Scott W. Tyler

CONVECTION IN GROUNDWATER BELOW AN EVAPORATING SALT LAKE : 1. ONSET OF INSTABILITY

Convective groundwater motion can be generated in aquifers beneath and adjacent to saline lakes. Such motions strongly control the subsurface distribution of salts, the formation of saline minerals, and the distribution of contaminants that may be disposed of in the saline lake. In particular, schemes to use saline lakes as evaporation basins for irrigation waste waters must consider the groundwater dynamics associated with convection. The convection is driven by the evaporative concentration of salts at the land surface, leading to an unstable distribution of density. However, the evaporative groundwater discharge can dynamically stabilize this saline boundary layer and inhibit convection. In this work we investigate the nature and onset of convection for a range of boundary conditions typically found in saline lakes. Processes involved in the accumulation of salt at the surface of a groundwater discharge zone and in the gravitational instability of the near-surface groundwater are considered. Results of theoretical stability analysis are applied through laboratory and numerical experimentation to the more complex geometries typically found in the field. These comparisons indicate that for large saline lakes, the stability of the saline boundary layer can be parameterized by traditional Rayleigh criteria, in which the aquifer permeability and the evaporation rate from the lake bed are principal controlling factors. For typical saline lake environments, convection will dominate in sediments whose permeability exceeds approximately 10−14 m2. Below this threshold permeability, the boundary layer should be stabilized by the evaporative flux, resulting in the accumulation of salts and evaporites at the land surface. These results provide insight into the predictive behavior of groundwater dynamics and solute distributions in many natural systems.

Hydrologic issues in arid, unsaturated systems and implications for contaminant transport

Analysis of unsaturated flow and transport in arid regions is important, not only in water resource evaluation but in contaminant transport as well, partic- ularly in siting waste disposal facilities and in remediat- ing contaminated sites. The water fluxes under consid- eration have a magnitude close to the errors inherent in measuring or in calculating these water fluxes, which makes it difficult to resolve basic issues such as direction and rate of water movement and controls on unsaturated flow. The purpose of this paper is to review these issues on the basis of unsaturated zone studies in arid settings. Because individual techniques for estimating water fluxes in the unsaturated zone have limitations, a variety of physical measurements and environmental tracers should be used to provide multiple, independent lines of evidence to quantify flow and transport in arid regions. The direction and rate of water flow are affected not only by hydraulic head gradients but also by temperature and air pressure gradients. The similarity of water fluxes in a variety of settings in the southwestern United States indicates that vegetative cover may be one of the pri- mary controls on the magnitude of water flow in the unsaturated zone; however, our understanding of the role of plants is limited. Most unsaturated flow in arid systems is focused beneath topographic depressions, and diffuse flow is limited. Thick unsaturated sections and low water fluxes typical of many arid regions result in preservation of paleoclimatic variations in water flux and suggest that deep vadose zones may be out of equilib- rium with current climate. Whereas water movement along preferred pathways is common in humid sites, field studies that demonstrate preferential flow are restricted mostly to fractured rocks and root zones in arid regions. Results of field studies of preferential flow in humid sites, generally restricted to the upper 1-2 m because of shallow water tables, cannot be applied readily to thick vadose zones in arid regions.

Convection in groundwater below an evaporating Salt Lake: 2. Evolution of fingers or plumes

The downward convection of salt fingers or plumes developed from the unstable boundary layer of an evaporating “dry” salt lake is examined using a numerical model and Hele-Shaw cell experiments. In the convecting layer the early small waves evolve into fingerlike or plumelike formations, the number of fingers or plumes decreasing with time owing to differential growth and/or coalescence. Comparison of intermediate formational stages of this pattern with the pattern generated by a two-dimensional numerical simulation shows good qualitative agreement. However, there is a significant mismatch of the growth rates at long times. In the computer simulation the plume length develops approximately twice as rapidly as it does in the experimental case. A simple numerical experiment independent of the salt-lake boundary conditions is compared to previously published laboratory-scale measures of plume development in Hele-Shaw cells which confirms the retardation of Hele-Shaw plumes by a factor of approximately 50%. This departure is attributed to the differences in dimensionality between the Hele-Shaw flow domain and the model domain. The data indicated that leading plumes develop isolated behavior at long times and may not be adequately represented in Hele-Shaw analog models, and numerical simulation provides a more accurate simulation of field-scale behavior.

