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Erschienen in: Hydrogeology Journal 1/2011

01.02.2011 | Paper

Tritium–helium groundwater age used to constrain a groundwater flow model of a valley-fill aquifer contaminated with trichloroethylene (Quebec, Canada)

verfasst von: Samantha Murphy, Thomas Ouellon, Jean-Marc Ballard, René Lefebvre, Ian D. Clark

Erschienen in: Hydrogeology Journal | Ausgabe 1/2011

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Abstract

Tritium–helium groundwater dating was carried out in a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated valley-fill aquifer system in Quebec, Canada, where a numerical groundwater flow model was developed. Forty seven discrete groundwater and dissolved gas samples were obtained along two flow paths originating from known TCE source zones whose related plumes converge down gradient to form a single plume. Sampling points in monitoring wells were projected onto vertical sections showing particle tracks along the two flow paths. At these points, simulated advective ages obtained from particle tracking were matched to tritium–helium ages using different porosity values; the best match was 0.35. Ages were also obtained above and below a prodeltaic silty aquitard in a portion of the aquifer where some source zones are located, which provide groundwater and TCE transit times through the aquitard as well as a mean vertical hydraulic conductivity that agrees with previous estimates used in the model. In certain locations, anomalously old ages associated with high terrigenic 4He indicate areas where groundwater from the underlying proglacial unit flows upward into the deltaic sand aquifer through aquitard windows. Upflow locations correspond with increased TCE concentrations, suggesting significant TCE provenance through the proglacial unit originating from a previously unrecognized TCE source zone.

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Metadaten
Titel
Tritium–helium groundwater age used to constrain a groundwater flow model of a valley-fill aquifer contaminated with trichloroethylene (Quebec, Canada)
verfasst von
Samantha Murphy
Thomas Ouellon
Jean-Marc Ballard
René Lefebvre
Ian D. Clark
Publikationsdatum
01.02.2011
Verlag
Springer-Verlag
Erschienen in
Hydrogeology Journal / Ausgabe 1/2011
Print ISSN: 1431-2174
Elektronische ISSN: 1435-0157
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-010-0662-5

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