Topic Editors

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
Prof. Dr. Tien-Chang Lee
Professor Emeritus of Geophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences University of California, Riverside, CA, USA

Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology

Abstract submission deadline
closed (30 April 2023)
Manuscript submission deadline
closed (30 June 2023)
Viewed by
20117

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

As of 9th December 2021 in the United States, there were 1322 Superfund sites on the National Priorities List (https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl), 48 additional sites were proposed, and 447 sites that had been cleaned up were removed from the list. The time necessary to clean up a typical site may exceed 50–100 years. The national Superfund Cleanup debt continues to grow, and it has been estimated to be well above a trillion dollars. Other industrialized and industrializing countries face analogous environmental remediation challenges. Therefore, new approaches to and ideas for soil and aquifer remediation, characterization, and protection are urgently needed.

With this in mind, our Topic will focus on novel field and theoretical studies in subsurface hydrogeology. We encourage submissions providing new insights into the characterization of porous/fractured media as well as transport of water, heat, contaminants, and/or nutrients through saturated and unsaturated zones. Particularly welcome are improvements to or novel pumping and tracer tests on single and multiple wells with single or multiple screens that focus on measuring the physical, chemical, and biological properties affecting transport processes and their modeling. The recent renaissance, for example, in vertical-circulation wells has brought numerous innovative applications to aquifer heat storage, remediation, and characterization. We also welcome papers with the more traditional focus on applications and the theory of well hydraulics as well as water, heat, and contaminant transport.

Dr. Zbigniew Kabala
Prof. Dr. Tien-Chang Lee
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • single and multiple borehole tests
  • tracer tests
  • vertical-circulation wells
  • remediation
  • characterization
  • geothermal resources
  • percolation theory

 

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Applied Sciences
applsci
2.7 4.5 2011 16.9 Days CHF 2400
Energies
energies
3.2 5.5 2008 16.1 Days CHF 2600
Geosciences
geosciences
2.7 5.2 2011 23.6 Days CHF 1800
Minerals
minerals
2.5 3.9 2011 18.7 Days CHF 2400
Water
water
3.4 5.5 2009 16.5 Days CHF 2600

