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2.3.1.3

3.2.2.1

3.2.2.2

3.4

3.4.3.3

3.7.1.3

3.7.1.4

3.7.1.5

9.1

Preface

From t heir origins, ex ploration a nd i nquiry i n t he Earth sciences have been dependent on conceptual models a nd data v isualizations to test t heories a nd convey fi ndings to t he general public. O ne can appreciate t he power a nd i mportance of conceptual g raphics by flipping t hrough t he pages of a National Geographic magazine. Data v isualization i s i nextricably l inked to quantitative spatial data a nalysis—the t wo major forms of which, for t he Earth sciences, a re statistical i nterpolation a nd modeling. Data a nalysis a nd v isualization are i nvaluable i n assessing t he efficacy of c urrent regulatory a nd consulting practices to ensure t hat political a nd technical i nterventions related to t he management of g roundwater resources a nd contaminated sites a re evidence based a nd lead to desirable outcomes. This book covers conceptual site model development, data a nalysis, a nd v isual data presentation for hydrogeology a nd g roundwater remediation. W hile t his book i s technical in nature, equations a nd advanced t heoretical d iscussions a re m inimized w ith t he focus instead placed on key concepts a nd practical data a nalysis a nd v isualization strategies. As a result, we believe t hat nontechnical stakeholders i nvolved i n g roundwater projects w ill find t his book i nteresting a nd relevant as well. We sincerely hope t hat t he reader’s academic or professional practice, whatever t hat may be, benefits f rom t he t ips a nd techniques contained herein. We w ish to t hank H isham Mahmoud, Don Chandler, Dave Goershel, Dan Grogan, A llen K ibler, Leonard Ledbetter, A nn Massey, Larry Neal, a nd Steve Youngs of AMEC for t heir continuing support a nd advice, a nd Ted Chapin a nd Karl Kasper of Woodard & Curran for their support in the completion of this book.

Authors

Neven K resic i s a hydrogeology practice leader at AMEC Environment a nd I nfrastructure, I nc., a n i nternational engineering a nd consulting fi rm. He i s a professional geologist and professional hydrogeologist working for a variety of national a nd i nternational clients, i ncluding i ndustry, m ining, water utilities, government agencies, a nd environmental law fi rms. Neven holds a bachelor’s degree i n hydrogeological engineering, a master’s degree i n hydrogeology, a nd a PhD in geology, a ll f rom t he University of Belgrade. Before coming to t he United States as a S enior Fulbright Scholar at t he U.S. Geological Survey i n Reston, Virginia, a nd George Washington University i n Washington, DC, Neven was a professor of g roundwater dynamics a nd hydrogeology at t he University of Belgrade. He serves on t he management committee of t he Groundwater Management and Restoration Specialty Group of t he I nternational Water Association, co-chairs t he Karst Commission of t he I nternational Association of Hydrogeologists, a nd i s a past v ice president for international affairs of the American Institute of Hydrology.

Alex M ikszewski i s a l icensed professional environmental engineer i n t he Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where he works for Woodard & Curran, I nc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in c ivil a nd environmental engineering f rom Cornell University and a master’s degree i n environmental engineering a nd science f rom T he Johns Hopkins University. He was a NNEMS fellow i n t he U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation a nd Technology I nnovation. As a consultant, A lex has developed groundwater models for clients i n t he public a nd private sectors i n settings ranging f rom southeastern New Hampshire to the semiarid g roundwater basins of Southern California. H is experience i n statistics a nd geostatistics i nvolves t he u se of computer software to design defensible sampling plans at Superfund sites, delineate contaminant concentrations i n soil and g roundwater, assess surface water–groundwater i nteractions, a nd evaluate t he effects of pumping i n multiple-aquifer systems. A lex has hands-on ex perience w ith a variety of remedial technologies, i ncluding in situ c hemical oxidation, soil vapor extraction, in situ thermal remediation, monitored natural attenuation, and pump and treat.

1

Introduction

The physics of g roundwater flow, geochemistry, contaminant fate a nd t ransport, g roundwater remediation, a nd g roundwater resources development a nd management a re a ll subjects t hat have been covered extensively i n i nnumerable textbooks. T hus, a student or a practicing g roundwater professional has access to a wealth of i nformation regarding hydrogeological t heory. A strong technical background i n hydrogeology a nd related d isciplines, such as fluid mechanics, forms t he foundation for a successful career i n academia or t he public or private sectors. However, t his i s t ypically where t he education ends, a nd continued development i s generally only possible by obtaining real-world ex perience i n field hydrogeology, quantitative spatial data a nalysis, a nd data v isualization t hat i ncludes mapping. T he novice g roundwater professional may a lso fi nd t hat t here a re c ritical hydrogeological concepts applicable at varying i nvestigatory scales t hat a re not t ypically covered in conventional textbooks. T he political a nd regulatory f ramework t hat a hydrogeologist must operate w ithin i s a nother a rea where i mproved educational materials a re desirable but lacking.

