Aquifer-aquitard System Research Articles

Horizontal well hydraulics in leaky confined aquifer near a stream: analytical solutions for induced drawdown and water budget components.

Horizontal wells have gained popularity as a technology for exploring water resources and remediating aquifers over the last decades, due to costs and numerous technical benefits compared to traditional vertical wells. This study presents a set of analytical solutions for drawdown distribution and various components of water budget contributing to flow toward a horizontal well in an aquifer-aquitard system interacting with a fully penetrating stream. It is assumed that the water level in the upper unconfined aquifer remains fixed at a specific elevation during the course of the pumping in the lower leaky aquifer. The water budget components account for inflows from aquifer storage, stream depletion, and leakage across the aquifer-aquitard interface. Analytical solutions to this three-dimensional, transient, non-axisymmetric Darcian flow model are given for both transient and steady-state flow conditions, relying on a four-fold integral transform technique that includes a Robin-type boundary condition at the aquifer-aquitard interface. It is shown how various components of water budget collectively counterbalance the effect of pumping discharge, confirming that the mass is conserved under both continuous and non-continuous pumping scenarios. Response maps are prepared to assess how different components of water budget react to changes in the well position. Furthermore, it is found that the components of water budget are most sensitive to the well-to-stream distance and anisotropy ratio of the leaky aquifer.

Why pile-supported building settled continuously after water level was stabilized during dewatering: Clues from interaction between pile and multi aquifers

Dewatering in a multi-layered aquifer-aquitard system often causes groundwater drawdowns in multiple aquifers, which together lead to obvious settlement of adjacent pile-supported building. This paper documents an in-situ pumping test conducted in a multi-aquifer system. It indicates that an adjacent pile-supported building settled continuously after water level was stabilized. To clarify the possible reasons for this phenomenon, a series of numerical models were established, validated and employed to explore the load transfer behaviour between pile and multi-aquifers during different dewatering conditions. Results indicate that the appearances of several aquitards in the multi-aquifer system significantly block the hydraulic connection between different aquifers, leading to non-synchronized developments of groundwater drawdown and pile shaft resistance at different soil layers during pit dewatering, which eventually causes the lagging settlement of the building. In practical pit dewatering in multi-aquifer system, engineers should appropriately increase the monitoring time for the deformation of adjacent pile-supported buildings for avoiding missing the maximum settlement.

Pumping-induced groundwater aging and rejuvenation in aquifer-aquitard systems: A perspective from regional groundwater flow

As an indicator of the renewability of a groundwater basin, the spatial distribution of groundwater age has attracted intensive research. As reported in the literature, 3H measurements in 74 US aquifers showed pumping-induced groundwater rejuvenation, whereas 14C ages in two heavily developed aquifers in France and China indicated pumping-induced groundwater aging. Unfortunately, the mechanisms leading to the seemingly opposite behavior of pumping-induced aging and rejuvenation remain unclear. In this study, we conducted numerical simulations of groundwater age in layered aquifer-aquitard systems under different pumping scenarios and aquitard permeability to show that pumping-induced groundwater rejuvenation and aging always occur simultaneously. Groundwater rejuvenation widely occurs throughout the basin wherever the well is located, whereas groundwater aging mainly occurs to the downgradient parts of the basin. Although groundwater rejuvenation is larger in area, groundwater aging is greater in magnitude, and the magnitude of aging increases with pumping intensity and duration. Moreover, when pumping occurs in the discharge area, aging could occur in almost the entire aquifer to the downgradient of the pumping well, and the magnitude of aging is larger. The large area and large magnitude of aging in the discharge area is a direct result of upward leakage of old groundwater from underlying aquitards/aquifers, which is controlled by the topography-driven groundwater flow. By demonstrating the importance of topography-driven groundwater flow and underlying formations in groundwater age redistribution, this study has implications for determining the bottom of a groundwater flow and solute transport model and interpretation of various tracers.