Calibrating single-ended fiber-optic Raman spectra distributed temperature sensing data.

Hydrologic research is a very demanding application of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) in terms of precision, accuracy and calibration. The physics behind the most frequently used DTS instruments are considered as they apply to four calibration methods for single-ended DTS installations. The new methods presented are more accurate than the instrument-calibrated data, achieving accuracies on the order of tenths of a degree root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias. Effects of localized non-uniformities that violate the assumptions of single-ended calibration data are explored and quantified. Experimental design considerations such as selection of integration times or selection of the length of the reference sections are discussed, and the impacts of these considerations on calibrated temperatures are explored in two case studies.

Feasibility of soil moisture monitoring with heated fiber optics

Accurate methods are needed to measure changing soil water content from meter to kilometer scales. Laboratory results demonstrate the feasibility of the heat pulse method implemented with fiber optic temperature sensing to obtain accurate distributed measurements of soil water content. A fiber optic cable with an electrically conductive armoring was buried in variably saturated sand and heated via electrical resistance to create thermal pulses monitored by observing the distributed Raman backscatter. A new and simple interpretation of heat data that takes advantage of the characteristics of fiber optic temperature measurements is presented. The accuracy of the soil water content measurements varied approximately linearly with water content. At volumetric moisture content of 0.05 m3/m3 the standard deviation of the readings was 0.001 m3/m3, and at 0.41 m3/m3 volumetric moisture content the standard deviation was 0.046 m3/m3. This uncertainty could be further reduced by averaging several heat pulse interrogations and through use of a higher?performance fiber optic sensing system.

Temperature-Profile Methods for Estimating Percolation Rates in Arid Environments

Percolation rates are estimated using vertical temperature profiles from sequentially deeper vadose environments, progressing from sediments beneath stream channels, to expansive basin-fill materials, and finally to deep fractured bedrock underlying mountainous terrain. Beneath stream channels, vertical temperature profiles vary over time in response to downward heat transport, which is generally controlled by conductive heat transport during dry periods, or by advective transport during channel infiltration. During periods of stream-channel infiltration, two relatively simple approaches are possible: a heat-pulse technique, or a heat and liquid-water transport simulation code. Focused percolation rates beneath stream channels are examined for perennial, seasonal, and ephemeral channels in central New Mexico, with estimated percolation rates ranging from 100 to 2100 mm d−1. Deep within basin-fill and underlying mountainous terrain, vertical temperature gradients are dominated by the local geothermal gradient, which creates a profile with decreasing temperatures toward the surface. If simplifying assumptions are employed regarding stratigraphy and vapor fluxes, an analytical solution to the heat transport problem can be used to generate temperature profiles at specified percolation rates for comparison to the observed geothermal gradient. Comparisons to an observed temperature profile in the basin-fill sediments beneath Frenchman Flat, Nevada, yielded water fluxes near zero, with absolute values <10 mm yr−1. For the deep vadose environment beneath Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the complexities of stratigraphy and vapor movement are incorporated into a more elaborate heat and water transport model to compare simulated and observed temperature profiles for a pair of deep boreholes. Best matches resulted in a percolation rate near zero for one borehole and 11 mm yr−1 for the second borehole.

