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2009 Portland GSA Annual Meeting (18-21 October 2009)

Paper No. 1
Presentation Time: 1:30 PM

THE IMPACT OF IMMISCIBLE DISPLACEMENT AND TRAPPED AIR ON PORE-SCALE FLUID CONFIGURATION FOR THREE-PHASE


CARROLL, K.C.1, MARBLE, Justin C.1, RUSSO, Ann2 and BRUSSEAU, Mark L.1, (1)Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Shantz Building #38, P.O. Box 210038, Tucson, AZ 85721, (2)Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Shantz Building #38, P.O. Box 210038, Tucson, AZ 85721, kcc@hwr.arizona.edu

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of immiscible fluid displacement and trapped air on pore-scale distribution and morphology of organic liquid in natural porous media. High-resolution, three-dimensional images of an organic liquid (trichloroethene) in three-phase (water/organic-liquid/air) systems were obtained using synchrotron X-ray microtomography before and after water imbibition. A significant portion of the organic liquid in the three-phase system was observed to exist as lenses and films in contact with air. The presence of air had a significant impact on organic-liquid/water interfacial area. Upon imbibition, a fraction of the air phase was displaced downgradient. Concomitantly, the morphology of the organic-liquid blobs no longer in contact with air reverted to that characteristic of a two-phase distribution. This change in morphology resulted in a change in interfacial area. These results illustrate the malleable nature of fluid configuration under dynamic, multiphase flow conditions.

Session No. 271

T19. Characterizing, Predicting, and Managing Long-Term Contaminant Flux for Complex Subsurface Environments
Wednesday, 21 October 2009: 1:30 PM-5:30 PM
E141/142 (Oregon Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 41, No. 7, p.696
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