A Study on the Coexistence of Anthropogenic and Natural Sources in a Three-Dimensional Aquifer

A study using mathematical modeling has been conducted to analyze how both man-made and natural sources of contaminants affect various layers of an aquifer-aquitard system. The xy-, yz-, and zx-plane have been used to depict the locations where the natural sources of contaminant occur on the xz- and yz-plane, and where the man-made sources occur, on the xy-plane. It is assumed that the sources occurring in different planes are constant, while the velocity of groundwater flow has been considered only along the x-axis. A three-dimensional advection dispersion equation (ADE) has been used to accurately model the flow of groundwater and contaminants through a porous medium. Three distinct sources exert their influence on three separate planes throughout the entire duration of this study, thus making it possible to model these sources using initial conditions. This study presents a profile of contaminant concentration in space and time when constant sources are located on different planes. Some physical assumptions have been considered to make the model relatable to real-world phenomena. Often, finding stability conditions for numerical solutions becomes difficult, so an unconditionally stable solution is more appreciable. The homotopy analysis method (HAM), a method known for its unconditional stability, has been used to solve a three-dimensional mathematical model (ADE) along with its initial conditions. Man-made sources show more impact than equal-strength natural sources in the aquifer-aquitard system.

Profiles of δ18O and δ2H in porewater of a Mesozoic rock sequence: Regional variability and relation to large-scale transport regimes

A large drilling campaign has been conducted across sediments of the Tertiary Molasse Basin and the underlying Mesozoic in Northern Switzerland in the context of underground disposal of radioactive waste. The ~300-400 m thick Mesozoic low-permeability rock sequence of interest is located between the regional aquifers made of Malm limestone at the top and dolomite/limestone formations of the Muschelkalk at the bottom. Locally, water-conducting zones occur in Dogger marl/limestone (Hauptrogenstein) below the Malm and/or in Keuper sandstone/dolomite above the Muschelkalk aquifer. Here we report on the distribution of the natural tracers δ2H and δ18O in porewater and groundwater from eight new boreholes in three study areas. The distribution of these tracers is the result of hydrogeological processes acting in the past, and their analysis offers unique possibilities to decode large-scale transport processes. The large data set allows us to compare the variability of δ18O and δ2H vertically as well as laterally in the three areas (∼20 km apart) and in the 2–4 boreholes in each area (a few km apart). The eight isotope profiles show many similarities, but also distinct features that are related to the lateral variation of aquifer properties, tectonic setting and topography, and the geometry of the aquifer-aquitard systems. Boundaries of the profiles are typically given by groundwater in the Malm (one location in the Dogger) and Muschelkalk aquifer, and locally by water-conducting zones in the Keuper. Maximum isotope values in the central part of the profiles plot to the right of the GMWL (Global Meteoric Water Line) to different degrees, as do values in the Malm aquifer. Towards the Keuper aquifer (if present) and the Muschelkalk aquifer, the values decrease smoothly and sharply, respectively, and approach the GMWL. The sharp decrease towards the Muschelkalk aquifer indicates a change in the isotope signature in the recent past or is related to low porosity and low diffusivity values in adjacent anhydrite layers. The two tracers δ2H and δ18O show different trends in the more central parts (almost constant or decreasing with depth, respectively). These differences are very likely inherited from pre-Pleistocene processes, i.e., before the present-day signatures in the aquifers came into play. Transport simulations are used to narrow down the timing of changes in the aquifer signatures in the more recent past (10 ka to few Ma ago). The data presented here demonstrate that (1) lateral variability is limited, even though the low-permeability zones are found at different depths, meaning that transport regimes were similar over large times of the past, (2) the known lateral variability of the Keuper aquifer is confirmed by the porewater profiles, (3) diffusion can explain the observed profile shapes and (4) signatures in the central parts of the low-permeability zone are oldest in the sense that they are furthest away from the GMWL.

Vertical leaching of paleo-saltwater in a coastal aquifer–aquitard system of the Pearl River Delta

