Multiphase flow, transport, reaction and biodegradation

Toxic contaminants and naturally occurring substances found in the subsurface can exist in multiple phases, and undergo complex reactions including biodegradation. A comprehensive and quantitative understanding of the processes controlling the fate and transport of subsurface contaminants is necessary to develop policies and strategies for managing water-quality conditions in different land use and environmental settings. Numerical models that simulate flow, transport, and reactions are useful tools for understanding the fate of chemicals in the subsurface when used in conjunction with field and laboratory studies. The research efforts of this project consider flow and chemical behavior in the saturated and unsaturated zones. We cover a broad range of contaminants including petroleum hydrocarbons, actinides, chlorinated solvents, creosote compounds, and agricultural chemicals. Using the same basic techniques, we also conduct research on the role of groundwater flow in transporting heat and chemicals along active faults. Members of this project develop and use numerical models, conduct field studies, and perform laboratory experiments, to understand flow, transport, and reactions of chemicals in the subsurface. These chemicals can include anthropogenic contaminants as well as naturally occurring species such as nutrients, terminal electron acceptors, reactive minerals and surfaces. The specific goals of our subsurface research are to:

1. Quantify the physical, chemical, and biological processes controlling chemical fate in the environment.
2. Test competing hypotheses for explaining observed chemical distribution and behavior.
3. Help characterize the mass balance of a chemical and its byproducts in a system.
4. Compare chemical fate in different hydrologic settings; and,
5. Test the impact of different management/remediation scenarios on water quality.

For additional information, see project home page.

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999-2008

Bekins, B. A., and Screaton, E. J., in press, Pore pressure and fluid flow in the northern Barbados accretionary complex: A synthesis, in The Seismogenic Zone of Subduction Thrust Faults, T. H. Dixon and J. C. Moore eds, MARGINS Theoretical and Experimental Earth Science Series, v. 2, Columbia University Press.

Cygan, R.T., Stevens, C.T., Puls, R.W., Yabusaki, S.B., Wauchope, R.D., McGrath, C.J., Curtis, G.P., Siegel, M.D., Veblen, L.A., and Turner, D.R., 2008, Research activities at U.S. government agencies in subsurface reactive transport modeling: Vadose Zone Journal, v. 6, p. 805-822. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Duff, J.H., Tesoriero, A.J., Richardson, W.B., Strauss, E.A., and Munn, M.D., 2008, Whole-Stream Response to Nitrate Loading in Three Streams Draining Agricultural Landscapes:: Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 37, p. 1133-1144. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Essaid, H.I., Zamora, C., McCarthy, K., Vogel, J., and Wilson, J.T., 2008, Using heat to characterize streambed water flux variability in four stream reaches: Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 37, p. 1010-1023. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Green, C.T., Fisher, L.H., and Bekins, B.A., 2008, Nitrogen fluxes through unsaturated zones in five agricultural settings across the United States: Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 37, p. 1073-1085. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Green, C.T., Puckett, L.J., Böhlke, J.K., Bekins, B.A., Phillips, S.P., Kauffman, L.J., Denver, J.M., and Johnson, H.M., 2008, Limited occurrence of denitrification in four shallow aquifers in agricultural areas of the United States: Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 37, p. 994-1009. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Hendricks, S.P., Duff, J.H., Triska, F.J., and Jackman, A.P., 2008, Bacterial biomass and productivity within different subsurface hydrologic environments of a sandy, low elevation river in north-central Minnesota, USA: Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, v. 30, p. 302-212.

Hostettler, F.D., Bekins, B.A., Rostad, C.E., and Herkelrath, W.N., 2008, Response to Commentary on Observed Methanogenic Biodegradation Progressions: Environmental Forensics, v. 9, p. 121–126.

Kent, D.B., Davis, J.A., Joye, J.L., and Curtis, G.P., 2008, Influence of variable chemical conditions on EDTA-enhanced transport of metal ions in mildly acidic groundwater: Environmental Pollution, v. 153, p. 44-52.

