Water Mining for a Pot of Gold Matthew Lindon, PE Utah Assistant State Engineer
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System Isotopes and Modelling to Support the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System Project
Transboundary aquifers and river basins Mediterranean Sea Benghazi ! Port Said Alexandria ! ! 30°N Cairo! ! Suez Nile ! Asyût R e d S e a Egypt Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Lake Nasser Administrative Chad Boundaries 20°N NSAS boundary ! Major city National boundary Khartoum/ ! Omdurman Blue Nile Kilometres 0 100 200 300 400 500 White Nile Sudan 20°E 30°E Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System Isotopes and modelling to support the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System Project he Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) underlies Tthe countries of Chad, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Sudan, the total population of which is over 136 million. It is the world’s largest ‘fossil’ water aquifer system. This gigantic reservoir faces heavy demands from agriculture and for drinking water, and the amount drawn out could double in the next 50–100 years. Climate change is expected to add significant stress due to rising temperatures as well as changes in precipitation patterns, inland evaporation and salinization. Groundwater has been identified as the biggest and in some cases the only future source of water to meet growing demands and the development goals of each NSAS country, and evidence shows that massive volumes of groundwater are still potentially available. Since the 1960s, groundwater has been actively pumped out of the aquifer to support irrigation and water supply needs. Over-abstraction has already begun in some areas, which leads to significant drawdowns and can induce salinization. In the approximately 20 000 years since the last glacial period, the aquifer has been slowly draining; the system faces low recharge rates in some areas, while others have no recharge at all. -
Build an Aquifer
“It All Flows to Me” Lesson 1: Build an Aquifer Objective: To learn about groundwater properties by building your own aquifer and conducting experiments. Background Information Materials: • One, 2 Litter Soda Bottle An aquifer is basically a storage container for groundwater that is made up of • Plastic Cup different sediments. These various sediments can store different amounts of • 1 Cup of each: groundwater within the aquifer. The amount of water that it can hold is depen- soil, gravel, 1” rocks, sand dent on the porosity and the permeability of the sediment. • Pin • Modeling Clay Porosity is the amount of water that a material can hold in the spaces be- • Water tween its pores, while permeability is the material’s ability to pass water • Labels • 1 Bottle of Food Coloring through these pores. Therefore, an aquifer that has high permeability, like • 1 Pair of Scissors sandstone, will be able to hold more water, than materials that have a lower • 1 Ruler porosity and permeability. • One 8 Ounce Cup Directions You will build your own aquifers and investigate which sediments hold more water (rocks or sand). Students in your class will use either sand or rocks to food coloring food coloring build their models. You will use a ruler to measure the height of your water soil table and compare it to the height of water in other sediments. 8oz.food coloring soil ruler 8oz. ruler measuring cup sand measuring cup soil sand pin 8oz. rulerpin gravel scissors Building Directions food coloring measuring cup sandgravel scissors pin 1. Take a pin and use it to make many holes in the bot- scissors 2-liter soilplastic cup gravel tom of a cup. -
'Great Man-Made River' Courses Through Desert in Libya
Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 18, Number 3, January 18, 1991 'Great Man-Made River' courses through desert in Libya by Marcia Merry Over the past year, a major link has been completed in Libya's the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, to deter "Great Man-Made River" (GMR)-a project designed to pro GMR-style development. Typical of this anti-development vide an integrated national grid of piped water from aquifers approach is the "Arab World Survey" of May 1990 by the deep beneath the deserts of the Sahara. Concrete pipes are London Economist, which stated, "Libya is another offend carrying water from well fields in southern and east-central er" planning water projects. "It is building a spectacular sys Libya, northward for various uses in the coastal areas where tem of pipelines, known as the 'Great Man-Made River,' to the population of 4.3 million is concentrated. move water pumped from under the Sahara Desert north The water is especially welcome because the coastal aqui� wards to the coastal region for use in agriculture." The Econ fers that have supplied the population centers in the Tripoli omist said it is wrongheaded to plan water for farming, and and Benghazi regions, have been depleted by heavy pumping that it costs too much-an estimated $25 billion for the entire over the years, and there has been significant infiltration of plan. salt water from the Mediterranean Sea. This is a prime loca tion for desalination plants, but without financial credit and Water project moves ahead high technology, Libya can only afford to desalinate water Despite London's scorn, planning and work has proceed to supplement water supplies for urban and industrial use, ed, and the accomplishments of the GMR project to date give and cannot yet hope to meet the expense of desalinating the a preview of how water projects of all types could make the large volumes of water needed for agricultural expansion. -