The i ntention of t his book i s to fi ll t he void i n hydrogeological l iterature t hrough identification a nd ex planation of key concepts i n professional hydrogeology a nd to provide practical guidance and real-life examples related to the following applications:

• Hydrogeological conceptual site models (Chapter 2)

• Data management and geographic information systems (Chapter 3)

• Contouring (Chapter 4)

• Groundwater modeling (Chapter 5)

• Three-dimensional visualization (Chapter 6)

• Site investigation (Chapter 7)

• Groundwater remediation (Chapter 8)

• Groundwater supply (Chapter 9)

Data v isualization i s u nderestimated i n its i mportance to t he practice of g roundwater professionals. Efficient a nd clear presentation to stakeholders w ith varying technical backgrounds i s essential to t he success of a ny project. T he content a nd design of v isual presentations depend on t he t arget audience, which, i n t he case of professional hydrogeology, may include:

• Regulators such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)

• Commercial and industrial clients

• Attorneys involved in litigation or real-estate transactions

• Juries

• Communities affected by a contaminated site or a water supply project

It i s t he hope of t he authors t hat t his book w ill be i nteresting a nd u seful to a ny of t he above stakeholders i nvolved i n g roundwater projects. W hile t his book i s technical i n nature, equations a nd advanced t heoretical d iscussions a re m inimized, w ith t he focus placed on key concepts, practical data analysis, and visualization strategies.

In addition, concepts a re presented t hroughout t his book related to t he c urrent state of the hydrogeological practice, focusing on prevailing ideologies a nd recommendations for improvement. T hese topics a re often controversial, a nd t he authors hope that this book provokes t hought a nd d iscussion on how we can evolve c urrent policies a nd practices to achieve better outcomes at a lesser cost to society. T he authors have no agenda or u nderlying motivation i n t hese d iscussions, a nd it should be noted t hat t his book was completed without financial support from any public or private entity.

One example of a t hought-provoking topic similar to others i ncluded i n t his book i s the c urrent regulatory policy related to a rsenic (As) i n private d rinking-water supplies i n eastern New England. A rsenic occurs naturally i n metasedimentary bedrock u nits i n t he region t hat a re extensively t apped by private water-supply wells. I n 2003, it was estimated that more t han 100,000 people across eastern New England were u sing private water supplies w ith a rsenic concentrations above t he federal maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 µg/L (Ayotte et a l. 2003). T his represents a w idespread ex posure to a c hemical at dangerously high levels.

Figure 1.1 i s a map of a rsenic concentrations measured at private bedrock wells i n southeastern New Hampshire during a 2003 study performed by t he United States Geological Survey. Despite t hese a larming data, a rsenic i s not regulated by t he state of New Hampshire in private d rinking-water wells, a nd t here a re no c urrent requirements to even test ex isting wells for t he contaminant. I n 2010, a bill (HB 1685) t hat would have made it a requirement to test new wells a nd wells i nvolved i n home sales was k illed by t he New Hampshire Legislature (Susca and Klevens 2011).

In contrast to t his policy of a llowing a rsenic ex posure, environmental regulations require t he ex penditure of m illions of dollars to remediate Superfund a nd state-led contaminated sites where t he ex posure often constitutes a very low r isk (e.g., one i n a m illion excess l ifetime cancer r isk) or i s hypothetical i n nature (e.g., potential f uture consumption of g roundwater). For example, at t he Visalia Pole Yard Superfund site, well over $20 m illion was spent to remediate g roundwater contamination t hat was not posing a n actual r isk (see Chapter 8 for a more detailed d iscussion). T his i s a classic example of policy t hat permits self-inflicted r isk while d isproportionately t argeting externally i nflicted r isk, ignoring t he relative costs a nd benefits of t he overall outcome. O ne potential declaration of t his ideology is

When protecting human health a nd t he environment, it i s not our place to address r isk related to n aturally o ccurring contamination or i ndividual l ifestyle c hoices, but we w ill act aggressively to remedy any minimal level of risk caused by a third-party agent.

The reader should consider how t his logic i mpedes efforts to protect human health a nd the environment. Developing sound conceptual models a nd u sing effective data a nalysis and v isualization tools can help address problems even at t his philosophical scale; practicing g roundwater professionals a re encouraged to u se t heir ex pertise to be active agents of change. A h istorical example of t he power of t hese methods i s provided i n t he following section.

FIGURE 1.1

Arsenic concentrations i n private bedrock wells i n southeastern New Hampshire a nd g rouped geologic u nits showing t he percentage of wells w ith concentrations of a rsenic g reater t han t he c urrent MCL of 0.010 mg/L. (Modified f rom USGS, 2003. A rsenic Concentrations i n Private B edrock Wells i n S outheastern New Hampshire. US Department of the Interior, USGS Fact Sheet 051-03.)

1.1 H istorical E xample

It i s l ikely t hat most hydrogeologists, environmental engineers, epidemiologists, a nd medical doctors have heard t he famous story of D r. John Snow a nd t he Broad Street pump in m id-19th-century London. D r. Snow has been voted t he g reatest doctor of a ll t ime by Hospital Doctor magazine (edging out H ippocrates) a nd i s a lso k nown as t he father of modern epidemiology (Frerichs 2011). T he authors have a lso heard h im referred to as t he fi rst environmental engineer. W hile D r. Snow was a pioneering a nesthesiologist, he i s best known for h is staunch advocacy of t he waterborne t heory of c holera t ransmission, a nd h is innovative work in this area led to his great posthumous fame. In t he m id-19th century, c holera outbreaks were common i n t he c ities of t he i ndustrial revolution, spreading rapidly t hrough densely settled a reas a nd i nflicting f righteningly

high mortality rates. At t he t ime, t he spread of c holera a nd most other d iseases was blamed on foul i nner-city a ir. T his conceptual model for d isease t ransmission by odors was termed t he m iasmatic t heory a nd was w idely accepted by sanitation professionals, public officials, a nd Parliament i n London by t he late 1840s ( Johnson 2006). D r. Snow w ill forever be remembered for his fight against this flawed, superstition-based theory.

