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1.
There is concern about adverse impacts of natural gas (primarily methane) production on groundwater quality; however, data on trace element concentrations are limited. The objective of this study was to compare the distribution of trace elements in groundwater samples with and without dissolved methane in aquifers overlying the Barnett Shale (Hood and Parker counties, 207 samples) and the Haynesville Shale (Panola County, 42 samples). Both shales have been subjected to intensive hydraulic fracturing for gas production. Well clusters with high dissolved methane were previously found in these counties and are thought to be of natural origin. Overall, groundwater in these counties is of excellent quality with typically low elemental concentrations. Several statistical analyses strongly suggest that most trace element concentrations, generally at low background levels, are no higher and even reduced when dissolved methane is present. In addition, trace element concentrations are not correlated with distance to gas wells. The reduction in trace element concentrations is attributed to anaerobic microbial degradation of methane, is associated with a higher pH (>8.5), and, likely, with precipitation of carbonates and pyrite and formation of clays. Trace and other elements are likely incorporated within the precipitating mineral crystalline network or sorbed. High pH values are found throughout these high‐methane clusters (e.g., Parker‐Hood cluster), even in subregions where methane is not present, which is consistent with a pervasive natural origin of dissolved methane rather than a limited gas well source.  相似文献   

2.
The expanding use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology to produce oil and gas from tight rock formations has increased public concern about potential impacts on the environment, especially on shallow drinking water aquifers. In eastern Kentucky, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have been used to develop the Berea Sandstone and the Rogersville Shale. To assess baseline groundwater chemistry and evaluate methane detected in groundwater overlying the Berea and Rogersville plays, we sampled 51 water wells and analyzed the samples for concentrations of major cations and anions, metals, dissolved methane, and other light hydrocarbon gases. In addition, the stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic composition of methane (δ13C‐CH4 and δ2H‐CH4) was analyzed for samples with methane concentration exceeding 1 mg/L. Our study indicates that methane is a relatively common constituent in shallow groundwater in eastern Kentucky, where methane was detected in 78% of the sampled wells (40 of 51 wells) with 51% of wells (26 of 51 wells) exhibiting methane concentrations above 1 mg/L. The δ13C‐CH4 and δ2H‐CH4 ranged from ?84.0‰ to ?58.3‰ and from ?246.5‰ to ?146.0‰, respectively. Isotopic analysis indicated that dissolved methane was primarily microbial in origin formed through CO2 reduction pathway. Results from this study provide a first assessment of methane in the shallow aquifers in the Berea and Rogersville play areas and can be used as a reference to evaluate potential impacts of future horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing activities on groundwater quality in the region.  相似文献   

3.
Assessing natural vs. anthropogenic sources of methane in drinking water aquifers is a critical issue in areas of shale oil and gas production. The objective of this study was to determine controls on methane occurrences in aquifers in the Eagle Ford Shale play footprint. A total of 110 water wells were tested for dissolved light alkanes, isotopes of methane, and major ions, mostly in the eastern section of the play. Multiple aquifers were sampled with approximately 47 samples from the Carrizo‐Wilcox Aquifer (250‐1200 m depth range) and Queen City‐Sparta Aquifer (150‐900 m depth range) and 63 samples from other shallow aquifers but mostly from the Catahoula Formation (depth <150 m). Besides three shallow wells with unambiguously microbial methane, only deeper wells show significant dissolved methane (22 samples >1 mg/L, 10 samples >10 mg/L). No dissolved methane samples exhibit thermogenic characteristics that would link them unequivocally to oil and gas sourced from the Eagle Ford Shale. In particular, the well water samples contain very little or no ethane and propane (C1/C2+C3 molar ratio >453), unlike what would be expected in an oil province, but they also display relatively heavier δ13Cmethane (>?55‰) and δDmethane (>?180‰). Samples from the deeper Carrizo and Queen City aquifers are consistent with microbial methane sourced from syndepositional organic matter mixed with thermogenic methane input, most likely originating from deeper oil reservoirs and migrating through fault zones. Active oxidation of methane pushes δ13Cmethane and δDmethane toward heavier values, whereas the thermogenic gas component is enriched with methane owing to a long migration path resulting in a higher C1/C2+C3 ratio than in the local reservoirs.  相似文献   

