LWS and RockWare - A Constructive Collaboration
How Do You See Underground?
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is the worth of a video? When making decisions about a site where the important constituents are hidden underground, a VIDEO is worth more than a picture and much more than words! Lytle Water Solutions (LWS) has found this to be the case in the world of hydrogeology where we are concerned with occurrences happening beneath the ground surface and where the ability to decipher what is going on, and also visualize it, is very beneficial. There are multiple ways of accomplishing this, ranging from simple groundwater models to cross-sections. For some complex projects where a high degree of precision is needed, LWS partners with RockWare to create a 3D visual model of the site.
An example of this partnership in action can be seen in a project where both LWS and RockWare participated. The client was looking to understand and contain a release of contaminants on a site. They had already drilled several exploratory boreholes with frequent groundwater sampling to identify the extent of the groundwater movement of the contaminants but were puzzled by the results of the sampling because it didn’t seem to make sense. So they were trying to figure out how it all fit together from a geologic and hydrogeologic perspective.
To assist our client with improving their understanding of the issue and the best way to remediate the contamination, the first step was geological interpretation, where LWS took the lead. By combining local geologic site data from the existing monitoring wells, regional knowledge of the geologic terrane, and professional experience, LWS was able to classify the stratigraphy of the site.
As the second step, stratigraphic and lithologic data developed by LWS were then imported by RockWare into its RockWorks software, and a database was developed to create a 3D view of the boreholes and a model composed of gridded surfaces. Creation of the 3D model required skilled use of geostatistical methods, as well as geologic knowledge of the system. A process was followed using field-collected photoionization detection (PID) data, groundwater contamination concentrations collected from monitoring wells, and groundwater levels, to create the 3D model. Geostatistical block modeling tools were then used to geologically interpolate between boreholes. Once the initial model was created, collaboration between LWS and RockWare continued until a final model showing a representative subsurface picture was finalized.
The final 3D model in RockWorks has the ability to rotate 360° so the subsurface can be viewed from any angle, which was particularly useful in this case as it explained why there was vertical migration of contaminants in some areas beneath the release site but not in other areas.
3D visualization of a petroleum spill
By presenting not only simple cross-sections and maps of the contaminated area but, rather, an animated tour of the site, the ability to “see” the subsurface and the associated extent of the contamination was imparted to the client. Takeaways from the first round of the modeling were: (a) there were places where the resolution of the data could be increased to fully identify the movement of the contaminants, (b) the magnitude and direction of the plume was identified, and (c) locations were identified where additional boreholes could be drilled and sampled to better delineate the plume. For example, the model showed a potential location of high concentration but since it was between boreholes, this could not be confirmed.
Once the client saw the presentation of our 3D model, they were able to make decisions about where they should focus the next round of drilling. They found the model to be so useful that, once the second round of drilling was completed, they had us update the model using the new contamination and geologic information they collected! Our 3D model was considered so useful and instructive related to the magnitude and direction of the contaminants that they then provided the model to remediation contractors as part of their request for proposals to remediate the site.
This project is a good example of how decisions about groundwater can be made intelligently based on the visualization of geologic and hydraulic information in an easy-to-understand format. With the combined geologic/hydrogeologic expert knowledge from LWS and the powerful visualization tools utilized by RockWare, a video can provide critical information that may not be obvious from more simple and standard techniques to identify groundwater contamination.
But enough of talking about it…Visit our YouTube channel to see this and other related videos.
If you think you would find value from seeing underground like this, feel free to contact LWS or RockWare! We would be happy to talk with you about what solutions would be best for your project. If you would like to know more about our professional partnerships with other experts, please see this April 7, 2020 LWS post about other experts with whom we collaborate as we provide solutions to our clients.
For more information, please give Lytle Water Solutions a call (303-350-4090), or you can reach our modeling and engineering team members by email.
Bruce Lytle bruce@lytlewater.com
Maura Metheny maura@lytlewater.com
Chris Fehn chris@lytlewater.com
Ben Bader ben@lytlewater.com
Anna Elgqvist anna@lytlewater.com