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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18 pages, 8595 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Changes in the Hydrochemical Characteristics and the Assessment of Groundwater Suitability for Drinking and Irrigation in the Mornag Coastal Region, Northeastern Tunisia
by Emna Hfaiedh, Amor Ben Moussa, Marco Petitta and Ammar Mlayah
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(17), 9887; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13179887 - 31 Aug 2023
Viewed by 619
Abstract
Hydrogeochemical properties and groundwater quality assessment are very important for the effective management of water resources in arid and semiarid regions. The present investigation is a spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater quality using both chemical analysis and water quality indices (WQIs) in the Mornag [...] Read more.
Hydrogeochemical properties and groundwater quality assessment are very important for the effective management of water resources in arid and semiarid regions. The present investigation is a spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater quality using both chemical analysis and water quality indices (WQIs) in the Mornag Basin in northeastern Tunisia. The results exhibit that the Mornag shallow aquifer is dominated by chloride–sodium–potassium water facies, which progress over time toward chloride–sulfate–calcium and magnesium water facies. This may highlight that the mineralization of groundwater, which increases in the direction of groundwater flow, is primarily controlled by a natural process resulting from the dissolution of evaporative minerals and cation exchange with clay minerals relatively abundant in the study area. The anthropogenic activities represented by the return flow of irrigation water, the recharge by wastewater, and climate change also have a key role in groundwater contamination. The temporal evolution in %Na and SAR over the last three years in the Mornag aquifer shows an increasing trend that makes them unsuitable for irrigation. These findings highlight the need for assessing water quality in mapping local water resource vulnerability to pollution and developing sustainable water resources management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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20 pages, 9758 KiB  
Article
Particle Size Distribution and Composition of Soil Sample Analysis in a Single Pumping Well Using a Scanning Electron Microscope Coupled with an Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and the Laser Diffraction Method (LDM)
by Naseem Akhtar, Muhammad Izzuddin Syakir, Saleh Ali Tweib, Muhammad Irman Khalif Ahmad Aminuddin, Mohamad Shaiful Md Yusuff, Abdullah H. Alsabhan, Faisal M. Alfaisal, Shamshad Alam and Jibran Qadri
Water 2023, 15(17), 3109; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15173109 - 30 Aug 2023
Viewed by 2352
Abstract
Soil is a heterogeneous material, and its properties are vital from an agricultural perspective and for groundwater management. However, limited studies have been performed on the soil characteristics (soil texture, water-holding capacity, and soil compositions) of a single pumping well, especially in Malaysia. [...] Read more.
Soil is a heterogeneous material, and its properties are vital from an agricultural perspective and for groundwater management. However, limited studies have been performed on the soil characteristics (soil texture, water-holding capacity, and soil compositions) of a single pumping well, especially in Malaysia. This article focuses on the soil characteristics and elemental analysis of a single borehole with 11 samples collected around Labu Kubong, Perak. The soil properties were analyzed in the context of particle size distribution (PSD) using the laser diffraction method (LDM), as well as soil composition for elemental analysis using a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). The LDM results revealed the average percentage of clay, silt, and sand to be 0%, 6%, and 94%, respectively, indicating most particles comprised sand particles which in percentages demonstrated a sandy texture with less silt content. Additionally, the water holding capacity is low because of major coarse sand particles in alluvial formations. Moreover, SEM-EDX outcomes displayed an average percentage of elemental composition reported as follows: C (40.77%), O (34.33%), Si (10.66%), Al (5.82%), Fe (1.10%), K (1.10%), As (0.05%), Na (0.04%), and Be (5.62%). Consequently, SEM-EDX outcomes showed these elements were derived from silicified quartz, feldspar, and iron-bearing minerals that originated from shale formations, and the presence of carbon indicates peat formation. Therefore, this study provides information on a single pumping well from an irrigation practice, and this study also recommends regional to global scale studies for supporting sustainable groundwater development worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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19 pages, 3233 KiB  
Article
Study on the Acoustic Emission Characteristics and Failure Precursors of Water-Rich Frozen Sandstone under Different Lateral Unloading Rates
by Shuai Liu, Gengshe Yang, Hui Liu, Xihao Dong and Yanjun Shen
Water 2023, 15(12), 2297; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15122297 - 20 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 956
Abstract
The artificial freezing method is used to cross the water-rich soft rock strata in order to exploit deep coal resources. At present, studies that consider both freezing effect and unloading rate are insufficient. To study the influences of the excavation rate using the [...] Read more.