4.
Understanding the source of dissolved methane in drinking‐water aquifers is critical for assessing potential contributions from hydraulic fracturing in shale plays. Shallow groundwater in the Texas portion of the Haynesville Shale area (13,000 km2) was sampled (70 samples) for methane and other dissolved light alkanes. Most samples were derived from the fresh water bearing Wilcox formations and show little methane except in a localized cluster of 12 water wells (17% of total) in a approximately 30 × 30 km2 area in Southern Panola County with dissolved methane concentrations less than 10 mg/L. This zone of elevated methane is spatially associated with the termination of an active fault system affecting the entire sedimentary section, including the Haynesville Shale at a depth more than 3.5 km, and with shallow lignite seams of Lower Wilcox age at a depth of 100 to 230 m. The lignite spatial extension overlaps with the cluster. Gas wetness and methane isotope compositions suggest a mixed microbial and thermogenic origin with contribution from lignite beds and from deep thermogenic reservoirs that produce condensate in most of the cluster area. The pathway for methane from the lignite and deeper reservoirs is then provided by the fault system.  相似文献   

5.
Water and gas samples were collected from (1) nine shallow groundwater aquifers overlying Marcellus Shale in north‐central West Virginia before active shale gas drilling, (2) wells producing gas from Upper Devonian sands and Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in southwestern Pennsylvania, (3) coal‐mine water discharges in southwestern Pennsylvania, and (4) streams in southwestern Pennsylvania and north‐central West Virginia. Our preliminary results demonstrate that the oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of water, carbon isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon, and carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of methane in Upper Devonian sands and Marcellus Shale are very different compared with shallow groundwater aquifers, coal‐mine waters, and stream waters of the region. Therefore, spatiotemporal stable isotope monitoring of the different sources of water before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing can be used to identify migrations of fluids and gas from deep formations that are coincident with shale gas drilling.  相似文献   

6.
The potential environmental impacts on subsurface water resources induced by unconventional gas production are still under debate. Solving the controversy regarding the potential adverse effects of gas leakages on groundwater resources is therefore crucial. In this work, an interesting real-world case is presented in order to give further insight into methane multiphase and transport behavior in the shallow subsurface, often disregarded compared to the behavior in the deep subsurface. Multiphase flow and solute transport simulations were performed to assess the vulnerability of an existing shallow unconfined aquifer with respect to a hypothetical methane leakage resulting from a well integrity failure of a former deep geothermal well. The analysis showed that migration of gaseous methane through the aquifer under examination can be extremely fast (of the order of a few minutes), occurring predominantly vertically upwards, close to the well. By contrast, dissolved methane migration is largely affected by the groundwater flow field and occurs over larger time scales (of the order of months/years), covering a greater distance from the well. Overall, the real concern for this site in case of gas leakages is the risk of explosion in the close vicinity of the well. Predicted maximum gaseous fluxes (0.89 to 22.60 m3/d) are comparable to those reported for leaking wells, and maximum dissolved methane concentrations may overcome risk mitigation thresholds (7 to 10 mg/L) in a few years. Therefore, surface and subsurface monitoring before decommissioning is strongly advised to ensure the safety of the site.  相似文献   

