HR: 15:25h
AN: NS13A-08 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Exploring Hydrological and Biogeochemical Processes Associated With Remedial Treatments Using Geophysical Methods
AU: * Hubbard, S
EM: sshubbard@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road MS 90-1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Englert, A
EM: alenglert@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road MS 90-1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Kowalsky, M
EM: mbkowalsky@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road MS 90-1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Chen, J
EM: jchen@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road MS 90-1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Peterson, J
EM: jepeterson@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road MS 90-1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Williams, K H
EM: khwilliams@lbl.gov
AF: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road MS 90-1116, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AB: Many remediation approaches induce biogeochemical transformations in subsurface systems, such as mineral dissolution and precipitation, gas evolution, and biomass generation. These processes can in turn alter the permeability and porosity of a subsurface system. Although understanding how hydrological and biogeochemical properties change over space and time in response to remedial treatments is critical for developing and predicting effective remediation strategies, it is hindered by our inability to monitor these processes with sufficient resolution over field-relevant scales. Recent advances in hydrogeophysics and biogeophysics have illustrated the potential that geophysical methods have for characterizing subsurface hydrological properties and for indicating biogeochemical changes associated with remedial treatments. Here, we investigate hydrological and biogeochemical processes associated with laboratory and field bioremediation experiments using advanced characterization and monitoring approaches. Specifically, we explore: the utility of using time-lapse geophysical methods for quantifying biogeochemical reaction end-products; the influence of initial hydrogeochemical heterogeneity on the spatiotemporal distribution of biogeochemical transformations; and subsequent alterations of the flow field caused by the transformations. Our experimental and numerical studies confirm a close coupling between hydrological and biogeochemical processes at both laboratory and field scales, and suggest that geophysical methods have the potential to provide insights into the complex processes in a manner that should be useful for guiding remedial treatments.
DE: 0416 Biogeophysics
DE: 0418 Bioremediation
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
DE: 1835 Hydrogeophysics
DE: 1869 Stochastic hydrology
SC: Near-Surface Geophysics [NS]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting