Thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled simulation of the land subsidence due to aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system in soft soils

Aquifer thermal energy storage(ATES)system has received attention for heating or cooling buildings.However,it is well known that land subsidence becomes a major environmental concern for ATES projects.Yet,the effect of temperature on land subsidence has received practically no attention in the past.This paper presents a thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)coupled numerical study on an ATES system in Shanghai,China.Four water wells were installed for seasonal heating and cooling of an agriculture greenhouse.The target aquifer at a depth of 74e104.5 m consisted of alternating layers of sand and silty sand and was covered with clay.Groundwater level,temperature,and land subsidence data from 2015 to 2017 were collected using field monitoring instruments.Constrained by data,we constructed a field scale three-dimensional(3D)model using TOUGH(Transport of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat)and FLAC3D(Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua)equipped with a thermo-elastoplastic constitutive model.The effectiveness of the numerical model was validated by field data.The model was used to reproduce groundwater flow,heat transfer,and mechanical responses in porous media over three years and capture the thermo-and pressure-induced land subsidence.The results show that the maximum thermoinduced land subsidence accounts for about 60%of the total subsidence.The thermo-induced subsidence is slightly greater in winter than that in summer,and more pronounced near the cold well area than the hot well area.This study provides some valuable guidelines for controlling land subsidence caused by ATES systems installed in soft soils.

Aquifer Test求群孔抽水试验水文地质参数

在水文地质条件复杂的地区,往往采用大型的群孔抽水试验充分揭露含水层特征,获取水文地质参数。用Aquifer Test软件求解水文地质参数,则方便实用、简捷高效,可快速输出拟合图形和求参结果。Aquifer Test提供了丰富的求参方案,求参必须结合当地当时的水文地质条件实际情况考虑,选择适合的方案和时空数据求取水文地质参数。

Water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone for surrounding rock across pressure aquifers

Osmotic water alters the physicochemical properties and internal structures of limestone.This issue is particularly critical in tunnel construction across mountainous regions with aquifers,where pressurized groundwater can destabilize the limestone-based surrounding rock.Thus,systematic research into the physicochemical properties and pore structure changes in the limestone under pressurized water is essential.Additionally,it is essential to develop an interpretable mathematical model to accurately depict how pressurized osmotic water weakens limestone.In this research,a specialized device was designed to simulate the process of osmotic laminar flow within limestone.Then,four main tests were conducted:mass loss,acoustic emission(AE),mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP),and fluorescence analysis.Experimental results gained from tests led to the development of a“Particle-pore throat-water film”model.Proposed model explains water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone under osmotic pressure and reveals evolutionary mechanisms as pressure increases.Based on experimental results and model,we found that osmotic pressure not only alters limestone composition but also affects pore throats larger than 0.1μm.Furthermore,osmotic pressure expands pore throats,enhancing pore structure uniformity,interconnectivity,and permeability.These effects are observed at a threshold of 7.5 MPa,where cohesive forces within the mineral lattice are surpassed,leading to the breakdown of erosion-resistant layer and a significant increase in hydrochemical erosion.

Identifying flow regime in the aquifer of fractured rock system in Germi Chai Basin,Iran

Considering the importance of fractured rock aquifers in the hydrogeologic process,this research aimed to analyze the flow regime,internal degree of karstification,and estimate storage volume in fractured rock aquifers of the Germi Chai Basin in northwest Iran,which is attributed to its active tectonics,erosion,and the lithological diversity.Given the geological setting,the hypothesis is that this basin is characterized by a high degree of karstification and diffuse or intermediate flow regime leading to variation in discharge flow rate.The hydrodynamic and hadrochemical analysis was conducted on 9 well distributed springs across the basin from 2019 to 2020.The maximum flow rate in most of the springs appeared in the early wet season despite their different levels of fluctuations on the monthly discharge time series.Analyzing the spring recession curve form revealed an aquifer containing multiple micro-regimes withαrecession coefficients and a degree of karstification ranging between 0.001 to 0.06 and 0.55 to 2.61,respectively.These findings indicated a dominant diffuse and intermediate flow system resulting from the development of a high density of fractures in this area.The electrical conductivity of the spring changes inversely proportional to the change in flow discharge,indicating the reasonable hydrological response of the aquifer to rainfall events.Hydrograph analysis revealed that the delay time of spring discharge after rainfall events mostly varies between 10 to 30 days.The total dynamic storage volume of the spring for a given period(2019-2020)was estimated to be approximately 1324 million cubic meters reflecting the long-term drainage potential and high perdurability of dynamic storage.Estimating the maximum and minimum ratio revealed that the springs recharging system in Germi Chai Basin comes under the slow aquifers category.This finding provides valuable insight into the hydrogeological properties of fractured rock aquifers contributing to effective water management strategy.