7.
The vertical portion of a shale gas well, known as the “tophole” is often drilled using an air‐hammer bit that may introduce pressures as high as 2400 kPa (350 psi) into groundwater while penetrating shallow aquifers. A 3‐D TOUGH2 model was used to simulate the flow of groundwater under the high hydraulic heads that may be imposed by such trapped compressed air, based on an observed case in West Virginia (USA) in 2012. The model realizations show that high‐pressure air trapped in aquifers may cause groundwater to surge away from the drill site at observable velocities. If dissolved methane is present within the aquifer, the methane can be entrained and transported to a maximum distance of 10.6 m per day. Results from this study suggest that one cause of the reported increase in methane concentrations in groundwater near shale gas production wells may be the transport of pre‐existing methane via groundwater surges induced by air drilling, not necessarily direct natural gas leakage from the unconventional gas reservoir. The primary transport mechanisms are advective transport of dissolved methane with water flow, and diffusive transport of dissolved methane.  相似文献   

8.
Interaction between hydraulically generated fractures and existing wells (frac hits) could represent a potential risk to groundwater. In particular, frac hits on abandoned oil and gas wells could lead to upward leakage into overlying aquifers, provided migration pathways are present along the abandoned well. However, potential risk to groundwater is relatively unknown because few studies have investigated the probability of frac hits on abandoned wells. In this study, actual numbers of frac hits were not determined. Rather, the probability for abandoned wells to intersect hypothetical stimulated reservoir sizes of horizontal wells was investigated. Well data were compiled and analyzed for location and reservoir information, and sensitivity analyses were conducted by varying assumed sizes of stimulated reservoirs. This study used public and industry data for the Eagle Ford Shale play in south Texas, with specific attention paid to abandoned oil and gas wells converted into water wells (converted wells). In counties with Eagle Ford Shale activity, well‐data analysis identified 55,720 abandoned wells with a median age of 1983, and 2400 converted wells with a median age of 1954. The most aggressive scenario resulted in 823 abandoned wells and 184 converted wells intersecting the largest assumed stimulated reservoir size. Analysis showed abandoned wells have the potential to be intersected by multiple stimulated reservoirs, and risks for intersection would increase if currently permitted horizontal wells in the Eagle Ford Shale are actually completed. Results underscore the need to evaluate historical oil and gas activities in areas with modern unconventional oil and gas activities.  相似文献   

9.
The Kockatea Shale is a proposed target for unconventional gas development in the North Perth Basin in Western Australia. This research is concerned with correlating the extent of thermogenic gas leakage into deep aquifers overlying the Kockatea Shale with an assessment of how close the formation is to mechanical failure. Data from two petroleum exploration wells located approximately 20 km apart were considered. Both have comparable stratigraphy; however, they differ by their local tectonic setting. The stress regime is strike slip at Arrowsmith 2 well and for an assumed hydrostatic pressure the Kockatea Shale is not close to frictional limits. Minor amounts of methane and trace amounts of short chain alkanes are leaking into deep aquifers pre-development. In contrast, the stress regime is strike slip/normal at Woodada Deep well and the Kockatea Shale is close to frictional limits. Significant volumes of gas including methane and condensate are leaking into deep aquifers. The sealing capacity of the Kockatea Shale as evidenced by the variation in gas concentration in aquifers at the two sites indicates the formation is sensitive to stress. Additionally given the low permeability of the regional Kockatea Shale seal, it is assumed that at both locations gas leakage is via critically stressed faults. Deep aquifers proximal to the shale gas target are low salinity (<5000 ppm NaCl eq.) at Woodada Deep well and are saline at Arrowsmith 2 well. Based on this assessment, it is suggested that hydraulic fracture stimulation at the Woodada Deep well poses a significant environmental risk.  相似文献   

