Geochemical Characterization Using Geophysical Data and Markov Chain Monte Carolo methods: A Case Study at the South Oyster Bacterial Transport Site in Virginia
The spatial distribution of field-scale geochemical parameters, such as extractable Fe(II) and Fe(III), influences microbial processes and thus the efficacy of bioremediation. Because traditional characterization of those parameters is invasive and laborious, it is rarely performed sufficiently at the field-scale. Since both geochemical and geophysical parameters often correlate to some common physical properties (such as lithofacies), we investigated the utility of tomographic radar attenuation data for improving estimation of geochemical parameters using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach. The data used in this study included physical, geophysical, and geochemical measurements collected in and between several boreholes at the DOE South Oyster Bacterial Transport Site in Virginia. Results show that geophysical data, constrained by physical data, provided field-scale information about extractable Fe(II) and Fe(III) in a minimally invasive manner and with a resolution unparalleled by other geochemical characterization methods. This study presents our estimation framework for estimating Fe(II) and Fe(III), and its application to a specific site. Our hypothesis--that geochemical parameters and geophysical attributes can be linked through their mutual dependence on physical properties--should be applicable for estimating other geochemical parameters at other sites.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of Biological and Environmental Research (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 837737
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-54059; R&D Project: 467201; TRN: US200506%%367
- Journal Information:
- Water Resources Research, Vol. 40; Other Information: Submitted to Water Resources Research: Volume 40; Journal Publication Date: 2004; PBD: 18 Nov 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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