Project Description
The objective of this research is to test the field-based negative power law relationship between tracer signal strength and error in a much more controlled lab setting. The methodology of this research is one-dimensional flow through column experiments followed by inverse mathematical modeling. This is applied research and will help practitioners conduct faster and cheaper field tracer tests in hydrogeology to better characterize groundwater flow and contaminant transport.
Tasks and Responsibilites
Student Tasks: The student tasks include: 1) constructing and operating one-dimensional steady-state flow columns packed with homogeneous porous media and amended with dye and salt tracers, 2) analyzing the breakthrough curve data for mass, mean arrival time, and dispersion, and 3) modeling the breakthrough curve data for advection and dispersion using a well-known solution to the advection-dispersion equation.