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Capabilities

Subsurface Flow and Transport

EMSL users can employ subsurface flow and transport capabilities to focus on the application of fundamental physical chemistry concepts to the study of chemical reactions in heterogeneous natural material, with an emphasis on soil and subsurface systems. EMSL's approach to subsurface flow and transport studies is holistic, integrating flow cells, analytical tools, and predictive modeling capabilities to study the fate and transport of environmental contaminants, including metals, radionuclides, and chemicals.

A variety of flow cells is available to EMSL users, including column, batch, radial, wedge, and rectangular flow cells as well as microfluidics instrumentation. Flow cells are used in coordination with high-precision, high-sensitivity analytical tools to generate data about sample characteristics by detecting the presence carbon, trace metals, ions, nonvolatile compounds, thermally labile chemicals, and more. EMSL users have the benefit of designing experiments using the predictive subsurface flow and transport simulator STOMP (Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases). Data derived from experiments using EMSL's subsurface flow and transport capabilities are used to further refine STOMP, ever increasing its precision.

Capability Detail

Photo of researcher with computer and flow map

Refer to the table below for a full listing, which leads to complete information about each of EMSL's subsurface flow and transport instruments. Brief details about primary subsurface flow and transport tools available to EMSL users immediately follow.

  1. Three-Dimensional Multifluid Flow and Transport at the Brooklawn Site near Baton Rouge, LA: A Case Study.
  2. Zero-valent Iron Emplacement in Permeable Porous Media Using Polymer Additions.
  3. Carbon Tetrachloride Flow and Transport in the Subsurface of the 216-Z-9 Trench at the Hanford Site.
  4. Geochemical Controls on Contaminant Uranium in Vadose Hanford Formation Sediments at the 200 Area and 300 Area, Hanford Site, Washington.
  5. Effective Hydraulic Properties Determined from Transient Unsaturated Flow in Anisotropic Soils.

Subsurface Flow and Transport Capabilities Available at EMSL

Instrument Contact
Analytical: Chromatograph: Ion Wietsma, Tom
Analytical: Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spec (ICP-MS) Wietsma, Tom
Analytical: Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC) Wietsma, Tom
Analytical: Chromatograph: Gas/Mass Spec System 2005 Wietsma, Tom
Analytical: Chromatograph: Liquid Wietsma, Tom
SFTEL: Flow Cell Oostrom, Mart
Wietsma, Tom
Subsurface Flow and Transport Capability Steward: Nancy Hess | , 509-371-6385