Farming the Ogallala Aquifer: Short and Long-Run Impacts of Groundwater Access
Farming the Ogallala Aquifer: Short and Long-run Impacts of Groundwater Access Richard Hornbeck Harvard University and NBER Pinar Keskin Wesleyan University September 2010 Preliminary and Incomplete Abstract Following World War II, central pivot irrigation technology and decreased pumping costs made groundwater from the Ogallala aquifer available for large-scale irrigated agricultural production on the Great Plains. Comparing counties over the Ogallala with nearby similar counties, empirical estimates quantify the short-run and long-run impacts on irrigation, crop choice, and other agricultural adjustments. From the 1950 to the 1978, irrigation increased and agricultural production adjusted toward water- intensive crops with some delay. Estimated differences in land values capitalize the Ogallala's value at $10 billion in 1950, $29 billion in 1974, and $12 billion in 2002 (CPI-adjusted 2002 dollars). The Ogallala is becoming exhausted in some areas, with potential large returns from changing its current tax treatment. The Ogallala case pro- vides a stark example for other water-scarce settings in which such long-run historical perspective is unavailable. Water scarcity is a critical issue in many areas of the world.1 Water is becoming increas- ingly scarce as the demand for water increases and groundwater sources are exhausted. In some areas, climate change is expected to reduce rainfall and increase dependence on ground- water irrigation. The impacts of water shortages are often exacerbated by the unequal or inefficient allocation of water. The economic value of water for agricultural production is an important component in un- derstanding the optimal management of scarce water resources. Further, as the availability of water changes, little is known about the speed and magnitude of agricultural adjustment. -
Hydrogeologic Characterization and Methods Used in the Investigation of Karst Hydrology
Hydrogeologic Characterization and Methods Used in the Investigation of Karst Hydrology By Charles J. Taylor and Earl A. Greene Chapter 3 of Field Techniques for Estimating Water Fluxes Between Surface Water and Ground Water Edited by Donald O. Rosenberry and James W. LaBaugh Techniques and Methods 4–D2 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................................75 Hydrogeologic Characteristics of Karst ..........................................................................................77 Conduits and Springs .........................................................................................................................77 Karst Recharge....................................................................................................................................80 Karst Drainage Basins .......................................................................................................................81 Hydrogeologic Characterization ...............................................................................................................82 Area of the Karst Drainage Basin ....................................................................................................82 Allogenic Recharge and Conduit Carrying Capacity ....................................................................83 Matrix and Fracture System Hydraulic Conductivity ....................................................................83 -
Understanding Aquifers: Demonstration Using a Physical Model
Understanding Aquifers: Demonstration using a Physical Model Part I: Aquifers Explained Geology is the science of planet Earth, its history, and all the processes that act on it. Hydrogeology is the branch of geology which studies how water and rocks interact underground, mainly in aquifers An aquifer is a rock unit that holds enough water to supply water to wells. Aquifers can be found in many types of rocks, such as sandstone, conglomerate, unconsolidated sand and gravel, and fractured rocks composed of limestone or igneous rocks. Here at Barton Springs in Austin, Texas, we are standing on top of the Edward’s Aquifer, composed mostly of fractured limestone. These fractured rocks dissolve overtime and can create large, cave-like systems called Karst aquifers. So when you hear the word Karst, think cave. Some of these caves are big, some of them are small. Karst aquifers are different from sedimentary aquifers, where water flows mostly through the gravel and sand grains similar to a sponge. Hydrogeologists use two terms when investigating aquifers—porosity and permeability. Porosity is all the empty pore space inside a rock given in a percent volume. Porosity represents the volume of water a rock formation can potentially hold. Permeability is how well a fluid can flow within the pore spaces of the rock within the aquifer. For water, we describe this property as hydraulic conductivity. For example, clay and rocks like pumice may have high porosity, but because the pores do not connect with each other, the permeability of these rocks is usually low. Layers of low-permeability material such as clay and shale typically act as barriers to groundwater flow and may often function as an aquitard within a groundwater flow system. -