Dr. Snow’s i nterest i n c holera was l ikely spurred by t he London c holera outbreak of 1848–1849, which k illed 50,000 people ( Johnson 2006). T he doctor became obsessed w ith the d isease a nd, during t hat outbreak, developed a n original conceptual model for c holera transmission based on h is k nowledge a nd ex perience as a medical doctor. He reasoned t hat cholera i s f undamentally a d iarrheic d isease of t he g ut a nd, t herefore, i s caused by something i ngested rather t han i nhaled. W here advocates of t he m iasmatic t heory a rgued t hat cholera was a poison i nhaled a nd c irculated t hrough t he blood, causing fever, D r. Snow argued t hat t he pathology of c holera i s caused by dehydration f rom severe d iarrhea (Koch 2011). He f urther built h is a rgument on waterborne t ransmission t hrough t wo populationbased studies conducted during t he 1848–1849 epidemic. H is fi ndings were communicated through a landmark 1849 publication On the Mode and Communication of Cholera. W hile Dr. Snow’s work garnered much public i nterest, it was generally concluded, at t he t ime, that h is publication failed to provide sufficient evidence l inking c holera to water supply. He t herefore stewed for a n additional five years before getting a nother c hance at conclusively proving t he accuracy of h is conceptual model. T his opportunity came i n t he form of another c holera outbreak i n t he Soho neighborhood centered on t he famous Broad Street pump (Johnson 2006).

The Soho outbreak was particularly swift a nd v irulent, yet both D r. Snow a nd h is r ival working for t he Board of Health, Reverend Henry W hitehead, were able to conduct r igorous, on-the-ground data collection during t he outbreak itself. A rmed w ith h is correct conceptual model, D r. Snow collected site-specific data l inking t he spread of d isease to t he Broad Street pump. He presented h is i mmediate fi ndings to t he Board of Governors of St. James Parish, a nd t he evidence was compelling enough to convince t he board to remove the handle f rom t he pump, t hereby eliminating public access to t he well. T he action was met w ith jeers by t he observing public. W hile t he data i ndicate t hat t he outbreak was already waning by t he t ime of t he pump handle removal, D r. Snow’s actions l ikely contributed to its decline a nd, at t he m inimum, prevented a second wave of d isease spread (Tufte 1997). T he toll of t he c holera outbreak was devastating; 90 out of t he 896 Broad Street residents died within two weeks (Johnson 2006).

Seizing t he opportunity to f urther promote h is t heory, D r. Snow quickly compiled h is data on t he Soho outbreak for scientific publication. He summarized h is fi ndings i n a now famous map originally presented to t he Epidemiological Society i n December 1854 and i ncluded as Figure 1.2. Cholera deaths a re represented as t hick black bars, which a re clearly clustered a round t he Broad Street pump. W hile many declare t hat D r. Snow’s map “solved t he mystery” of c holera (e.g., F lowingData 2007), it was not u sed to get t he pump handle removed (Dr. Snow’s weight of on-the-ground evidence was sufficient to get a desperate board to t ry a nything), a nd it d id not convince t he board or t he general public of t he waterborne t heory of c holera t ransmission. T he i mpact of t he map has t herefore been somewhat exaggerated. T he m iasmatic t heory persisted for several decades a fter D r. Snow’s work u ntil it was replaced by t he germ t heory, a nd German scientist Robert Koch isolated t he c holera m icrobe i n 1883. I ronically, Vibrio cholerae had a lready been identified i n 1854—the same year as t he Soho outbreak—by t he Italian Fillipo Pacini, a fi nding that was largely ignored by h is contemporaries but later acknowledged by t he parasite’s renaming in 1965 to Vibrio cholerae Pacini 1854 (Johnson 2006).

FIGURE 1.2

Dr. John Snow’s famous m ap of t he 1854 Broad Street c holera outbreak fi rst presented i n December 1854 a nd later published in 1855. Available at http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow.html.

This fascinating story i s presented i n detail i n t he work of Johnson (2006). It has been summarized here to provide a h istorical example of how conceptual models, data a nalysis, and data v isualization can be u sed to t ackle even t he most d ifficult scientific a nd societal problems. D r. Snow developed a conceptual model based on h is professional k nowledge, collected a nd a nalyzed data quantitatively, a nd presented h is results i n a n effective visualization (which a lso served as a n additional test on h is original t heory). However, as previously stated, D r. Snow u nfortunately d id not solve t he mystery as h is contemporaries remained u nconvinced. Koch (2011) proposes t hat D r. Snow could have u sed more detailed quantitative a nalysis to bolster h is study a nd potentially w in over even t he most ardent m iasma believers. D r. Snow d id not calculate relative mortality rates i n t he i ndividual pump catchments, which i s a form of quantitative a nalysis t hat Koch (2011) asserts was practiced at t he t ime. A rendering of D r. Snow’s data c reated u sing modern mapping