Simulation Study on the Migration Range of CO_(2) in the Offshore Saline Aquifer

The geological storage of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)) is a crucial technology for mitigating climate change. Offshore deep saline aquifers have elicited increased attention due to their remarkable potential for storing CO_(2). During long-term storage, CO_(2) migration in a deep saline aquifer needs special attention to prevent it from reaching risk points and leading to security issues. In this paper, a mechanism model is established according to the geological characteristics of saline aquifers in an offshore sedimentary basin in China. The CO_(2) migration over 100 years is simulated considering geological changes such as permeability, dip angle, thickness, and salinity. The effects of injection conditions on the CO_(2) migration range are also investigated. Results reveal that the migration range of CO_(2) in the injection period exceeds 70%, even if the postinjection period's duration is five times longer than that of the injection period. As the values of the above geological parameters increase, the migration range of CO_(2) increases, and permeability has a particularly substantial influence. Moreover, the influences of injection rate and well type are considerable. At high injection rates, CO_(2) has a greater likelihood of displacing brine in a piston-like scheme. CO_(2) injected by long horizontal wells migrates farther compared with that injected by vertical wells. In general, the plane migration range is within 3 000 m, although variations in the reservoir and injection parameters of the studied offshore saline aquifers are considered. This paper can offer references for the site selection and injection well deployment of CO_(2) saline aquifer storage. According to the studied offshore aquifers, a distance of at least 3 000 m from potential leakage points, such as spill points, active faults, and old abandoned wells, must be maintained.

Potential evaluation of saline aquifers for the geological storage of carbon dioxide: A case study of saline aquifers in the Qian-5 member in northeastern Ordos Basin

The well-developed coal electricity generation and coal chemical industries have led to huge carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emissions in the northeastern Ordos Basin.The geological storage of CO_(2) in saline aquifers is an effective backup way to achieve carbon neutrality.In this case,the potential of saline aquifers for CO_(2) storage serves as a critical basis for subsequent geological storage project.This study calculated the technical control capacities of CO_(2) of the saline aquifers in the fifth member of the Shiqianfeng Formation(the Qian-5 member)based on the statistical analysis of the logging and the drilling and core data from more than 200 wells in the northeastern Ordos Basin,as well as the sedimentary facies,formation lithology,and saline aquifer development patterns of the Qian-5 member.The results show that(1)the reservoirs of saline aquifers in the Qian-5 member,which comprise distributary channel sand bodies of deltaic plains,feature low porosities and permeabilities;(2)The study area hosts three NNE-directed saline aquifer zones,where saline aquifers generally have a single-layer thickness of 3‒8 m and a cumulative thickness of 8‒24 m;(3)The saline aquifers of the Qian-5 member have a total technical control capacity of CO_(2) of 119.25×10^(6) t.With the largest scale and the highest technical control capacity(accounting for 61%of the total technical control capacity),the Jinjie-Yulin saline aquifer zone is an important prospect area for the geological storage of CO_(2) in the saline aquifers of the Qian-5 member in the study area.

