Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data
Using environmental tracers to date groundwater age in fractured systems is difficult since mass exchange processes between fractures and matrix might mask the actual distribution of groundwater velocity, thus leading to biased results. Here, we propose an analytical solution to date groundwater age...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology X |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589915519300203 |
| _version_ | 1818500384618971136 |
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| author | Paolo Trinchero Magnus Sidborn Ignasi Puigdomenech Aitor Iraola Dirk Bosbach Guido Deissmann |
| author_facet | Paolo Trinchero Magnus Sidborn Ignasi Puigdomenech Aitor Iraola Dirk Bosbach Guido Deissmann |
| author_sort | Paolo Trinchero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using environmental tracers to date groundwater age in fractured systems is difficult since mass exchange processes between fractures and matrix might mask the actual distribution of groundwater velocity, thus leading to biased results. Here, we propose an analytical solution to date groundwater age in fractured media using 4He data. The solution, which is an extension of existing solutions based on linear accumulation methods, decouples the transport equation in the flowing fracture from the diffusion equation in the rock matrix, under the assumption of steady-state conditions. In the proposed analytical solution groundwater age and 4He concentration are linearly related, and the 4He bulk production rate in matrix, scaled by the inverse of fracture volume fraction, is the proportionality constant. This scaling factor accounts for the underlying mass exchange processes between fracture and rock matrix. Moreover, an Equivalent Continuous Porous Medium (ECPM)-based formulation for the numerical assessment of steady-state 4He levels in fractured media is presented and used to test the performance of the proposed dating technique in realistic conditions. Keywords: Groundwater age, Fractured media, 4He data, Analytical solution |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:41:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5acad9d202cb4194960c8939c5581b8c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-9155 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:41:55Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology X |
| spelling | doaj.art-5acad9d202cb4194960c8939c5581b8c2022-12-22T01:34:20ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology X2589-91552019-07-014Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He dataPaolo Trinchero0Magnus Sidborn1Ignasi Puigdomenech2Aitor Iraola3Dirk Bosbach4Guido Deissmann5AMPHOS 21 Consulting S.L., Carrer de Veneçuela, 103, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Corresponding author.Kemakta, Box 12655, 112 93 Stockholm, SwedenSwedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, Box 3091, SE-169 03 Solna, SwedenAMPHOS 21 Consulting S.L., Carrer de Veneçuela, 103, 08019 Barcelona, SpainInstitute for Energy and Climate Research: Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety (IEK-6) and JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, GermanyInstitute for Energy and Climate Research: Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety (IEK-6) and JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, GermanyUsing environmental tracers to date groundwater age in fractured systems is difficult since mass exchange processes between fractures and matrix might mask the actual distribution of groundwater velocity, thus leading to biased results. Here, we propose an analytical solution to date groundwater age in fractured media using 4He data. The solution, which is an extension of existing solutions based on linear accumulation methods, decouples the transport equation in the flowing fracture from the diffusion equation in the rock matrix, under the assumption of steady-state conditions. In the proposed analytical solution groundwater age and 4He concentration are linearly related, and the 4He bulk production rate in matrix, scaled by the inverse of fracture volume fraction, is the proportionality constant. This scaling factor accounts for the underlying mass exchange processes between fracture and rock matrix. Moreover, an Equivalent Continuous Porous Medium (ECPM)-based formulation for the numerical assessment of steady-state 4He levels in fractured media is presented and used to test the performance of the proposed dating technique in realistic conditions. Keywords: Groundwater age, Fractured media, 4He data, Analytical solutionhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589915519300203 |
| spellingShingle | Paolo Trinchero Magnus Sidborn Ignasi Puigdomenech Aitor Iraola Dirk Bosbach Guido Deissmann Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data Journal of Hydrology X |
| title | Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data |
| title_full | Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data |
| title_fullStr | Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data |
| title_short | Groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4He data |
| title_sort | groundwater age dating in fractured rock using 4he data |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589915519300203 |
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