NCGRT and Rio Tinto Tackle Groundwater Mixing in PilbaraNCGRT and Rio Tinto have combined their expertise in a major project to understand groundwater flow and groundwater mixing processes in complex heterogeneous environments.
The project is taking place within the Pilbara region of northwestern Australia, and will help understand groundwater flow around open pit mines, and the effect of these mines on the regional flow system. The project represents a major collaboration between Rio Tinto Iron Ore (Dr Shawan Dogramaci), Flinders University (Professor Peter Cook and Professor Craig Simmons), University of Western Australia (Professor Henning Prommer), University of Utah (Professor Kip Solomon) and University of Bern (Dr Roland Purtschert).
Researcher Profile:
Dr Shawan Dogramaci
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Dr Shawan Dogramaci is a Leader of postgraduate hydrogeology program at Rio Tinto based in Western Australia. He has over 25 years’ experience in research, academia, management, and consultancy in water resources appraisal, hydrogeology and isotope hydrology. His scientific interest lie in the questions concerned with applied hydrogeology using environmental tracers as tools to understand groundwater flow. Shawan is motivated by novel and cost effective tools to better constrain local and regional scale groundwater flow processes for better water management at various Riotinto Iron Ore mine sites in Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Large Basin-scale Integrated Surface-Subsurface Hydrologic Modeling to Support Agricultural Risk Management by NCGRT partner Aquanty IncAquanty Inc. of Waterloo, Canada in partnership with the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and DYMAC Risk Management Solutions Ltd., is currently developing a fully-integrated surface water and variably-saturated subsurface model of the South Saskatchewan River Basin located in Western Canada.
UPGro - A Hidden Crisis
Eddie Banks and Peter CookIn Africa, where there is a large dispersed rural population, access to safe drinking water depends on the availability and sustainable development of groundwater resources. Groundwater as a water resource in African countries where there is little rainfall or long periods without rain can provide a very reliable, economical, safe and resilient resource compared to surface water. Despite the spatially extensive and rapid development of groundwater across Africa, there are very high failure rates, with 30-40 % of hand pump boreholes (HPBs) non-functional within 2 years of construction.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) – NCGRT strategic partnership At the beginning of 2015, the NCGRT entered into a $2 million national groundwater partnership with the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to examine groundwater research needs for the Murray Darling Basin and the Plan. This research will ultimately allow us to develop approaches that will improve the science that underpins water allocation planning and management, including but not limited to the establishment of Sustainable Diversion Limits
(SDLs) as part of the ongoing, adaptive, implementation of Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Below is an update on the three thematic areas, including some of the researchers working on these areas. Key researchers on this project include: Prof. Craig Simmons, Prof. Okke Batelaan, Prof. Peter Cook, Dr Yueqing Xie and Dr Daniel Partington from Flinders University as well as Prof. Tony Jakeman (ANU) and Prof. Allan Curtis (Charles Sturt University).
Recharge Processes: increasing understanding of MDB recharge processes, improving recharge estimation techniques and managing uncertainty Groundwater sustainable diversion limits (SDL’s) in some areas in the MDB have been in part estimated using the WAVES water balance model. Significant progress has been made in the past six months examining the uncertainty of the WAVES method for estimating groundwater recharge. Photo credit: www.mdba.gov.au
Socioeconomics: identifying the social-economic factors to improve water management in the MDB, incl. conjunctive use In conjunction with CSU, ANU is developing and evaluating a range of socio-economic research activities aimed at improved water management outcomes for the Basin. They have identified assessment frameworks to assist the MDBA in improving its understanding of the relationships between key external drivers and Basin Plan objectives. Photo credit: www.anu.edu.au
SW-GW Connectivity: Improving knowledge at the regional scale The surface water-groundwater (SW-GW) connectivity theme of the project is targeted at improving/constraining the estimates of SW-GW exchange within MDB catchments. This theme is tightly coupled with the recharge processes theme and feeds into the socioeconomics theme as well. To meet the primary targets of this theme a combination of modelling and field work is being carried out in two catchments within the MDB (Campaspe & Murrumbidgee).
IAH Congress 2016 | Montpellier, France
NCGRT researchers presented their findings at the recent Hydrogeology Congress in Montpellier, organised by the French and German chapters of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), from 25-29 September. Over 700 people were involved in groundwater management and research gathered for the 43rd annual congress, with the theme:
“Groundwater and society: 60 years of IAH”. Photo: Professor Craig Simmons was a keynote speaker on the Monday 26th September. Craig presented on "The Hydrogeologist Time Capsule"
and "People and Groundwater: Anatomy of a Long-Term Relationship"
UNSW PhD Candidate, Scott Cook presented on Integrating hydrographic and hydrochemical data using a multivariate statistical approach: A case study in an Australian alluvial aquifer-aquitard system. Wendy Timms from UNSW
presented on Conceptual models of risks to shallow waters associated with underground mining through geological fault structures. Australian presenters included but are not limited to: C. Holley, J. Underschultz, P. Hyde, S. Barnett, A. Curtis, P. Dillon, R. Cresswell, J. Sharples, P. Dalhaus, E. White and J. Sreekanth. To read more, click the Book of Abstracts.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (level A) This Research Fellow position will focus on subsurface hydrology research in natural, agricultural and mine landscapes. The role will include developing and applying numerical models, analysis of large data sets and managing field work. The role will include assisting with developing new project proposals and project management, as well as delivering existing projects, and academic supervision of undergraduate, MPhil and PhD research projects. The position may also be required to work on suitable tasks with
the Program within the Sustainable Minerals Institute.
