9710587 Serrano This is an award to support research on the role of transient factors that affect the flow and dispersion of contaminants in contaminated aquifers. The investigator plans to consider factors that are normally excluded in formulation of mathematical expressions to describe contaminant dispersion. The factors that will be considered include assumption that the formation is subjected to recharge, the water table is unstable, boundary conditions are not negligible and fluctuations as well as normality of hydraulic conductivity are affected by dispersion especially as they relate to contaminant penetration of the saturated from the unsaturated zone by contaminants from non point sources. Results of this project are expected to improve our understanding of the variability of large-scale contaminant dispersion in aquifers attributable to many conditions not now capable of being considered by existing mathematical formulations. This knowledge may be directly applied to engineering design of systems for decontamination of groundwater already contaminated and may also have applicability to considering prevention of the pollution of aquifers by contaminants from nonpoint sources. ***
