Van Tuyl Lecture: Antônio Meira Neto, Colorado College

Antônio Meira Neto, Colorado College

Berthoud 241/ Zoom, 4PM, Thursday, April 27, 2023

Geophysical Imaging of Water Ages

Abstract: Understanding how long water stays in the earth’s surface (from the moment it lands as precipitation until it reaches a stream or evaporates back into the atmosphere) is quite important for many earth science investigations. However, its estimation is still in its infancy, and not many methods exist that allow for the direct observation of water ages within the subsurface. This presentation will explore how controlled experimentation in hydrologic sciences can be leveraged to provide empirical evidence on physical processes that control the distribution of water ages in the subsurface. Our approach consists of combining two different methods: the first method uses information from chemically labeled water from influxes and outfluxes, and the second one uses the imaging of electrical resistivity in the soil, allowing for the imaging of the internal distribution of ages. We learned from our first experiment that our system tends to discharge older water from storage until it reaches its highest levels of storage, which is when greater portions of younger water start being released. This behavior can be explained by an upward movement of the water table that is able to reach the regions where younger water is located, allowing for its mobilization out of the system.

This lecture is scheduled in a hybrid format. If you would like to join the meeting please:

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://mines.zoom.us/j/95752167592?pwd=RHNka1ZBYmlWRk4rNHdXMVR6UVU1QT09
Meeting ID: 957 5216 7592
Password: 580443

The Van Tuyl lectures are scheduled at 4-5pm in BE 241/ Zoom (hybrid format), and after the lecture there will be a get-together from 5-6pm in BE 243 with pizza and sodas.