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IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT AND DESIGNING REMEDIATION IN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS Pierre Lacombe U.S. Geological Survey NJ Water Science Center
IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING
CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT AND DESIGNING REMEDIATION
IN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Pierre Lacombe
U.S. Geological Survey
NJ Water Science Center
Who Uses the Detailed Geologic Framework
Hydrologists
Modelers
Chemists
Microbiologists
Geophysicists
Regulators
Managers
Land owners
Public
Why did the USGS Toxics Program choose this site for fracture rock research?
• 2/3’s of USA is covered with sedimentary rocks
• 2/3’s of all sedimentary rocks are mudstones
• 1000’s of industrial contamination sites in northeast US
• Site with well defined framework
• This site
• bedrock of mudstone,
• unglaciated
• contaminated
• in the northeast
• Framework well defined
~165 Active US EPA Superfund Sites in NJ
~800 Active NJ DEP Contamination Sites
~200 EPA and PA DEP Contamination sites
~25 EPA and NYDEC contamination sites
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
NYC
Passaic Fm
Lockatong Fm
Stockton Fm
Contamination Sites
NB Coring Project
20 miles
Black Carbon-rich Mudstone
Red Massive Mudstone
Light Gray Massive Mudstone
Dark Gray Laminated Mudstone
Geology of Toxics Program Research Site
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
Planning on spending Time and Money for Research and Remediation
Many detailed architecture type drawings needed
Simple conceptual diagrams mislead all involved
Correlation sequence1. Site Gamma Logs2. Site Rock Core and Lithologic Logs3. Regional correlation
How to build a framework
Members Lithotype Red Black Clay SiltLock
ato
ng F
orm
ation
GM
&RBC
NAW
C
Celestially Controlled Compound cyclic deposits
•Van Houten cycles•Coal sandstone cycles•Limestone-Marl cycles
Van H
oute
n c
ycl
es
McL
aughlin
cycl
es
Black, Laminated, Brecciated Mudstone at 250 ft BLS
Black, Carbon-Rich Mudstone, with slickenside
Dark Gray Laminated Mudstone
Top
Bott
om
Fracture GenesisRed Massive Mudstone
Light Gray Massive Mudstone
1 foot
Massive MudstoneShallow confining unit
Laminated MudstoneWater bearing zone to shallow depth
Black MudstoneWater bearing zone to great depth
Fracture Genesis
Fractures typesBedding Strata bound
Massive Mudstone
Laminated Mudstone
Carbon-rich Mudstone
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
•Rock Based Stratigraphy•Lithostratigraphy•Weathering Stratigraphy•Lithostatic pressure stratigraphy•Fracture Stratigraphy
•Chemical and Biological layers•DNAPL and LNAPL stratification•Chemical stratification•Microbiological stratification
Geologic frameworkis critical…
…to building a realistic ground-water model that simulates fluxes
important to transport and remediation
Geology is the foundation for flow models
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
Geologic framework identifies likely tracer transport paths
Tracer travel path is up-dip within Fissile, black, carbon-rich, mudstone
Tracer may cross cut low K zonesFissile, black, carbon-rich, mudstone
Tracer may flow to weathered zone and then downdip in overlying Fissile, black, carbon-rich, mudstone
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
Geologic framework is key to interpretation of aquifer tests
1 2 3
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
Geologic framework essential for interpreting tracer test results
Bromide concentrationHigh Medium Low None
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
DE
PT
H B
ELO
W L
AN
D S
UR
FA
CE
IN
FE
ET
36BR 73BR 70BR 71BR 15BR
25BRshift Land Surface
Fill
WeatheredBedrock
FracturedBedrock
packer-->
Water<--Bearing FractureA
B
A
BC
D1
D2
E
70-10
70-72
A
B
C
D
E
Toxics/Sections/Drilling2007/serdp36x15.sgr
100 ft
Geology & tracer testing guide selection of critical bioaugmentation monitoring locations
Inoculation well
Pumping well
Packed-off intervals where effects of bioaugmentation are likely to be observed
Summary
Framework development is successfully used
Newark Basin contamination sites.
Piedmont Schist contamination site
Envision it will work in most cyclically deposited rocks
Framework helps Scientist and Non scientist in their understanding of the site
Spend appropriate time and money on framework and subsequent tasks will be made easier and cost less for all involved
Acknowledgements
Funding
U.S. Navy
USGS Toxics Substances Hydrology Program
USGS NJ Water Science Center
U.S. EPA
SERDP
Thanks to the NJDEP Bureau of Case Management ECOR Solutions Inc GeoSyntec Consultants New Jersey Geological Survey
EA Science and Engineering Inc International Technology Corp (IT Corp) GM with Haley & Aldrich Inc Rare Earth EnvironScience Inc with General Sullivan Group Foster Wheeler Inc
