Hi,
I am trying to model the seepage of dense brine from a surface water pond and its subsequent transport through a ~20m thick sand channel into a downgradient lake about 5 km from the pond. The base of the sand channel is relatively impermeable clay, but diffusive losses may be important. It is expected that the brine in the pond may have been near or at saturation with respect to halite for several years and it is likely that a salt crust may have also developed beneath the pond. Currently, there is a dense brine plume migrating along the bottom of the sand channel while shallower groundwater concentrations above the plume are about 100-1000 times smaller. I would like to model the transport of chloride, but also total salinity (i.e. TDS). I would also like the model to predict the rate of mass loading and concentrations of chloride and TDS in the downgradient lake over time, as well as other nearby water bodies.
Questions:
1. What is the most appropriate way to model this scenario in 3D (i.e. boundary types, solver methods and settings, mesh construction/density (horz. and vert.), etc.)?
2. If have good estimates of the mass of salt added to the pond over time, but limited concentration and lake volume data. Is it possible to add chloride mass and total salt mass to the model and, if so, what is the best way represent this in the model?
Advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
