High Resolution Seismic Reflection to Characterize and Plan Remediation at Hazardous Waste Sites

Abstract

This report presents cost and performance data for the three-dimensional (3-D) seismic reflection survey technique used to generate a high-resolution, 3-D imaging of subsurface geologic, subsurface hydro-geologic, and subsurface dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminant source areas at four selected Department of Defense (DoD) sites. This project was sponsored by the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) and managed by the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC) Port Huneme, CA. NFESC contracted with Battelle Memorial Institute (Contract No. N47408-95-D-0730) to perform the project work. The four sites selected were Letterkenny Army Depot near Chambersburg, PA; Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA; Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, OK; and Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, Mineral County, WV. At Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, the seismic survey and an extensive sampling effort were funded and conducted outside of this project. Furthermore, at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, only geologic predictions, and not DNAPL targets, were investigated. The objective of the project was to verify that the 3-D seismic reflection survey is a viable technique for rapidly and effectively performing DNAPL source delineation and high-resolution site characterization. This objective would be met if 90% of the predictions for DNAPL contamination generated from the 3-D seismic survey results were verified to be correct, based on analysis of groundwater samples taken from within the surveyed regions. As a secondary objective, the surveys were also used to demonstrate high-resolution site characterization, by using the seismic output to interpret the depth to bedrock and the depth to fracture zones at several of the sites.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA480774

Entities

Organizations

  • Environmental Security Technology Certification Program

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Propagation
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Alkenes
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detection
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Environmental Protection
  • Groundwater
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Hazardous Waste Sites
  • High Resolution
  • Laser Induced Fluorescence
  • Seismic Reflection
  • Three Dimensional
  • Two Dimensional
  • Volatile Organic Compounds
  • Waste Products

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Groundwater Contamination Remediation.
  • Seismology