Hydrology Commons^™

The Effects Of Composting Of Yard Wastes On The Ground-Water Quality: Wmu Farms Site, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bryan Kirk Allen

Masters Theses

In the rush to find alternatives to landfilling of yard waste, federal and state agencies have identified composting as the main solution. There is therefore a need to address the possible environmental problems which could be associated with such composting operations. Compost may contain nutrients, organic acids, pesticides, and metals which could leach through soils to the ground water posing a potential contamination problem.

At the WMU Farms Site, two sites have been used for the composting of leaves by the City of Kalamazoo. The physical and chemical hydrogeology of these sites were characterized.

The results suggest that the presence …

Groundwater Chemistry Analysis Of The Saginaw Formation In Delhi Township, Michigan, Sam L. Kitchin

Masters Theses

Groundwater chemistry and well data provided by the Ingham County (Michigan) Health Department were used to evaluate the distribution of inorganic chemical constituents in the groundwater flow system of the Saginaw Formation, in Delhi Township, Michigan. The data also were used to study the distribution of chemical constituents with respect to different rock types of the Saginaw Formation. The data were analyzed to examine if variations in the concentrations of the chemical constituents and the values of other chemical parameters relate to rock-water interactions, groundwater flow systems, or groundwater contamination.

The results indicate that patterns of increasing or decreasing concentrations …

Ground-Water Contamination By Volatile Organic Compounds: Sources Of Error, Temporal And Spatial Variability, Gary Thomas Blinkiewicz

Masters Theses

Data on the distributions of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), principally trichloroethane and dichloroethylenes, in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer near Rockford, IL have been collected for a number of years. Synoptic sampling events from a dense monitoring well network within a greater than 4 mi^2 area, provide the basis for the evaluation of sources of variability in concentrations in space and time. Sampling, and analysis-related variability in these data contribute less than 10% of total variance. Spatial and temporal variability over periods of months to years are significant Results suggest that contaminant distributions can be resolved best by using …

Improved Filter-Pack Design For Hydrocarbon Recovery Wells In Unconsolidated Aquifers, Thomas R. Barrett

Masters Theses

Laboratory sand tank experiments and two field studies were conducted to determine filter-pack designs that would increase the hydrocarbon flow rate into hydrocarbon recovery wells. Previous laboratory experiments have shown that using filter-packs of Teflon chips or sands treated with a water repellent spray will increase the rate of hydrocarbon recovery into wells in laboratory bail down test experiments.

The results of the laboratory investigations suggest that using a hydrophobic filter-pack with a median grain-size of 2.5-3.5 greater than that of the aquifer will provide the greatest rate of hydrocarbon recovery.

In two field studies, wells constructed with a hydrophobic …

A Study Of Ground-Water Quality In A Priority Agricultural And Livestock Watershed, Cass County, Michigan, Matthew Alan Stuk

Masters Theses

A study of ground-water contamination in a shallow, sandy, glacial drift aquifer was performed in a watershed dominated by swine feedlots and crop fields in Cass County, Michigan. Monitoring wells were installed and sampled to study the flow pattern, chemistry, and contamination of ground water.

Results of chemical analyses show contamination from fertilizers and other soil-applied chemicals as well as the infiltration of breakdown products from pig waste. Shallow wells in impacted areas show potassium and nitrate from the breakdown of fertilizers, calcium from field application of lime, and additional nitrate from pig waste. Elevated calcium, potassium, and nitrate concentrations …

Hydrogeologic Characterization Of A Multi-Aquifer System At Station 11 In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Linda G. Jones

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the hydraulic connection between the upper and lower confined glacial drift aquifers. The results of this study are based primarily upon the geologic profiles, a comparison of the head differences within each aquifer, potentiometric surfaces and different lag times for precipitation to reach each aquifer.