Key aspects of underground hydrogen storage in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and saline aquifers:A review and understanding

Underground hydrogen storage is critical for renewable energy integration and sustainability.Saline aquifers and depleted oil and gas reservoirs represent viable large-scale hydrogen storage solutions due to their capacity and availability.This paper provides a comparative analysis of the current status of hydrogen storage in various environments.Additionally,it assesses the geological compatibility,capacity,and security of these storage environments with minimal leakage and degradation.An in-depth analysis was also conducted on the economic and environmental issues that impact the hydrogen storage.In addition,the capacity of these structures was also clarified,and it is similar to storing carbon dioxide,except for the cushion gas that is injected with hydrogen to provide pressure when withdrawing from the store to increase demand.This research also discusses the pros and cons of hydrogen storage in saline aquifers and depleted oil and gas reservoirs.Advantages include numerous storage sites,compatibility with existing infrastructure,and the possibility to repurpose declining oil and gas assets.Specifically,it was identified that depleted gas reservoirs are better for hydrogen gas storage than depleted oil reservoirs because hydrogen gas may interact with the oil.The saline aquifers rank third because of uncertainty,limited capacity,construction and injection costs.The properties that affect the hydrogen injection process were also discussed in terms of solid,fluid,and solid-fluid properties.In all structures,successful implementation requires characterizing sites,monitoring and managing risks,and designing efficient storage methods.The findings expand hydrogen storage technology and enable a renewable energy-based energy system.

Groundwater Modelling of Motloutse Alluvial Aquifer, Eastern Botswana

The potential groundwater reserve in alluvial aquifers and sandy river beds has not been well studied, and yet their benefit in meeting rural water supply demands cannot be underestimated. A three-dimensional steady-state finite difference numerical groundwater flow model was used to assess the groundwater resource potential on a one-kilometre river stretch scale along the Motloutse River catchment in eastern Botswana. The model area is a single-layer unconfined aquifer system. A uniform grid was laid over this phreatic aquifer, and an overall size of 50 columns x 54 rows was developed. The model yielded calibrated K values of 145 m/day and 11 m/day for the riverbed and riverbank sediments, respectively, and calibrated recharge and evaporation of 172 mm/yr and 120 mm/yr, respectively. A sustainable groundwater yield of 120 m3/day with the potential to irrigate an area of 2.4 hectares was determined. The result also shows that the Motloutse alluvial aquifer yields a safe yield of 29,400 m3 for a kilometre of river stretch.

Isotope Tracking of Surface Water Groundwater Interaction in the Beninese Part of the Iullemeden Aquifer System

The Kandi basin is located in northeast Benin (West Africa). This study is focused on the estimation of water fluxes exchanged between the river Niger (and its tributaries) and the transboundary Iullemeden Aquifer System. In that framework, an innovative approach based on the application of the Bayesian Mixing Model (MixSIAR) analysis on water isotopes (oxygen-18, deuterium and tritium) was performed. Moreover, to assess the relevance of the model outputs, Pearson’s correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) have been done. A complex relationship between surface water and groundwater has been found. Sixty percent (60%) of groundwater samples are made of more than 70% river water and rainwater;while 31.25% of surface water samples are made of about 84% groundwater. To safeguard sustainable water resources for the well-being of the local communities, surface water and groundwater must be managed as a unique component in the Kandi basin.

Hydrogeochemical Characterization of Groundwater from Fissured Aquifers in the Angovia Mine Operating Permit Area (Central-West Côte d’Ivoire)

The main objective of this study is to determine the hydrogeochemical specificities of the groundwater of the Angovia mine operating permit, located in the Yaouré mountains in the center-west of Côte d’Ivoire. To do so, descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis methods with the SOM (Self Organizing Maps) algorithm were applied to the physicochemical parameters of 17 boreholes using the calcite (ISC) and dolomite (ISD) saturation indices. The results obtained have shown that the groundwater in the Angovia mine operating permit area has an average temperature of 27.52°C (long rainy season) and 27.87&degC (long dry season) and has an average pH of 7.09 ± 0.35 during the main rainy season and 7.32 ± 0.35 during the main dry season. They are mineralized with an average electrical conductivity of 505.98 ± 302.85 μS/cm during the long rainy season and with 450.33 ± 233.74 μS/cm as average during the long dry season. The main phenomena at the origin of groundwater mineralization are water residence time, oxidation-reduction and surface inflow. The study of the relative age of the water shows that the groundwater in the Angovia mine operating permit area is mainly undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. They are therefore very old in the aquifer with a slow circulation speed during the long rainy season and the long dry season.

