Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Groundwater Geochemistry

A Practical Guide to Modeling of Natural and Contaminated Aquatic Systems

  • Textbook
  • © 2008

Overview

Authors:
  1. Broder J. Merkel

    1. TU Bergakademie Freiberg Inst. Geologie, Germany

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Britta Planer-Friedrich

    1. TU Bergakademie Freiberg Inst. Geologie, Germany

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editors:
  1. Darrell K. Nordstrom

    1. U.S. Geological Survey, USA

    View editor publications

    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Fills a gap in modern text books, focusing on the solution of practical hydrogeochemical questions with the help of Phreeq.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (4 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XI
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Theoretical Background

    • Broder J. Merkel, Britta Planer-Friedrich
    Pages 1-68

  3. Hydrogeochemical Modeling Programs

    • Broder J. Merkel, Britta Planer-Friedrich
    Pages 69-139

  4. Exercises

    • Broder J. Merkel, Britta Planer-Friedrich
    Pages 141-172

  5. Solutions

    • Broder J. Merkel, Britta Planer-Friedrich
    Pages 173-213

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 215-230
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

To understand hydrochemistry and to analyze natural as well as man-made impacts on aquatic systems, hydrogeochemical models have been used since the 1960’s and more frequently in recent times. Numerical groundwater flow, transport, and geochemical models are important tools besides classical deterministic and analytical approaches. Solving complex linear or non-linear systems of equations, commonly with hundreds of unknown parameters, is a routine task for a PC. Modeling hydrogeochemical processes requires a detailed and accurate water analysis, as well as thermodynamic and kinetic data as input. Thermodynamic data, such as complex formation constants and solubility-products, are often provided as databases within the respective programs. However, the description of surface-controlled reactions (sorption, cation exchange, surface complexation) and kinetically controlled reactions requires additional input data. Unlike groundwater flow and transport models, thermodynamic models, in principal, do not need any calibration. However, considering surface-controlled or kinetically controlled reaction models might be subject to calibration. Typical problems for the application of geochemical models are: • speciation • determination of saturation indices • adjustment of equilibria/disequilibria for minerals or gases • mixing of different waters • modeling the effects of temperature • stoichiometric reactions (e.g. titration) • reactions with solids, fluids, and gaseous phases (in open and closed systems) • sorption (cation exchange, surface complexation) • inverse modeling • kinetically controlled reactions • reactive transport Hydrogeochemical models depend on the quality of the chemical analysis, the boundary conditions presumed by the program, theoretical concepts (e.g.

Reviews

From the reviews:

"Merkel and Planer-Friedrich … provide an excellent introduction to hydrogeochemical modeling for analyzing natural and human impacts on aquatic systems. … it is intended as a practical guide to modeling, but it will make an excellent supplementary resource for the students. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." (M. S. Field, CHOICE, November, 2005)

"This book focuses on giving practical support for geochemical modelling … . Is it worthwhile to buy this book … ? Absolutely yes! … Altogether 69 clearly and carefully explained exercises are provided to enhance the knowledge step-by-step. … This book is recommended to all those with some basic hydrogeological or chemical understanding, to graduate students in geosciences, environmental sciences or related studies as well as to representatives of public authorities and enterprises who want to understand the hydrogeochemical interactions better." (Andreas Winkler, Environmental Geology, Vol. 48, 2005)

Authors, Editors and Affiliations

  • U.S. Geological Survey, USA

    Darrell K. Nordstrom

  • TU Bergakademie Freiberg Inst. Geologie, Germany

    Broder J. Merkel, Britta Planer-Friedrich

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation