• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.spc
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• pp.92-98
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• 2022

Although various methods have been proposed to assess groundwater vulnerability, most of the models merely consider the mobility of contaminants (i.e., intrinsic vulnerability), and the attenuation capacity of vadose zone is often neglected. This study proposed an evaluation model for the attenuation capacity of vadose zone to supplement the limitations of the existing index method models for assessing groundwater vulnerability. The evaluation equation for quantifying the attenuation capacity was developed from the combined linear regression and weighted scaling methods based on the lab-scale experiments using various vadose zone soils having different physical and biogeochemical properties. The proposed semi-quantifying model is expected to effectively assess the attenuation capacity of vadose zone by identifying the main influencing factors as input parameters together with proper weights derived from the coefficients of the regression results. The subsequent scoring and grading system has great versatility while securing the objectivity by effectively incorporating the experimental results.

• Water for future
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.289-298
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• 1989

A review is made of transient phenomena ralation to flow in the vadose zone. Reviewed topics include rapid water table response to rainfall, pulsating flow due to pressure perturbations in the vasoes zone, and the wave-like propagation of increased soil moisture caused by intermittent rainfall. As a basis of interpreting these phenomena, zoning of the vadose zone into a residual water zone, an unsaturated capillaty zone, and a saturated capillary zone are proposed. Possible implications with respect to hydrological processes relating to these phenomena are discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.605-613
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• 2014

In this work, the delay time for groundwater recharge was estimated by comparing simulated recharges by means of SWAT(Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model and WTF(Water Table Fluctuation) method. The delay time for groundwater recharge means that the time when the water from rainfall travelled through vadose zone just after getting out of soil zone bottom. As measuring this delay time is almost impossible, we used to compare the estimated values from modeling(SWAT) and analytic method(WTF). The test site is Hancheon watershed which has 8 groundwater measurement stations. The results show that the altitude has a linear relationship with the estimated delay time values. To validate these results, we conducted corelation analysis between transformed groundwater levels and observed ones. The results showed that computed groundwater levels have good corelation($R^2$=0.97, 0.87, respectively). The estimated delay time would be used for the groundwater behaviour characteristics in vadose zone. As recharge rates vary according to the height, the delay time is thought to be an import variable for the proper groundwater recharge estimation.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.313-316
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• 2007

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an effectiveness tool for imaging spatial distribution of hydrogeologic parameters. An artificial groundwater recharge test has been conducted in Nagaoka City in Japan, and time-lapse crosshole GPR data were collected to monitor infiltration processes in a vadose zone. Since radiowave velocities in a vadose zone are largely controlled by variations in water content, the increase in traveltimes is interpreted as an increase in saturation in the test zone. We use a finite-difference time-domain method in two-dimensional cylindrical coordinates to simulate field results. Numerical modeling successfully reproduces the major feature of velocity changes in the filtration process.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.94-103
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• 2001

An experiment was conducted using a sand and gravel-filled tank model, to investigate the influence on the GPR response of vadose zone gasoline vapor phase effects and residual gasoline distributed by a fluctuating water table. After background GPR measurements were made with only water in the tank, gasoline was injected into the bottom of the model tank to simulate a subsurface discharge from a leaking pipe or tank. Results from the experiment show the sensitivity of GPR to the changes in the moisture content and its effectiveness for monitoring minor fluctuation of the water table. The results also demonstrate a potential of GPR for detecting possible vapor phase effects of volatile hydrocarbons in the vadose zone as a function of time, and for detecting the effects of residual phase of hydrocarbons in the water saturated system. In addition, the results provide the basis for a strategy that has the potential to successfully detect and delineate LNAPL contamination at field sites where zones of residual LNAPL in the water saturated system are present in the subsurface.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 1998

Monitoring solute transport has been known to be difficult especially for the unsaturated soil. The object of this study is to investigate the TDR application to monitoring solute concentration in the vadose zone. The TDR calibration test was conducted for soil samples with various water contents and concentrations. The voltage attenuation of electromagnetic wave of TDR was used to estimate the bulk electrical conductivity of a soil. The relationship between the bulk soil electrical conductivity and the solute concentration was assumed to be linear at a constant volumetric soil water content. In this study four proposed relationships were compared using data obtained from KCI solution at three different concentrations. Relationships given by Topp, Daltaon, Yanuka showed the linearity between the bulk soil electrical conductivity and the solute concentration, which were more pronounced than Zegelin's. The three relationships were found to be useful to measure the solute concentration in the vadose zone. In addition, TDR method was proven to be a viable technique in monitoring solute transport through unsaturated soils in transient flow condition.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.517-523
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• 2007

