Borehole Radar Monitoring of a Steam-Injection Remediation Pilot Study, Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, Maine - FY2004

[A comprehensive overview of this project is now available.]

As part of its applied research initiatives in FY2004, the USGS Office of Ground Water, Branch of Geophysics (OGW BG) continued analysis of geophysical data from the FY2002 and FY2003 monitoring of a steam-injection remediation pilot study at the Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, Maine.

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) implemented a steam-injection remediation pilot study in fractured limestone contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of steam injection to flush contaminated ground water into extraction wells and to vaporize volatiles that can then be removed through a vapor extraction system. The Branch of Geophysics has conducted borehole geophysical surveys to determine if borehole radar methods can be used to monitor steam-injection remediation.

During FY2004, OGW BG continued its processing and analysis of borehole-radar, temperature, and electromagnetic-induction logs collected by OGW BG to image changes in subsurface material properties caused by the heat of the steam. A USGS Scientific Investigations Report is in preparation and preliminary results were presented at professional conferences in 2004.

This research was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation; with support from the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program; and in cooperation with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

This research was conducted by Fred Day-Lewis (USGS OGW BG) and John W. Lane, Jr. (USGS OGW BG) with assistance from OGW BG staff.

Recent publications:

Grégoire, C., Lane, J.W., Jr., and Joesten, P.K., 2004, Application of borehole radar for monitoring steam-enhanced remediation of a contaminated site in fractured limestone, Maine, USA, in Hack, R., Azzam, R., and Charlier, R., eds., Engineering Geology for Infrastructure Planning in Europe--a European Perspective, Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences: Berlin, Germany, Springer-Verlag, p. 385-392.

Grégoire, C., Lane, J.W., Jr., and Joesten, P.K., 2004, The use of borehole radar tomography to monitor a steam injection pilot study in a contaminated fractured limestone, in EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers) Near Surface Geophysics meeting, 6-9 September, 2004, Utrecht, The Netherlands, Proceedings: Houton, The Netherlands, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, 4 p.

 

For related information, see:

• Summary of OGW BG FY2002 research at Loring AFB
• Summary of OGW BG FY2003 research at Loring AFB