2014 NGWA Groundwater Summit

Monday, May 5, 2014

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Click on the session titles below to see the abstracts/speakers within each session.

7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.


Registration

8:30 a.m.-8:50 a.m.


Welcome

8:50 a.m.-9:40 a.m.


The West and Water: Filtering Out the Conventional Wisdom and Producing More User-Friendly Historical Lessons
Patty Limerick

The history of water development offers a particularly fine post for observing the astonishing and implausible workings of historical change and, in response, for cultivating an appropriate level of humility and modesty in our anticipations of our own unknowable future. Tracing the origins and growth of the Denver Water Department, this study of water and its unique role and history in the West, as well as the nation, raises questions about the complex relationship among cities, suburbs, and rural areas, allowing us to consider this precious resource and its past, present, and future with both optimism and realism.

9:40 a.m.-10:00 a.m.


Break

10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.


Remarks by Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science
Anne Castle

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.


Superfund Perspective on Groundwater Remediation
James Woolford

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.


Lunch (on own)

1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.


Geochemistry, Isotopes, and Tracers
A. Scott Andres


Groundwater Modeling
Jason R. House, C.G., P.G.


Managed Aquifer Recharge
Kyle Murray, PhD

1:00 p.m.-2:20 p.m.


Panel: Superfund Combined Remedies - The Time Has Come
William M. Alley, Ph.D.

1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.


Skill Building for Early Career Professionals

2:20 p.m.-3:00 p.m.


Superfund
Mike Wireman

3:00 p.m.-3:20 p.m.


Break

3:20 p.m.-5:40 p.m.


Academic Contributions to Groundwater Science
Rory Cowie

This session will create a platform to showcase graduate student research at the summit. The session will focus on creating student interactions and create exposure for emerging academic groundwater professionals to the NGWA community. Would be appropriate session for other graduate students (or future graduate students) to attend to gain exposure to current academic pursuits.


Geochemistry, Isotopes, and Tracers (cont.)
Marcia Schulmeister, Ph.D., P.G.


Groundwater Management
Paul Barlow


Groundwater Modeling (cont.)
Jason R. House, C.G., P.G.


Superfund (cont.)
Mike Wireman

5:40 p.m.-6:45 p.m.


Poster Reception

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | top
Click on the session titles below to see the abstracts/speakers within each session.

7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.


Registration

8:30 a.m.-8:35 a.m.


Announcements

8:35 a.m.-8:40 a.m.


Remarks by Groundwater Editor Henk Haitjema

8:40 a.m.-9:40 a.m.


2014 NGWREF Darcy Lecture — Optimizing Capillary Trapping as a Carbon Dioxide Mitigation Strategy: Pore-Scale Findings in Support of Larger-Scale Implementation
Dorthe Wildenschild, Ph.D.

Discover how x-ray microtomography is being studied for possible use as a technique to optimize capillary trapping of carbon dioxide in this presentation. Capillary trapping is a mechanism supporting carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is being considered as a mitigation strategy for emissions from concentrated sources such as coal-fired power plants. CCS relies on geologic sequestration of captured carbon dioxide. Of concern in this process is the leakage of carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere, either acute or slower longterm escape, as well as related acidification of groundwater resources along the migration path. Initial work using x-ray microtomography has focused on proxy fluid-based systems and experiments carried out at ambient conditions. As the interfacial tension, viscosity, and carbon dioxide injection (as well as subsequent brine flood injection) rates are varied, trends have been observed with the type of porous medium (unconsolidated vs. consolidated), varying wetting and nonwetting phase viscosity, and flow rates. The latter in particular has been investigated for its effect on morphology and connectivity of the trapped nonwetting phase (i.e., the supercritical carbon dioxide). Results so far indicate that carbon dioxide injection can be manipulated to facilitate optimal trapping of residual carbon dioxide, both in terms of amount and with respect to size/ connectivity characteristics that may favorably support subsequent trapping reactions (e.g., dissolution and mineral formation).