FIGURE 1.3

Cholera deaths per 1000 persons for t he pump catchments i n t he a rea of t he 1854 c holera outbreak. (Mortality rates a nd approximate georeferenced catchment, c holera death, a nd pump locations f rom Koch, T., Disease Maps: Epidemics on the Ground, University of C hicago Press, C hicago, 2011, 330 pp.). World Street Map sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, USGS, I ntermap, i PC, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri C hina (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand).

techniques i s presented as Figure 1.3, i ncluding clear delineation of t he pump catchments and labeling t he number of c holera deaths per 1000 persons i n each catchment. T he mortality per 1000 persons i n t he Broad Street pump catchment (149 per 1000 persons) clearly overwhelms t he rates of t he adjacent catchments (Koch 2011). It i s i mportant to note t hat Dr. Snow produced a second version of h is original map t hat i nnovatively u sed a Voronoi diagram to delineate t he a rea where t he Broad Street pump was t he closest source of water. This results in a similar effect to the catchment-area delineations presented in Figure 1.3.

If D r. Snow h ad performed t hese mortality calculations a nd presented t hem i n such a manner, m ight he h ave ended t he c holera debate once a nd for a ll? T he authors believe it is h ighly u nlikely. W hile t he addition of mortality rates does enhance t he v isualization, it often t akes generations for entrenched ideologies to be purged f rom t he public m ind. I n

some cases, it t akes extreme acts of self-sacrifice, such as self-experimentation, to prove t he validity of a scientific concept. W hile not necessary for c holera, self-experimentation was critical i n demonstrating t he role of t he mosquito i n yellow fever t ransmission. T he yellow fever saga i s brilliantly c hronicled by Crosby (2006). If D r. Snow had voluntarily consumed cholera-impacted water, or conducted a study u sing other human subjects, maybe t he t ransition to t he waterborne t heory would have been ex pedited. However, apart f rom martyrdom or u nethical ex perimentation, D r. Snow contributed as much as humanly possible to the fight against c holera. At t he t ime of t his w riting, c holera has still not been eradicated, and a deadly outbreak continues i n t he Caribbean country of Haiti. As of July 31, 2011, there have been more t han 400,000 reported cases of c holera associated w ith t he epidemic in Haiti t hat began i n fall 2010 (World Health O rganization 2011). T he reader may ex plore how entrenched ideologies have contributed to the persistence of this outbreak.

The John Snow story i s relevant to t his publication for multiple reasons. For starters, it involves contaminated g roundwater a nd associated i mpacts on public health. More i mportantly, t hough, it outlines t he f ramework for conducting spatial scientific studies t hat i s t he fundamental topic of this book. The key elements of this framework are

• Conceptual model development based on education a nd ex perience i n hydrogeology and available information from historical studies

• Data collection at the site-specific level

• Spatial data analysis to evaluate the original conceptual model

• Data visualization to present study conclusions and refine the conceptual model as needed

A flow c hart i llustrating t he relationship of t hese elements i s provided i n Figure 1.4. Note that t his f ramework i s c yclical as it i s valuable to perform data v isualization or a nalysis first before focusing on t he conceptual model, particularly where h istorical data a re l imited or completely absent. However, w ithout a conceptual model, data collection, a nalysis, and v isualization a re u ninformed a nd can lead to erroneous i nterpretations. If D r. Snow had blindly plotted t he c holera deaths on h is map w ithout providing substantive technical and conceptual justification for h is t heory, t he map could have just as easily l inked c holera

FIGURE 1.4

Flow c hart of t he f ramework for spatial i nvestigation advanced by D r. Snow a nd applicable to modern hydrogeology. Note that data analysis and visualization often occur cooperatively.

to a former plague burial site i n t he Broad Street a rea, which would have fit n icely i nto t he miasmatic model (Koch 2011).

The failure to i nclude conceptual models i n hydrogeological studies results i n t he propagation of major errors i n professional practice. Examples of such f undamental errors h ighlighted in this book are

• Failure to identify karst and other predominant geological features (Chapter 2)

• Data management and technical mapping errors (Chapter 3)

• Default contouring with computer programs (Chapter 4)

• Blindly accepting models published by “authorities” or “experts” i ncluding government agencies (Chapter 5)

• Performing g roundwater remediation w ithout a conceptual basis for t he design (Chapter 8)

It i s t he hope of t he authors t hat t his book educates g roundwater professionals a nd stakeholders a like about t hese major errors. However, more i mportant objectives a re to encourage i ndependent t hinking about c urrent g roundwater i ssues a nd to promote t he u se of conceptual models a nd advanced data a nalysis a nd v isualization tools to better solve hydrogeological problems.