10.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have enhanced unconventional hydrocarbon recovery but raised environmental concerns related to water quality. Because most basins targeted for shale‐gas development in the USA have histories of both active and legacy petroleum extraction, confusion about the hydrogeological context of naturally occurring methane in shallow aquifers overlying shales remains. The Karoo Basin, located in South Africa, provides a near‐pristine setting to evaluate these processes, without a history of conventional or unconventional energy extraction. We conducted a comprehensive pre‐industrial evaluation of water quality and gas geochemistry in 22 groundwater samples across the Karoo Basin, including dissolved ions, water isotopes, hydrocarbon molecular and isotopic composition, and noble gases. Methane‐rich samples were associated with high‐salinity, NaCl‐type groundwater and elevated levels of ethane, 4He, and other noble gases produced by radioactive decay. This endmember displayed less negative δ13C‐CH4 and evidence of mixing between thermogenic natural gases and hydrogenotrophic methane. Atmospheric noble gases in the methane‐rich samples record a history of fractionation during gas‐phase migration from source rocks to shallow aquifers. Conversely, methane‐poor samples have a paucity of ethane and 4He, near saturation levels of atmospheric noble gases, and more negative δ13C‐CH4; methane in these samples is biogenic and produced by a mixture of hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic sources. These geochemical observations are consistent with other basins targeted for unconventional energy extraction in the USA and contribute to a growing data base of naturally occurring methane in shallow aquifers globally, which provide a framework for evaluating environmental concerns related to unconventional energy development (e.g., stray gas).  相似文献   

11.
The recent boom in shale gas development in the Marcellus Shale has increased interest in the methods to distinguish between naturally occurring methane in groundwater and stray methane associated with drilling and production operations. This study evaluates the relationship between natural methane occurrence and three principal environmental factors (groundwater redox state, water type, and topography) using two pre‐drill datasets of 132 samples from western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia and 1417 samples from northeastern Pennsylvania. Higher natural methane concentrations in residential wells are strongly associated with reducing conditions characterized by low nitrate and low sulfate ([NO3?] < 0.5 mg/L; [SO42?] < 2.5 mg/L). However, no significant relationship exists between methane and iron [Fe(II)], which is traditionally considered an indicator of conditions that have progressed through iron reduction. As shown in previous studies, water type is significantly correlated with natural methane concentrations, where sodium (Na) ‐rich waters exhibit significantly higher (p<0.001) natural methane concentrations than calcium (Ca)‐rich waters. For water wells exhibiting Na‐rich waters and/or low nitrate and low sulfate conditions, valley locations are associated with higher methane concentrations than upland topography. Consequently, we identify three factors (“Low NO3? & SO42?” redox condition, Na‐rich water type, and valley location), which, in combination, offer strong predictive power regarding the natural occurrence of high methane concentrations. Samples exhibiting these three factors have a median methane concentration of 10,000 µg/L. These heuristic relationships may facilitate the design of pre‐drill monitoring programs and the subsequent evaluation of post‐drill monitoring results to help distinguish between naturally occurring methane and methane originating from anthropogenic sources or migration pathways.  相似文献   

12.
Analysis of dissolved light hydrocarbon gas concentrations (primarily methane and ethane) in water supply wells is commonly used to establish conditions before and after drilling in areas of shale gas and oil extraction. Several methods are currently used to collect samples for dissolved gas analysis from water supply wells; however, the reliability of results obtained from these methods has not been quantified. This study compares dissolved methane and ethane concentrations measured in groundwater samples collected using three sampling methods employed in pre‐ and post‐drill sampling programs in the Appalachian Basin. These include an open‐system collection method where 40 mL volatile organic analysis (VOA) vials are filled directly while in contact with the atmosphere (Direct‐Fill VOA) and two alternative methods: (1) a semi‐closed system method whereby 40 mL VOA vials are filled while inverted under a head of water (Inverted VOA) and (2) a relatively new (2013) closed system method in which the sample is collected without direct contact with purge water or the atmosphere (IsoFlask®). This study reveals that, in the absence of effervescence, the difference in methane concentrations between the three sampling methods was relatively small. However, when methane concentrations equaled or exceeded 20 mg/L (the approximate concentration at which effervescence occurs in the study area), IsoFlask® (closed system) samples yielded significantly higher methane concentrations than Direct‐Fill VOA (open system) samples, and Inverted VOA (semi‐closed system) samples yielded lower concentrations. These results suggest that open and semi‐closed system sample collection methods are adequate for non‐effervescing samples. However, the use of a closed system collection method provides the most accurate means for the measurement of dissolved hydrocarbon gases under all conditions.  相似文献   

