US-Oman Cooperative Research: Modeling of Heterogeneous Aquifers

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LoperDescription: This award is for support of a joint research project by Dr. David Loper, Director, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida and an Omani team led by Dr. Ibrahim Eltayeb, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khodh, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. The purpose of the research teams is to develop conceptual, mathematical, and laboratory models of transport in karstic aquifers such as found in Florida and Oman. In Florida and Oman fluid flow and containment transport is dominated by the presence of correlated inhomogenities such as karstic conduits and fractures. In Florida conduits predominate, while in Oman both types of inhomogeniety are present. In this project it is intended to extend the Floridan-conduit model to include fractures. While the precise structure of the heterogeneities in the subsurface cannot be known with certitude, and thus an accurate or true "prediction" is impractical, improvement can be made in risk estimates in a statistical sense. Scope: The research area of flow and transport in a heterogeneous medium is an important topic with societal impact related to toxic waste from agriculture and industry. The problem of analysis and prediction of groundwater flows is important to the study of both water resources and water quality. Good mathematical models of such flows are extremely important to those studies. Both the Florida State University and Omani groups are capable of obtaining useful and important results, and for both Florida and Oman, the issues of water resources and water quality are quite important. This proposal meets the INT objective of supporting internatinal scientific collaboration in areas of mutual benefit. Funding for this project is provided by the Division of International Programs and the Division of Earth Sciences.