GCRC Project Summary |
Nutrient processing at the land-ocean interface: Assessing groundwater transformations through reactive transport modeling
PI: Christof Meile (Department of Marine Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA)
Support: Georgia Sea Grant College Program
Timeframe: 3/1/06 - 1/31/09
Project Objectives:
1) To develop a multi-dimensional reactive transport groundwater model.
2) To determine the fate of anthropogenic nutrient loading at the land-ocean interface.
3) To identify conditions for in situ mitigation of high nutrient loadings.
4) To provide the public with visual representations of coastal subsurface elemental cycling
Findings:
A multidimensional model of density-driven flow and nutrient dynamics has been developed and applied. The modeling study at Moses Hammock, located on Sapelo Island GA has been finalized. A website providing insight into the motivation and research approach has been created*. Simulations for septic tanks in the coastal zone have been performed.
Publications:
*Where Groundwater Meets The Ocean: Nutrient cycling in the subsurface at the land-ocean interface. http://octopus.marsci.uga.edu/gw
Porubsky, W., Joye, S., Moore, W.S., Tuncay, K., Meile, C. (submitted): Hammock groundwater biogeochemistry and flow: Field measurements and modeling.
Meile, C., Porubsky, W.P., Walker R. and Payne, K. (submitted): Controls on groundwater nutrient mitigation: Natural attenuation of nitrogen loading from septic effluents.
Porubsky, W.P. and Meile, C. (2009): Controls on groundwater nutrient mitigation: Natural attenuation of nitrogen loading from septic effluents. Proceedings of the Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 27-29, 2009 in Athens GA.
Presentations:
Meile, C. Nutrient dynamics in the shallow coastal subsurface. Modeling microbial processes and biogeochemical transformations in porous media. Department of Marine Sciences UGA, Athens GA, April 6, 2009.
Meile, C., Porubsky, W.P. and Joye, S. Biogeochemistry and groundwater flows. LTER Duplin Interactive Studies Workshop, Athens GA, January 5, 2009