Kent, D.B., Davis, J.A., Joye, J.L., and Curtis, G.P., 2008, Influence of variable chemical conditions on EDTA-enhanced transport of metal ions in mildly acidic groundwater: Environmental Pollution, v. 153, no. 1, p. 44-52. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Puckett, L.J., Zamora, C., Essaid, H.I., Wilson, J.T., Johnson, H.M., Brayton, M.J., and Vogel, J.R., 2008, Transport and fate of nitrate at the ground water-surface water interface: Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 37, p. 1034-1050. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Triska, F.J., Duff, J.H., Jackman, A.P., and Avanzino, R.J., 2008, Nutrient chemistry, transformation and release in riparian groundwater seep discharge during the final meter of subsurface transport: Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, v. 30, p. 435-440.

Bekins, B.A., Spivack, A.J., Davis, E.E., and Mayer, L.A., 2007, Dissolution of biogenic ooze over basement edifices in the equatorial Pacific with implications for hydrothermal ventilation of the oceanic crust: Geology, v. 7, no. 8, p. 679-682, doi: 10.1130/G23797A.1. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Constantz, J. and Essaid, H., 2007, Influence of groundwater pumping on streamflow restoration following upstream dam removal: Hydrological Processes, v. 21, no. 21, p. 2823-2834. (on-line abstract or on-line article in pdf format, 1033 KB, - published on-line in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons as a U.S. Governement work in the public domain)

Duff, J.H., Jackman, A.P., Triska, F.J., Sheibley, R.W., and Avanzino, R.J., 2007, Nitrate retention in riparian ground water at natural and elevated nitrate levels in North Central Minnesota, Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 36, p. 343-353. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Herkelrath, W.N., Kharaka, Y.K., Thordsen, J.J., and Abbott, M.M., 2007, Hydrology and subsurface transport of oil-field brine at the U.S. Geological Survey OSPER site “A”, Osage County, Oklahoma: Applied Geochemistry, v. 22, p. 2,155-2,163. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Hinkle, S.R., Böhlke, J.K., Duff, J.D., Morgan, D.S., and Weick, R.J., 2007, Aquifer-scale controls on the distribution of nitrate and ammonium in ground water near La Pine, Oregon, USA: Journal of Hydrology, v. 333, p. 486-503. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Hostettler, F.D., Wang, Y., Huang, Y., Cao, W., Bekins, B.A., Rostad, C.E., Kulpa, C.F., and Laursen, A., 2007, Forensic fingerprinting of oil-spill hydrocarbons in a methanogenic environment--Mandan, ND and Bemidji, MN: Environmental Forensics, v. 8, p. 139-153. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Nimmo, J.R., Herkelrath, W.N., and Laguna Luna, A.M., 2007, Physically based estimation of soil water retention from textural data: General framework, new models, and streamlined existing models: Vadose Zone Journal, v. 6, no. 4, p. 766-773. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Phillips, S.P., Green, C.T., Burow, K.R., Shelton, J.L., and Rewis, D.L., 2007, Simulation of Multiscale Ground-Water Flow in Part of the Northeastern San Joaquin Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey, Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5009, 43 p. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 6.7 MB)

Triska, F.J., Duff, J.H., Sheibley, R.W., Jackman, A.P., and Avanzino, R.J., 2007, DIN retention-transport through four hydrologically connected zones in a headwater catchment of the Upper Mississippi River: Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 43, no. 1, p. 60-71. doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2007.00006.x (on-line abstract of journal article)

Zielinski, R.A., Herkelrath, W.N., and Otton, J.K, 2007, Composition of pore water in lake sediments, research Site "B", Osage County, Oklahoma: Implications for water quality and benthic organisms: Applied Geochemistry, v. 22, p. 2,177-2,192. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Amirbahman, A., Kent, D.B., Curtis, G.P., and Davis, J.A. 2006, Kinetics of sorption and abiotic oxidation of arsenic(III) by aquifer materials: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 70, p. 533-547. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Curtis, G.P., Davis, J.A., and Naftz, D.L., 2006, Simulation of reactive transport of uranium(VI) in groundwater with variable chemical conditions: Water Resources Research, v. 42, no. 4, W04404, doi: 10.1029/2005WR003979. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Davis, J.A., Curtis, G.P., Wilkins, M.J., Kohler, M., Fox, P.M., Naftz, D.L., and Lloyd, J.R., 2006, Processes affecting transport of uranium in a suboxic aquifer: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, v. 31, p. 548-555. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Essaid, H.I., Wilson, J.T., and Baker, N.T., 2006, Spatial and temporal variability in streambed fluxes, Leary Weber Ditch, IN: Conference Proceedings of the 3^rd Federal Interagency Hydrologic Modeling Conference, April, 2006, Reno, Nevada, 8 p

Herkelrath, William, 2006, Book Review of Hydrogeophysics: Geofluids, v. 6, p. 201.