Marine transgressive and regressive processes have promoted the formation of deltas and estuaries from the postglacial period, and the coastal aquifer-aquitard system can be identified based on the complicated sedimentary environments in the river delta. The groundwater system is usually composed of freshwater and paleo saltwater, and the vertical leaching of paleo saltwater from aquitard to fresh aquifer occurs due to density difference and gravity effect. In this study, radium quartet and radon were used as the tracers for groundwater due to their different half-lives. We constructed a radium reactive transport model considering the vertical leaching of paleo saltwater in a deltaic aquifer-aquitard system and then applied it in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The activity ratio of 224Ra to 228Ra was used to characterize whether the groundwater system was controlled by α-recoil or sufficient 232Th under fully weathered condition, and results showed that the deltaic system was well weathered and the vertical leaching of paleo saltwater inhibited the α-recoil input and increased the decay of the sorbed parent nuclide in the aquifer. After incorporating the vertical leaching of saltwater in the model, the value of retardation factor in the shallow aquitard evidently increased, meaning that the leaching of salty porewater into the aquifer greatly affected the adsorption–desorption process of radium isotopes in the aquitard, and the value of retardation factor reduced to the lower limit in the basal aquifer, indicating that the desorption process was determined by the vertical leaching of saltwater here. After considering the effect of vertical leaching, the estimated water transit time in the aquifer was decreased and the groundwater discharge rate was increased, and the converse results were obtained in the aquitard. The proposed radium reactive transport model advances the understanding of the salinization process in coastal aquifers through vertical migration and facilitates the understanding of freshening process of paleo saltwater in the river delta with similar hydrogeological settings.

Offshore freshened groundwater in the Pearl River estuary and shelf as a significant water resource

Large-river deltaic estuaries and adjacent continental shelves have experienced multiple phases of transgressions and regressions to form interlayered aquifer-aquitard systems and are expected to host vast paleo-terrestrial groundwater hundreds of kilometres offshore. Here, we used offshore hydrogeology, marine geophysical reflections, porewater geochemistry, and paleo-hydrogeological models, and identified a previously unknown offshore freshened groundwater body with a static volume up to 575.6 ± 44.9 km3 in the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent continental shelf, with the freshwater extending as far as 55 km offshore. An integrated analysis of stable isotopic compositions and water quality indices reveals the meteoric origins of such freshened groundwater and its significance as potential potable water or raw water source for desalination. Hotspots of offshore freshened groundwater in large-river deltaic estuaries and adjacent continental shelves, likely a global phenomenon, have a great potential for exploitable water resources in highly urbanized coastal areas suffering from freshwater shortage.

Assessing Vulnerability of Regional-Scale Aquifer-Aquitard Systems in East Gulf Coastal Plain of Alabama by Developing Groundwater Flow and Transport Models

Groundwater vulnerability assessment helps subsurface water resources management by providing scientific information for decision-makers. Rigorous, quantitative assessment of groundwater vulnerability usually requires process-based approaches such as groundwater flow and transport modeling, which have seldom been used for large aquifer-aquitard systems due to limited data and high model uncertainty. To quantify the vulnerability of regional-scale aquifer-aquitard systems in the East Gulf Coastal Plain of Alabama, a three-dimensional (3D) steady-state groundwater flow model was developed using MODFLOW, after applying detailed hydrogeologic information to characterize seven main aquifers bounded by aquitards. The velocity field calibrated by observed groundwater heads was then applied to calculate groundwater age and residence time for this 3D aquifer-aquitard system via backward/forward particle tracking. Radioactive isotope data (14C and 36Cl) were used to calibrate the backward particle tracking model. Results showed that shallow groundwater (<300 ft below the groundwater table) in southern Alabama is mainly the Anthropocene age (25–75 years) and hence susceptible to surface contamination, while the deep aquifer-aquitard systems (700 ft or deeper below the groundwater table) contain “fossil” waters and may be safe from modern contamination if there is no artificial recharge/discharge. Variable horizontal and vertical vulnerability maps for southern Alabama aquifer-aquitard systems reflect hydrologic conditions and intermediate-scale aquifer-aquitard architectures in the regional-scale models. These large-scale flow/transport models with coarse resolutions reasonably characterize the broad distribution and vertical fluctuation of groundwater ages, probably due to aquifer-aquitard structures being captured reliably in the geology model. Parameter sensitivity analysis, vadose zone percolation time, wavelet analysis, and a preliminary extension to transient flow were also discussed to support the aquifer vulnerability assessment indexed by groundwater ages for southern Alabama.

