Subsurface stormflow modeling with sensitivity analysis using a Latin-hypercube sampling technique
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Plant and Soil Science
Subsurface stormflow, because of its dynamic and nonlinear features, has been a very challenging process in both field experiments and modeling studies. The disposal of wastes in subsurface stormflow and vadose zones at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, however, demands more effort to characterize these flow zones and to study their dynamic flow processes. Field data and modeling studies for these flow zones are relatively scarce, and the effect of engineering designs on the flow processes is poorly understood. On the basis of a risk assessment framework and a conceptual model for the Oak Ridge Reservation area, numerical models of a proposed waste disposal site were built, and a Latin-hypercube simulation technique was used to study the uncertainty of model parameters. Four scenarios, with three engineering designs, were simulated, and the effectiveness of the engineering designs was evaluated. Sensitivity analysis of model parameters suggested that hydraulic conductivity was the most influential parameter. However, local heterogeneities may alter flow patterns and result in complex recharge and discharge patterns. Hydraulic conductivity, therefore, may not be used as the only reference for subsurface flow monitoring and engineering operations. Neither of the two engineering designs, capping and French drains, was found to be effective in hydrologically isolating downslope waste trenches. However, pressure head contours indicated that combinations of both designs may prove more effective than either one alone.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 10194326
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-12825; ON: DE95002841; TRN: 94:023932
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: DN: Environmental Sciences Division publication number 4325; PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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