The artificial freezing method is used to cross the water-rich soft rock strata in order to exploit deep coal resources. At present, studies that consider both freezing effect and unloading rate are insufficient. To study the influences of the excavation rate using the artificial freezing method on the unloading deformation and failure of the water-rich surrounding rock, we carry out mechanical and synchronous acoustic emission (AE) tests on frozen (−10 °C) sandstone samples under different lateral unloading rates. Combined with the AE signals, the stress, strain and failure process are analysed to determine the mechanical behaviours of frozen rock samples under different lateral unloading rates. The damage difference between normal temperature rock and frozen rock during lateral unloading is studied. According to acoustic emission signals, the damage relationships among acoustic emission amplitude, energy, cumulative acoustic emission energy (CAEE), stress and strain were compared and analyzed. In this paper, acoustic emission 3D positioning system is used to monitor the fracture propagation trajectory in the process of unloading confining pressure of frozen sandstone. The results show that the peak stress of frozen sandstone during lateral unloading is about 2.5 times of that at 20 °C. More than 2 AE amplitudes per second are regarded as the precursor of failure (FP), and point FP is taken as the first level warning. The CAEE of rock samples at 20 °C and frozen rock samples shows the same change law over time, increasing slowly before the FP point and exponentially after the FP point. Peak stress increases and axial strain decreases with the increase of unloading rate of frozen rock sample. The CAEE at point FP and the peak acoustic emission energy (AEE) and the CAEE at the time of failure increase when the unloading rate of frozen rock sample increases. Principal component analysis method was used to extract key characteristic energy to obtain a clearer AEE concentration area, which was defined as second-level early warning. The research results can provide guidance for freezing shaft construction to reduce the occurrence of disasters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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13 pages, 3957 KiB  
Article
Mechanism Analysis of Floor Water Inrush Based on Criteria Importance though Intercrieria Correlation
by Wenbin Sun, Hongqiang Liu, Zhenbo Cao, Hui Yang and Jingjing Li
Water 2023, 15(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15020232 - 05 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1137
Abstract
Floor water inrush has always been an important problem affecting coal mine safety. The water inrush from the deep coal seam floor is the final manifestation of the water inrush channel formed by the expansion and penetration of rock mass cracks under the [...] Read more.
Floor water inrush has always been an important problem affecting coal mine safety. The water inrush from the deep coal seam floor is the final manifestation of the water inrush channel formed by the expansion and penetration of rock mass cracks under the combined action of a high ground temperature, high ground stress, high karst water pressure and strong mining disturbance. The fault is a structurally weak plane developed in the complete rock layer, which can be regarded as a permeable channel with good permeability. In order to explore the location of confined water from the fault to rock stratum caused by the tensile fracture of a fault during floor water inrush, floor water inrush is regarded as the result of the joint action of water pressure and mining stress. The COMSOL Multiphysics numerical simulation software was used to simulate the advancing process of the working face of the coal seam with a fault structure. Different fault dip models were established for comparative analysis. The objective weight CRITIC based on data volatility was used to analyze the water pressure and principal stress near the fault. The results show that the uplift strength of highly confined water increases with the increase in the fault dip angle, and the weight of water pressure near the fault has a certain relationship with the location of the water body entering the rock stratum from the fault. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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17 pages, 7292 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on Surface Erosion of Grade A Marine Steel by Ultrahigh-Pressure Water Jet
by Yu-Peng Cao, Shu-Ming Cheng, Wei-Dong Shi, Yong-Fei Yang and Gao-Wei Wang
Water 2022, 14(12), 1953; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14121953 - 18 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1769
Abstract
To investigate the interaction and erosion mechanisms between an ultrahigh-pressure water jet and the surface of Grade A marine steel, this study used the ANSYS FLUENT software to simulate the hydrodynamic characteristics of an ultrahigh-pressure water jet. To erode the Grade A marine [...] Read more.
To investigate the interaction and erosion mechanisms between an ultrahigh-pressure water jet and the surface of Grade A marine steel, this study used the ANSYS FLUENT software to simulate the hydrodynamic characteristics of an ultrahigh-pressure water jet. To erode the Grade A marine steel, a water jet with ultrahigh-pressure (200 MPa, 40 L/min) was used. An ASMC2-4 resistance strain gauge collected the dynamic strain signal at the back of the sample during jet impingement, and the simulation results were compared to experimental results. A scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and other equipment were used to observe and analyze the phase before impact and the material surface morphology and element distribution after impact. The results reveal that as the wall shear stress increased with the target distance, the energy loss of the jet could be reduced by changing the jet incidence angle, and the peak value of the wall shear stress increased. Under the pressure of 200 MPa, the average microstrain at the back side of the impact center area of the Grade A marine steel was 180 × 10−6, and the microstrain amplitude was 35 × 10−6–50 × 10−6. The impact force of the water jet on the Grade A marine steel produced alternating stress with cyclic fluctuation. The experimental results are consistent with the simulation results. Under the alternating jet stress action, fatigue failure and cavitation failure occurred on the sample surface, which was characterized by a spalling pit, layer erosion, and cavitation hole morphology. The surface stripping model of the Grade A marine steel under an ultrahigh-pressure water jet was established, and the interaction mechanism and erosion mechanism between the ultrahigh-pressure water jet and the surface of the Grade A marine steel were elucidated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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17 pages, 6050 KiB  
