CAREER: A Development Plan for the Study of Stream-Subsurface Interactions

河流-地下相互作用已被证明可以控制各种污染物的下游迁移，如金属、放射性核素和砷，以及这些物质从受污染的沉积物中的释放。拟议研究的目的是发展对控制流动的河流及其下层沉积物之间污染物和其他物质交换的基本过程的基本物理和化学认识，并将这种认识纳入一套统一的模型，该模型将根据易于测量的物理和化学参数描述自然河流中的净交换。水槽实验将用于研究在严格控制的条件下的交换过程。现场实验将用于研究大范围的交换过程，并观察多个交换过程同时运行的效果。将制定单个交换过程的基本描述，并将这些过程描述整合为一套统一的净交换模型。保守的溶质和精选的非保守物质的交换将被考虑。该教育计划将培养未来的研究人员和实习工程师，以研究跨学科的环境问题。它由针对研究生教育、本科教育和贫困高中生的组成部分组成。第四个组成部分将是开发一个以工程为导向的国际开发硕士项目。

Stream-subsurface interactions have been demonstrated to control the downstream transport of various contaminants, such as metals, radionuclides and arsenic, as well as the release of these substances from contaminated sediments. The purpose of the proposed research is to develop fundamental physical and chemical understanding of the basic processes controlling the exchange of contaminants and other substances between flowing streams and their underlying sediments and to integrate this understanding into a unified set of models that will describe net exchange in natural streams based on easily-measurable physical and chemical parameters. Flume experiments will be used to study exchange processes under carefully controlled conditions. Field experiments will be used to study large-scale exchange processes and to observe the effect of multiple exchange processes operating simultaneously. Fundamental descriptions of individual exchange processes will be developed and these process descriptions will be integrated into a unified set of models for net exchange. The exchange of both conservative solutes and select non-conservative substances will be considered. The educational plan will prepare future researchers and practicing engineers to work on interdisciplinary environmental problems. It consists of components targeting graduate education, undergraduate education and underprivileged high school students. A fourth component will be the development of an engineering-oriented M.S. program in International Development.