Evaluation of basin-scale hydrogeological changes induced by reservoir operation at the Xiluodu dam site

Impoundment of large-capacity reservoirs has a great impact on groundwater flow in aquifer-aquitard systems. This impact occurs not only at the local scale in the dam area, but also at the regional scale under particular site conditions, causing unexpected geohazards and deformation phenomena. In this study, basin-scale hydrogeological changes induced by reservoir filling and operation at the Xiluodu dam site in southwest China are investigated by hierarchical numerical simulations. Hierarchical groundwater flow models consisting of a basin-scale model (34 km in horizontal dimension) and a site-scale model (4 km) are developed and solved with MODFLOW and a finite element code, respectively, by applying the output of the basin-scale model on the lateral boundaries of the site-scale model. The groundwater level changes in and the groundwater exchange between the confined and unconfined aquifer systems are evaluated. The groundwater level in the confined aquifer has significantly increased by about 96 m beneath the dam site since reservoir filling, and the dimension of the influence zone with an increase over 10 m in groundwater level reaches about 7–9 km in the basin. The rate of vertical leakage from the confined to unconfined aquifer first decreases during the initial filling, and then increases gradually as the pressure propagates into the confined aquifer. It is predicted that the dynamically equilibrated state will be reached in 2027. The local vertical leakage occurring in the plunge pool area along the unplugged boreholes drilled during site investigation is confirmed by a calculation based on the Theis formula. The results are useful for decision-making related to the reservoir operation and safety assessment of the dam.

Evolutionary history of the groundwater system in the Pearl River Delta (China) during the Holocene

Abstract Coastal groundwater reservoirs are sensitive to the complicated evolution of marine transgressions and regressions in river delta regions. We integrated hydrogeological investigation and hydrogeochemical data with numerical modeling to assess the evolution of the groundwater system in the Pearl River Delta’s aquifer system (in southeastern China). We studied the effects of flow dynamics and redox conditions on the biogeochemical processes of nutrients in the regional groundwater flow systems in response to the transient states related to variable paleoprecipitation and seawater salinity decline from the late Pleistocene to the Holocene. The results from paleo-hydrogeological reconstruction of the aquifer-aquitard system showed that the saline groundwater formed by paleo-seawater intrusion was still present in the old marine aquitard and affected groundwater salinity and chemicals in the adjacent aquifers, while most of the groundwater in the shallow young marine aquitard has been freshened by infiltrated old/fresh rainwater. Consequently, total ammonium and carbon stored in the Pearl River Delta were estimated to be (1.91 ± 1.13) × 107 mol m–1 and (5.74 ± 4.05) × 107 mol m–1, respectively, and the ammonium and bicarbonate fluxes derived from groundwater discharge to the sea were calculated as (90.6 ± 55.9) mol m–1 yr–1 and (301.02 ± 196.23) mol m–1 yr–1, respectively. If the buried ammonium in the delta is released to the sea, it would be equivalent to nearly 205 ± 123 yr of Pearl River fluvial loading. These findings suggest that the chemicals trapped in the deltaic aquifer system during the Holocene could contribute to future ocean eutrophication and acidification.

Impact of air pollution on groundwater contamination through water reservoir

ABSTRACT In this article, an incisive analysis had been carried out to investigate the impact of air pollution on groundwater through a water reservoir. The primary objective of the present work was to develop a mathematical model that shows the direct impact of air pollution on groundwater contamination. The advection-dispersion equation (ADE) was considered to model the contaminant transport through the different media. Due to its inherent complexities, contaminant transport through the different domains was often difficult to model. To overcome it, the simple solution was to consider different velocities and dispersion for different domains. It was considered that the air zone was directly connected with the groundwater through a large water body. Initially, water body and aquifer had been considered contaminant free along with the flux type boundary condition at the semi-infinite part of the boundary. The model had been solved analytically using Laplace transformations. The current study demonstrates that depending upon the length of the medium the impact of contaminant would vary significantly. The air pollution source height had a direct impact on the contaminant concentration level in the aquifer aquitard system. The current study also illustrates that around 25% of air pollutants were induced in the groundwater.

