Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Shallow Groundwater Monitoring Associated With The Deep Saline Reservoir Co2 Storage Test In Hancock County, Kentucky, E. Glynn Beck

Report of Investigations--KGS

A carbon dioxide injection test well was drilled in 2009 to a depth of 8,126 ft below ground surface in Hancock County, Kentucky. Six hundred ninety tons of CO₂ was successfully injected into Knox Group saline aquifers. Two domestic wells (MB and GB) and two domestic springs (CA and RC) were sampled to monitor any potential changes in groundwater quality associated with possible migration of CO₂ from deeper saline aquifers into shallow freshwater aquifers. The four sites were sampled for pH, bicarbonate, total dissolved solids, turbidity, anions, total dissolved metals, dissolved inorganic carbon, total CO₂, and …

Characterizing Wetland Hydrology, Chemistry, And Soils For An Endemic Crayfish, The Piedmont Blue Burrower, Jess H. Gilmer Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic alteration of Earth's ecosystems has pushed global biodiversity into a state of crisis. Freshwater species have been particularly vulnerable, with crayfish ranking as the second most imperiled taxonomic group in North America. Primary burrowers represent only 15% of crayfish species in North America; however, they constitute 32% of imperiled crayfish. Despite their conservation importance, little is known about the ecology of burrowing crayfish. To advance our knowledge about the habitat characteristics of burrowing crayfish, groundwater hydrology, water chemistry, and soil properties were assessed to determine their importance for the state-listed endangered, primary burrower Cambarns harti. Groundwater hydrology and …

Comparative Recharge Rates Of Isolated And Riverine Wetlands, Chenille Hargrove Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Isolated wetlands have a slightly depressed topography surrounded by an upland area. There is no direct surface water connection, as with riverine wetlands; however, there is a groundwater connection that allows isolated wetlands to have similar hydrologic functions to riverine wetlands. This study sought to compare surficial aquifer groundwater recharge rates of several isolated and riverine wetlands in the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas by evaluating soil characteristics, water table fluctuations, and precipitation from January 2012 - September 2012. Data analysis indicated no significant difference in mean recharge rates between the isolated and riverine wetlands at each study site. Whereas …

Riverbank Filtration Potential Of Pharmaceuticals In A Wastewater-Impacted Stream, Paul M. Bradley, Larry B. Barber, Joesph W. Duris, William T. Foreman, Edward T. Furlong, Laura E. Hubbard, Kasey J. Hutchinson, Steffanie H. Keefe, Dana W. Kolpin

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Pharmaceutical contamination of shallow groundwater is a substantial concern in effluent-dominated streams, due to high aqueous mobility, designed bioactivity, and effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. In October and December 2012, effluent contributed approximately 99% and 71%, respectively, to downstream flow in Fourmile Creek, Iowa, USA. Strong hydrologic connectivity was observed between surface-water and shallow-groundwater. Carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and immunologically related compounds were detected in groundwater at greater than 0.02 mg L^-1 at distances up to 6 m from the stream bank. Direct aqueous-injection HPLC-MS/MS revealed 43% and 55% of 110 total pharmaceutical analytes in surface-water samples in October and December, respectively, with 16% …

Quantifying Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions To Improve The Outcomes Of Human Activities, Ryan Parish Gordon

Dissertations - ALL

Interactions between surface water and groundwater impact both the quality and quantity of water resources. This dissertation is focused on the interactions between surface water in streams and groundwater in hyporheic zones and shallow fluvial aquifers, and how human beings influence these interactions and are influenced by them. The three chapters of this dissertation span scales from cm to km and locations from Upstate New York to the Peruvian Andes, but are united by the goal to improve the scientific understanding of groundwater-surface water interactions (GWSWI) using novel techniques, in order to improve the outcomes of human activities for people …

Hydrogeologic Variations Across A Barrier Island That Influence Inter-Dune Wetlands False Cape State Park, Virginia, Matthew Collier Richardson

OES Theses and Dissertations

False Cape State Park in southeastern Virginia Beach, Virginia contains a transgressive barrier island complex. Inter-dune swales located on the eastern coast of the barrier island contain soils that experience hydric conditions. However, these swales lack the prolonged presence of hydric soil indicators that are necessary for a site to be officially recognized as a jurisdictional wetland. The appearance and subsequent disappearance of redoximorphic wetland soil features in the young, sandy soils of the inter-dune swales here may stem from changes in the patterns of groundwater recharge and discharge across the island. These soils are being monitored by the Mid …

Self-Potential Signals Generated By The Corrosion Of Buried Metallic Objects With Application To Contaminant Plumes, Justin B. R. Rittgers, Andre Revil, Marios C. Karaoulis, Michael A. Mooney, Lee D. Slater, Estella A. Atekwana

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Large-amplitude (>100 mV) negative electric (self)-potential anomalies are often observed in the vicinity of buried metallic objects and ore bodies or over groundwater plumes associated with organic contaminants. To explain the physical and chemical mechanisms that generate such electrical signals, a controlled laboratory experiment was carried out involving two metallic cylinders buried with vertical and horizontal orientations and centered through and in the capillary fringe within a sandbox. The 2D and 3D self-potential (SP) data were collected at several time steps along with collocated pH and redox potential measurements. Large dipolar SP and redox potential anomalies developed in association …

Evaluating The Contribution Of Groundwater To Wetland Water Budgets Central Piedmont Virginia, Kerby Morgan Dobbs

OES Theses and Dissertations

In the Piedmont region of Virginia, development pressures are increasing the demand for mitigation wetlands but appropriate construction sites are relatively scarce due to local topography and geology. Many existing water budget models used for planned mitigation sites exhibit considerable error when estimating groundwater fluxes, particularly for historical years that lack hydraulic head data. This difficulty has led many planners to neglect or underestimate the contribution of groundwater to wetland water budgets, resulting in mitigation sites that fail to create the appropriate hydrology for the desired vegetation community. However, reliable estimations of groundwater input contributing to wetland water budgets can …

The Evaluation Of Water Storage In Death Valley Using Grace Satellite Data, Maile Sweigart

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As drought conditions spread across the United States, concerns over water supplies, water use, and water management policies are growing and possible contributing environmental factors are continually being scrutinized. This thesis examines Death Valley as an analog for Southern Nevada and utilizes NASA EOS data, combined with ancillary climate data, to assess the effect of decadal climate variability on groundwater storage in the Death Valley area. Historical climate data, combined with satellite imagery observations, were compiled and calculated for analyses. Conclusions derived from statistical analyses infer trends between GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data and fluctuating levels of …

A Combined Radio- And Stable-Isotopic Study Of A California Coastal Aquifer System, Peter W. Swarzenski, Mark Baskaran, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Brian D. Edwards, Michael Land

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Stable and radioactive tracers were utilized in concert to characterize geochemical processes in a complex coastal groundwater system and to provide constraints on the kinetics of rock/water interactions. Groundwater samples from wells within the Dominguez Gap region of Los Angeles County, California were analyzed for a suite of major cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) and anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻), silica, alkalinity, select trace elements (Ba, B, Sr), dissolved oxygen, stable isotopes of hydrogen (δD), oxygen (δ¹⁸O), dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C_DIC), and radioactive …

Preliminary Groundwater Level Changes At Selected Sites In Nebraska Following The Drought Of 2012, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Leslie M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Broome Sandstone Aquifer In The La Grange Area, Robert J. Paul, Richard J. George Dr, Peter Gardiner

Resource management technical reports

Land use in the West Kimberley near Broome, Western Australia, is dominated by cattle grazing on pastoral stations, dispersed mining activity and tourism. Irrigated agriculture has developed but is at a small scale. There is interest from pastoralists and horticultural companies to expand irrigated agriculture, and pastoral diversification and mosaic irrigation systems have been proposed. However, if irrigated agriculture is to expand, it must be viable and meet community and regulatory requirements. Developing secure and sustainable water resources is critical

This review is focussed on the La Grange groundwater subareas (La Grange area). Its purpose is to summarise the existing …

Temporal And Spatial Variations In The Subsurface Salinity Of Lake Charles, Louisiana : An Investigation Of Saline Sources, Alexandria Suding

LSU Master's Theses

One of the most pressing issues facing groundwater managers is saltwater intrusion. In coastal Louisiana this issue is especially prevalent. One location that is currently threated by saltwater intrusion is the industrial area of Lake Charles, Louisiana, where three high chloride areas have been detected within the underlying Chicot aquifer. Three sand units of the Chicot aquifer are present in Lake Charles: the 200-foot (200’) sand, the 500’ sand, and the 700’ sand. Groundwater with elevated chloride concentrations was first noticed by industries in the early 1970s. An initial investigation determined that the northern and southern bodies had formed by …

