Geology topics

Tissa H. Illangasekare

Publications and source records attributed to Tissa H. Illangasekare.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2021

Computational methodology to analyze the effect of mass transfer rate on attenuation of leaked carbon dioxide in shallow aquifers

Exsolution and re-dissolution of CO 2 gas within heterogeneous porous media are investigated using experimental data and mathematical modeling. In a set of bench-scale experiments, water saturated with CO 2 under a given pressure is injected into a 2-D water-saturated porous media system, causing CO 2 gas to exsolve and migrate upwards. A layer of fine sand mimicking a heterogeneity within a shallow aquifer is present in the tank to study accumulation and trapping of exsolved CO 2 . Then, clean water is injected into the system and the accumulated CO 2 dissolves back into the flowing water. Simulated exsolution and dissolution mass transfer processes are studied using both nearequilibrium and kinetic approaches and compared to experimental data under conditions that do and do not include lateral background water flow. The mathematical model is based on the mixed hybrid finite element method that allows for accurate simulation of both advection- and diffusion- dominated processes.

Acta Polytechnica↗

USGS2020

Dimensional effects of inter-phase mass transfer on attenuation of structurally trapped gaseous carbon dioxide in shallow aquifers

Based on experimental evidence and using mathematical modeling, inter-phase mass transfer processes of CO 2 exsolving from and dissolving into water in heterogeneous porous media are investigated under two fundamentally different flow conditions: in a quasi one dimensional vertical column and in a two-dimensional tank with a lateral background water flow, both at laboratory scale. In both cases, the CO 2 dissolved in water under a given overpressure is injected for a certain period at the bottom of the tank, exsolves, and migrates upwards. A layer of fine sand is present in the tanks designed to mimic geological scenarios of accumulation and trapping of exsolved CO 2 in shallow aquifers. Then, clean water is injected and the accumulated CO 2 is dissolved back into the flowing water. The study aims to point out the differences in the mass transfer processes between the quasi-1D and 2D cases using a mathematical model of two-phase compositional flow in heterogeneous porous media calibrated to the experimental datasets, and expose strategies that should be explored in future research. Additionally, temperature variations observed during the 2D experiments allow for analysis of isothermal versus non-isothermal effects on the processes of multiphase CO 2 evolution. The mathematical model is discretized and solved using the mixed hybrid finite element method in 2D that allows for the simulation of both advection- and diffusion-dominated processes accurately.

Journal of Computational Physics↗

USGS2006

Impacts of the 2004 tsunami on groundwater resources in Sri Lanka

The 26 December 2004 tsunami caused widespread destruction and contamination of coastal aquifers across southern Asia. Seawater filled domestic open dug wells and also entered the aquifers via direct infiltration during the first flooding waves and later as ponded seawater infiltrated through the permeable sands that are typical of coastal aquifers. In Sri Lanka alone, it is estimated that over 40,000 drinking water wells were either destroyed or contaminated. From February through September 2005, a team of United States, Sri Lankan, and Danish water resource scientists and engineers surveyed the coastal groundwater resources of Sri Lanka to develop an understanding of the impacts of the tsunami and to provide recommendations for the future of coastal water resources in south Asia. In the tsunami‐affected areas, seawater was found to have infiltrated and mixed with fresh groundwater lenses as indicated by the elevated groundwater salinity levels. Seawater infiltrated through the shallow vadose zone as well as entered aquifers directly through flooded open wells. Our preliminary transport analysis demonstrates that the intruded seawater has vertically mixed in the aquifers because of both forced and free convection. Widespread pumping of wells to remove seawater was effective in some areas, but overpumping has led to upconing of the saltwater interface and rising salinity. We estimate that groundwater recharge from several monsoon seasons will reduce salinity of many sandy Sri Lankan coastal aquifers. However, the continued sustainability of these small and fragile aquifers for potable water will be difficult because of the rapid growth of human activities that results in more intensive groundwater pumping and increased pollution. Long‐term sustainability of coastal aquifers is also impacted by the decrease in sand replenishment of the beaches due to sand mining and erosion.

Water Resources Research↗

USGS2002

Is it More Important to Characterize Heterogeneity or Differences in Hydraulic Conductivity Measurements?

As a first step toward understanding the role of sedimentary structures in flow and transport through porous media, this work deterministically examines how transport simulations compare to observed transport through simple, artificial structures in a laboratory experiment. Small-scale laboratory-measured values of hydraulic conductivity were used to simulate transport in an intermediate-scale (10-m long), two-dimensional, heterogeneous porous medium (s 2 lnK=1.26, mlnK = 4.18, where K is cm hr-1 ). Results were judged based on how well the simulated transport matched observed transport through the tank. Permeameter and column experiments produced laboratory measurements of hydraulic conductivity for each of the five sands used in the intermediate-scale experiments. Despite explicit numerical representation of the heterogeneity, predictions using the laboratory-measured values under-estimated the mean arrival time by as much as 35%. The significance of differences between simulated and observed mean arrival time was investigated by comparing variability of transport predictions using the different measurement methods to that produced by different realizations of the heterogeneous distribution. Results indicate that the variations in measured hydraulic conductivity were more important to transport than variations between realizations of the heterogeneous distribution of hydraulic conductivity.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2001

A new tracer‐density criterion for heterogeneous porous media

Tracer experiments provide information about aquifer material properties vital for accurate site characterization. Unfortunately, density‐induced sinking can distort tracer movement, leading to an inaccurate assessment of material properties. Yet existing criteria for selecting appropriate tracer concentrations are based on analysis of homogeneous media instead of media with heterogeneities typical of field sites. This work introduces a hydraulic‐gradient correction for heterogeneous media and applies it to a criterion previously used to indicate density‐induced instabilities in homogeneous media. The modified criterion was tested using a series of two‐dimensional heterogeneous intermediate‐scale tracer experiments and data from several detailed field tracer tests. The intermediate‐scale experimental facility (10.0×1.2×0.06 m) included both homogeneous and heterogeneous (σ ln k 2 = 1.22) zones. The field tracer tests were less heterogeneous (0.24 < σ ln k 2 < 0.37), but measurements were sufficient to detect density‐induced sinking. Evaluation of the modified criterion using the experiments and field tests demonstrates that the new criterion appears to account for the change in density‐induced sinking due to heterogeneity. The criterion demonstrates the importance of accounting for heterogeneity to predict density‐induced sinking and differences in the onset of density‐induced sinking in two‐ and three‐dimensional systems.

Water Resources Research↗