Identification of chlorohydrocarbon degradation pathways in aquitards using dual element compound-specific isotope measurements in aquifers

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) has been increasingly used to understand and quantify the (bio)degradation processes affecting chlorohydrocarbons in aquifer-aquitard systems. In this study, we aimed at investigating through reactive transport simulations if dual element (C, Cl) CSIA in aquifer samples can provide information about the occurring (bio)degradation pathways in the underlying aquitard. To that end, we modeled the continous dissolution of a 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TeCA) dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source in an aquifer as well as the resulting TeCA groundwater plume formation and diffusion into the underlying aquitard. The (bio)degradation of TeCA in the aquifer-aquitard system was simulated in four scenarios: TeCA biodegradation via dehydrohalogenation to trichloroethene (TCE) and TeCA dichloroelimination to dichloroethene (DCE) in the aquifer as well as in the aquitard. The simulations revealed that dual element (C, Cl) CSIA in the aquifer allows the disentanglement of whether TeCA degradation occurs in the aquifer or the aquitard and which (bio)degradation pathways occur in the aquitard. This demonstrates that chlorohydrocarbon (bio)degradation pathways in aquitards can be identified based on CSIA aquifer measurements only, which is an advantage as aquifers are easier to monitor than aquitards.

Undrained stability of pit-in-pit braced excavations under hydraulic uplift

Pit-in-pit (PIP) excavations in an aquifer–aquitard system likely undergo catastrophic failures under the hydraulic uplift, the associated undrained stability problem, however, has not been well analyzed in the past. To this end, a hypothetical model of PIP braced excavation in typical soil layers of Shanghai, China is developed using the finite element limit analysis (FELA) tool. The FELA solutions of safety factors (FSs) against hydraulic uplift are verified with the results from the finite element analysis with strength reduction technique (SRFEA) and existing design approaches. Subsequently, FELA is employed to identify the triggering and failure mechanisms of PIP braced excavations subjected to hydraulic uplift. A series of parametric studies considering the various geometric configurations of the PIP excavation, undrained shear strengths of aquitard, and artesian pressures are carried out. The sensitivities of relevant design parameters are further assessed using a multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) model that is capable of accurately capturing the nonlinear relationships between a set of input variables and output variables in multi-dimensions. A MARS-based design equation used for predicting FS is finally presented using the artificial dataset from FELA for practical design uses.

A novel analytical model of solute transport in a layered aquifer system with mixing processes in the reservoirs.

Analytical models of solute transport have been widely used to aid the understanding of the physical and chemical processes undergone by substances introduced in a layered aquifer system. However, in previous studies, the advection component of transport was assumed to be one dimensional, while also ignoring the mixing processes that occur in the inlet and the outlet reservoirs. In this study, new sets of models describing those mixing processes are presented. Beyond that, these models were integrated into already existing models and the result is a novel analytical model of solute transport in aquifer-aquitard systems. The novel analytical solution was derived by the Laplace transform method and the finite-cosine Fourier transform method under the mobile-immobile (MIM) framework. The calculations take into account: the longitudinal and vertical dispersion, the molecular diffusion and the horizonal and vertical advection components of solute transport, as well as first-order chemical reaction, in both the aquifer and the aquitard. A finite-difference solution of the model is tested against experimental data in order to critique its reliability. Results indicate that the numerical and analytical solutions of the new model match well with experimental data. This new model outperforms the previous models in terms of interpreting experimental data. The mixing old and new water in the reservoirs during solute transport in aquifer-aquitard systems is important. Global sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the output concentration of solute in the aquifer-aquitard system is most sensitive to the volume of water in the inlet reservoir. The contribution of the molecular diffusion effect to the total mass flux of the tracer cross the aquifer-aquitard interface is much smaller than the contribution of the dispersive and advective effects.

Leakage From Coexisting Geologic Forcing and Injection‐Induced Pressurization: A Semi‐Analytical Solution for Multilayered Aquifers With Multiple Wells

