Abstract.
A two-dimensional numerical transport model is developed to determine the effect of aquifer anisotropy and heterogeneity on mass transfer from a dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) pool. The appropriate steady state groundwater flow equation is solved implicitly whereas the equation describing the transport of a sorbing contaminant in a confined aquifer is solved by the alternating direction implicit method. Statistical anisotropy in the aquifer is introduced by two-dimensional, random log-normal hydraulic conductivity field realizations with different directional correlation lengths. Model simulations indicate that DNAPL pool dissolution is enhanced by increasing the mean log-transformed hydraulic conductivity, groundwater flow velocity, and/or anisotropy ratio. The variance of the log-transformed hydraulic conductivity distribution is shown to be inversely proportional to the average mass transfer coefficient.
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Vogler, E., Chrysikopoulos, C. Dissolution of nonaqueous phase liquid pools in anisotropic aquifers. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment 15, 33–46 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00009787
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00009787