Matmon, D., and Bekins, B.A., 2006, Hydromechanics of a high taper angle, low-permeability prism: A case study from Peru: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 111, no, B7, B07101, doi:10.1029/2005JB003697. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Saffer, D.M. and Bekins, B.A., 2006, An evaluation of factors influencing pore pressure in accretionary complexes: Implications for taper angle and wedge mechanics: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 111, no. B4, B04101, doi:10.1029/2005JB003990. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Sheibley, R.W., Duff, J.H., Jackman, A.P., Triska, F.J., Warren, E., and Godsy, E.M., 2006, Nitrate reduction in sediment perfusion cores from Pool 8, upper Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA: Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, v. 29, p. 1,289-1,295.

Triska, F.J., Duff, J.H., Warren, E., Godsy, E.M., Jackman, A.P., and Avanzino, R.J., 2006, High and low flow nitrate distribution and its implications for nitrate retention in Navigation Pool 8, Upper Mississippi River (UMR), and in a high nitrate tributary, the Root River, USA: Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, v. 29, p. 1,729-1,735.

Warren, E., Godsy, E.M., Duff, J.H., Triska, F.J., and Jackman, A.P., 2006, Nitrate reduction and microbial numbers in upper Mississippi River sediments, Pool 8, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA: Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung fur Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie, v. 29, p. 1,578-1,582.

Warren, Ean, Prudic, D.E., and Godsy, E.M., 2006, Changes in Microbial Activity, in Green, J.M., (ed.), The effectiveness of Cattlemans detention basin, South Lake Tahoe, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5259, p. 37-48. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 8 MB)

Amos, R.T., Mayer, K.U., Bekins, B.A., Delin, G.N., and Williams, R.L., 2005, Use of dissolved and vapor-phase gases to investigate methanogenic degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in the subsurface: Water Resources Research, v. 41, no. 2. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Bekins, B. A., Cozzarelli, I.M., and Curtis, G.P., 2005, A simple method for calculating growth rates of petroleum hydrocarbon plumes: Ground Water, v. 43, no. 6, 817-826. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Bekins, B.A., Hostettler, F.D., Herkelrath, W.N., Delin, G.N., Warren, E., and Essaid, H.I., 2005, Progression of methanogenic degradation of crude oil in the subsurface: Environmental Geosciences, v. 12, p. 139-152. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Delin, G.N., and Herkelrath, W.N., 2005, Use of soil moisture probes to estimate ground water recharge at an oil spill site: Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 41, no. 6, p. 1,259-1,277. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Green, C.T., Stonestrom, D.A., Bekins, B.A., Akstin, K.C., and Schulz, M.S., 2005, Percolation and transport in a sandy soil under a natural hydraulic gradient: Water Resources Research, v. 41, doi:10.1029/2005WR004061. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Kharaka, Y.K., Thordsen, J.J., Kakouros, E., and Herkelrath, W.N., 2005, Impact of petroleum production on ground and surface waters: Results from the Osage-Skiatook petroleum environmental research site A, Osage County, Oklamoma: Environmental Geosciences, v. 12, p. 127-138. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Nolan, B.T., Bayless, E.R., Green, C.T., Garg, S., Voss, F.D., Lampe, D.C., Barbash, J.E., Capel, P., and Bekins, B., 2005, Evaluation of unsaturated-zone solute-transport models for studies of agricultural chemicals: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1196, 21 p. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 618 KB)

Rousseau, J.P., Landa, E.R., Nimmo, J.R., Cecil, L.D., Knobel, L.L., Glynn, P.D., Kwicklis, E.M., Curtis, G.P., Stollenwerk, K.G., Anderson, S.R., Bartholomay, R.C., Bossong, C.R., and Orr, B.R., 2005, Review of the transport of selected radionuclides in the interim risk assessment for the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, Waste Area Group 7 Operable Unit 7-13/14, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5026, 283 p. in 2 volumes. (on-line volume 1 (text) in pdf format, 2.4 MB or on-line volume 2 (figures) in pdf format, 3.3 MB)

Constantz, J.E., and Essaid, H.I., 2004, The influence of ground water on stream restoration following dam removal: Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association Conference on Riparian Ecosystems and Buffers, Olympic Valley, California, June 2004, CD-ROM, sec. P, p. 1-5.

