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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF FLOW AND TRANSPORT IN THE FRACTURED VADOSE ZONE

Panel on Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone

U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, award number NRC-04-96-078, and the U.S. Department of Energy, DE-FG08-97NV12056. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the U.S. Department of Energy.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-07302-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2001087694

Additional copies of this report are available from:

National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Box 285 Washington, DC 20055 800-624-6242 202-334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area) http://www.nap.edu

Cover: Illustrations courtesy of David A. Feary (photographs from Yucca Mountain and Busted Butte), and Peters, R. R., and E. A. Klavetter, 1988, a continuum model for water movement in an unsaturated fractured rock mass, Water Resources Research 24(3): 416-430, copyright by American Geophysical Union (for schematic figure showing fluid in fractures).

Copyright 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

PANEL ON CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF FLOW AND TRANSPORT IN THE FRACTURED VADOSE ZONE

PAUL A. HSIEH, Chair,

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

JEAN M. BAHR,

University of Wisconsin, Madison

THOMAS W. DOE,

Golder Associates, Inc., Redmond, Washington

ALAN L. FLINT,

U.S. Geological Survey, Sacramento, California

GLENDON GEE,

Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington

LYNN W. GELHAR,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

D. KIP SOLOMON,

University of Utah, Salt Lake City

MARTINUS VAN GENUCHTEN,

U.S. Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, California

STEPHEN W. WHEATCRAFT,

University of Nevada, Reno

NRC Staff

DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer (beginning 3/2000)

THOMAS M. USSELMAN, Senior Program Officer (through 2/2000)

JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Administrative Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

U. S. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ROCK MECHANICS

HERBERT H. EINSTEIN, Chair,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

RONALD P. STEIGER, Vice-Chair,

Exxon Production Research Co., Houston, Texas

CATHERINE T. AIMONE-MARTIN,

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro

JAAK J.K. DAEMEN,

University of Nevada, Reno

EMMANUEL DETOURNAY,

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

JOANNE T. FREDRICH,

Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

RICHARD E. GOODMAN,

University of California, Berkeley

PAUL A. HSIEH, U.S.

Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

JAMES E. MONSEES,

Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., Orange, California

LAURA J. PYRAK-NOLTE,

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

NRC Staff

DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer

JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Administrative Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES

RAYMOND JEANLOZ, Chair,

University of California, Berkeley

JOHN J. AMORUSO,

Amoruso Petroleum Company, Houston, Texas

PAUL BARTON, JR., U.S.

Geological Survey (emeritus), Reston, Virginia

BARBARA L. DUTROW,

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

ADAM M. DZIEWONSKI,

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

RICHARD S. FISKE,

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

JAMES M. FUNK,

Shell Continental Companies, Houston, Texas (retired)

WILLIAM L. GRAF,

Arizona State University, Tempe

SUSAN M. KIDWELL,

University of Chicago, Illinois

SUSAN KIEFFER,

Kieffer & Woo, Inc., Palgrave, Ontario, Canada

PAMELA E. LUTTRELL,

Dallas, Texas

ALEXANDRA NAVROTSKY,

University of California, Davis

DIANNE R. NIELSON,

Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Salt Lake City

JONATHAN PRICE,

Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology, Reno

NRC Staff

ANTHONY R. DE SOUZA, Director

TAMARA L. DICKINSON, Senior Program Officer

DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer

ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer

LISA M. VANDEMARK, Program Officer

JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Administrative Associate

VERNA J. BOWEN, Administrative Assistant

REBECCA E. SHAPACK, Research Assistant

TERESIA K. WILMORE, Project Assistant

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

RICHARD A. CONWAY,

Union Carbide Corporation (retired), South Charleston, West Virginia

LYNN GOLDMAN,

Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

THOMAS J. GRAFF,

Environmental Defense Fund, Oakland, California

EUGENIA KALNAY,

University of Maryland, College Park

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.

JOHN B. MOONEY, JR.,

J. Brad Mooney Associates, Ltd., Arlington, Virginia

HUGH C. MORRIS,

El Dorado Gold Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

MILTON RUSSELL,

University of Tennessee (retired), Knoxville

ROBERT J. SERAFIN,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

ANDREW R. SOLOW,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

NRC Staff

ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Associate Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative and Financial Officer

CHRISTINE HENDERSON, Scientific Reports Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

Preface

The purpose of this study is to describe the processes through which conceptual models of flow and transport in the fractured vadose zone are developed, tested, refined, and reviewed. The Panel convened a two-day workshop in March 1999, during which a large group of specialists from the hydrogeologic, geochemical, soil science, and related fields discussed the current state of knowledge, lessons learned from field investigations, and needs for future research. A series of invited presentations provided the basis for much of the discussion at this workshop. Individually authored papers based on these presentations are presented as Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 in the second part of this volume.

The Panel was charged with preparing a consensus report on the development and testing of conceptual models for fluid flow and transport in the fractured vadose zone. The Panel's conclusions and recommendations were based in large part on the workshop presentations and discussions. This report is intended to describe the present status of conceptual model building in the fractured vadose zone; to provide guidance to regulatory agencies on the review process for conceptual models developed for site licensing; to compile knowledge and experiences from related disciplines so that technical communities can benefit from advances in related fields; and to identify future research needed to advance the technical basis for developing and evaluating vadose zone conceptual models.

In its consideration of transport in the vadose zone, the Panel focused on the application of environmental tracers (such as tritium and chlorine-36) because they provide integrated responses that are difficult to determine by point measurements of fluid potential or moisture content. The Panel briefly reviewed

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

approaches for modeling transport of conservative solutes, but the scope of the study did not include reactive solutes or water-rock interactions.

The Panel report (Chapter 1) is composed of three main sections. First, we discuss general considerations applicable to the development and testing of conceptual models. Second, we summarize the current state of knowledge of flow and transport processes in the fractured vadose zone. Third, we present our conclusions and recommendation.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

John D. Bredehoeft, The Hydrodynamics Group, Story, Wyoming

June T. Fabryka-Martin, Environmental Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico

Jane C. S. Long, Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno

Mark Person, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Daniel B. Stephens, Daniel B. Stephens and Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by George Hornberger, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, appointed by the Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, who was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

In addition, we acknowledge peer reviews provided by the following for the invited papers (Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10 and Chapter 11): S. Bradford, J. D. Bredehoeft, J. Fabryka-Martin, R. Healy, D. L. Hughson, V. Kapoor, K. Karasaki, K. Keller, S. Kung, E. Kwicklis, L. D. McKay, J. W. Mercer, R. L. Michel, B. Mohanty, J-V. Parlange, L. Pyrak-Nolte, E. H. Roseboom Jr., B. R. Scanlon, D. B. Stephens, T. K. Tokunaga, and E. P. Weeks. Although these papers have undergone peer review,

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
×

their inclusion in this report does not constitute any specific endorsement of their contents, either by the Panel or the National Research Council.

Paul Hsieh

Chair, Panel on Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF FLOW AND TRANSPORT IN THE FRACTURED VADOSE ZONE

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10102.
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Fluid flow and solute transport within the vadose zone, the unsaturated zone between the land surface and the water table, can be the cause of expanded plumes arising from localized contaminant sources. An understanding of vadose zone processes is, therefore, an essential prerequisite for cost-effective contaminant remediation efforts. In addition, because such features are potential avenues for rapid transport of chemicals from contamination sources to the water table, the presence of fractures and other channel-like openings in the vadose zone poses a particularly significant problem, Conceptual Models of Flow and Transport in the Fractured Vadose Zone is based on the work of a panel established under the auspices of the U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics. It emphasizes the importance of conceptual models and goes on to review the conceptual model development, testing, and refinement processes.

The book examines fluid flow and transport mechanisms, noting the difficulty of modeling solute transport, and identifies geochemical and environmental tracer data as important components of the modeling process. Finally, the book recommends several areas for continued research.

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