Using dye tracing to establish groundwater flow paths in a limestone marble aquifer, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
- Weber and Associates, Watsonville, CA (United States)
- Ozark Underground Labs., Protem, MO (United States)
Areas underlain by karst aquifers are characterized by soluble rock with sinkholes, caves, and a complex underground drainage network. Groundwater issues such as flow direction, well pumping impacts, spring recharge areas, and potential contamination transport routes are greatly complicated by the unique structure of karst aquifers. Standard aquifer analysis techniques cannot be applied unless the structure of the karst aquifer is understood. Water soluble fluorescent dyes are a powerful tool for mapping the irregular subsurface connections and flow paths in karst aquifers. Mapping the subsurface connections allows reasonable estimates of the hydrologic behavior of the aquifer. Two different fluorescent dyes were injected at two points in a limestone karst aquifer system beneath the University of California, Santa Cruz campus. Flow paths in the marble were thought to be closely tied to easily recognized geomorphic alignments of sinkholes associated with fault and fracture zones. The dye tests revealed unexpected and highly complex interconnections. These complex flow paths only partially corresponded to previous surface mapping and aerial photo analysis of fracture systems. Several interfingering but hydrologically unconnected flow paths evidently exist within the cavernous aquifer. For example, dye did not appear at some discharge springs close to the dye injection points, but did appear at more distant springs. This study shows how a dye tracing study in a small, well-defined limestone body can shed light on a variety of environmental and hydrological issues, including potential well pumping impact areas, wellhead protection and recharge areas, parking lot runoff injection to aquifers, and drainage routes from hazardous materials storage areas.
- OSTI ID:
- 5055473
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9305259-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 89. annual meeting of the Cordilleran Section and the 46th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Reno, NV (United States), 19-21 May 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
AQUIFERS
HYDROLOGY
CALIFORNIA
CAVES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUORESCEIN
GROUND WATER
LIMESTONE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
AROMATICS
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CAVITIES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DYES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY ACIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
WATER
540250* - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
540210 - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)
580000 - Geosciences