The breakdown of independent analysis and the failure to use appropriate conceptual and quantitative models a re symptoms of g roupthink, a term d iscussed f urther i n Chapter 5. Groupthink has led to i nnumerable engineering failures i ncluding such disasters as the Space Shuttle Columbia accident i n 2003. According to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), foam shedding from space shuttles was originally viewed as a potential safety issue early i n the shuttle program. However, foam shedding occurred so frequently over the course of 112 m issions without major i ncident that it was eventually accepted as a nuisance management issue rather than a significant hazard. Even when it became apparent from analytic evidence that the Columbia accident was caused by damage to the shuttle’s thermal protection system from a collision with detached foam debris, there remained “lingering denial” that foam could really be the root cause (CAIB 2003). As a result, the CAIB had to conduct impact a nd a nalysis testing using a real-life physical model to provide irrefutable proof that foam can i nflict potentially catastrophic damage to shuttle paneling.

Volume I of t he CAIB report i s i ncluded on t he companion DVD for reference. I n addition to t he flawed notion t hat foam shedding was solely a maintenance problem, t he report identifies many other factors that contributed to the fatal accident:

• The u se of a semiempirical quantitative model beyond its calibration range rather than a physics-based model

• Poor communication of decision u ncertainty a nd r isk to National Aeronautics a nd Space Administration (NASA) management (see also Tufte [2006])

• Concern regarding jumping the chain of command

• Fear of being ridiculed for expressing dissenting opinion

• Decision-making processes t hat were obscured by scheduling metrics a nd political pressures

All t he above factors can similarly a ffect projects i n hydrogeology a nd g roundwater remediation, leading to engineering failure and associated consequences.

1.2 E xample U ses o f T his B ook

With t he previously stated objectives i n m ind, it i s u seful to l ist several example scenarios of how t his book may be u sed to assist d ifferent entities i nvolved i n g roundwater projects.

Example 1

A consulting fi rm h as just been awarded a contract for a Phase II/Comprehensive Site Investigation Assessment at a former i ndustrial facility. T he primary component of t he Phase II report i s a conceptual site model (CSM), which w ill d ictate where a nd how environmental data w ill be collected a nd what t he significance of t he data w ill be. T his book can help t he consultant develop a n effective CSM for t he site, leading to defensible characterization strategies a nd study conclusions. Concepts related to CSMs a nd site investigations a re presented i n Chapters 2 a nd 7. Data management a nd contouring a re also key elements of Phase II i nvestigations, which a re d iscussed at length i n Chapters 3 and 4, respectively.

Example 2

A hydrogeologist becomes a n expert w itness i n a lawsuit regarding t he contamination of several public water-supply wells. T he hydrogeologist develops a fate a nd t ransport groundwater model t hat demonstrates t he c lient i s not responsible for t he contamination. For t he upcoming t rial, t he hydrogeologist h as been a sked to produce simplified graphics i llustrating t he principles behind t he g roundwater model a nd its overall conclusions. T he hydrogeologist can u se t his book a s a resource for producing data t ables, graphs, maps, i llustrations, a nd a nimations of modeling results t hat may be easily understood by t he nontechnical t rial jury. T he hydrogeologist can a lso fi nd key i nsight in t his book regarding t he u se of g roundwater models i n professional practice. Concepts and v isualizations related to g roundwater models a re presented i n Chapter 5 Chapter 6, covering t hree-dimensional v isualizations, may a lso be u seful for t his application. Numerous examples including animations are provided on the companion DVD.

Example 3

An environmental engineer i s responsible for t he design a nd operation of a n in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) a nd monitored n atural attenuation (MNA) remedy at a h ighprofile Superfund site. A n i nitial round of ISCO i njections at t he contaminant source area h as been completed. T he potentially responsible parties (PRPs) paying for t he cleanup h ave just a sked t he environmental engineer to demonstrate to t he US EPA t hat the source a rea remediation h as been completed to t he extent practicable a nd t hat t he remedy can f ully t ransition to long-term M NA. Similarly, t he US EPA h as a sked t he engineer to verify t hat M NA processes a re o ccurring at t he site to substantiate t his transition. T he engineer can u se t his book to learn about key concepts i n ISCO, technical impracticability, a nd M NA a nd a lso a s a reference for developing compelling v isualizations of field data to justify remedial decisions to t he US EPA. Groundwater remediation is discussed at length in Chapter 8.

Example 4

A municipality h as just completed a long-term pumping test at a n extraction well t hat is being considered for u se a s a public water supply. T he town hydrogeologist needs to present t he results of t he test at a town h all meeting to local conservation committees,

state regulators, a nd t he general public. A major concern of t he conservation g roups a nd regulators i s t he dewatering of a small r iver located near t he extraction well site. T he hydrogeologist can u se t his book to better u nderstand su rface water a nd g roundwater interactions, which a re described i n Chapters 2, 4, a nd 9. I n addition, t his book can help t he hydrogeologist perform g roundwater modeling a nd contouring t hat a ssess t he potential for i nduced i nfiltration u nder pumping conditions (Chapters 4 a nd 5). Lastly, the hydrogeologist can fi nd example v isualizations t hroughout t his book a nd t he companion DVD t hat may be helpful i n developing simplified data t ables, g raphs, maps, and i llustrations for t he town h all meeting, helping nontechnical stakeholders c learly understand the study conclusions.

References

Ayotte, J. D., Montgomery, D. L., Flanagan, S. M., and Robinson, K. W., 2003. Arsenic in groundwater in eastern New England: Occurrence, controls, and human health implications. Environ. Sci. Technol., 37(10), 2075–2083.

Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report: Volume I. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 248 pp.

