Contamination in Fractured Rock Aquifers
![USGS scientists processed cores for later analysis of trichloroethylene (TCE), dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride in the cores (circa 2005). A blue tarp was laid on the ground to capture any spills of potentially contaminated materials from the core](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081111103706im_/http://toxics.usgs.gov/photo_gallery/photos/nawc/nawc_IMG_0731_sm.jpg) USGS scientists processed cores for later analysis of trichloroethylene (TCE), dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride in the cores (circa 2005). A blue tarp was laid on the ground to capture any spills of potentially contaminated materials from the core -- from the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Research Site
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Fractured-rock aquifers are widely distributed near land surface and
are highly susceptible to contamination from human activities. Researchers are developing an
improved understanding of the movement of water and contaminants in fractured-rock aquifers,
methods for characterization of field conditions, and modeling tools. Contaminant transport
and fate is fundamentally different in fractured rock than in unconsolidated (sand and
gravel) aquifers. Significantly more uncertainty exists as to the direction and rate of
contaminant migration, as well as the processes and factors that control chemical and
microbial transformations. At many contaminated sites across the Nation, remedial action is
delayed or stymied by the complexity of contaminated fractured-rock aquifers. Long-term
research on contamination in fractured-rock aquifers has been conducted at the
Program’s two field research sites:
Chlorinated Solvents in Fractured Sedimentary
Rock -- Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Research Site, West Trenton, New Jersey
Multidisciplinary Characterization of
Contaminant Transport in Fractured Rock -- Mirror Lake, New Hampshire
Other Program Fractured Rock Research
Program Headlines Related to Fractured Rock Research
Fact Sheets
Meetings and Conferences
New Publications
- Biochemical indicators for the bioavailability of organic carbon in ground water: Chapelle, F.H., Bradley, P.M., Goode, D.J., Tiedeman, C., Lacombe, P.J., Kaiser, K., and Benner, R., 2008, Ground Water, doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2008.00493.x (Advanced Web release).
- The effect of terrace geology on ground-water movement and on the interaction of ground water and surface water on a mountainside near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, USA: Winter, T.C., Buso, D.C., Shattuck, P.C., Harte, P.T., Vroblesky, D.A., and Goode, D.J., 2008, Hydrological Processes, v. 22, no. 1, p. 21-32, doi:10.1002/hyp.6593.
- Pathogen and chemical transport in the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer--1. Revised conceptualization of groundwater flow: Renken, R.A., Cunningham, K.J., Shapiro, A.M., Harvey, R.W., Zygnerski, M.R., Metge, D.W., and Wacker, M.A., 2008, Water Resources Research, v. 44, W08429, doi:10.1029/2007WR006058.
- Pathogen and chemical transport in the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer--2. Chemical retention from diffusion and slow advection: Shapiro, A.M., Renken, R.A., Harvey, R.W., Zygnerski, M.R., and Metge, D.W., 2008, Water Resources Research, v. 44, W08430, doi:10.1029/2007WR006059.
- Pathogen and chemical transport in the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer--3. Use of microspheres to estimate the transport potential of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts: Harvey, R.W., Metge, D.W., Shapiro, A.M., Renken, R.A., Osborn, C.L., Ryan, J.N., Cunningham, K.J., and Landkamer, L., 2008, Water Resources Research, v. 44, W08431, doi:10.1029/2007WR006060.
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