Buoyant Contaminant Plumes in Groundwater

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Abstract
Buoyant contaminant groundwater plumes occur when liquid wastes which have densities different from groundwater are released from various land disposal activities (e.g., landfills, infiltration lagoons, injection wells). By using mass and momentum conservation equations, an analytical model for plume characteristics and behavior (namely, trajectory, concentration, and boundary) is developed for steady flow in a homogeneous, isotropic aquifer. The model predicts that plume behavior and characteristics are different close to the source from those far from the source. Solutions of the model yield dimensionless relations for the plume characteristics and behavior in each region in terms of length and concentration scales representing the combined effects of the source buoyancy flux and size and the ambient groundwater flow and dispersion. Experimental results, from a series of tests in a homogeneous, isotropic sand medium with a salt water discharge, are in reasonable agreement with model predictions. The model results have application to field problems under similar conditions.

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