The Influence of Karst Aquifer Mineralogy And
water Article The Influence of Karst Aquifer Mineralogy and Geochemistry on Groundwater Characteristics: West Bank, Palestine Hassan Jebreen 1,* , Andre Banning 1 , Stefan Wohnlich 1, Andrea Niedermayr 1, Marwan Ghanem 2 and Frank Wisotzky 1 1 Hydrogeology Department, Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineralogy, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany; [email protected] (A.B.); [email protected] (S.W.); [email protected] (A.N.); [email protected] (F.W.) 2 Department of Geography, Birzeit University, P.O. Box 14, Ramallah, Palestine; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +49-234-322-5387 Received: 31 October 2018; Accepted: 7 December 2018; Published: 11 December 2018 Abstract: This work reports, for the first time, the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of karst aquifers in the Central West Bank (CWB) catchment in Palestine. It provides an integrated study approach by correlating the geochemistry of the lithology and hydrochemical data of groundwater samples. Mineralogical analysis showed that all of the samples were dominantly composed of either calcite CaCO3 (5–100 wt. %) or dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 (4–100 wt. %), with minor amounts of quartz and feldspar, which is supported by the inorganic carbon content (9–13 wt. %) and hydrochemical composition of the spring water samples. The whole-rock geochemical data indicated that the samples have low contents of trace elements and transition metals. In contrast, the concentrations of alkaline earth elements (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) and Mn were high in the rock and groundwater samples. Generally, the trace elements of rock samples with concentrations >10 ppm included Sr (17–330 ppm), Mn (17–367 ppm), Ba (2–32 ppm), W (5–37 ppm), Cr (3–23 ppm), Zn (1.7–28 ppm), V (4–23 ppm), and Zr (1–22 ppm), while the concentrations of all the other trace elements was below 10 ppm. -
Groundwater Movement and Soils
Lesson # 2: Groundwater Movement and Soils Through the activities below, students will learn how different types of soils and soil structure influence groundwater movement. Students will begin to understand how groundwater can become polluted. Activity # 1: “Sand, Gravel & Clay Soils & Groundwater Movement ” Teacher Preparation: Obtain 3 clear plastic containers or cut the tops off of clear plastic pop bottles. Fill one container with sand, the other with gravel and the final container with clay. Allow the students to feel each soil type and look at each container of soil. Have students discuss the differences they see between the 3 soils. Student Discussion Questions: 1. What do you notice about the size of the particles of sand, gravel & clay? Which has the largest particles? The smallest? 2. Ask students what is between the soil particles (spaces). Tell them that the “spaces” between the particles refers to the POROSITY of the soil. Which soil has the largest and smallest spaces? 3. Ask students which soil would allow water to move through the quickest and explain why. Tell them that the term used to describe the rate or speed at which water moves through the soil is called PERMEABILITY. Explain the relationship between porosity and permeability (larger or smaller spaces between the particles of soil results in a faster or slower movement of water through the soil). 4. If you were to construct a well into an aquifer, which of the 3 soils would you choose. Why? (Answer: Gravel. More water can be stored between the large pores and it would be easiest for a well to pump water from a gravel aquifer with large pore spacing.) 5. -
Lesson: Build an Aquifer
LESSON: BUILD AN AQUIFER Grade level: 4ththrough 5thgrade 4-ESSS2-1. Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. 5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact. Activity Reference: http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/downloads/IAFTM_AquiferLesson.pdf INTRODUCTION Comprehension of the critical role played by water in support of all life on Earth is an essential foundational element of the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District’s (IERCD’s) Water Conservation classroom presentation. This activity is being provided to increase student awareness of water uses and benefits prior to program facilitation, and encourages development of this knowledge in a free form, group exercise. The suite of concepts and vocabulary covered will depend on length of activity facilitated by the participating teacher, but at any length should increase student preparation for IERCD program participation. It would also be suitable for post-program facilitation, to reinforce concepts and vocabulary covered during the program for maximum content retention. OBJECTIVE By engaging in this activity students will: • Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information and experience regarding the operation of an aquifer. • Gain Information about aquifers and the role aquifer’s play in groundwater. BACKGROUND An aquifer is a geologic unit saturated with water that can be used as a drinking supply (potable water). The water in an aquifer can be found in sediments and rock. Some rocks are porous and can hold water in the spaces between the grains. -
