Scholars' Mine Masters Theses Student Theses and Dissertations 1968 Evaluation and application of dye tracing in a karst terrain James William Scanlan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses Part of the Civil Engineering Commons Department: Recommended Citation Scanlan, James William, "Evaluation and application of dye tracing in a karst terrain" (1968). Masters Theses. 7025. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/7025 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATION AND Al?l'J-'ICATION Of DYE TRACING IN A K..AR.ST TERRAIN BY J AI--U::S WILLii\.1-i SCANIA~ A TilliS IS suhmitced to the faculty of Tl-I.E lJUI\TERSITY Of MISSOl...IRI ·• ROLLA in partial fulfi..llment of the 1.·equir-ements £or the Degree of K'\STER OF SCIENCE I:N CI VIL ENGINS"SRI"t\G 1968 Appro,.~ e d by li ABSTRACT The purpose of this investig:Jtion ,.,as to select and evaluat~ in che laboratory a t:cacing method appropriate for use in karst:ic areas, and to perform field tracing studies in the south central Hissouri area bounded by tht; cities of Rolla, St. Jar::es, and Salem in an attempt to e:stab lish existi-r1g di!'ect flow connections bet•.. ~.:en surface and subscrf.1.ce -waters. Eluore·:::cein (::>ociium salt) , Rhodamine HT, a.nd Rhodai'1ir~e B v.'E:re evalu- ated as tracers in tl1e laboratory and the first !:l!.'O dyes \Jere .:::;nployzd in the fiel2. After cnreful evaluat:tcn of a number of ad~:::>rbent:s, extractL1g solv,"nts, ai.ld detection techniques, a m2thod consisting of concentration of th2 d~v-e on po.ckets of nctivated carbon, extracticn ·;,;ith a 5 per cent alkRli-ethanol solvent, aLd date~tion by means of a fluoro~e~er was se- lee t2.d Co:r nse in field tracir.g studies. /.::l:r.oni'-.1!11 and pvt:3ss:~'i..cm hyclroxid~ w•::r.e ::,ost np~;ropriate fe-r· the .:::xtraction of Rhod,::;,m1ne HT and £lunt:·2:;c.~::i.n, ros'?rc tively. Fl•:.orc:Dcent bacl:g:::onnd rNlLcrial present in the st:r2a;ns and S)CJ~gs of the south central Missouri study ar2a did not intcr~e~2 with A dir..c:ct o·r pa.rt:i.:::~lly direct 3ubsul.-f:!ce CCi.lnect.:.ion 6 to 10 r.iles long tions 14 end 23, T.3GK., R.7W., of Phelps County and the section of the flo\; in thL• ci1<1nnc.l w.'J.s c:.:tirnatt:d to be i.n the range of 1. 2 to 4. 1 feet pu~ mii~ute at a t:lcpe cf 6. 7 tL> 12.0 fact 1~er :nile. iii ACKi~OHLEDGEl1ENT Being very much a·ware of the value of the education received at the University of !'1issouri - Rolla, the f'Uthor expresses sinr:ere gratitude to the people Hho :.1ake this such a fine educational institution. The cm1•.pletion of this thesis depended upon the assistance and coopera ticn of marry pe:;:sons. One in par ticul<lr to '\vhom the autlwr v;ishes to express ~is deep ~ndebtedness is his a~visor, Dr. S. G. Grigoropoulos, vJho gave "':any hours of his ti;:r,e in preparation of this thE:sis. The author also -vJishes to expre.ss his appreciation to all his professors and fellow students "dho in any Hay .:-.ssisted him in the course of this study. A Sf•::!cial appreciation is afforded to the U!litc-!d States Geological ~urvey, l-iau!r Resources Division, Rolla, Hissouri, for the use of their fluorometer, Hr. ~i. F. Claphar1 of DuPont for info-rr;:ation rends-red on djes, and the residents of ~he study area for helpful information End permission to usa their p~0p~rty fo~ tests. This invcst:i_gation V.7 GS supported in part by Project No. A-··001-No ~ itled "Avail[{bil:tty, D:l~tribul:ion, Qu.:>.;.1tit~r a.nd Quality of l:ate.r Rcsouj·ces in a Carbor:.ate I~ars t Tc"rra.. i.r~" c,f the 1Jni•;c-rsity of Uissour i ~·,fc:.ter Resources Rcsca:.:ch C~c!ni.:er AlL1tr:..:.t1t Prog-ca.m sponsored by the Office c,f Hater Re- s~Hlrce:.; Res•~'1xch, Dep:1r tm<2nt of the Interior. iv TABLe: OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES • v LIST OF TABLES vi I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. REVIt;\-J OF LITERATURE 4 A. Desirable ';re..cer P1:ope:rties . • 4 b. Tracing Methods . • • • . 4 c. Application uf TrHcing Methods 7 D. Evaluation of Tracing MHterials 12 E. The Meramec Spring Karstic Area . , 17 Ill. IABOR.ATOR: STUDIES 22 A. Evaluatio~ of Detection Methods 2'3 B. Evc.h:stion c.f Vn!