In the geological sciences spatial statistical analysis of gas distribution and migration thru subsurface systems has been applied in a limited number of studies across a variety of systems, CO2 storage, hydrocarbon exploration, landfills, and natural gas storage facilities on a fairly limited basis.  My study seeks to evaluate the source and mechanism of potential contaminates in groundwater systems affiliated with engineered-subsurface resource activities (e.g. hydrocarbon development, CO2 storage, EGS stimulation) using currently available datasets.

Specifically, this project seeks to apply geostatistical techniques in combination with spatial analysis of key datasets from a single geologic basin to evaluate the source and mechanism of gas and other potential contaminants in groundwater systems.  This project hypothesizes that larger-scale patterns in shallow methane concentrations in groundwater aquifers can be correlated to both primary migration pathways (such as wellbores or fracture networks) and the underlying volume of in situ hydrocarbon.  The general approach to this study is to identify, standardize, and integrate preexisting data from the study basin for use in geostatistical, relational, and probabilistic evaluation and interpretation.

The box model diagram below conceptually simplifies the primary systems interacting in the subsurface.  Datasets key to characterizing the flux of gas in and out of these systems, i) sources, ii) pathways, and iii) receptors, will require spatial characterization and statistical analysis in order to support predictions of areas of likely high-flux to receptors versus low-flux to receptors in relation to both natural and anthropogenic processes.