Dynamics of Vadose Zone Transport: a Field and Modeling Study using the Vadose Zone Observatory

A stated need of the DOE EM program is a better understanding of basic vadose zone fluid flow and contaminant transport processes for the purpose of making improved estimates of contaminant release rates and fluxes across the vadose zone to the water table at DOE sites such as the tank farms at Hanford. We investigate details of the modes of contaminant transport with the aid of infiltration experiments designed to elucidate how vadose zone characteristics such as preferential pathways, heterogeneities, and relative permeabilities influence the transport of contamination in liquid, gas and colloidal phases to the water table. Beyond enhancing our basic understanding of vadose zone transport processes, this EMSP project is designed result in a vadose-zone-transport-characterization methodology that can be generalized to other DOE sites.