9:40 a.m.-10:10 a.m.


Research to Solutions: Contributions from UNESCO-IHP
Alice Aureli, Ph.D.

Water security is synonymous with groundwater. Since its inception in the late 1970s, the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (IHP), focusing on a variety of topics related to freshwater management and science, has attributed special consideration to hydrogeology and groundwater resources. Research, both into aquifers and the actions required to develop good groundwater governance, can provide solutions to combatting pressing challenges, such as population growth, climate change and hydro-hazards, amongst others. It is important that the international community increases its understanding of the interactions and interdependencies between groundwater management, energy and food production. Many key food production chains depend on the use of groundwater. However, the depletion of this resource, together with the resulting decline of aquifer levels, puts food production at risk, both locally and globally. Studies show that groundwater supplies are diminishing. UNESCO is currently supporting several long-term projects that monitor aquifer and groundwater resources. For many years, groundwater was considered as a purely local issue. However, these studies demonstrate the need to consider the situation on a more global scale, thus linking groundwater with the most pressing of human challenges. It was not until 2002, when UNESCO began conducting the first inventory of transboundary aquifers, that the extent to which the transboundary dimension of many aquifers further complicates matters was actually noted. The latest phase of the UNESCO-IHP programme (2014-2021) promotes advances in water science as well as solutions for achieving Water Security. Water security cannot be seen simply in terms of water sectoral policies or management systems. An adequate response to emerging challenges calls for new approaches in education and the development of curricula that capture the complexity and interconnectivity of possible global scenarios of the future.

10:10 a.m.-10:30 a.m.


Break

10:30 a.m.-11:50 a.m.


Freshwater/Saltwater Interactions
John Jansen, Ph.D., PG


Groundwater Management (cont.)
Paul Barlow


Groundwater and Energy
William L. Cunningham


H2O Talks
William M. Alley, Ph.D.

Hydrophilanthropy: What Can You Do? and Exploring the Adaptive Sports for the Disabled on the Ski Slopes and Outdoors are two talks you will hear in this presentation that focuses on Health…Humanitarian…Opportunities issues.


Superfund (cont.)
Andrew Schmidt

11:50 a.m.-1:00 p.m.


Lunch (provided)

1:00 p.m.-2:40 p.m.


Freshwater/Saltwater Interactions (cont.)
John Jansen, Ph.D., PG


Groundwater Management (cont.)
Paul Barlow


Groundwater Remediation
Edward Gilbert, CPG


Groundwater and Energy (cont.)
William L. Cunningham


Teaching and Training Tomorrow’s Groundwater Professionals?
Kathryn J. Butcher, CMP

What skills will the groundwater professionals of tomorrow need to perform quality work? Where will those hoping to enter the profession learn the fundamentals and the scientific application? How are academic institutions and consulting and engineering firms collaborating to provide the theoretical foundation and the practical application of groundwater science? How well do the expectations of the consulting firm employers (or regulatory agencies) mesh with those of early career professionals? This session will include, but not be limited to the current state of geoscience and a career option, outreach by academic institutions to the private section regarding curriculum design and the results, employer-identified knowledge gaps, and new professional’s viewpoint of what was missing in the training equation.

2:00 p.m.-2:40 p.m.


Brine and Deep Aquifers
Robert Sterrett, Ph.D.

2:40 p.m.-3:00 p.m.


Break

3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.


Brine and Deep Aquifers (cont.)
Robert Sterrett, Ph.D.


Groundwater Remediation (cont.)
Edward Gilbert, CPG


Monitoring and Data Management
James J. Butler, Ph.D.


NGWA Theis Conference Reunion

NGWA has sponsored periodic Theis Conferences on various groundwater topics since 1995. Those who have attended any of the previous conferences are invited to gather and renew long-standing friendships, as well as begin new ones and discuss the state of the science and product development relative to their specific interests.