13.
The association between hydrocarbon‐rich reservoirs and organic‐rich source rocks means unconventional oil and gas plays usually occur in mature sedimentary basins—where large‐scale conventional development has already taken place. Abandoned wells in proximity to hydraulic fracturing could be affected by increased fluid pressures and corresponding newly generated fractures that directly connect (frac hit) to an abandoned well or to existing fractures intersecting an abandoned well. If contaminants migrate to a pathway hydraulically connected to an abandoned well, upward leakage may occur. Potential effects of hydraulic fracturing on upward flow through a particular type of leaky abandoned well—abandoned oil and gas wells converted into water wells were investigated using numerical modeling. Several factors that affect flow to leaky wells were considered including proximity of a leaky well to hydraulic fracturing, flowback, production, and leaky well abandonment methods. The numerical model used historical records and available industry data for the Eagle Ford Shale play in south Texas. Numerical simulations indicate that upward contaminant migration could occur through leaky converted wells if certain spatial and hydraulic conditions exist. Upward flow through leaky converted wells increased with proximity to hydraulic fracturing, but decreased when flowback and production occurred. Volumetric flow rates ranged between 0 and 0.086 m3/d for hydraulic‐fracturing scenarios. Potential groundwater impacts should be paired with plausible transport mechanisms, and upward flow through leaky abandoned wells could be unrelated to hydraulic fracturing. The results also underscore the need to evaluate historical activities.  相似文献   

14.
Evaluation of Methane Sources in Groundwater in Northeastern Pennsylvania   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
Testing of 1701 water wells in northeastern Pennsylvania shows that methane is ubiquitous in groundwater, with higher concentrations observed in valleys vs. upland areas and in association with calcium‐sodium‐bicarbonate, sodium‐bicarbonate, and sodium‐chloride rich waters—indicating that, on a regional scale, methane concentrations are best correlated to topographic and hydrogeologic features, rather than shale‐gas extraction. In addition, our assessment of isotopic and molecular analyses of hydrocarbon gases in the Dimock Township suggest that gases present in local water wells are most consistent with Middle and Upper Devonian gases sampled in the annular spaces of local gas wells, as opposed to Marcellus Production gas. Combined, these findings suggest that the methane concentrations in Susquehanna County water wells can be explained without the migration of Marcellus shale gas through fractures, an observation that has important implications for understanding the nature of risks associated with shale‐gas extraction.  相似文献   

15.
Tommeliten is a prominent methane seep area in the Central North Sea. Previous surveys revealed shallow gas-bearing sediments and methane gas ebullition into the water column. In this study, the in situ methane flux at Tommeliten is re-assessed and the potential methane transport to the atmosphere is discussed, with regards to the hydrographic setting and gas bubble modeling. We have compiled previous data, acquired new video and acoustic evidence of gas bubble release, and have measured the methane concentration, and its C-isotopic composition in the water column. Parametric subbottom sonar data reveal the three-dimensional extent of shallow gas and morphologic features relevant for gas migration. Five methane ebullition areas are identified and the main seepage area appears to be 21 times larger than previously estimated. Our video, hydroacoustic, subbottom, and chemical data suggest that ～1.5×106 mol CH4/yr (～26 tons CH4/yr) of methane gas is being released from the seepage area of Tommeliten. Methane concentration profiles in the vicinity of the gas seeps show values of up to 268 nM (～100 times background) close to the seafloor. A decrease in δ13C-CH4 values at 40 m water depth indicates an unknown additional biogenic methane source within the well oxygenated thermocline between 30 and 40 m water depth. Numerical modeling of the methane bubbles due to their migration and dissolution was performed to estimate the bubble-derived vertical methane transport, the fate of this methane in the water column, and finally the flux to the atmosphere. Modeling indicates that less than ～4% of the gas initially released at the seafloor is transported via bubbles into the mixed layer and, ultimately, to the atmosphere. However, because of the strong seasonality of mixing in the North Sea, this flux is expected to increase as mixing increases, and almost all of the methane released at the seafloor could be transferred into the atmosphere in the stormy fall and winter time.  相似文献   