Crosby, M. C., 2006. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped our History The Berkley Publishing Group, New York, 308 pp. FlowingData, 2007. John Snow’s Famous Cholera Map. Available at http://flowingdata .com/2007/09/12/john-snows-famous-cholera-map/. Accessed July 30, 2011.

Frerichs, R. R., 2011. John Snow—A Historical Giant in Epidemiology. UCLA Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health. Available at http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow.html. Accessed August 21, 2011.

Johnson, S., 2006. The Ghost Map. Riverhead Books, New York, 299 pp. Koch, T., 2011. Disease Maps: Epidemics on the Ground The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 330 pp. Snow, J., 1855. On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, 2nd Edition. Churchill, London. Susca, P., and Klevens, C., 2011. NHDES Private Well Strategy Private Well Working Group. Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau, N.H. Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). Available at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal/program-resources/research-translation/ arsenic consortium.html. Accessed August 15, 2011.

Tufte, E. R., 1997. Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. Graphics Press, Cheshire, 156 pp.

Tufte, E. R., 2006. Beautiful Evidence. Graphics Press, Cheshire, 213 pp. United States Geological Survey (USGS), 2003. Arsenic Concentrations in Private Bedrock Wells in Southeastern New Hampshire. U.S. Department of Interior, USGS Fact Sheet 051-03. World Health Organization, 2011. Haiti: Cholera Epidemic Reached a Second Peak and Case Numbers Now Decreasing. Available at http://www.who.int/hac/crises/hti/en/. Accessed August 28, 2011.

2

Conceptual Site Models

2.1 D efinition

A hydrogeological conceptual site model (CSM) i s a description of various natural a nd anthropogenic factors t hat govern a nd contribute to t he movement of g roundwater i n t he subsurface. Simply put, it is the answer to the following key questions:

• Where is the groundwater coming from?

• Through what type of porous media is it flowing?

• How much of it is there, and how fast is it flowing?

• Where is it going?

• How d id t he g roundwater system behave i n t he past, a nd how w ill it c hange i n t he future based on both natural and anthropogenic influences?

When t he g roundwater i s contaminated, a CSM a lso i ncludes a nswers to similar general questions regarding t he contaminant(s). ASTM I nternational (2008), formerly t he A merican Society for Testing a nd Materials, defines a conceptual site model for contaminated sites as follows: “A w ritten or pictorial representation of a n environmental system a nd t he biological, physical, a nd c hemical processes t hat determine t he t ransport of contaminants f rom sources through environmental media to environmental receptors within the system.”

An accurate CSM i s c ritical i n satisfying t he u ltimate goal of a ny project, which, i n hydrogeological practice, t ypically i nvolves a decision regarding water supply, protection of human health and the environment, or both.

A schematic (qualitative) CSM of a n a lluvial hydrogeological system consisting of several water-bearing zones (aquifers, hydrostratigraphic u nits) i s presented i n Figure 2.1 together with major areas of groundwater recharge. Insets show schematic CSMs focused on g roundwater contamination d iscovered at t wo sites. A lthough t hese t hree CSMs, one regional a nd t wo local, may have been developed i ndependently, it i s obvious t hat each would benefit g reatly f rom i ncorporating i nformation collected for seemingly d ifferent purposes at t he other sites. I n many i nstances, t he success of a CSM w ill depend on t he ability of t he project team to gather relevant i nformation at d ifferent scales a nd f rom d ifferent sources, a nd i ntegrate it w ith t he data collected during site-specific i nvestigations. This concept is discussed in detail in Chapter 7.

The complexity a nd quantitative aspects of a CSM vary broadly depending on project goals a nd t he i nvestigative stages of data collection. For example, a preliminary model developed during early phases of water resource planning on a watershed scale may be qualitative i n nature a nd l imited to general descriptions of u nderlying aquifers, t heir l ikely

FIGURE 2.1

Schematic regional a nd t wo local CSMs i n a n a lluvial aquifer. (a) T hree-phase contaminant plume developed from a leaky u nderground storage t ank at a gas station. (Modified f rom U.S. EPA 2000.) ( b) Contaminant plumes developed from a source of DNAPLs at the land surface.

recharge a nd d ischarge a reas, a nd ex isting g roundwater u sers. T his i nformation may be readily available f rom various government agencies such as geological surveys i n a format appropriate for d irect presentation to applicable decision makers. I n contrast, a CSM adopted to serve as t he basis for t he design of a g roundwater remediation (aquifer restoration) system i s, by default, very detailed a nd quantitative. Such a CSM i s u sually t he result of lengthy a nd ex pensive site-specific i nvestigations a nd i ncludes quantification of r isk, time-dependent (changing i n t ime) g roundwater flow rates a nd velocities, a nd fate a nd transport of contaminants. CSMs t hat i nclude quantitative aspects a re i ncreasingly relying on mathematical models (analytic a nd numeric) during various stages of CSM development. Mathematical models enable testing of hypotheses a nd can make predictions on, for example, sustainable rates of g roundwater extraction for water supply or probable contaminant concentrations at points of ex posure. Q uantitative models a lso a llow evaluation of the uncertainty associated with management decisions.