Post-Emplacement Leaching Behaviors Of Nano Zero Valent Iron Modified With Carboxymethylcellulose Under Simulated Aquifer Conditions, Leslie Lavinia Williams

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Nanoscale particles of zero valent iron stabilized with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC-nZVI) have been shown to degrade chlorinated hydrocarbons efficiently in bench-scale investigations. The remediation of contaminated sites by subsurface injection of stabilized nZVI in a slurry form has been investigated at pilot scale and field scale with conflicting results concerning transport of stabilized nZVI and its long-term stability for in situ degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Changes in the hydraulic conductivity in porous media have also been reported following injection of stabilized nZVI slurry in both large tank experiments and in field studies. This study investigated the leaching behavior of CMC-nZVI post-emplacement …

The Groundwater Atlas Of Nebraska, Jesse T. Korus, Leslie M. Howard, Aaron R. Young, Dana P. Divine, Mark E. Burbach, J. Michael Jess, Douglas R. Hallum, R.F. Diffendal, Jr., R.M. Joeckel

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Groundwater has long been important to inhabitants of Nebraska. Native Americans in the Great Plains erected their villages near water sources. Early explorers from Europe and pioneers heading west following river valleys depended on ample freshwater in the Nebraska Territory for drinking water and livestock supplies. These Europeans, however, considered the Nebraska Territory part of “The Great American Desert” and few people had an idea of the vast groundwater resource in Nebraska.

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2013, A. R. Young, M. E. Burbach, L. M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Groundwater-Level Changes In Nebraska - Spring 2012 To Spring 2013, A. Young, M. E. Burbach, L. M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Agenda: Monitoring And Protecting Groundwater During Oil And Gas Development, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project, Colorado Water And Energy Research Center

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

This workshop is cosponsored by the Intermountain Oil and Gas BMP Project and the Colorado Water and Energy Research Center, with financial support from the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Project and the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) recently initiated a rule making process to develop new, statewide regulations for baseline sampling and monitoring of groundwater near new oil and gas wells. COGCC’s first rule making hearing was held November 14; the rule is expected to be finalized December 10. This workshop will discuss oil and gas development procedures that can impact groundwater, the current rules …

Slides: Colorado Law: Protecting Water Quantity And Quality, Alan E. Curtis

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Alan E. Curtis, White & Jankowski, LLP

23 slides

Slides: Overview Of Colorado Aquifer Systems, Christopher J. Sanchez

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Christopher J. Sanchez, P.G., BBA Water Consultants, Bishop-Brogden Associates, Inc.

28 slides

Applicability And Estimation Of Error For Determination Of Hydraulic Conductivity Values Based Upon Traditional Aquifer Test Methods For 2-D Groundwater Modeling, Timothy W. Freed Sr.

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Theis method and its derivative Cooper-Jacob method are commonly used for determining hydraulic conductivity (K) for aquifer studies using two-dimensional (2-D) groundwater modeling. Theis and derivative equations assume isotropic, homogeneous aquifers and horizontal flow. In nature, saturated permeable layers of an aquifer are often separated by less permeable layers or lenses, which commonly have K's that are lower by several orders of magnitude. The presence of such geologic features induces vertical flow during aquifer tests violating assumptions for Theis based methods. This study assesses the appropriateness and error of using Theis based equations to determine K for use in …

Agricultural Landuse Change Impacts On Bioenergy Production, Avifauna, And Water Use In Nebraska's Rainwater Basin, Daniel R. Uden

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Agriculture is an economically important form of landuse in the North American Great Plains. Since 19^th Century European settlement, conversion of grasslands to rowcrops has increased food and bioenergy production, but has decreased wildlife habitat. Future agricultural landuse changes may be driven by alternative energy demands and regional climatic changes. Landuse change and its drivers could affect bioenergy production, wildlife populations and natural resources, and considering the potential impacts of impending changes in advance could assist with preparations for an uncertain future.