Panel: Is The New Generation of Professionals Adequately Trained To Meet the Current and Future Challenges?
Daniel B. Stephens, Ph.D., PG

Academia, private sector employers, and future professionals all have a role in educating, training, and mentoring early career entrants in the groundwater industry. Industry discussions often focus on what new employees don’t know or what they should have learned in college. The academic community struggles with what should be included in curricula based on industry feedback and institution culture. In addition to a solid science foundation and good math skills, what should a future groundwater scientist know and be able to execute? What should be taught at an institutional level vs. being considered on the job training? What are the required skills and knowledge competencies today and how will they change in the future? What type of educational path should the future groundwater professional be traveling?


Wells and Drilling
Thomas Hanna, RPG

4:00 p.m.-4:20 p.m.


Break

4:20 p.m.-5:50 p.m.


Twilight Session: Dynamics of Groundwater Flow
Klaus Udo Weyer, Ph.D., P.Geol., P.HG

In subsurface fluid mechanics there exists a dichotomy as to the description of forces driving subsurface fluids. On the one hand there is the application of velocity potentials [energy/unit volume] within engineering hydraulics which assumes water to be incompressible amongst other assumptions. Alternately there is the application of force potentials [energy/unit mass] and groundwater flow systems theory in groundwater dynamics incorporating water as compressible fluids. The difference between the two concepts may appear academic to some. It manifests, however, the fundamental differences between a purely mathematical treatment by engineering hydraulics, and the physically-based approach involving force potentials. The presentation explains both systems and addresses the fundamental differences between the two approaches. They extend to the treatment of hydraulic forces, buoyancy, buoyancy reversal, overpressure, and variable density flow, as well as their implementations within oil field simulators and, in part, groundwater model codes such as MODFLOW and FEFLOW.


Twilight Session: Specifier/Owner - Contractor Conflict during Well Construction Projects
Thomas Hanna, RPG, Mark Scharenbroich and Christopher Mikell

Large drilling projects are often complex construction projects consisting of drilling and completing structures that can be over 2,000 ft in depth while essentially working remotely from the surface. These well drilling construction projects are often further complicated by unknown conditions that are only encountered during the drilling and construction process. These conditions can cause conflict at the well site and can result in significant costs to complete the well. The goal of the panel discussion is to create a better understanding of the challenges, expectations, and view points of the parties that work together to construct a well. The panel will work towards developing better practices for writing well specifications that will provide competitive bids and acceptable work product for the well owner, be fair to the well-drilling contractor, and reduce conflict and change orders that can occur during well construction.


Twilight Session: Use of electrical resistivity in hydrogeologic problems
Kamini Singha

This presentation will start with an outline of the physics behind electrical methods and their parallels to hydrologic science, and then will outline data collection, inversion and analysis, and petrophysical relations for effective use of these geophysical methods for imaging hydrogeologic parameters and processes. Limitations of electrical methods will be carefully explained, as well as applications where these methods work best.


Twilight Session: Watershed Hydrology: Fracking, climate change, glaciers and other fun topics
Mark Williams

This course is an overview of watershed hydrology, emphasizing surface/groundwater interactions and watershed responses. The emphasis will be on mountain environments, but the approach is applicable to most ecosystems. The course will address some of the newer tools being developed to improve our understanding of surface/groundwater interactions at the watershed scale, including natural and applied tracers, isotopes, and hydrologic mixing models. Class discussions will include using these tools to improve our understanding of how perturbations may or may not change surface/groundwater interactions, including hydraulic fracturing, acid mine drainage, climate change, and retreating glaciers.

5:50 p.m.-7:00 p.m.


Poster Reception (cont.)

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | top
Click on the session titles below to see the abstracts/speakers within each session.

7:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.


Registration

8:00 a.m.-8:05 a.m.


Committee Remarks

8:05 a.m.-9:05 a.m.


