Date of Award
Summer 8-17-2019
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Geology
Department
Geology
First Advisor
Kevin Stafford
Second Advisor
Wesley Brown
Third Advisor
Melinda Faulkner
Fourth Advisor
Matthew McBroom
Abstract
The Reklaw Formation is the upper bounding unit for the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer throughout the Gulf Coastal Plain of East Texas and consists of low permeability, glauconite-rich strata that isolate semi-confined portions of the aquifer system from potential contaminants. Electrical resistivity methods were employed within a forested watershed in Nacogdoches County, Texas to characterize solute transport. 2-D and 3-D temporal resistivity data collected with an AGI SuperSting (R8/IP) were processed with AGI Earthimager 2D/3D software for inversion modeling. Data were collected over 135 days within a 14 X 26 meter (46 X 85 feet) gridded survey at 15-day intervals after initiation of a NaCl solute plume; numerical modeling was developed from physical site characterizations.
Resistivity analyses and numerical modeling demonstrated solute migration is extremely slow within the Reklaw Formation, confirming strata effectiveness for preventing contaminant migration into the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. Numerical modeling indicated rapid solute dilution with migration dominated by diffusion. 2-D inversion modeling confirmed dominance of solute diffusion, but clearly identified macropore heterogeneity that increased advection transport; 3-D inversion modeling proved relatively ineffective. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of electrical resistivity characterization for delineating heterogenic and anisotropic controls on solute migration that are often poorly defined in simple numerical modeling.
Repository Citation
Henry, Kaleb; stafford, Kevin W.; Brown, Wesley; Faulkner, Melinda; and McBroom, Matthew, "2-D and 3-D Temporal Modeling of Solute Migration through Low Permeable Media using Electrical Resistivity, Nacogdoches County, Texas" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 251.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/251
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
