CAREER: An Integrative Probabilistic Approach for Assessing Solute Transport in Multi-Scale Heterogeneous Aquifers

GSTDTAP

项目编号	1654009
	CAREER: An Integrative Probabilistic Approach for Assessing Solute Transport in Multi-Scale Heterogeneous Aquifers
	Felipe de Barros
主持机构	University of Southern California
项目开始年	2017
	2017-08-15
项目结束日期	2022-07-31
资助机构	US-NSF
项目类别	Continuing grant
项目经费	89313(USD)
国家	美国
语种	英语
英文摘要	Groundwater is a crucial natural resource in agricultural, energy and other industrial sectors. It is also one of the major sources of drinking water. However, through human use and activity, groundwater is being depleted and is vulnerable to contamination. As a consequence, the sustainability of this valuable natural resource is at risk and humans might be exposed to contamination. Novel simulation tools are needed to better understand transport of pollutants in aquifers. This is particularly important since such simulation tools allow to better manage polluted groundwater, achieve remediation in a cost-effective manner, keep our natural resources sustainable and protect human health. However, achieving this goal is a challenging task since contaminant transport in the subsurface environment is strongly affected by multiple factors. Among these factors, we highlight the ubiquitous presence of natural heterogeneity of hydrogeological properties, well pumping operations and the release conditions of pollutants. This project aims to develop a modeling framework that improves our fundamental knowledge of the joint impact of these factors on contaminant transport in the subsurface environment. The fundamental research will serve as a pathway to improved and integrated human health risk assessment. As part of the education and outreach activities, the research methods and results will be conveyed to high school students via a series of activities coordinated with local school teachers. Through lectures focused on groundwater, STEM Academy high school students will (1) learn the importance of protecting groundwater resources and (2) reproduce Darcy's experiment with donated equipment constructed by graduate students. This project aims to advance our knowledge of groundwater solute transport in complex heterogeneous subsurface environments through the development of a novel, integrative, probabilistic framework. A new physically and data driven framework will be used to investigate how the interaction between (1) solute source-zone distribution, (2) the spatial variability of the hydrogeological properties characterizing the aquifer, and (3) external factors (e.g., pumping rates induced by water supply demand) control the magnitude and the uncertainty in solute transport. A physically based stochastic methodology capable of assimilating hydrological data will be developed with the goal of incorporating hydrogeological complexities (normally encountered in real sites and applications), while also incorporating elements toward decision making which are relevant to public health. The hydrogeological complexities derive both from the multi-scale spatial heterogeneity of the aquifer's hydraulic properties, but also the effects of pumping strategies associated with water-supply demand. Combined, these factors will lead to complex flow topological features that will significantly influence the deformation of the solute plume and therefore its dilution rate. The framework developed in this project combines innovations in stochastic hydro-systems, statistical theory, information theory, and flow topology. Through the use of stochastic numerical and analytical simulations, this project will shed new knowledge on the importance of the abovementioned factors in controlling the magnitude and uncertainty of transport observables.
来源学科分类	Geosciences - Earth Sciences
文献类型	项目
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/71518
专题	环境与发展全球科技态势
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Felipe de Barros.CAREER: An Integrative Probabilistic Approach for Assessing Solute Transport in Multi-Scale Heterogeneous Aquifers.2017.