Results of the aquifer test showed that the upper confining layer pinches out in the western part of the well field. This area also provided significant recharge to the well field during the aquifer test. Data collected during the aquifer test and the increases in water levels …

Fractures In The Jacobsville Sandstone And The Precambrian “W” Rocks In Eastern Marquette County, Michigan, Leonard Paul Belliveau

Masters Theses

The major fracture systems in the Jacobsville sandstone likely originated by reverse faulting on the Keweenaw fault and by glacially produced thrusting. Fracture orientations, apertures, and spacings are uniform in the Jacobsville sandstone and Lighthouse Point member of the Mona Schist, and are variable in the Lower member of the Mona schist and Compeau Creek gneiss. Fracture sets in the Compeau Creek gneiss exist in domains separated by metadiabase dikes. The metadiabase dikes relieved the strain produced by the Penokean orogeny by fracturing. Fractures present in inclusions, quartz veins, metadiabase and diabase dikes can be used to temporally evaluate the …

An Analysis Of Hydrogeologic Factors Affecting Aquifer Vulnerability In Southwestern Michigan, Steven E. Benton

Masters Theses

In southwestern Michigan aquifers are threatened by human activities. Parameter/factor weighting systems are used to rate aquifer vulnerability. Hydrogeologic factors affecting aquifer vulnerability were investigated in this study.

Well records, soil surveys, hydrogeologic reports, and partial chemical analyses were used to obtain data on the aquifers, soil types, glacial sediments, and types of contaminants. Data analysis included comparisons of means and medians, factor analysis, and Pearson and Spearman Correlation analysis.

The results indicate that the aquifers in Kalamazoo County are not protected. Depending on the type of glacial sediment, hydrogeologic factors that protect aquifers are clay thickness and the depth …

A Hydrogeochemical Characterization Of A Glacial-Drift Aquifer System In Southwest Michigan, Patrick G. Barrese

Masters Theses

A hydrogeochemical investigation of the Schoolcraft Aquifer, an unconfined, glacial-drift aquifer located in southwest Michigan, was undertaken to focus on three topics: (1) the geochemical definition of recharge and discharge zones both vertically and laterally along projected flow paths, (2) the description of the carbonate and redox chemical systems, and (3) groundwater degradation associated with excessive nitrate, ammonium, and chloride concentrations.

The results of the study were inconclusive in defining recharge and discharge zones; however, iron and alkalinity concentrations were identified as possible indices for recharge and discharge conditions. The carbonate analysis indicated that the aquifer is saturated with respect …

A Regional Study Of Ground-Water Quality In Barry County, Michigan, Margene K. Brewer

Masters Theses

A regional study of ground-water quality in Barry County, Michigan was conducted using a computerized database from the Science for Citizens Center at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The database, initiated by the Michigan Groundwater Survey, consists of residential well logs and chemical analyses of samples collected from residential wells by the Barry County Health Department. Qualitative and statistical analyses of the data indicate that the glacial drift aquifer is recharging the bedrock aquifer throughout most of the county. Groundwater quality appears to be controlled mainly by the open-system dissolution of carbonate minerals. The water chemistry is also influenced …

Effects Of Capillarity On Dnapl Thickness In Wells And In Adjacent Sands, Timothy V. Adams

Masters Theses

Physical model experiments were used to investigate the behavior of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in various geologic media.

The objectives of the laboratory investigations were to (a) compare DNAPL thickness in wells to thickness in adjacent sands, (b) observe and interpret dyed DNAPL migration in unsaturated and saturated sands, and (c) study DNAPLs' effects on clay layers.

Two cylindrical glass columns fitted with various well screens were filled with sand, clay layers, water, and dyed DNAPLs in four experiments. Columns were packed with fine or coarse sand and clay layers. Coarse hydrophobic sand was also used.

At equilibrium, DNAPL …

The Effects Of Urbanization On A Portion Of The Portage Creek Watershed: A Case Study On Surface Water And Groundwater Quality, Susan E. Rezek

Masters Theses

The surface water and groundwater quality in the study area of the Portage Creek watershed was analyzed to determine the possible effects of urbanization. Dry weather and wet weather surface water and groundwater samples were collected from June 1986 to November 1986 at selected stations in the watershed.

Water samples were analyzed for 26 inorganic and organic parameters. Most concentrations were below analytic method detection limits. The analytical data indicate that sodium and chloride are the principal contaminants resulting from urbanization. The probable source of the contamination is deicing salt applied to the City of Portage, Michigan streets.