This study addressed how the conversion of marginally productive agricultural lands in the Rainwater Basin region of …

Observations Of Localised Effects Of The Busselton Compensating Basins On Surface Water, Groundwater And Soil Salinity, D L. Bennett, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

Between 2001 and 2009 the Water Corporation constructed three flood-compensating basins on farmland in the Vasse and Sabina river catchments, upstream of in the city of Busselton. The basins are designed to reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas of Busselton by temporarily storing and then regulating runoff during flood events. This report fulfils the reporting requirements of a contract between the Water Corporation and the Department of Agriculture and Food. Data relating to the local groundwater and surface-water dynamics, salinity, nutrients and pH, plus changes to shallow and deep-soil salinity (from repeat ground-based electromagnetic induction [EM] surveying), was …

Citizen Action, Power Relations And Wetland Management In The Tampa Bay Urban Socio-Ecosystem, Cornelius Owusu Adjei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that provide ecological, economic and social benefits to societies. In the Tampa Bay region in West Central Florida, a growing population has put immense pressure on wetlands. The situation has not gone unnoticed in the public domain with concerns raised about the need to formulate policies that would protect them. However, it has been difficult to ascertain the level of citizen involvement in the decision making process.

This study aimed at investigating whether the perceptions and concerns of citizens drove them to influence local water policy. Questionnaires were used to collect data from residents living in …

Changes In Run-Off And Groundwater Under Saltbush Grazing Systems: Preliminary Results Of A Paired Catchment Study, D L. Bennett, Richard J. George Dr, Richard Silberstein

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Watershed Sanitary Survey: Oak Glen Watershed, Kathryn Brooke Hallberg

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the sanitary survey is to protect surface water quality at the source. This project identifies and addresses potential adverse impacts to the Oak Glen watershed, and ensures that Yucaipa Valley Water District complies with all applicable laws and regulations, governed under the California Surface WaterTreatment Rule.

Investigation Of Arsenic In The Transition Zone Basin Of The Mojave River, Matthew Edward Howard

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to identify the source(s) of arsenic in the Transition Zone subbasin of the Mojave River. The transition zone is a sub-section of the Mojave River watershed. The project area is located in the arid southwestern desert region of the United States. 43 monitoring wells were sampled during September of 2010 and October of 2011. The objective of this project is to understand the processes by which arsenic is being released from sediment into groundwater supply. This project is part of an ongoing study of Transition Zone subbasin and will be used in future work …

Assimilation Of Grace Terrestrial Water Storage Into A Land Surface Model: Evaluation And Potential Value For Drought Monitoring In Western And Central Europe, Bailing Li, Matthew Rodell, Benjamin F. Zaitchik, Rolf H. Reichle, Randal D. Koster, Tonie M. Van Dam

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

A land surface model’s ability to simulate states (e.g., soil moisture) and fluxes (e.g., runoff) is limited by uncertainties in meteorological forcing and parameter inputs as well as inadequacies in model physics. In this study, anomalies of terrestrial water storage (TWS) observed by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission were assimilated into the NASA Catchment land surface model in western and central Europe for a 7-year period, using a previously developed ensemble Kalman smoother. GRACE data assimilation led to improved runoff estimates (in temporal correlation and root mean square error) in 17 out of 18 hydrological basins, …

Sources Of Salinization Of The Baton Rouge Aquifer System: Southeastern Louisiana, Callie Elizabeth Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

A major environmental and economic problem confronting the Baton Rouge area, southeastern Louisiana, is the progressive salinization of the Baton Rouge aquifer system, an important source of fresh municipal and industrial groundwater. The Baton Rouge fault marks a boundary between fresh groundwaters to the north and predominately brackish waters to the south. Determining the permeability architecture of the fault is an essential component of modeling groundwater flow and saline contamination north of the fault. Understanding the sources and pathways of the saline waters that are migrating into the freshwater sands north of the fault is thus essential in helping to …

A Study Of The Degradative Capabilities Of The Bimetallic System: Mg(Pd/C) As Applied In The Destruction Of Decafluoropentane, An Environmental Contaminant, Douglas Tomlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pollution from hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) poses a serious challenge to the environmental community. Released from industrial operations, they have contaminated both the atmosphere and groundwater and are considered persistent in both media.1 For over the past 20 years, the practice of synthesizing hydrofluorocarbons as alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) has been conducted in an effort to reverse the effects of stratospheric ozone layer depletion. 2,3 However, in doing so these new fluorinated compounds exhibited an unexpected property as a potent global warming greenhouse gas (GHG) with radiative forcing potentials in the range of 100 to 10,000 equivalents greater than carbon dioxide.4 Conversely, …