Open AccessInvestigation of groundwater flow paths through combined inversion of strontium isotope ratios and hydraulic head data. Final report
Author(s) -
Thomas M. Johnson
Publication year - 1999
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/764712
Subject(s) - groundwater , aquifer , groundwater flow , strontium , geology , isotopes of strontium , hydrology (agriculture) , hydraulic conductivity , hydraulic head , soil science , environmental science , geotechnical engineering , soil water , chemistry , organic chemistry
Strontium (Sr) isotope and other geochemical data were collected for groundwater samples from the Snake River Plain aquifer in the vicinity of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). These geochemical data provide strong evidence for slow and fast groundwater flow zones that had not been previously characterized. The geochemical data were combined with existing hydraulic head data in groundwater flow and transport models. These models enable quantitative extraction of flow information from the data (i.e., inversion of the data). This new approach and the implications for INEEL environmental activities will be reported in two journal articles. One submitted recently and a second in preparation