Overall, the …

A Hydrogeological And Hydrogeochemical Investigation Of Groundwater At A Landfill For Sludge From The Kalamazoo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Richard Howard Christensen

Masters Theses

Major cations and anions were analyzed to determine groundwater chemistry at a site used for the disposal of municipal sludge in the late 1960s and contaminated Portage Creek sedimem dredged in the late 1970s. The disposal site consists of five unlined basins constructed over 50 to 100 feet of stratified sand and gravel outwash underlain by silt and clay. Groundwater in the outwash is unconfined and flows from east to west. A groundwater divide in the center of the site produces local divergent flow to the northwest and southwest. Measurements of chemical constituents indicate that three factors influence groundwater chemistry …

Spatial And Temporal Variations Of Synthetic Organic Compounds In The Contaminant Plume Emanating From The Kl Landfill, Lynn Diane Broede

Masters Theses

Thirty-one synthetic organic compounds have been detected in samples collected from the KL Landfill contaminant plume from March, 1980 to March, 1986. Two groups of organic compounds have been delineated based on their occurrence, concentrations, and persistence throughout the 7-year monitoring period.

Changes in plume geometry and concentration have been studied relative to time, and concentration variations have been related to selected inorganic plume parameters, distance from the landfill, and precipitation. The spatial and temporal distribution of the organic compounds are attributed to biodegradation, three biotransformation sequences, physical properties of the organics and other factors. Three abbreviated anaerobic biotransformation sequences …

Hydrogeology And Hydrogeochemistry Of The Tekonsha Moraine And Adjacent Interlobate Deposits In Charleston Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Victor V. Melbardis

Masters Theses

Hydrogeochemical analyses and hydrogeologic interpretations provide the basis for an understanding of local ground-water flow, in a 12 square mile study area, transected by the Tekonsha Moraine and bound by glaciofluvial deposits. Glacial tills separate an upper and lower aquifer system throughout most of the area.

Degraded and tritiated ground water is present in the lower aquifer system. A negative correlation (-0.62) between tritium concentrations and depth is statistically significant (.04). In this local system, hydrochemical trends are characterized by decreases in sulfate percentages and increases in bicarbonate in the direction of ground-water flow. Statistical evaluation of the hydrochemical data …

Simulation Of Bromide Transport In A Layered Aquifer Using Two-Dimensional And Three-Dimensional Computer Models, Kathleen Michelle Hewitt

Masters Theses

Simulation of a two-well tracer test at a site near Mobile, Alabama was performed and compared with the experimental breakthrough curve. The models used to simulate the test results were the three-dimensional USGS code HST3D and the two-dimensional USGS code MOC. The results of the three-dimensional model were also compared with the results of the two-dimensional model.

The three-dimensional model HST3D predicted the measured breakthrough curve accurately with the exception of early arrival times of the tracer in the withdrawal well. The two-dimensional model MOC did not accurately predict the bromide concentration in the withdrawal well during the two-well test. …

A Laboratory Characterization Of Pulp And Paper Mill Solid Wastes For Potential Use As Hydraulic Barrier Material In Landfill Covers, Carleton Van Maltby

Masters Theses

Fifteen sludges from wastewater treatment systems of pulp and paper mills that encompass major production categories, and eight fly ashes from mill boilers incinerating wood waste, coal, or their combination were characterized for their potential suitability as hydraulic barrier material. Hydraulic conductivity was observed to range over four orders of magnitude for the materials tested.

An Investigation Of A Soil Gas Sampling Technique And Its Applicability For Detecting Gaseous Pce And Tca Over An Unconfined Granular Aquifer, Timothy J. Mayotte

Masters Theses

A soil gas sampling and analytical technique was investigated to evaluate its ability and versatility for detecting chlorinated hydrocarbons in unconfined aquifers. The technique was used successfully to delineate plumes of perchloroethene (PCE), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) contamination present in the vadose zone, and at the water table of an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer. Soil gas samples were obtained by concentrating PCE and TCA vapors diffusing from these sources onto a sorbent material. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. The data from the analysis of these samples were used to provide an initial estimate of the source areas, and …

The Significance Of Organic Complexing In The Mobility Of Iron In The Kl Landfill Leachate Plume, Kalamazoo, Michigan, James D. Rudder

Masters Theses

High iron concentrations in the leachate plume of the KL Landfill in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, persist in the presence of detectable hydrogen-sulfide. Under these conditions iron-sulfide minerals are highly oversaturated and should be precipitating. Calculations performed by the chemical equilibrium model WATEQF indicate over-saturation of selected iron-oxides, siderite, and iron-sulfides. Semilog plots of iron concentration versus time of exposure to air demonstrate retarded precipitation of ferric hydroxide, and analytical techniques of ion chromatography, Fourier transform IR spectrophotometry (FTIR), and UV-Visible spectrophotometry have yielded results which indicate that organic complexing of ferrous iron plays a significant role in the mobility of …

Feasibility Of The Proposed Garden Lane Recharge Basin In Portage, Michigan, Sandra K. Barnick

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential effectiveness of proposed artificial recharge basins at the Garden Lane Well Field in Portage, Michigan. The area is underlain by 7 feet of muck, 27 feet of sand and gravel, and a 10 foot semiconfining till over a semiconfined aquifer.