AbstractAbnormal fluid pressures (above or below hydrostatic pressure) can develop and persist in sedimentary basins. The common occurrence of abnormal pressures may cause challenges for project permitting of geological carbon sequestration (GCS), particularly in reservoirs with pre‐injection overpressure. The leaky wells that may exist in some sedimentary basins can provide flow paths between deep brine aquifers and shallower freshwater aquifers. Pre‐injection relative overpressures can cause brine leakage through leaky wells even before any injection occurs. The tendency for flow through leaky wells is coupled with the process of pressure dissipation that occurs through aquitards. Specifically, with non‐zero permeability, aquitards can dissipate pressure over large areal extents and thereby reduce leakage rates through leaky wells. This study presents development of a semi‐analytical solution for hydraulic head and brine leakage in multilayered aquifer–aquitard systems with geologic pressure forcing. The geologic forcing that causes abnormal pressures in the multilayered system can coexist with any number of injection, extraction, and leaky wells that also affect fluid pressure. The semi‐analytical model is applied to explore how leakage through leaky wells varies as functions of pressurization rate, along with aquitard and leaky well properties in an overpressured multilayered system. The results show that although injection‐induced pressures can dissipate rapidly through suitably permeable aquitards, coexisting geologic forcing may create sustained rates of brine leakage into freshwater aquifers through leaky wells. In GCS, a very low‐permeability aquitard with high capillary entry pressure to free‐phase CO2 is desired to serve as the caprock to prevent leakage of CO2 from the storage reservoir. Nevertheless, the results from this study show that the brine leakage impact to shallow freshwater aquifers through leaky wells might substantially decrease with increasing aquitard permeability values, as long as small aquitard permeability and high capillary entry pressure serve to prevent CO2 leakage.

Identifying the source of groundwater contaminants in West-Central Wisconsin, U.S.A.: Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the Cambrian sandstone aquifer

Naturally-sourced groundwater quality issues are common, but there is rarely a geochemical and mineralogical dataset of aquifer properties for comparison. This study utilizes geochemical and mineralogical data to characterize naturally-occurring minerals that are potential groundwater contaminants in the Cambrian Eau Claire – Mount Simon aquitard-aquifer system of west-central Wisconsin, U.S.A. A high-resolution portable x-ray fluorescence elemental analysis was used for initial characterization of geochemistry and chemostratigraphy of well cutting and drill core samples. Then, a subset of sample materials was analyzed mineralogically and geochemically using XRD and ICP-MS, respectively. Elevated concentrations of arsenic, phosphorous, strontium, and various metals within the aquitard-aquifer sandstone were identified, mostly associated with sulfide minerals and iron (hydr)oxides and suggestive of Mississippi Valley-type mineralization. Similar elemental contaminants in surface and groundwater in the study area indicate that the observed trace element-bearing minerals are a natural source of groundwater contamination, most likely through release into groundwater during fluctuating redox and pH conditions near the water table. Co-occurrence of iron (hydr)oxide-coated sulfide minerals near the water table, and observations of sulfide oxidation post-drilling, suggests sulfides in these units are actively oxidizing. Well construction recommendations based on these results should mitigate current or future pumping of trace element-contaminated groundwater and in the vast majority of cases eliminate naturally-occurring contaminants as a potential source. This study provides an extensive baseline dataset of aquifer mineralogy and trace element composition (and an efficient approach for data collection) that is necessary for interpreting and attributing possible future groundwater quality issues.

Evolution of deep ground settlement subject to groundwater drawdown during dewatering in a multi-layered aquifer-aquitard system: Insights from numerical modelling

When a foundation pit is under hydraulic connection with surrounding environment, foundation pit dewatering usually incurs a series of environmental problems such as ground settlement. Recent studies reveal that the greatest settlement induced by dewatering sometimes appears in deep aquifer but sometimes appears at ground surface. This indicates that the location of the greatest settlement (LoGS) due to dewatering is uncertain. To reveal the evolution law of LoGS subject to groundwater drawdown during dewatering, a fluid–solid coupling numerical model was established based on a practical dewatering test inside a foundation pit. Measured and computed distributions of ground settlement and groundwater drawdown around the foundation pit were compared. Further, extensive numerical simulations were conducted to clarify the evolution of LoGS under different dewatering conditions. If the dewatered aquifer is of strong hydraulic connection with the overlying aquifers, the dewatering-induced maximum settlement will initially appear at the top of the dewatered aquifer but quickly shift upward to the ground surface. If a poor hydraulic connectivity exists between them, the maximum settlement will always stay at the top of the dewatered aquifer. However, regardless of the hydraulic conditions in strata, a good agreement always exists between LoGS and the zero-drawdown location above the dewatered aquifer.