Survey of Sustainable Development to Make Great Man-Made River Producing Energy and Food
Current World Environment Vol. 10(3), 758-763 (2015) Survey of Sustainable Development to Make Great Man-Made River Producing Energy and Food MOHAMED NASAR NASAR Department Of Applied Ecology, Futura, Singidunum, Belgrade, Serbia. http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.10.3.05 (Received: July 24, 2015; Accepted: October 21, 2015) ABSTRACT The Great Man-Made River (GMR) is the world largest irrigation project, consisting of a network of pipes that supplies water from Libyan desert in the south to the coastal areas in the north. This paper studies the possibility of taking advantage of GMR to generate energy and produce food through agriculture. Hydro-kinetic power generation, would be carried out by generating energy from water movements across Great Man-Made River pipelines using appropriate sizes of turbines. It’s known that the length of the GMR pipeline is about 4000 km with a diameter of 4 m. Pipeline of such magnitude with great water flow rate would make a turbine to produce hundreds of Kilowatts of clean energy. The most significant reasons that force us to take advantage of GMR to generate energy are: a) The needs to sustainable environmental energy source; b) Power System uses energy of flowing water to provide a consistent, controllable, non-weather-dependent source of electricity, such as other types of renewable energy, which are depend on the weather. The conversion of GMR, from supplying freshwater to coastal cities, to huge agricultural project after the establishment of many seawater desalination plants (solar powered) would cover the needs of cities for fresh water. -
The Favorability of Florida's Geology to Sinkhole
Appendix H: Sinkhole Report 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Plan _______________________________________________________________________________________ APPENDIX H: Sinkhole Report _______________________________________________________________________________________ Florida Division of Emergency Management THE FAVORABILITY OF FLORIDA’S GEOLOGY TO SINKHOLE FORMATION Prepared For: The Florida Division of Emergency Management, Mitigation Section Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Geological Survey 3000 Commonwealth Boulevard, Suite 1, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 June 2017 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 Background ................................................................................................................................. 5 Subsidence Incident Report Database ..................................................................................... 6 Purpose and Scope ...................................................................................................................... 7 Sinkhole Development ................................................................................................................ 7 Subsidence Sinkhole Formation .............................................................................................. 8 Collapse Sinkhole -
Toward a Better Understanding of Palaeoclimatic Regimes That Recharged the Fossil Aquifers in North Africa: Inferences from Stable Isotope and Remote Sensing Data
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 329-330 (2012) 137–149 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Toward a better understanding of palaeoclimatic regimes that recharged the fossil aquifers in North Africa: Inferences from stable isotope and remote sensing data Abdou Abouelmagd a,c, Mohamed Sultan a,⁎, Adam Milewski a, Alan E. Kehew a, Neil C. Sturchio b, Farouk Soliman c, R.V. Krishnamurthy a, Elen Cutrim d a Department of Geosciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5200, USA b Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7059, USA c Department of Geology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt d Department of Geography, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5424, USA article info abstract Article history: The isotopic composition of modern precipitation collected monthly from the International Atomic Energy Agency Received 9 June 2011 (IAEA) stations over North Africa is enriched (average δD: Morocco: -25.8‰; Algeria: -21.3‰; Tunisia: -20.6‰; Received in revised form 2 February 2012 Libya: -17.7‰; Egypt: -11.7‰) compared to fossil groundwater across North Africa, which shows progressive Accepted 11 February 2012 west-to-east depletion; this indicates that precipitation from paleowind regimes was different from those prevail- Available online 22 February 2012 ing in the present day (late Holocene). However, a few monthly records (March 1982, December 1987, December 1991, March 2002, and April 2002) collected from IAEA stations (Sidi Barrani, Cairo, Rafah, and El-Arish) showed Keywords: δ – ‰ – ‰ Sahara Desert isotopic depletions ( D= 56 to 43.7 ) approaching those of the fossil groundwater in Egypt.