Impacts of the 2004 tsunami on groundwater resources in Sri Lanka

The 26 December 2004 tsunami caused widespread destruction and contamination of coastal aquifers across southern Asia. Seawater filled domestic open dug wells and also entered the aquifers via direct infiltration during the first flooding waves and later as ponded seawater infiltrated through the permeable sands that are typical of coastal aquifers. In Sri Lanka alone, it is estimated that over 40,000 drinking water wells were either destroyed or contaminated. From February through September 2005, a team of United States, Sri Lankan, and Danish water resource scientists and engineers surveyed the coastal groundwater resources of Sri Lanka to develop an understanding of the impacts of the tsunami and to provide recommendations for the future of coastal water resources in south Asia. In the tsunami-affected areas, seawater was found to have infiltrated and mixed with fresh groundwater lenses as indicated by the elevated groundwater salinity levels. Seawater infiltrated through the shallow vadose zone as well as entered aquifers directly through flooded open wells. Our preliminary transport analysis demonstrates that the intruded seawater has vertically mixed in the aquifers because of both forced and free convection. Widespread pumping of wells to remove seawater was effective in some areas, but overpumping has led to upconing of the saltwater interface and rising salinity. We estimate that groundwater recharge from several monsoon seasons will reduce salinity of many sandy Sri Lankan coastal aquifers. However, the continued sustainability of these small and fragile aquifers for potable water will be difficult because of the rapid growth of human activities that results in more intensive groundwater pumping and increased pollution. Long-term sustainability of coastal aquifers is also impacted by the decrease in sand replenishment of the beaches due to sand mining and erosion.

Double-Ended Calibration of Fiber-Optic Raman Spectra Distributed Temperature Sensing Data

Over the past five years, Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) along fiber optic cables using Raman backscattering has become an important tool in the environmental sciences. Many environmental applications of DTS demand very accurate temperature measurements, with typical RMSE < 0.1 K. The aim of this paper is to describe and clarify the advantages and disadvantages of double-ended calibration to achieve such accuracy under field conditions. By measuring backscatter from both ends of the fiber optic cable, one can redress the effects of differential attenuation, as caused by bends, splices, and connectors. The methodological principles behind the double-ended calibration are presented, together with a set of practical considerations for field deployment. The results from a field experiment are presented, which show that with double-ended calibration good accuracies can be attained in the field.

Spatially distributed temperatures at the base of two mountain snowpacks measured with fiber-optic sensors

Snowpack base temperatures vary during accumulation and diurnally. Their measurement provides insight into physical, biological and chemical processes occurring at the snow/soil interface. Recent advances in Raman-spectra instruments, which use the scattered light in a standard telecommunications fiber-optic cable to infer absolute temperature along the entire length of the fiber, offer a unique opportunity to obtain basal snow temperatures at resolutions of 1 m, 10 s, and 0.18C. Measurements along a 330 m fiber over 24 hours during late-spring snowmelt at Mammoth Mountain, California, USA, showed basal snow temperatures of 0 � 0.28C using 10 s averages. Where the fiber- optic cable traversed bare ground, surface temperatures approached 408C during midday. The durability of the fiber optic was excellent; no major damage or breaks occurred through the winter of burial. Data from the Dry Creek experimental watershed in Idaho across a small stream valley showed little variability of temperature on the northeast-facing, snow-covered slope, but clearly showed melting patterns and the effects of solar heating on southwest-facing slopes. These proof-of-concept experiments show that the technology enables more detailed spatial and temporal coverage than traditional point measurements of temperature.

Estimation of groundwater evaporation and salt flux from Owens Lake, California, USA

Groundwater evaporation and subsequent precipitation of soluble salts at Owens Lake in eastern California have created one of the single largest sources of airborne dust in the USA, yet the evaporation and salt flux have not been fully quantified. In this study, we compare eddy correlation, microlysimeters and solute profiling methods to determine their validity and sensitivity in playa environments. These techniques are often used to estimate evaporative losses, yet have not been critically compared at one field site to judge their relative effectiveness and accuracy. Results suggest that eddy correlation methods are the most widely applicable for the variety of conditions found on large playa lakes. Chloride profiling is shown to be highly sensitive to thermal and density-driven fluxes in the near surface and, as a result, appears to underestimate yearly groundwater evaporation. Yearly mean groundwater evaporation from the playa surface estimated from the three study areas was found to range from 88 to 104 mm year−1, whereas mean evaporation from the brine-covered areas was 872 mm year−1. Uncertainties on these mean rates were estimated to be ±25%, based on comparisons between eddy correlation and lysimeter estimates. On a yearly basis, evaporation accounts for approximately 47 × 106 m3 of water loss from the playa surface and open-water areas of the lake. Over the playa area, as much as 7.5 × 108 kg (7.5 × 105 t) of salt are annually concentrated by evaporation at or near the playa surface, much of which appears to be lost during dust storms in area.