Modeling Subsurface Petroleum Hydrocarbon Transport
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A number of factors influence the magnitude and distribution of contaminants in ground water. These include:
- Ground water flow rate and direction,
- Sorption of chemicals to solids,
- Apparent mixing or dilution of the plume (called dispersion), and
- Biodegradation.
Each of these phenomena can appear directly in the equation governing contaminant transport in ground water. Each will be the object of a separate module in the course.
Transport is also dependent on characteristics of the releases that appear as so-called boundary conditions in the model equations. These can include
- The timing -- beginning and ending -- of the source
- Rate of release of mass from the source
These will be discussed as they arise in examples of model application.
A separate module will address volatilization. It may affect the strength of a source or it may reduce concentration from a contaminant plume.
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