Article
Risk Assessment of Water Inrush of a Coal Seam Floor Based on the Combined Empowerment Method
by Huiyong Yin, Guoliang Xu, Yiwen Zhang, Peihe Zhai, Xiaoxuan Li, Qiang Guo and Zongming Wei
Water 2022, 14(10), 1607; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14101607 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1627
Abstract
With the exploitation of the lower coal seams of the Taiyuan Formation, the Ordovician limestone water inrush in the floor became more serious. This paper considers the 162 and 163 mining areas of the Jiangzhuang Coal Mine, in Shandong Province, China. A comprehensive [...] Read more.
With the exploitation of the lower coal seams of the Taiyuan Formation, the Ordovician limestone water inrush in the floor became more serious. This paper considers the 162 and 163 mining areas of the Jiangzhuang Coal Mine, in Shandong Province, China. A comprehensive analysis of the geological and hydrogeological conditions of the mining area revealed the following: water pressure and water richness provide the water source and power for the floor water inrush; the thickness of the effective aquifer and the ratio of brittle rock can restrain floor water inrush; fault structures provide water inrush channels; and mining damage is an artificial interference and increases the probability of water inrush. Therefore, six factors: the water pressure of the Ordovician limestone aquifer, water abundance of the Ordovician limestone aquifer, equivalent thickness of effective aquifuge, brittle rock ratio, fracture structure, and mining destruction were selected as the influencing factors on water penetration of the bottom plate, and drawing software was used to establish a mining area map of related factors. The improved fuzzy hierarchical analysis method is more suitable for analyzing multi-objective decisions than the traditional hierarchical analysis method, but the weighting of results is influenced by expert experience. The entropy weight method is data-driven, and the empowerment results are objective. The improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method were coupled together, to determine the weight of each factor. The new method is not only data driven, but also takes empirical experience into consideration, making the empowerment results more reasonable. An evaluation of coal floor water inrush was established using MapGIS10.6, which is a general tool-type geographic information system software developed by the China University of Geosciences; and the risk of Ordovician limestone water inrush in the floor of the study area was classified into four levels: dangerous, relatively dangerous, relatively safe, and safe. The whole evaluation process is simple, but the evaluation results have practical importance and are very efficient, providing theoretical support for coal mine water prevention and control engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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27 pages, 21578 KiB  
Article
A Unified Hydrogeological Conceptual Model of the Mexico Basin Aquifer after a Century of Groundwater Exploitation
by Adriana Palma, Alfonso Rivera and Rafael Carmona
Water 2022, 14(10), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14101584 - 16 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5209
Abstract
The Mexico City Metropolitan Area, located within the Mexico Basin, is the most important economic center in Mexico. An ever-growing population, currently at 22 million with increasing water demands, has resulted in the overexploitation of groundwater with associated impacts to hydrological conditions for [...] Read more.
The Mexico City Metropolitan Area, located within the Mexico Basin, is the most important economic center in Mexico. An ever-growing population, currently at 22 million with increasing water demands, has resulted in the overexploitation of groundwater with associated impacts to hydrological conditions for a century. Land subsidence due to chronic groundwater level declines has damaged infrastructure and increased water delivery and flood control challenges, causing loss of aquifer storage. An additional associated problem is groundwater quality deterioration, which reduces potable supplies due to increasing anthropogenic pollution and salinization. A new integrated conceptual model of the Mexico Basin Aquifer has been constructed based on a comprehensive compilation of existing and new hydrogeological knowledge. As a result, this conceptual model updates and improves the understanding of the characteristics of the aquifer and current hydrodynamic behavior of groundwater. Four hydrogeological units were identified, their heads and related flow system interdependencies were evaluated and their hydraulic properties associated; this allowed identifying local, intermediate and regional flow systems, aquifer transition from confined to unconfined conditions, changes to land subsidence and groundwater quality deterioration. This conceptual model could be the basis in building a numerical model, and as a powerful tool to test different management scenarios for decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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18 pages, 3882 KiB  
Article
Water Flow Characteristics Controlled by Slope Morphology under Different Rainfall Capacities and Its Implications for Slope Failure Patterns
