INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Science

Purpose of the park

Predicting fluid and

contaminant transport

in the vadose zone near

the Idaho Nuclear Technology

and Engineering Center

(INTEC) at INL has been

problematic due to the

complex geology underlying

the site. To better understand

the controlling mechanism of

subsurface fluid transport in

2002 - a system of monitoring

instruments were installed in

boreholes around the perimeter of newly constructed

percolation ponds - consisting

of two cells each approximately 14,865 square meters

in area. The instrumented

region surrounding the ponds

and extending to the Big Lost

River, has been designated as

the Vadose Zone Research

Park (VZRP).

Research benefits

Important research needs are

being addressed at the Park,

including:

• Hydraulic spreading

mechanisms

• Mechanisms causing

perched water

• Contribution of fast

pathways to fluid transport

• Extent of vertical and

lateral infiltration

• Aquifer recharge

• Contaminant retardation

capacity of porous media

• Big Lost River recharge to

the vadose zone.

Instrumentation

Instrumentation extends from

the alluvium/basalt interface,

approximately 60 meters

below land surface (bls), to

the capillary fringe, approximately 146 meters below land

surface.

The instrumentation consists

of sensors to monitor water

pressures, degree of saturation, electrical conductivity

and resistivity, surface and

subsurface temperature, and

barometric pressure. In

addition, vapor extraction

ports and suction lysimeters

were installed at various

depths to collect and analyze

water and vapor chemistry.

Data acquisition

VZRP data collection and

management web-based

system provides real time, on

demand access to data,

INL’s Vadose Zone Research Park

Roads and buildings

Railroads

Powerlines

Big Lost River

New Ponds

Monitoring well

Instrumental borehole

Geophysics well

Legend

INTEC Percolation Pond Vadose Zone

Monitoring Network

0 400 800 1200 

feet

Plan view of the percolation ponds showing monitoring well and

instrumented borehole locations.

Aerial view of the VZRP percolation ponds showing initial discharge

to the south cell of the ponds in October, 2002.
INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

05-GA50193-50

For more information

INL is a U.S. Department of Energy

national laboratory operated by

Battelle Energy Alliance

Leah Street

Project Manager

(208) 526-9535

lst@inel.gov

Travis McLing

Project Geologist

(208) 526-7269

Travis.McLing@inl.gov

Kristine Baker

Project Hydrologist

(208) 526-7007

Kristine.Baker@inl.gov

analysis, and reports. These

reports are generated on a

dedicated, secure server. The

server provides user controllable graphing, on demand

and automated statistical

analyses, user defined alerts

and generation of customized

reports in pdf format. The

web URL for this systemis:

http://vzrp.inel.gov.

Preliminary results

Data collected at the Park

since May 2002 indicate that

perched water was present

beneath the VZRP in the

absence of local recharge, that

water infiltration is nonsequential with depth and

radial distance from the

ponds, and that flow paths are

highly sensitive to changes in

discharge location and surface

flux rates. Recharge has been

observed as far away as the

Big Lost River and as deep as

87 meters below the ponds.

Future work

• Alluvium characterization

• Coordinated discharge

switches

Example of sensor sensitivity to surface flux and discharge location.

• Tracer and facilitated

transport studies

• Carbon sequestration

studies

• Pond infiltration / recharge

monitoring

• Development of transport

numerical model for

complex systems

• SECUREarth and FRC

proposals to establish site

as collaborative, multidisciplinary field research

facility.