Reactive Transport Modeling in Subsurface Environments: Benchmark Examples and Applications
Reactive transport models have been widely used to investigate coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes in Earth systems, and to evaluate the impact of various competing reactions affecting contaminant concentrations. In the subsurface, transport occurs in a range of scales, ranging from atomic and molecular scale occurring at mineral interfaces to processes at the field scale that can cover tens to hundreds of kilometers. It is extremely challenging to model such systems in an adequate way accounting for the spatially varying and scale dependent character of these processes. A key task in developing an integrative scientific approach is to build capabilities for simulation of complex and often large-scale natural systems and then to link these to laboratory and field studies. These systems are characterized by mass transport processes such as diffusion and flow of gases, fluids, and solids, and within the material flow and transport system there are chemical, mechanical and/or biological interactions. These processes may then result in changes in the physical properties of the medium through biological growth and/or mineral precipitation or dissolution, providing a feedback between flow, transport, and reactions. In this seminar, applications of reactive transport modeling to describe such complex hydro/geo/bio/chemical interactions and feedbacks associated with multiphase fluid flow in the subsurface environments will be presented. These examples cover a range of biotic and abiotic geochemical processes typically encountered in shallow subsurface environments, such as hydrogeochemical patterns and understanding of key processes that control the stability and mobility of uranium in the subsurface, metal cycling in lake sediments, and isotope fractionation models; all supporting innovative strategies to reduce human health risks and environmental damage from contaminated sites.
By: Assist. Prof. Dr. Sema Sevinç ŞENGÖR
Location: CZ-17
Time: June 21st, 2019 at 14:00