The vertical permeability of the semiconfining layer, and the hydraulic head difference between the upper unconfined aquifer and the lower semiconfined aquifer were determined. This was accomplished by conducting a constant-rate pump test. Test data were interpreted by three methods: (1) drawdown vs. time (both logarithmic and semilogarithmic), (2) recovery …

Hydrodynamic Character Of The Dundee Limestone In The Central Michigan Basin, Ann Carol Little

Masters Theses

The Middle Devonian Dundee Limestone underlies most of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. A potentiometric surface constructed of the formation, utilizing pressure data was compared to local and regional structure, permeability trends, specific gravity of the brines, oil accumulations, and surficial topography.

The data were distributed mainly in the central basin area, with information becoming more sparse around the basin margins. This created difficulties in the determination of the extent of control imparted by each of the factors, in flow direction. Surficial topography, on a regional scale, is likely the most influential of the controls, with the Dundee Limestone brines …

Raw Water Quality In The New Charleston, Illinois Pump Storage Reservoir, Kevin G. Lookis

Masters Theses

Charleston, Illinois, a city located in east-central Illinois, recently implemented a new concept in a raw water system. Due to storage capacity-sedimentation problems in the old Lake Charleston-Embarras River raw water supply, the Charleston Pump Storage Reservoir was constructed. The new system involved building a dike separating the Lake Charleston impoundment from the Embarras River. Water to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir can now be selectively pumped into the impoundment from the river.

Raw water quality in the reservoir was monitored on a weekly basis for a full year from August, 1981 to August, 1982. The levels of …

The Effects Of Precipitation On The Quality Of Ground Water And Leachate Seeps At A Stabilizing Landfill, Nicholas C. Pogoncheff

Masters Theses

A monitoring program was established at a landfill in Kalamazoo County, southwestern Michigan to determine the effects of precipitation on selected parameters in landfill lechate as surface seeps and ground water. Approximately 280 ground-water and surface-water samples were collected from monitoring wells and leachate seeps during more than 11 precipitation events throughout the summer and fall of 1981 and analyzed for specific conductance, pH, chloride, and iron.

Results of the study indicate that infiltration through the refuse due to precipitation is a major factor in controlling the levels of selected leachate characteristics and that with high infiltration rates concentrations will …

The Hydrologic Factors That Control Carbonate Hardness In Kalamazoo County Lakes, Southwestern Michigan, Linda Brittain Fenner

Masters Theses

The range and distribution of carbonate hardness in Kalamazoo County lakes were determined and hydrologic factors thought to control hardness were evaluated. Surface-water samples were collected from thirty- five randomly selected lakes in October, 1980. Carbonate hardness ranged from 16 to 244 mg/1 with 61 percent above 120 mg/1. Ten hydrologic variables were analyzed with respect to lake hardness. Lakes with a surface-water inlet were a ll hard (greater than 180 mg/1) and lakes at least two meters higher than the approximate ground-water table were all relatively soft (less than 100 mg/1). No direct correlations were found between the other …

Hydrogeology Of The Minjur Aquifer System In The Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim A. Al-Jallal

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Photogeologic Linears In The South Long Lake Area, Alpena And Presque Isle Counties, Michigan, Richard E. Kimmel

Masters Theses

There are numerous linear features in Alpena and Presque Isle Counties, Michigan, which are generally visible on aerial photographs. These photolinears trend in two general directions, northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast. These two sets are perpendicular to each other, and represent vector means of two fracture sets.

The development of the photolinears began in Early Devonian. Throughout its history, ground water flowed along underground channels connecting fracture intersections. This underground drainage network is responsible for many of the photolinears. Some of the photolinears can be attributed tb Early Devonian ground water activity and subsequent collapse of the Salina Salt basin, and some …

Pleistocene Aquifers In Coles County, Illinois, James D. Hopkins

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.