~io•Js Adsorbents 31 C. Evaluation of Various Extractin3 Solvents 33 D. Evaluation of Dye Adso~ption on Natural Materials -Ln the Field Area • 35 Iil. FIELD S'I'UDIES • 41 A. :::<ielfl S t:udy Area 1.;1 B. Field Tracin3 Method 41.. C. P~~lini~a~y Field Studies 47 D. ·;.·i.dd Studies ... 55 1. Stc:J:c:3 in T·::st Site 3 55 2. Studies in Test Site 4 63 V. DISCUSSION 71 VI. CONCL~SIONS . 82 34 B IBLIGGR.:\P~~-Y 85 '.?ITA 88 v LIST OF FIGURES Figu·res Page 1. GENERALIZED HATER LEVEL 1-IAP OF MERHt.C SPRING AREA-- 1'1ERd.. 4C Sf RING QUADR.Al'~GLE, AFTER HAX\.JEI.L, ET ~J:.. (24) . 19 2. SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DET2:CTION OF DYE 28 3. TEST APPARATUS USED IN EVALUATING VARIOUS ADSORBENTS • 32 4. EQUIPlv[£i~T EHPLOYED IN COLlllYlN STUDIES • • • • • • • • • 37 5. FIELD STUDY AREA AND LOCA'l'io:t-i OF SPECIFIC TRACING SITES 42 6. 'l"'RACING TEST SI1ES IN UPPER DRY FORK CRZEK BASIN • 43 7. LOCATION OF CBECK POINTS IN TEST SITE 3 8. '.i:E ST SIT£ 3 49 9. CHECK POINTS IN THE FIELD AREA • 51 10. HOLE IN GROUND IN TEST SITE 3 57 11. LOt:::!-.'I'ION OF CHECK POINTS IN TEST SITE t._ 12. TEST SITE t+ . " . GS vi LIST OF TABLES T.3bles Page 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMHDN FLUORESCENT DYES USED FOR TRACING • • • • . 11 2. C!-IftBACTERIST·ICS OF TRA.CilTG M.:\TERIALS M"TI }1ET1IODS 14 3. VISUPJ~ DETECTION OF DYE • 25 4. lt'LUOR011ETR!C DETECTION OI<' FLUORESCEIN • 30 5. EVALUATION OF VARIOUS ADSORBENTS 34 6. EVP.LUATION OF VARIOUS EXTRACTING SOLVENTS • 36 7. EVALUATION OF DYE ADSORPTION ON NATURAL HATERILLS IN THE HIELD AREA • • • • • • • • • • • • 8. BACKGROUND FLUORESCENCE IN THE HATER OF THE CRI!:EKS OF Tim STUDY. AREA 53 9. BACKGROUND FLUORESCENCE IN SOU'l'H CENTRAL HISSOLRI SURFACE tvATERS 54 10. FJELD TRACING STUDIES IN TEST SITE 3, Fi.lJOP.ESCEIN IN'IRODUCED lN \~ATER DRAINING INTO A H~J!..E AT THE SOUTHEAST E:::m OF THE BR~·JN SPKING PONDED AREA 58 11. FJEL!J TRl\GI11G S'l'UDIES IN TBST SITE 3, 'BTUOR.ESSEIN Il~TRODllCED IK'fO HOL'TH 0::.<' BROHN SPRING • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 60 12. FIELD '1]L\CTiJG STUDIES IN TEST SI'i'E 3, REOD,\HINE WT '') INTRODlJCED INTO i.•~OUTH OF .3ROHN SPRING o .... 13. FIEI.D TRACING STUDIES IN TEST SITE 4, }'}_.G()RhSC!HN ADDED TO POND!<:D UA'l'ER UrmER I-LUFFS AND TO TEE SINKING \lATER OF BELL SPRING • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 6 7 lt.-. FIEJ.,D TRACING STUDIES IN TEST SITE 4, f.Ll'ORE::>CEll.~ ADDED TO DRY T.'ORK C~E!.(. 1000 FEE'.L' UPSTREA.."1 FROM ROCK SJ_UFFS • 69 15. R.t.\TE OF FV:M CF sm1E SURFACE AND S 1JB~1JRFAC.t<: HATERS IN THE ST'UiJY ."ili.2A • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 6 1 I. INTRODUC'fiON '!.'he pa~3t ten year period has beE.:n one in which ever incr..::asing inportance h&s been placed on the country's future \!uter den:and. The growing population ~nd expanding industrialization continually require more water. According to Secretary of the Interior Udall (1), predic­ tions made with regard to the nation's water nee~s at the turn of the century i:1dicate that approximately three tii::~s as much \-later -;.Jill be requir<?d then as is nseded novJ. l~ew sources of Hater :.lust be developcod to l'ler.!t this demand. Ground water constitutes oue of the major sources of fresh water in. the United Stat~s. It has been estimar.::od (2) that 95 per cc~nt: of the f:cc::h \·J2t.er is undergro1.r~1d, -.vhile only 5 per cent lS acc,J~•nteJ for by s•1rface ··:..rater in rivers, streams, ponds, and lal-: ~s. f,~,,,,:-veL", only ccbout on<~·· sixth of the tot.1l h·ater ·us~Cl for aU. 1)urposcs ~-'1 t~1e country is g:::ound ~va::er. Nissou.~i uses abcut 10 per C<:C.r:.t g ro•:;nd 'JC. ter as frc.::.;h Hater s11pplies (2). Fa.i.lure to exploit more the: ,_nJ.eq~round resc:rves is par­ tiaJ.].y due to the lack of kr1m,Tledge of tl1c q1.:aJ.it.y D.:.1G hyd·-anlic p:roper­ t:.ies of the c.rulr.=:r:ground ,.;rater. This is csrJecially true .i.n ~~ar~:;t regions. Kil~o (3) and Huang (4) were the first investigators to study the eff•::c"C of carbonate ka.rst terrain on su.rfa,;e and s11bStirfac.e \-J.'l.ter quality iu the south cen.tr<1l Hissouri area bounc1.ed by tlv:: cities of 1:Zolla, St.