by Bin Zhang, Maosheng Zhang, Hao Liu, Pingping Sun, Li Feng, Tonglu Li and Yimin Wang
Water 2022, 14(8), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14081271 - 14 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
The high sensitivity of loess slopes to water has been emphasized in many studies. However, it is still limited in terms of the understanding of slope morphological differentiation on the overall and local failure patterns in slopes, as well as on the acquisition [...] Read more.
The high sensitivity of loess slopes to water has been emphasized in many studies. However, it is still limited in terms of the understanding of slope morphological differentiation on the overall and local failure patterns in slopes, as well as on the acquisition method of hydrological dynamics. In this study, rainfall characteristics and slope surface morphological differences were introduced. Geoelectric and environmental factors were monitored. On this basis, apparent resistivity corrected by seasonal temperature and its relationship with soil water content was calibrated. The water migration characteristics and potential failure patterns of three slope morphologies were evaluated. The results are: (i) the improved resistivity method can better reflect the water flow movement within the slope, and it performs well after being corrected by temperature; (ii) the characteristics of surface runoff and water infiltration are directly affected by the cumulative rainfall value, and especially when the cumulative rainfall is >70 mm threshold, the surface runoff quickly infiltrates into the deep of the slope along the preferential paths; (iii) the interception ability of loess slope morphology to the surface runoff is concave slope > convex slope > linear slope; (iv) with the continuous rainfall, the convex surface of a slope is prone to be damaged by saturated mud flow. When the cumulative rainfall threshold is 70 mm, the preferential flow is easily excited on the concave surface of the slope, resulting in local collapse at the slope toe and mid-deep landslides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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16 pages, 4071 KiB  
Article
Topological Representative Element Volume of Fractured Rock Mass
by Mingwei Li, Zhifang Zhou, Meng Chen and Jian Wu
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062844 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1305
Abstract
The representative element volume (REV) of the fractured rock mass is the basis for its homogenization, and is essential for the study of groundwater seepage. In order to determine a simple method for estimating REV, we studied the topological characteristics of the fractured [...] Read more.
The representative element volume (REV) of the fractured rock mass is the basis for its homogenization, and is essential for the study of groundwater seepage. In order to determine a simple method for estimating REV, we studied the topological characteristics of the fractured network. We propose the concept of topological representative element volume (TREV) for estimating the fractured rock mass. The topological structure can reflect many properties of the fractured rock mass, to which a great deal of attention has been paid. We examine the applicability of eleven topological parameters as the equivalent parameters of the TREV. According to the selected equivalent parameter, the TREV of twenty-three kinds of fractured rock mass were calculated and then compared with the permeability representative element volume (PREV). The results show that the size of TREV and PREV are essentially the same for a given rock mass. In other words, the PREV can be estimated accurately using the TREV for the rock mass with orthogonal connected fracture networks. The advantage of using TREV to estimate PREV is that there is no need for complex seepage calculations, as the calculation of TREV only needs to account for the geometric characteristics of the fracture network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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16 pages, 2194 KiB  
Article
Use of the Kalman Filter for the Interpretation of Aquifer Tests Including Model and Measurement Errors
by Hugo Enrique Júnez-Ferreira
Water 2022, 14(4), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14040522 - 10 Feb 2022
Viewed by 1562
Abstract
The hydraulic parameters representative of actual aquifer conditions can be obtained through aquifer tests formerly known as pumping tests. Diverse methodologies based on analytical or numerical solutions have been proposed for the interpretation of aquifer tests; however, measurement and model errors are often [...] Read more.
The hydraulic parameters representative of actual aquifer conditions can be obtained through aquifer tests formerly known as pumping tests. Diverse methodologies based on analytical or numerical solutions have been proposed for the interpretation of aquifer tests; however, measurement and model errors are often neglected, which could lead to hydraulic parameter values that do not reflect the aquifer conditions. In this paper, a new alternative is presented for the interpretation of aquifer tests in confined aquifers based on the Cooper–Jacob solution by means of the dynamic Kalman filter and a nonlinear optimization method. This proposal was tested in two previously published case studies; the measured drawdowns were filtered by considering measurement and model errors to match the Cooper–Jacob solution. For the case studies, the results show that filtering the measured drawdowns leads to variations of up to 49.97% in the values for T and 150% for S when compared to the values determined by methodologies that neglect measurement and model errors. A poor match between filtered and measured data reflects large measurement errors and considerable deviations of the aquifer conditions with respect to the proposed model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Well and Borehole Hydraulics and Hydrogeology)
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