The main purpose of a CSM i s to provide a single v isual product composed of text, pictures, a nd, i f necessary, a nimations, where a ll t he i nformation about t he site i s easily accessible a nd can be u sed for decision making at a ny stage of project i mplementation. At the same t ime, it i s very i mportant to u nderstand t hat t he CSM i s a dynamic entity, continuously refined a nd updated. At t he i nitial stage of t he project, it i s possible to have t wo or t hree competing preliminary CSMs because t he readily available i nformation may not lead to a definitive concept. As t he project progresses a nd new i nformation i s collected, the CSM becomes more detailed a nd quantitative, helps plan additional i nvestigations, and focuses t he project team on feasible solutions. T hese solutions (such as design of a well field for water supply or a bioremediation system for aquifer restoration) w ill be possible only when t here i s consensus a mong a ll i nvolved parties t hat t he fi nal CSM accurately represents t he hydrogeology of t he site at t he scale of i nterest—a concept f urther d iscussed below. T he remainder of t his c hapter focuses on key physical elements of hydrogeological conceptual site models. Elements of t he CSM related to contaminant ex posure (i.e., t he exposure or receptor profile) are discussed in Chapter 8.

2.2 P hysical P rofile

The most i mportant decision made very early i n t he process of developing a CSM i s selection of appropriate temporal a nd spatial scales of data collection, both regional a nd local (site-specific). W hen deciding about t he r ight scales, it helps to u nderstand t hat it i s a lways easier to reduce t he extent of i nvestigation a nd d rop some of t he i nitially collected i nformation t han to ex pand t he scale of i nvestigation when t he project i s nearing t he completion deadline. W hatever t he case m ight be, one common but erroneous approach to describing the physical profile of a site i s to v iew it as something less i mportant a nd t herefore not deserving of detailed d iscussion. Too many CSMs i nclude very d ry, cookie-cutter, brief sections on geomorphology (topography), hydrology, climate, a nd land cover/land u se while failing to d iscuss t heir i mportance for t he site hydrogeology. Often t hese d iscussions a re blindly copied d irectly f rom previous reports or f rom regional-scale documents produced by t he United States Geological Survey (USGS), t he United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), or other federal or state government agencies. T his practice adds zero value to t he CSM, a nd can result i n t he propagation of serious conceptual errors when t he copied text i s not at a ll applicable to t he scale of i nterest, or presents g rossly

dated or obsolete i nformation. I n addition, t he key components of a site physical profile listed above a re u sually described i n a static manner even t hough most, i f not a ll, of t hem change in time as a result of various natural and anthropogenic factors.

2.2.1 G eomorphology (Topography)

One important aspect of geomorphology is that, on a regional scale, natural directions of groundwater flow can be related to surface topography. Just like surface water, groundwater flows from a higher hydraulic head toward a lower hydraulic head, that is, from pronounced topographic highs (hills) to pronounced topographic lows (valleys), respectively. This is generally true regardless of the underlying geology (rock t ype) with the occasional exceptions of confined aquifers when observed locally and aquifers developed in karstified rocks (see Section 2.3.4). The concept is shown in Figure 2.2, which is an example from a guidance manual on developing conceptual hydrogeological models for fractured rock aquifers in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of North Carolina, USA. This manual of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources explains, in detail, the importance of topography for determining groundwater recharge and discharge zones and flow directions.

Figure 2.2 shows t hat t he path of natural g roundwater movement i s relatively short and a lmost i nvariably restricted to t he zone u nderlying t he topographic slope extending f rom a topographic d ivide to a n adjacent stream. T hus, t he concept of a local slope–aquifer system applies. O n t he opposite sides of a n i nterstream topographic d ivide a re two similar slope–aquifer systems as shown by A a nd B. T he region as a whole i s a

FIGURE 2.2

Conceptual v iew of double slope–aquifer systems a nd its compartments (C). A ll a rrows i ndicate g roundwater flow d irections. (Modified f rom L eGrand, H W., Sr., A Master Conceptual Model for Hydrogeological Site Characterization in the Piedmont and Mountain Region of North Carolina: A Guidance Manual, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section, 2007.)

Conceptual Site Models

network of slope–aquifers where a n i ndividual aquifer represents a u nit of t he g roundwater flow regime t hat i s seemingly separated a nd f ree of i mpact f rom adjacent, similar units. Commonly, t he slope–aquifer system i ncludes smaller h ill-and-dale configurations that a re observed as topographic spurs (ridges branching f rom a main r idge or mountain crest). Similar u ndulations, a lthough of lesser a mplitude, may a lso occur i n t he u nderlying water t able a nd form i mportant natural g roundwater flow-control features. T he c rests of the water t able u ndulations represent natural g roundwater d ivides w ithin a slope–aquifer system a nd may l imit t he a rea of i nfluence of wells or t he extent of contaminant plumes located within their boundaries (LeGrand 2007).