16.
J.W. Roy  M.C. Ryan 《Ground water》2010,48(6):869-877
Measurement of dissolved gases in groundwater is becoming increasingly common and important. Many of these measurements involve monitoring or sampling within wells or from water pumped from wells. We used total dissolved gas pressure (TDGP) sensors placed in the screened section of various wells (4 to 72 m deep) to assess the dissolved gas conditions for open wells compared to the conditions when sealed (i.e., isolated from the atmosphere) with a hydraulic packer (one well) or when pumped. When the packer was installed (non-pumping conditions), TDGP rose from <1.7 to >3.1 atm (<172 to >314 kPa), with declines noted when the packer was removed or deflated. While pumping, TDGP measured in many of the wells rose to substantially higher levels, up to 4.0 atm (408 kPa) in one case. Thus, when groundwater is gas charged, the background aquifer TDGP, and likewise the dissolved gas concentrations, may be substantially higher than initially measured in open wells, indicating significant in-well degassing. This raises concerns about past and current methods of measuring the dissolved gases in groundwater. Additional procedures that may be required to obtain representative measurements from wells include (1) installing in-well hydraulic packers to seal the well, or (2) pumping to bring in fresh groundwater. However, observed transient decreased TDGPs during pumping, believed to result from gas bubble formation induced by drawdown in the well below a critical pressure (relative to TDGP), may disrupt the measurements made during or after pumping. Thus, monitoring TDGP while pumping gas-charged wells is recommended.  相似文献   

17.
Environmental concerns regarding the potential for drinking water contamination in shallow aquifers have accompanied unconventional energy development in the northern Appalachian Basin. These activities have also raised several critical questions about the hydrogeological parameters that control the naturally occurring presence and migration of hydrocarbon gases in shallow aquifers within petroliferous basins. To interrogate these factors, we analyzed the noble gas, dissolved ion, and hydrocarbon gas (molecular and isotopic composition) geochemistry of 98 groundwater samples from south‐central New York. All samples were collected ?1km from unconventional drilling activities and sample locations were intentionally targeted based on their proximity to various types of documented fault systems. In agreement with studies from other petroliferous basins, our results show significant correlations between elevated levels of radiogenic [4He], thermogenic [CH4], and dissolved ions (e.g., Cl, Br, Sr, Ba). In combination, our data suggest that faults have facilitated the transport of exogenous hydrocarbon‐rich brines from Devonian source rocks into overlying Upper Devonian aquifer lithologies over geologic time. These data conflict with previous reports, which conclude that hydrodynamic focusing regulates the occurrence of methane and salt in shallow aquifers and leads to elevated levels of these species in restricted flow zones within valley bottoms. Instead, our data suggest that faults in Paleozoic rocks play a fundamental role in gas and brine transport from depth, regulate the distribution of their occurrence in shallow aquifers, and influence the geochemistry of shallow groundwater in this petroliferous basin.  相似文献   

18.
When fugitive methane migrates upward along boreholes of oil and gas wells, it may migrate into shallow ground water or pass through overlying soil to the atmosphere. Prior to this study, there was little information on the fate of fugitive methane that migrates into ground water. In a field study near Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, we found hydrogeochemical evidence that fugitive methane from an oil well migrated into a shallow aquifer but has been attenuated by dissimilatory bacterial sulfate reduction at low temperature ( approximately 5 degrees C) under anaerobic conditions. Evidence includes spatial and temporal trends in concentrations of methane and sulfate in ground water and associated trends in concentrations of bicarbonate and sulfide. Within 10 m of the oil well, sulfate concentrations were low, and sulfate was enriched in both 34S and 18O. Sulfate concentrations had a strong positive correlation with delta13C values of bicarbonate, and sulfide was depleted in 34S compared to sulfate. These data indicate that bacterial sulfate reduction occurred near the production well. Near the oil well, elevated concentrations of bicarbonate were observed, and the bicarbonate was depleted in 13C. Modeling indicates that the main source of this excess 13C-depleted bicarbonate is oxidized methane. In concert with the sulfate concentration and isotope data, these results support an interpretation that in situ bacterial oxidation of methane has occurred, linked to bacterial sulfate reduction. Bacterial sulfate reduction may play a major role in bioattenuation of fugitive natural gas in ground water in western Canada.  相似文献   

