Direct-push profiling of isotopic and hydrochemical vertical gradients

Author(s)

Thilo Hofmann, Axel Suckow, Andreas Darsow, Pradeep Aggarwal, M Gröning

Abstract

A low-cost and easy to use direct-push method is presented that allows groundwater sampling for isotope

and hydrochemical analysis with a depth resolution of 1 m and a final depth in the range of 30 m

in unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers. A trained two-man team can obtain a profile with a dozen

different depths within one working day. The technique is demonstrated to provide results for isotope

and geochemical studies that are comparable to those from nested multilevel wells, but allow a higher

depth resolution and cause smaller hydraulic disturbance of the groundwater system during sampling.

The direct-push sampling technique is also shown to give much better results in terms of depth resolution

and the identification of geochemical and isotope hydrological gradients than does packer sampling

of long-screen wells. Possible applications are the study of geochemical gradients, groundwater age

determinations and investigations into recharge processes in unconsolidated aquifers.

Organisation(s)

External organisation(s)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Journal

Journal of Hydrology

Volume

385

Pages

84-94

No. of pages

11

ISSN

0022-1694

Publication date

2010

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

105303 Hydrogeology, 104023 Environmental chemistry, 105105 Geochemistry, 105904 Environmental research

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