Evaluation of aquifer hydraulic properties from resistivity and pumping test data in parts of Gwagwalada,Northcentral Nigeria

Population upsurge in Gwagwalada increased water demand in the area,thereby stressing water resources in the area.Aquifer properties in parts of Gwagwalada in North-Central Nigeria were therefore investigated using resistivity and hydrogeological approaches.Static water level measurements of hand dug wells were used to determine the groundwater flow direction for the area which coincides with the North East-South West joint direction.Constant rate pumping test was adopted for the research and 10 boreholes were pumped.The weathered/fractured basement range from 7.5 m to 56.7 m.The transmissivity values in the area ranged from 0.35 m^(2)/d to 3.63 m^(2)/d while the hydraulic conductivity range from 0.045 m/d to 0.18 m/d.The Vertical Electrical Soundings(VES)were carried out on the area.The geoelectric sections revealed four to five layers and the longitudinal conductance varied from 0.11Ω^(-1)to 0.37Ω^(-1).The results of the investigation characterized the groundwater potential in the study area into low and moderate while the aquifer protective capacity into weak and moderate zones.The efficacy of resistivity and pumping test data in quantifying aquifer properties has been established in this study.The findings of this study shed light on the properties of ground water and aquifer protective capacity in the area,hence assist in the effective future groundwater resources exploitation.

Stochastic Simulation of Saline Intrusion in the Coastal Aquifer of Saloum, Senegal

In the Saloum region of central-western Senegal, water needs are essentially met by tapping an underground aquifer associated with the sandy-clay formations of the Continental Terminal, in contact with both the ocean to the west and the highly saline waters of the Saloum River to the north. In this estuarine and deltaic zone with its very low relief, the hydraulic loads in the water tables are generally close to zero or even negative, creating a reversal of the natural flow and encouraging saline intrusion into this system, which makes it very vulnerable. This study concerns the implementation of a numerical model of saline intrusion to provide a better understanding of the vulnerability of the water table by analyzing the variability of the freshwater/saltwater interface. The Modflow-2005 code is used to simulate saline intrusion using the SWI2 module, coupled with the GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) software under the Linux operating system with the steep interface approach. The probable expansion of the wedge is studied in three scenarios, taking into account its position relative to the bedrock at 1 m, 5 m and 10 m. Simulations carried out under imposed potential and river conditions, based on variations in groundwater reserves using two effective porosity values, 10−1 and 10−2, show that the water table is highly vulnerable in the northwest sector. The probable expansion of the wedge increases as the storage coefficient decreases and is more marked with river conditions in the areas surrounding the Saloum River, reaching 6 km with a probability of 1. The probability of the wedge reaching a certain degree of expansion decreases from 1 to 0.5, and then cancels out as it moves inland. The probable position of the wedge is limited to 500 m or even 1 km depending on the corner around the coast to the southwest and in the southern zone. This modelling, carried out under natural conditions, will be developed further, taking into account climatic parameters and pumping from wells and boreholes.

Hydrogeochemical Characterization of Aquifer Systems and Surface Water/Groundwater Relations in the Lower Senegal River Valley

This study assesses the chemical quality of water resources in the Lower Senegal River valley, based on 35 samples collected in November 2022. Major ion concentrations in surface water and groundwater were analyzed using classical geochemical interpretation diagrams (Piper, GIBBS, etc.) and multivariate geostatistical analyses, including hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). The results revealed three types of facies: Ca-Mg-HCO3-type facies, characteristic of poorly mineralized waters such as surface waters and groundwater from dune formations and the alluvial plain close to the hydraulic axis;Na-Cl type facies associated with well waters located in the alluvial plain that tap Inchirian or Nouakchottian shallow reservoirs and Maastrichtian deep borehole waters;and mixed Ca-Cl and Na-HCO3 type facies observed in certain floodplain and dune reservoirs. The results showed a strong correlation between sodium, chlorides, bromides, and electrical conductivity, indicating a significant contribution of these ions to groundwater mineralization. The various sources of water mineralization include mixing processes between surface water or rainwater, or calcite or dolomite dissolution processes (for weakly mineralized waters), basic exchanges or inverse basic exchanges between the aquifer and the water table (for moderately mineralized waters), and evaporation processes, halite dissolution, and paleosalinity during periods of marine transgression and regression (for highly mineralized waters). The study also highlighted the high vulnerability of the alluvial aquifer to pollution from intensive irrigated agriculture, as significant quantities of sulfates and nitrates were measured in some samples. These results also highlight the importance of water quality management in the Lower Senegal Valley, particularly as concerns the protection of the alluvial aquifer against pollution from irrigated agriculture.