2014 Birdsall-Dreiss Lecture: Critical Zone Processes at the Watershed Scale: Hydroclimate and Groundwater Flowpath Mediated Evolution of Forest Canopy Patterns
Lawrence E. Band

9:05 a.m.-9:25 a.m.


The Contaminated Site Remediation Industry in China
Xin Song

The Chinese policy of “Withdraw two Forward three”, referring to “the effort to suppress the second industry and develop the third industry in well developed areas in China”, was issued as a result of rapid urbanization and industrial transfer a few years ago. This policy has led to the closure and relocation of many large and medium-sized enterprises nationwide, resulting in more than 500,000 contaminated sites in the well developed areas and industrial bases, based on the rough estimate by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China. These heavily-contaminated sites result in contamination in soil and groundwater, severely impacting the human health and ecological system. The ever-increasing number of contaminated sites appears to guarantee a booming remediation industry in China. However, currently there is no regulation on cleanup goals for soil and groundwater on a national level, and the remediation industry is growing fast, only to meet the high demand of real estate development, to house the largest population in the world. These unique settings made the remediation industry of China quite different from the rest of world. This study will present the current status of contaminated site remediation industry in China and provide insights on the future development of the industry.

9:25 a.m.-9:45 a.m.


Fluids in Human Bodies and Some Parallels to Global Resources and Reactions
Catherine Skinner

Water is essential to all living forms, and life continues based on the availability mostly of fresh waters. Everyone is familiar with the usual body fluids, e.g. blood and lymph in humans, but the interstitial fluids found in essential structures like bone remain under research. A brief overview of normal and pathological calcified tissues in humans shows the remarkable range of minerals found in the human body.

9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m.


Engineers Without Borders
Peter Waugh, PE

10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m.


Break

10:15 a.m.-11:55 a.m.


Brine and Deep Aquifers (cont.)
Robert Sterrett, Ph.D.


Groundwater Remediation (cont.)
Joseph Quinnan, PE, PG


Monitoring and Data Management (cont.)
James J. Butler, Ph.D.


Panel: Water Quality is Not Expensive, it is Priceless
Kelly L. Warner and William M. Alley, Ph.D.

Groundwater is the source of drinking water for almost half of the U.S. population. Even where groundwater is plentiful, however, it’s not truly available for use unless the quality is acceptable for that use. In some cases, use of groundwater is limited because of contamination from anthropogenic sources; in others, it is limited because of high concentrations of constituents that occur as a result of natural sources or processes. And in some cases, groundwater quality is impaired as a result of human activities, such as high-volume pumping and irrigation that have altered the hydrologic cycle. There are many costs to society, both literally and figuratively, associated with degraded water quality. This panel will bring together perspectives on some of the causes and costs associated with groundwater quality from a discussion of: • how geology influences our drinking water and human health costs, • how hydrologic factors influence the vulnerability of drinking water to contamination, and • case studies where water quality has limited use because of human health concerns. An audience discussion of the linkages between groundwater quality and its availability and costs will follow the panel presentation.


Wells and Drilling (cont.)
Thomas Hanna, RPG

11:55 a.m.-1:00 p.m.


Lunch (on own)

1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.


Brine and Deep Aquifers (cont.)
Robert Sterrett, Ph.D.


Ethics for Groundwater Consulting Professionals
Buie Seawell, Tyler Gass and David S. Lipson, Ph.D., PG

This session will provide a one-hour introduction and refresher (as required in many states for license renewal) for early career and established groundwater science and engineering professionals. Following the presentation, practicing groundwater professionals will present real-world scenarios with ethical challenges for the group to discuss. Attendance at this entire session will meet the Ethics competency requirement for the NGWA Certified Groundwater Professional (CGWP) Program.


Groundwater Remediation (cont.)
Andrew Manning, Ph.D.


Monitoring and Data Management (cont.)
James J. Butler, Ph.D.


Wells and Drilling (cont.)
Thomas Hanna, RPG