Curtis, G.P., and Davis, J.A., 2004, Simulation of U(VI) transport in groundwater with variable geochemical conditions, in Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R., II, eds., Water-Rock Interaction, Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, New York, July 2004: New York, A.A. Balkema, v. 2, p. 927-933.

Curtis, G.P., Fox, P., Kohler, M., and Davis, J.A., 2004, Comparison of in situ uranium KD values with a laboratory determined surface complexation model: Applied Geochemistry, v. 19, p. 1,643-1,653. (on-line summary plus)

Davis, J.A., Meece, D.E., Kohler, M., and Curtis, G.P., 2004, Approaches to surface complexation modeling of uranium(VI) adsorption on aquifer sediments: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 68, p. 3,621-3,641. (on-line summary plus)

Davis, J.A., Yabusaki, S.B., Steefel, C.I., Zachara, J.M., Curtis, G.P., Redden, G.P., Criscenti, L.J., and Honeyman, B.D., 2004, Assessing Conceptual Models for Subsurface Reactive Transport of Inorganic Contaminants: Eos, v. 85, no. 44, p. 449 and 455.

D'Hondt, S., Jørgensen, B.B., Miller, D.J., Batzke, A., Blake, R., Cragg, B.A., Cypionka, H., Dickens, G.R., Ferdelman, T., Hinrichs, K.U., Holm, N.G., Mitterer, R., Spivack, A., Wang, G., Bekins, B., Engelen, B., Ford, K., Gettemy, G., Rutherford, S.D., Sass, H., Skilbeck, C.G., Aiello, I.W., Guerin, G., House, C.H., Inagaki, F., Meister, P., Naehr, T., Niitsuma, S., Parkes, R.J., Schippers, A., Smith, D.C., Teske, A., Wiegel, J., Padilla, C.N., and Acosta, J.L.S., 2004, Distributions of microbial activities in deep subseafloor sediments: Science, v. 306, p. 2,216-2,221. (on-line abstract)

Fulton, P., Saffer, D., Harris, R., and Bekins, B.A., 2004, Re-evaluation of heat flow data near Parkfield, CA: Evidence for a weak San Andreas Fault: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 31. (on-line abstract)

Herkelrath, W.N., and Delin, G.N., 2004, Water-soil interaction and solute transport at a crude-oil spill site, in Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R., II, eds., Water-Rock Interaction, Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, New York, July 2004: New York, A.A. Balkema, v. 2, p. 1,527-1,530.

Kohler, M., Curtis, G.P., Meece, D.E., and Davis, J.A., 2004, Methods for estimating adsorbed uranium(VI) and distribution coefficients of contaminated sediments: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 38, p. 240-247.

Rittmann, B.E., Kremer, F., and Bekins, B.A., 2004, MNA Forum: A panel discussion: Remediation Journal, v. 14, no. 2, p. 155-160.

Warren, E., Bekins, B., Godsy, E., Smith, V., 2004, Inhibition of Acetoclastic Methanogenesis in Crude Oil- and Creosote-Contaminated Groundwater: Bioremediation Journal, v. 8, no. 1-2, p. 1-11.

Bekins, B.A., 2003, 2004 Birdsall-Dreiss lecturer named: GSA Today, v. 13, no. 8., p. 26.