Geophysical surveys(seismic refraction, electrical resistivity, and ground penetrating radar) were performed to delineate the weathering zone associated with vadose water in Chojeong area and investigate the fault related fracture zones. On the basis of seismic velocity structures, weathering layer for the southwestern part is interpreted to be deeper than for the northeastern part. The depth to bedrock(i.e., thickness of weathered zone) from seismic refraction data attempted to be correlated with drill-core data and groundwater level. As for the investigation of geological discontinuities such as fault related fracture zone, seismic refraction, electrical resistivity, and ground penetrating data are compositely employed in terms of velocity and resistivity structures for mapping of surface boundary of the discontinuities up to shallow depth. Surface boundaries of fracture zone are well indicated in seismic velocity and electrical resistivity structures. Accurate estimation of weathered zone and fracture zone can be successfully available for mapping of attitude of vadose water layer.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2003

An immobilization zone can be constructed by modifying soils in the vadose zone with surfactants, which can be used to promote retardation of organic contaminants in the subsurface. Column experiments were conducted to investigate the behavior of surfactants and organic contaminants in unsaturated and saturated conditions with different water contents (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). Transport and sorption of surfactant (dialkylated disulfonated diphenyl oxide) in the columns containing aluminum oxide was similar under the conditions at different water contents. However, transport of a model organic compound (naphthalene) was retarded as the water content decreased by enhanced partitioning of the compound into the surfactants that were sorbed on the aluminum oxide. This suggests that the immobilization method could well be applied to vadose zone as well as to saturated zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.285-293
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• 2003

Tailings of Dukum mine in the vadose and saturated zone were investigated to reveal the mobility of metal elements and the condition of mineralogical solubility according to redox environments throughout the geochemical analysis, thermodynamic modelling, and mineralogical study for solid-samples and water samples(vadose zone; distilled water: tailings=5 : 1 reacted, saturated zone; pore-water extracted). In the vadose zone, sulfide oxidation has generated low-pH(2.72∼6.91) condition and high concentration levels of S $O_4$$^{2-}$(561∼1430mg/L) and other metals(Zn : 0.12∼l57 mg/L, Pb : 0.06∼0.83 mg/L, Cd : 0.06∼l.35 mg/L). Jarosite$(KFe_3(SO_4)_2(OH)_6)$ and gypsum$(CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$) were identified on XRD patterns and thermodynamics modelling. In the saturated zone, concentration of metal ions decreased because pH values were neutral(7.25∼8.10). But Fe and Mn susceptible to redox potential increased by low-pe values(7.40∼3.40) as the depth increased. Rhodochrosite$(MnCO_3)$ identified by XRD and thermodynamics modelling suggested that $Mn^{4+}$ or $Mn^{3+}$ was reduced to $Mn^{2+}$. Along pH conditions, concentrations of dissolved metal ions has been most abundant in vadose zone throughout borehole samples. It was observed that pH had more effect on metal solubilities than redox potential. How-ever, the release of co-precipitated heavy metals following the dissolution of Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides could be the mechanism by which reduced condition affected heavy metal solubility considering the decrease of pe as depth increased in tile saturated zone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2004

A physical model experiment was conducted using a sand and gravel-filled tank model, to investigate the influence on the GPR response of LNAPL vapor phase effects in the unsaturated zone and of residual phase of LNAPL trapped in the saturated zone. Background measurements of GPR were made with only water in the tank using a fluctuating water table model. Gasoline was, then, injected into the bottom of the model tank to simulate a subsurface discharge from a leaking pipe or tank at depth, obtaining GPR data with rising and lowering of water table. Results from the experiment show the GPR sensitivity to the changes in the moisture content in the vadose zone and its effectiveness for monitoring minor fluctuation of the water table. The results also demonstrate a potential of GPR for monitoring possible vapor phase effects of volatile hydrocarbons in the vadose zone as a function of time, and for detecting the effects of residual phase of hydrocarbons in the water saturated system. In addition, the results provide the basis for a strategy that has the potential to successfully detect and delineate residual LNAPL contamination in the water-saturated system at field sites where the conditions are similar to those simulated in the physcial models described herein.