Modeling and Simulation of Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport in a Cross-Section of the Delmarva Peninsula

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorPeercy, Bradford E
dc.contributor.advisorBaker, Matthew E
dc.contributor.authorWhitmore, Mattie K. B.
dc.contributor.departmentMathematics and Statistics
dc.contributor.programMathematics, Applied
dc.date.accessioned2015-10-14T03:11:43Z
dc.date.available2015-10-14T03:11:43Z
dc.date.issued2011-01-01
dc.description.abstractExcess nitrogen from agricultural activity on the Delmarva Peninsula contributes to impairment of Chesapeake Bay. Most of the region's nitrogen load is transported to streams by groundwater. Therefore, quantifying dynamics within the surficial aquifer is necessary for understanding nitrogen loads to the region's streams. We use COMSOL Multiphysics 4.1 to examine heterogeneities within a two-dimensional cross-section of a representative aquifer in order to understand their influence on water-residence times and nutrient transport dynamics. We found aquifers responded in a predictable manner to the addition of clay heterogeneities. The presence of clay heterogeneities within the aquifer shifts the location of the phreatic divide, which delineates recharge allocation to receiving rivers. Furthermore, hydraulic pressure head increases with the presence of clay strata, shortening residence time of water and nutrients within the aquifer. When water and dissolved nutrients spend less time within the aquifer, a higher percentage of annual nutrient load is released into streams. By understanding how nutrients flow within the aquifer, regulatory and management strategies can be developed to mitigate continued degradation of water resources in the region.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.genretheses
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/M2GQ20
dc.identifier.other10562
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/1016
dc.languageen
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Theses and Dissertations Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Graduate School Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Student Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Mathematics and Statistics Department Collection
dc.rightsThis item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is made available by UMBC for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please see http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/specoll/repro.php or contact Special Collections at speccoll(at)umbc.edu.
dc.sourceOriginal File Name: Whitmore_umbc_0434M_10562.pdf
dc.subjectDelmarva Peninsula
dc.subjectEnvironmental Systems
dc.subjectGroundwater Flow
dc.subjectNutrient Transport
dc.subjectUMBC High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF)
dc.titleModeling and Simulation of Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport in a Cross-Section of the Delmarva Peninsula
dc.typeText
dcterms.accessRightsAccess limited to the UMBC community. Item may possibly be obtained via Interlibrary Loan through a local library, pending author/copyright holder's permission.

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
24592.pdf
Size:
5.22 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

UMBC Theses and Dissertations
UMBC Graduate School
UMBC Mathematics and Statistics Department
UMBC Student Collection