Application of electrical resistivity to map the stratigraphy and salinity of fluvio-deltaic aquifers: case studies from Bangladesh that reveal benefits and pitfalls

Fluvio-deltaic aquifers are the primary source of drinking water for the people of Bangladesh. Such aquifers, which comprise the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta, are hydrogeologically heterogeneous. Because of widespread groundwater quality issues in Bangladesh, it is crucial to know the hydrostratigraphic architecture and hydrochemistry, as some aquifer units are contaminated, whereas others are safe. Geophysical methods provide a potentially effective and noninvasive method for extensive characterization of these aquifers. This study applies and investigates the limitations of using electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) for mapping the hydrostratigraphy and salinity of an aquifer-aquitard system adjacent to the Meghna River. Some electrical resistivity (ER) sections showed excellent correlation between resistivity and grain size. These suggest that ERI is a powerful tool for mapping internal aquifer architecture and their boundaries with finer-grained aquitards which clearly appear as low-ER zones. However, in parts of some ER sections, variations in electrical properties were determined by porewater resistivity. In these cases, low ER was indicative of brine and did not indicate the presence of finer-grained materials such as silt or clay. Accordingly, the following hydrostratigraphic zones with different resistivities were detected: (1) aquifers saturated with fresh groundwater, (2) a regional silt/clay aquitard, and (3) a deeper brine-saturated formation. In addition, shallow silt/clay pockets were detected close to the river and below the vadose zone. ERI is thus a promising technique for mapping aquifers versus aquitards; however, the observations are easily confounded by porewater salinity. In such cases, borehole information and groundwater salinity measurements are necessary for ground-truthing.

Laboratory observations for two-dimensional solute transport in an aquifer-aquitard system.

Low-permeability media such as clay appear in nearly all hydrogeological systems. To date, although significant efforts have been put forward by hydrologists, transport mechanism is still not well understood in such media, especially in an aquifer-aquitard system. In this study, two-dimensional experiments of groundwater flow and solute transport were conducted in a clay-sand two-layer system to investigate the characteristics of flow and transport in such a system. Sodium chloride (NaCl) (a conservative tracer) from a tank was injected after passing by the pre-inlet reservoir where the mixing effect and flow transiency were analyzed. A new numerical model considering the mixing effect and flow transiency was developed to interpret the experimental data based on the finite-element COMSOL Multiphysics platform. Transport parameters were assessed by best fitting the observed breakthrough curves (BTCs). Several important results were obtained. Firstly, aquitard advection was found to be non-negligible and should be considered in a proper mathematical model for describing the transport process. Secondly, advective velocities were temporally variable and showed decreasing trends in the sand and clay layers, mainly due to the impacts of physical and biological clogging. Thirdly, the mixing effect in the pre-inlet reservoir led to a lower tracer concentration in the sand layer at early times. Finally, the observed BTCs exhibited early arrivals in the clay layer, possibly resulting from preferential flow pathways. These findings can provide hints for contamination remediation works in aquifer-aquitard systems.

Molecular characterization of microbial communities in a peat-rich aquifer system contaminated with chlorinated aliphatic compounds.

In an aquifer-aquitard system in the subsoil of the city of Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy) highly contaminated with chlorinated aliphatic toxic organics such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a strong microbial-dependent dechlorination activity takes place during migration of contaminants through shallow organic-rich layers with peat intercalations. The in situ microbial degradation of chlorinated ethenes, formerly inferredby the utilization of contaminant concentration profiles and Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA), was here assessed using Illumina sequencing of V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA gene and by clone library analysis of dehalogenase metabolic genes. Taxon-specific investigation of the microbial communities catalyzing the chlorination process revealed the presence of not only dehalogenating genera such as Dehalococcoides and Dehalobacter but also of numerous other groups of non-dehalogenating bacteria and archaea thriving on diverse metabolisms such as hydrolysis and fermentation of complex organic matter, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis, which can indirectly support the reductive dechlorination process. Besides, the diversity of genes encoding some reductive dehalogenases was also analyzed. Geochemical and 16S rRNA and RDH gene analyses, as a whole, provided insights into the microbial community complexity and the distribution of potential dechlorinators. Based on the data obtained, a possible network of metabolic interactions has been hypothesized to obtain an effective reductive dechlorination process.