 pages (includes some color illustrations and maps).

Optimal Design Of Aquifer Clean Up Systems Under Uncertainty Using A Neural Network And A Genetic Algorithm, Alaa H. Aly, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

We present a methodology to account for the stochastic nature of hydraulic conductivity during the design of pump-and-treat systems for aquifer cleanup. The methodology (1) uses a genetic algorithm to find the global optimal solution and (2) incorporates a neural network to model the response surface within the genetic algorithm. We apply the methodology for a real example and different optimization scenarios. The employed optimization formulation requires few hydraulic conductivity realizations. The presented approach produces a trade-off curve between reliability and treatment facility size .

Comprehensive Conjunctive-Use Management Of Connected Surface Water Groundwater Systems Using Stochastic Inputs And Uncertainties, Seshadri Suryanarayana

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A comprehensive conjunctive-use management model is developed. The dynamics of flow and solute transport processes in connected surface water groundwater systems are integrated by a dual programming management model. The governing aquifer flow parameters and streamflows are treated as stochastic random processes. Multiple realizations of the random field are generated and are explicitly incorporated in a non-linear optimization model along with other system, environmental, and management constraints. To facilitate management of large aquifer systems, a linked simulation-optimization approach is used. The simulation program generates the response matrices for flow and transport processes. The management model then determines optimal well discharges …

Us/Remax (Vs 2.70): Software For Optimizing Management Of Stream/Aquifer Systems Using The Response Matrix And Related Methods, Richard C. Peralta, Alaa H. Aly

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

US/REMAX is designed to assist water managers in developing optimal groundwater and/or surface water strategies for a wide range of management problems. US/REMAX uses the response matrix method, which assumes that physical system response to stimuli is linear. However, US/REMAX can also address nonlinear systems via cycling. In one application, a strategy computed using US/REMAX required 40% less pumping than one obtained via a normal simulation model. US/REMAX also easily computes tradeoffs for multiobjective problems.

Introducing Uncertainty Of Aquifer Parameters Into An Optimization Model, Robert L. Ward, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A stochastic analysis is made for a previously described groundwater contaminant management model {Peralta and Ward, 1988). The stochastic model is based on incorporating uncertainty of the aquifer parameters transmissivity and effective porosity into the model. This is accomplished by finding the partial derivative of drawdown with respect to each of these parameters using a Taylor series expansion approximation of the Theis equation. Input that is required for the stochastic version is the mean of the transmissivity and effective porosity, the coefficient of variation of the transmissivity and effective porosity, and a reliability level (0%-100%) . The reliability is a …

Modeling Technique For Optimal Recovery Of Immiscible Light Hydrocarbons As Free Product From Contaminated Aquifer, Grant S. Cooper Jr., Richard C. Peralta, Jagath J. Kaluarachchi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Contamination sites associated with light non-aqueous phase liquids {LNAPL) are numerous and represent difficult cleanup problems. Remediation methods for cleanup of LNAPL fluids in subsurface systems are continuously evolving with the development of various technologies for pump.-and~treat, soil venting, and in-situ bioremediation. Evaluating the effectiveness of remediation techniques as well as attempting to improve their efficiency has been a focus of many researchers, These efforts have included the development of computer simulation models to predict and analyze the fluid movement, entrapment, and mobilization of three~phase systems in porous media. The capability of computer models that not only simulate but optimize …

Optimizing Conjunctive Water Use In A Dynamic Stream Aquifer System, Getachew Belaineh, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Long-term water management planning models frequently use large time steps and must employ fairly crude assumptions (such as average climatic conditions, etc.). Managing stream aquifer systems during a dry season requires using finer discretization in time and space. Presented is a computer model, US/REMAX, developed by Utah State University personnel for aiding best management of stream-aquifer systems for both long and short eras. The model computes strategies for optimally allocating surface and ground water resources in time and space. For a water supply problem the model can maximize the sum of delivered surface and ground water. For an environmental protection …

Ground-Water Modeling Issues In Ground-Water Development: Model Calibration And Verification, Paul K.M. Van Der Heijde

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

36 pages (includes illustrations and maps).

Contains references.