19.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have enabled hydrocarbon recovery from unconventional reservoirs, but led to natural gas contamination of shallow groundwaters. We describe and apply numerical models of gas‐phase migration associated with leaking natural gas wells. Three leakage scenarios are simulated: (1) high‐pressure natural gas pulse released into a fractured aquifer; (2) continuous slow leakage into a tilted fractured formation; and (3) continuous slow leakage into an unfractured aquifer with fluvial channels, to facilitate a generalized evaluation of natural gas transport from faulty natural gas wells. High‐pressure pulses of gas leakage into sparsely fractured media are needed to produce the extensive and rapid lateral spreading of free gas previously observed in field studies. Transport in fractures explains how methane can travel vastly different distances and directions laterally away from a leaking well, which leads to variable levels of methane contamination in nearby groundwater wells. Lower rates of methane leakage (≤1 Mcf/day) produce shorter length scales of gas transport than determined by the high‐pressure scenario or field studies, unless aquifers have low vertical permeabilities (≤1 millidarcy) and fractures and bedding planes have sufficient tilt (～10°) to allow a lateral buoyancy component. Similarly, in fractured rock aquifers or where permeability is controlled by channelized fluvial deposits, lateral flow is not sufficiently developed to explain fast‐developing gas contamination (0‐3 months) or large length scales (～1 km) documented in field studies. Thus, current efforts to evaluate the frequency, mechanism, and impacts of natural gas leakage from faulty natural gas wells likely underestimate contributions from small‐volume, low‐pressure leakage events.  相似文献   

20.
Snowmelt‐fed springs and small (0.5 km2) upland catchments in alpine areas of the western United States contribute significantly to the quantity and inorganic chemistry of water delivered to downstream basins but have not been studied extensively. Mineral weathering, transit time, and hydrologic mixing control the solute chemistry of waters that drain the upland zone of Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range, and adjacent areas in the granitic core of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Water in 37 springs sampled in this study flows in generally short steep paths (~0.3 km) through shallow regolith with mean transit times (MTT) of weeks to months, producing solutions dominated by Si, Ca2+, Na+, and HCO3?, locally SO42?. Rock type is a significant control on spring, surface, and shallow groundwater chemistry, and plagioclase (oligoclase) is the major source of dissolved Na+ and Si. Concentrations of Ca2+ exceed stoichiometric predictions of oligoclase weathering by ~3.5×; excess Ca2+ likely represents weathering of aeolian material, vein calcite, or trace minerals. Concentrations of base cations and Si increase slowly with estimated MTT of 0.2 years for Niwot Ridge spring waters, and several years for shallow groundwater sampled by wells. Chemical weathering of silicate minerals is slow with estimated rates of ~2.0 and 0.2 pmol·m?2·s?1 for oligoclase and microcline, respectively; the most mineralized spring waters are saturated only with respect to kaolinite and montmorillonite. More than 50% of the dissolved base cations + Si measured in Boulder Creek at Orodell (~25 km downstream) accumulate before water emerges from alpine springs on Niwot Ridge. Warming global temperatures are shifting more high‐elevation precipitation to rain, potentially changing run‐off patterns, transit time, and solute loads. Acquisition of solutes by alpine waters thus has implications far beyond small upland catchments.  相似文献   

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