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Reactive transport modeling of redox geochemistry: Approaches to chemical disequilibrium and reaction rate estimation at a site in northern Wisconsin
Author(s) -
Keating Elizabeth Harrison,
Bahr Jean M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/98wr02610
Subject(s) - redox , aquifer , half reaction , reaction rate , groundwater , reaction rate constant , mineral redox buffer , oxygen , geology , chemistry , kinetics , inorganic chemistry , catalysis , geotechnical engineering , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
The purpose of this study is to investigate the hydrology and redox geochemistry of shallow groundwater discharging to a stream in northern Wisconsin. In this organic‐rich aquifer, we observe both oxygen reducing zones and iron reducing zones whose boundaries are roughly constant over time. To investigate the apparent steady state between solute fluxes and redox reaction rates, we develop a reactive transport model of carbon oxidation. We use a “quasi‐kinetic,” “partial‐equilibrium” approach to modeling redox reactions, a hybrid approach between traditional equilibrium approaches and fully kinetic approaches that require large computer resources. Our model suggests that observed trends in redox sensitive elements can only be explained by oxidation rates that are both dependent on the predominant electron acceptor and are spatially variable. Our coupled models provide field‐based estimates of redox kinetics, which are otherwise difficult to obtain in hydrologically complex systems.