Curtis, G.P., 2003, Comparison of approaches for simulating reactive solute transport involving organic degradation reactions by multiple terminal electron acceptors: Computers and Geosciences, v. 18, no. 3, p. 319-329. (on-line abstract)

Davis, J.A., and Curtis, G.P., 2003, Application of surface complexation modeling to describe uranium (VI) adsorption and retardation at the uranium mill tailings site at Naturita, Colorado: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Report NUREG CR-6820. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 691 kb)

Essaid, H.I., Cozzarelli, I.M., Eganhouse, R.P., Herkelrath, W.N., Bekins, B.A., and Delin, G.N., 2003, Inverse modeling of BTEX dissolution and biodegradation at the Bemidji, MN crude-oil spill site, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, v. 67, pp 269-299. (on-line abstract)

Ge, S., Bekins, B.A., Bredehoeft, J., Brown, K., Davis, E.E., Gorelick, S.M., Henry, P., Kooi, H., Moench, A.F., Ruppel, C., Sauter, M., Screaton, E., Swart, P.K., Tokunaga, T., Voss, C.I., and Whitaker, F., 2003, Fluid flow in sub-sea floor processes and future ocean drilling: EOS Transactions American Geophysical Union, v. 84, p. 145, 151-152.

Godsy, E.M., Warren, E., and Paganelli, V.V., 2003, The role of microbial reductive decholrination of TCE at a phytoremediation site: International Journal of Phytoremediation, v. 5, no. 1.

Herkelrath, W.N., and Kharaka, Y.K., 2003, Hydrologic controls on the subsurface transport of oil-field brine at the Osage-Skiatook petroleum environmental "B" site, Oklahoma in Kharaka, Y.K., and Otton, J.K., eds., Environmental impacts of petroleum production: Initial results from the Osage-Skiatook petroleum environmental research (OSPER) Sites, Osage County, Oklahoma: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4260, p. 113-123. (to access on-line report in pdf format - 7MB)

Saffer, D.M., Bekins, B.A., and Hickman, S., 2003, Topographically driven groundwater flow and the San Andreas heat flow paradox revisited: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 108, no. B5, p. 12-1 - 12-14. (on-line abstract)

Warren, E., Bekins, B.A., Godsy, E.M., and Smith, V.K., 2003, Inhibition of acetoclastic methanogenesis in crude oil- and creosote-contaminated groundwater: Bioremediation Journal, v. 7, p. 139-149.

Bekins, B.A., Cozzarelli, I.M., Warren, E., Godsy, E.M., 2002, Microbial ecology of a crude-oil contaminated aquifer, in Thornton, S.F., and Oswald, S.E., eds., Natural and Enhanced Restoration of Groundwater Pollution: International Association of Hydrological Sciences, IAHS Red Book Series no 275, p. 57-63. (on-line abstract)

D'Hondt, S.L., Jorgensen, B.B., Miller, D.J., Aiello, I.W., Bekins, B.A., and others, 2002, Controls on Microbial Communities in Deeply Buried Sediments, Eastern Equatorial Pacific and Peru Margin: Proceedings Ocean Drilling Program Preliminary Report 201 (on-line report or CD-ROM available from Ocean Drilling Program, Texas, A&M University, College Station, TX)

Ge, S., Bekins, B.A., Bredehoeft, J., Brown, K., Davis, E.E., Gorelick, S.M., Henry, P., Kooi, H., Moench, A.F., Ruppel, C., Sauter, M., Screaton, E., Swart, P.K., Tokunaga, T., Voss, C.I., and Whitaker, F., 2002, Hydrogeology program planning group final report: JOIDES Journal, v. 28, no. 2, p. 24-29. (on-line journal with article - pdf format)

Herkelrath, W.N. and Kharaka, Y.K., 2002, Hydrologic controls on the subsurface transport of oil-field brine at the Osage-Skiatook Petroleum Environmental Research "B" Site, Oklahoma, in Sublette, K.L., ed., Proceedings of the 9th International Petroleum Environmental Conference, October 22-25, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 12 p. CD-ROM format. (on-line report in pdf format)

Saffer, D.M., and Bekins, B.A., 2002, Hydrologic controls on the morphology and mechanics of accretionary wedges: Geology, v. 30, no. 3, p. 271-274. (on-line abstract)

Bekins, B.A., Cozzarelli, I.M., Godsy, E.M., Warren, Ean, Essaid, H.I., Tuccillo, M.E., 2001, Progression of natural attenuation processes at a crude oil site II. Controls on spatial distribution of microbial populations: Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, v. 53, p. 387-406. (on-line abstract)