“Reactive Transport Modeling”
Perth, WA, 8-9 February 2017You are invited as a guest of Golder Associates
for two days of hands-on training in reactive transport modeling using The Geochemist's Workbench®. We will once again meet at Golder's West Perth offices, nestled between the Central Business District, Kings Park, and the beautiful
Swan River, where it widens into gorgeous Matilda Bay. And, once again, we will convene in Golder's spectacular conference room, with spectacular floor-to-ceiling views over city and water.
Integrated Groundwater Management: An Overview of Concepts and ChallengesEditors: Jakeman, A.J., Barreteau, O., Hunt, R.J., Rinaudo, J.-D.,
Ross, A. (Eds.) This book was initially conceived by the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training in Australia to address a substantial gap in the literature on the interdisciplinary aspects of addressing groundwater-related issues. From this initial conceptualisation, it grew to encompass work occurring worldwide, and now brings together some 74 world leading authors with broad ranging expertise in all facets of integrated groundwater management, in a wide variety of hydrologic and human settings. Click
here to read more.
Goyder Institute's Strategic PlanThe Goyder Institute for Water Research
is now available. Outlined within this plan, the research outcomes will continue to underpin SA’s water management policy, providing innovative techniques and solutions to future-proof the state’s water requirements, ensuring economic prosperity and tackling the challenges of a changing climate. The Goyder Institute’s core function is to
provide research and independent, expert
advice for science-based water policy to the
SA State Government.
NCGRT Joins GRIPPThe Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) is a global consortium of partners developing strategic knowledge, advice and actions to support sustainable groundwater development. GRIPP, which is led by the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI), aims to strengthen, expand and connect current groundwater-related initiatives by forging new partnerships, sharing solutions, scaling-up successes and filling knowledge gaps. The initiative is targeted at the groundwater dependent, food-producing regions of the world, particularly in low-income and emerging economies. The NCGRT has joined GRIPP as a member of the core group of partners leading and coordinating this important global initiative.
What’s the origin of my well water?
by NCGRT partner DHI We all know that groundwater pumped in a well originates from rainfall infiltration, seepage from lakes and streams, or managed aquifer recharge. But have you ever thought of where the water in one particular well actually comes from? And – as there’s typically more than one source – how much of the produced water is derived from what source? Today, estimates are commonly based on chemical analysis or temperature measurements. Combining these methods with a third tool, the use of a groundwater model, is less common, as traditional modelling methods are usually restricted to qualitative
results.
ANSTO Researcher Profiles:
Infrastructure and expertise at ANSTO focused on groundwater researchPartner of the NCGRT, ANSTO's researchers focus on isotopic analysis combined with complementary geochemical techniques to provide a powerful approach to investigate water masses and trace their interactions through the hydrological cycle. The methodologies which have been used successfully by a diverse team of accomplished water researchers at
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), encompass groundwater flow and recharge, hydraulic connectivity, residence time, water management and sustainability, sediment and contaminant movement, human impacts, the effects of climate variability on water resources and past climate reconstruction. A number of analytical tools based on changes in stable and radioactive isotopes can be measured to characterise ground and surface water and trace their interactions and movement.
Isotopic methods to determine groundwater flow path and recharge rates can be useful in areas where more traditional hydrologic tools give ambiguous results or insufficient information.
Professor Craig Simmons, has been honoured by the Australian Water Association for his contribution to the industry. Professor Simmons won the Premier’s Water Medal for Water Professional of the Year at this week’s South Australian Water Awards in Adelaide. The awards acknowledge innovative excellence, creative solutions and exceptional leadership by individuals and organisations in the water sector. Several SA winners will stand for the equivalent Australian Water Awards to be presented at Ozwater’17 in Sydney next year.
Thinking of submitting an abstract for AGC17? Submission portal is open now!
Can billions of litres of coal seam gas water be safely reinjected into the ground?
Water produced when coal seam gas (CSG) is extracted from below ground can be safely re-injected hundreds of metres underground, according to
new CSIRO research.
Water is pumped out of coal seams to access the gas held within them. CSG in the Surat Basin, Australia, produces on average 70 gigalitres of water each year - a seventh of the water held in Sydney Harbour. What to do with this water is one of a number of concerns voiced by communities around CSG. Source: The Conversation
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