Advances in Remediation: Recharge Redux

Congratulations to Charles J. Newell, PhD, PE, BCEE, and Kenneth L. "Neth" Walker, Jr., PE, PG, co-authors of the recently published paper...

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Congratulations to Charles J. Newell, PhD, PE, BCEE, and Kenneth L. “Neth” Walker, Jr., PE, PG, co-authors of the recently published paper “Advances in Remediation: Recharge Redux” in Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation!

Alongside co-authors Craig Divine, Matthew Spurlin, Timothy Blount, Prashanth Khambhammettu, and Marc Killingstad, they explore the critical role groundwater recharge plays in contaminant fate and transport, with particular attention to PFAS.

The article highlights why recharge deserves closer attention in conceptual site models (CSMs) and discusses practical data and tools to help environmental professionals better understand contaminant movement and make informed site assessment and remediation decisions.

Grab a cup of coffee and dig into the research!

Read the publication: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwmr.70090

Implementation and Evaluation of Fully 3D Richards’ Equation in MODFLOW 6

Sebastián Vázquez-Gasty is the lead author of a new paper in Groundwater titled “Implementation and Evaluation of Fully 3D Richards’ Equation in MODFLOW 6,”...

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Sebastián Vázquez-Gasty is the lead author of a new paper in Groundwater titled “Implementation and Evaluation of Fully 3D Richards’ Equation in MODFLOW 6,” alongside GSI’s Sorab Panday, Christian Langevin of S.S. Papadopulos & Associates, and Tirthankar Roy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The paper introduces a fully three-dimensional Richards’ equation solver integrated into MODFLOW 6, enabling researchers and groundwater professionals to more accurately simulate water movement through saturated and unsaturated soils, including capillary effects and lateral moisture flow.

Using three benchmark tests against established groundwater modeling software, the researchers demonstrated strong agreement in simulated moisture and pressure responses, along with computational efficiency and numerical stability. This advancement offers new capabilities for studying groundwater recharge, vadose-zone processes, and complex subsurface flow conditions.

Congratulations to Sebastián and his co-authors on this publication and their contributions to advancing groundwater modeling capabilities!

Read the paper and access the research implementation and benchmark files here: https://www.gsienv.com/software/modflow-6-richards/modflow6-richards/

Biotransformation Processes Relevant to Geologic Carbon Sequestration: Potential Implications for Environmental Fate

A new publication examines how microbial processes may influence the fate of CO2 in geologic carbon sequestration settings. The article, Biotransformation Processes...

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A new publication examines how microbial processes may influence the fate of CO2 in geologic carbon sequestration settings.

The article, Biotransformation Processes Relevant to Geologic Carbon Sequestration: Potential Implications for Environmental Fate, is published in Environmental Science & Technology and is authored by GSI experts Lisa J. Molofsky, Thomas E. McHugh, Danny Kingham, and Charles J. Newell, with contributions from Sven Lahme, Kelly M. McFarlin, Paul G. Koster van Groos, Frank E. Löffler, Louise Camenzuli, Leanne Walker, Sophie L. Nixon, and Trent A. Key.

The paper reviews how CO2-driven geochemical changes can alter microbial communities and trigger biotransformation processes that move carbon into mineral, gas, or organic phases. It also explores implications for both deep storage formations and nontarget environments such as shallow groundwater, the vadose zone, and marine systems, while identifying key knowledge gaps that affect long-term prediction of CO2 behavior.

Read the full open-access article here:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.5c02389

Assessing future hydrologic extremes using an integrated hydrology and river operations model in the Russian River watershed

A new article by Ayman Alzraiee and Richard Niswonger has been published in Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. The article, “Assessing future...

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A new article by Ayman Alzraiee and Richard Niswonger has been published in Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.

The article, “Assessing future hydrologic extremes using an integrated hydrology and river operations model in the Russian River watershed,” presents an integrated surface water, groundwater, and operations modeling approach to evaluate how climate change and water use may affect streamflow conditions.

The study finds that groundwater pumping can significantly deplete streamflow, streamflow droughts become longer and more severe under climate change scenarios, peak flows increase substantially in wetter futures, and reservoirs play a key role in buffering these impacts across the watershed.

Read the full open-access article here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825008456

Facilitated Transport of Organic Contaminants in a High Concentration, Multicomponent Plume

Congratulations to Dr. Gino Bianchi Mosquera, PG, BCES, on the publication of "Facilitated Transport of Organic Contaminants in a High Concentration, Multicomponent Plume," in...

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Congratulations to Dr. Gino Bianchi Mosquera, PG, BCES, on the publication of “Facilitated Transport of Organic Contaminants in a High Concentration, Multicomponent Plume,” in Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation.

This open access article, co-authored with D. M. Mackay, B. Myller, B. D. Honeyman, M. Schirmer, R. M. Allen-King, W. P. Ball and R. L. Stollar, presents findings from a field experiment at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal evaluating organic contaminant transport within a complex plume. The study provides new insight into why contaminants may migrate with little to no sorptive retardation in situ and identifies the need for additional laboratory research to better understand the plume components that influence sorption and mobility.

Read the full open access article here: https://ngwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gwmr.70028

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