14
*STTR
Project: Development of HydroImage: A
User-Friendly Hydrogeophysical Characterization Software Package—Geomatrix
Consultants, Inc., 2101 Webster Street, 12th floor, Oakland, CA
94612-3027; 510-663-4100
Dr.
Chin Man W. Mok, Principal Investigator, cmok@geomatrix.com
Mr.
Marty Mullins, Business Official, mullins@geomatrix.com
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-05ER86244
Amount:
$750,000
Research
Institution
Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley,
CA
At
thousands of sites across the U.S., groundwater and soils are contaminated with
hazardous chemicals, metals, and radioactive contaminants. At both private and
government sites, including DOE, there is strong interest in reducing the costs
of cleanup and long-term monitoring. Many
advances have recently occurred in the field of hydrogeophysics, where
geophysical data are used to estimate hydrogeological parameters and monitor
processes that govern contaminant fate, transport, and remediation.
However, broad application of these advances has not yet occurred,
because of the lack of user-friendly tools. This
project will develop a user-friendly software package, which integrates
continuous geophysical data with limited borehole data to estimate
hydrogeological parameters of interest in the subsurface. The software package
can be used to significantly enhance site-conceptual models and improve the
design and operation of remediation systems.
Phase I developed the basic components for the software package: a
graphical user interface, a radar and seismic tomography inversion tool, a
geostatistical integration tool, a petrophysical model development tool, and a
Bayesian integration tool. Phase II
will augment, refine, and test the software package using hydrological and
geophysical data collected at several sites. The refinements will include: (1)
an expansion of all components described above; (2) an ability to input and
utilize surface geophysical, cone penetrometer testing, and processed electrical
resistivity data; (3) the development of workflow modules to guide users through
the estimation procedure; (4) the development of a centralized database and
enhanced visualization capabilities, and (5) the development of quality control
and help modules.
Commercial
Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee:
It
is anticipated that the software package would be licensed to companies
interested in providing groundwater monitoring services to the environmental
industry, site owner, and consultants. Benefits would include vastly improved
conceptual models and more effective remediation of groundwater and soils, with
the potential for saving millions of dollars.
The current U.S. environmental remediation market is greater than $6.4
billion annually.