Modeling of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR) in the Edwards-Trinity Plateau and Ogallala Aquifers in the Midland-Odessa Region Using Random Forest Regression and eXtreme Gradient Boosting

Efficient water quality monitoring and ensuring the safety of drinking water by government agencies in areas where the resource is constantly depleted due to anthropogenic or natural factors cannot be overemphasized. The above statement holds for West Texas, Midland, and Odessa Precisely. Two machine learning regression algorithms (Random Forest and XGBoost) were employed to develop models for the prediction of total dissolved solids (TDS) and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) for efficient water quality monitoring of two vital aquifers: Edward-Trinity (plateau), and Ogallala aquifers. These two aquifers have contributed immensely to providing water for different uses ranging from domestic, agricultural, industrial, etc. The data was obtained from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). The XGBoost and Random Forest models used in this study gave an accurate prediction of observed data (TDS and SAR) for both the Edward-Trinity (plateau) and Ogallala aquifers with the R2 values consistently greater than 0.83. The Random Forest model gave a better prediction of TDS and SAR concentration with an average R, MAE, RMSE and MSE of 0.977, 0.015, 0.029 and 0.00, respectively. For the XGBoost, an average R, MAE, RMSE, and MSE of 0.953, 0.016, 0.037 and 0.00, respectively, were achieved. The overall performance of the models produced was impressive. From this study, we can clearly understand that Random Forest and XGBoost are appropriate for water quality prediction and monitoring in an area of high hydrocarbon activities like Midland and Odessa and West Texas at large.

The Damaging Effects of Abstracting the Deep Aquifers’Groundwater in Jordan-Quality Constraints

The deep aquifers in Jordan contain non-renewable and fossil groundwater and their extraction is quasi a mining process, which ends in the depletion of these resources. Although aquifers in the majority of groundwater basins in Jordan are vertically and horizontally interconnected stratification in different water quality horizons with generally increasing water salinity with the depth is observed. Many officials and planners advocate the extraction of deep salty and brackish water to be desalinated and used in household, industrial, and agricultural uses. In this article, the quality of the groundwater in the different deep aquifers and areas in Jordan is discussed. The results of this study show that the consequences of the deep groundwater exploitation are not restricted to depletion of the deep aquifers but also that the overlying fresh groundwater will, due to vertical and horizontal interconnectedness of the different aquifers, percolate down to replace the extracted deep groundwater. This will cause the down-percolating fresh groundwater to become salinized in the deep saline aquifers, which means that extracting the deep brackish and saline groundwater is not only an emptying process of the deep groundwater but also it is an emptying process of the fresh groundwater overlying them. The results allow to conclude that any extraction of the deep groundwater in areas lying to the north of Ras en Naqab Escarpment will have damaging impacts on the fresh groundwater in the overlying fresh groundwater aquifers. This article strongly advises not to extract the deep brackish and saline groundwater, but to conserve that groundwater as a base supporting the overlying fresh groundwater resources, and that will help in protecting the thermal mineralized water springs used in spas originating from these deep aquifers. The increasing water needs of the country can be covered by the desalination of seawater at Aqaba, which is the only viable option for Jordan at present and in the coming decades.