Natural topography can be a rtificially a ltered i n many ways resulting i n t he c reation of new topographic h ighs a nd lows a nd t he redistribution of original g roundwater flow directions. Some well-known examples i nclude landfills, below which t here i s g roundwater mounding caused by i ncreased i nfiltration a nd waste leachate, a nd quarries a nd m ine works, which act as new g roundwater d ischarge zones. For example, Figure 2.3 shows t he region of Butte, MT, which had a lready earned t he n ickname “The R ichest H ill on Earth”

2.3

This i mage of t he B erkeley Pit i n Butte, M T, shows m any features of t he m ine workings, such a s t he terraced levels a nd access roadways of t he open m ine pits (gray a nd t an s culptured surfaces). A large g ray t ailings pile of waste rock a nd a n adjacent t ailings pond appear to t he north of t he B erkeley Pit. Color c hanges i n t he t ailings pond result primarily f rom c hanging water depth. T his a stronaut photograph ISS013-E-63766 was acquired August 2, 2006, w ith a Kodak 760C d igital camera u sing a n 800-mm le ns a nd i s provided by t he ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment a nd t he I mage S cience & A nalysis Group, Johnson Space Ce nter. (From NASA, Earth Observatory, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/, accessed March 2011.)

FIGURE

by t he end of t he 19th century because of m ining for gold, silver, a nd copper. Demand for electricity i ncreased demand for copper so much t hat by World War I, t he c ity of Butte was a boomtown. Well before World War I, however, copper m ining had spurred t he c reation of a n i ntricate network of u nderground d rains a nd pumps to lower t he g roundwater level and continue t he extraction of copper. Water extracted f rom t he m ines was so r ich i n d issolved copper sulfate t hat it was a lso m ined ( by c hemical precipitation) for t he copper it contained. I n 1955, copper m ining i n t he a rea ex panded w ith t he opening of t he Berkeley Pit. T he m ine took advantage of t he ex isting subterranean d rainage a nd pump network to lower g roundwater u ntil 1982 when a new owner suspended operations. A fter t he pumps were t urned off, water f rom t he surrounding rock basin began seeping i nto t he pit. By t he time a n astronaut on t he I nternational Space Station took t his picture, water i n t he pit was more t han 275 meters (900 feet) deep. Because its water contains h igh concentrations of metals such as copper a nd zinc, t he Berkeley Pit i s l isted as a federal Superfund site. T he Berkeley Pit receives g roundwater flowing t hrough t he surrounding bedrock a nd acts as a terminal pit or sink for t hese heavy metal–laden waters, which can be as strong as battery acid. O ngoing cleanup efforts i nclude t reating a nd d iverting water at locations upstream of t he pit to reduce i nflow a nd decrease t he r isk of accidental release of contaminated water from the pit into local aquifers or surface streams (NASA 2011).

Another key concept of geomorphology i s t hat specific landforms a re closely related to t he u nderlying geology, t hat i s, rock t ypes a nd t he tectonic fabric t hat i ncludes folds, fractures, faults, a nd other d iscontinuities i n t he rock mass. Together, t he geology a nd the geomorphologic processes shaping t he land surface play key roles i n t he formation of aquifers a nd t he resulting c haracteristics of g roundwater flow at t he site. T hanks to rapid developments i n remote sensing technology a nd easy access to various I nternet (online) sources of Earth i magery a nd d igital elevation data, it i s now possible to perform a very detailed v isual a nalysis of geomorphologic features w ithout even v isiting a site. T his, however, i s not recommended by t he authors—one should a lways make every attempt to v isit the site he or she i s working on. As emphasized t hroughout t his book, site topography can be d isplayed i n t hree d imensions, rotated a nd v iewed f rom d ifferent a ngles by u sing a variety of commercial a nd public-domain computer programs. Aerial a nd satellite i mages, geologic maps, a nd other t hematic maps can be easily d raped over d igital 3D topography and a nalyzed i n t he same fashion (Figures 2.4 a nd 2.5). I n addition, every working professional should have ready access to Google Earth, which i s now the default, f ree platform for visualization of land surface features. Figures 2.6 t hrough 2.18 i llustrate many benefits of analyzing remote sensing i magery a nd d igital elevation models (DEMs) when developing hydrogeological CSMs.

The Kunlun fault shown i n Figure 2.6 i s one of t he g igantic strike-slip faults t hat bound the north side of Tibet. Left-lateral motion a long t he 1500-km (932-mi) length of t he Kunlun has occurred u niformly for t he last 40,000 years at a rate of 1.1 c m/year, c reating a c umulative offset of more t han 400 m. I n t his i mage, t wo splays of t he fault a re clearly seen c rossing f rom east to west. T he northern fault juxtaposes sedimentary rocks of t he mountains against a lluvial fans. Its t race i s a lso marked by l ines of vegetation, which appear red in t he i mage. T he southern, younger fault c uts t hrough t he a lluvium. Box A shows wet ground caused by d ischarge of g roundwater f rom t he a lluvial fans. T he dark l inear a rea i n the outlined box B i s wet g round where g roundwater has ponded against t he fault (NASA 2011).

Songhua R iver just upstream (west) of t he c ity of Harbin, China, i s shown i n Figure 2.7. The main stem of t he r iver a nd its myriad c hannels appear deep blue, w inding f rom bottom left toward center r ight. To t he west of t he r iver, shallow lakes appear electric blue.

FIGURE 2.4 Portion o f t he g eologic m ap f rom H ydrogeologic A tlas o f t he H ill C ountry T rinity A quifer, B lanco, H ays, a nd T ravis C ounties, Ce ntral T exas. ( Modified f rom

Wierman, D. A. et al., Hydrogeologic Atlas of the Hill Country Trinity Aquifer, Blanco, Hays, and Travis Counties, Central Texas , 2010.)

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