A CO_(2) storage potential evaluation method for saline aquifers in a petroliferous basin

According to the requirements for large-scale project implementation, a four-scale and three-level CO_(2)storage potential evaluation method is proposed for saline aquifers in a petroliferous basin in China, considering geological,engineering and economic factors. The four scales include basin scale, depression scale, play scale and trap scale, and the three levels include theoretical storage capacity, engineering storage capacity, and economic storage capacity. The theoretical storage capacity can be divided into four trapping mechanisms, i.e. structural & stratigraphic trapping, residual trapping, solubility trapping and mineral trapping, depending upon the geological parameters, reservoir conditions and fluid properties in the basin. The engineering storage capacity is affected by the injectivity, storage security pressure, well number, and injection time.The economic storage capacity mainly considers the carbon pricing yield, drilling investment, and operation cost, based on the break-even principle. Application of the method for saline aquifer in the Gaoyou sag of the Subei Basin reveals that the structural & stratigraphic trapping occupies the largest proportion of the theoretical storage capacity, followed by the solubility trapping and the residual trapping, and the mineral trapping takes the lowest proportion. The engineering storage capacity and the economic storage capacity are significantly lower than the theoretical storage capacity when considering the constrains of injectivity, security and economy, respectively accounting for 21.0% and 17.6% of the latter.

Simulation of transport mechanism of radium isotopes in aquifer on the southern coast of Laizhou Bay

Naturally occurring radium(^(223)Ra,^(224)Ra,^(226)Ra,and^(228)Ra)isotopes have been widely applied as geochemical tracers in marine environments,especially when estimating the submarine groundwater discharge(SGD).In this sense,the influencing factors and transport mechanism of radium isotope activity in aquifers can be key information for SGD estimation.This work evaluates the adsorption/desorption behavior of^(224)Ra and^(226)Ra in the solid-liquid phase through a leaching experiment and analysis of field data.The results suggested that radium isotope activity was positively correlated with salinity and grain size,in the case of abundant sediments.Through ion analysis,we found that the ions(Na^(+),Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+),and Ba^(2+))exchanged with radium isotopes in the process of transport.A 1-D reactive transport model was established to simulate the transport process of radium isotope in aquifers.The model successfully simulated the variation of radium isotope desorption activity with salinity and was subsequently verified in the field.This study contributes to the understanding of the geochemical behavior of radium isotopes in aquifers and provides guidance for selecting a suitable groundwater endmember in SGD estimation.

Vibrocorer for undisturbed sampling of firn aquifer layers in Greenland: general concept

The firn aquifer beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet may play a significant role in rising sea level. Both traditional mechanical drilling and electric thermal drilling are poorly adapted for effective, low-disturbance sampling in firn aquifers. We propose using a vibrocoring technique for the undisturbed sampling of dry firn and firn aquifer layers. A remote-controlled vibrocorer is designed to obtain 1-m-long cores with a diameter of 100 mm. The depth capacity of the system is approximately 50 m. The total weight of the vibrocoring system with the surface auxiliary equipment is approximately 110 kg, and corer assembly itself weighs ~60 kg.

Aquifer Test计算越流承压含水层水文地质参数方法研究

为了准确评价越流承压含水层地下水资源量,探寻一种简便精确计算水文地质参数方法成为关键性问题。利用清丰县八里庄水源地勘探项目非稳定流越流承压含水层抽水试验资料,采用Aquifer Test软件,根据越流承压含水层非稳定井流理论,计算承压含水层的水文地质参数,并对其计算结果与采用数值模拟方法所得结果进行比较分析。结果表明:Aquifer Test软件对水文地质参数的计算简便快捷,计算结果符合水文地质实际情况,是合理选择越流承压含水层水文地质参数较为精确的方法。

Application of Spatial Techniques for the Identification of Discontinuous Aquifers of the Basement in Semi-Arid Environment: A Case of Bagzan Mount Plateau, Aïr Massif (North, Niger)

Bagzan mount is located in the Aïr massifs region. This locality, which is constituted only by the granites and volcanic formations, knows the difficulty of water supply that depends on rainfall. This present study has the objective of fracture mapping that allowed to the fractured aquifer in Bagzan mount. The methodological approach used has a treatment of Digital Elevation Model (DEM imagery), hydrogeological and geological approach in the field. This process allowed us to map the lineaments and elaborate a fracturing map after the validation stage. The fracturing map showed that the fractures network is distributed in the N70°-N80°, N60°-N70°, N50°-N60°, and two secondary directions N90°-N100° and N120°-N140°. These fracturing maps allowed us to have precious information in groundwater research in Bagzan mount, due to their geological and hydrogeological complexity.