TABLE 3.2.

Conversion Table for Hydraulic Conductivity

Hydraulic Conductivity Conversions

g/day/ft

m/day

cm/s

ft/day

ft/s

g/day/ft

1.000

4.070

102

1.852

108

1.337

101

1.547

106

m/day

24.54

1.000

1.157

103

3.280

3.780
×

105

cm/s

1.636

103

6.667

105

1.000

2.187

104

2.532

109

ft/day

7.480

3.050

101

3.528

104

1.000

1.157

105

ft/s

6.463
×

10

2.633

10

30.48

8.640

10

1.000

contaminants, in storage. These sediments may release their fluids, including the contaminants,

over long periods of time. The consequent slow release of groundwater from

these sediments into more permeable formations often tends to make the rapid remediation

of contaminated sites difficult, time consuming, and, in some instances, nearly

impossible.

We also learned in Chapter 1 that contaminants can be slowed in their movement via

the process of retardation. Recall that a key factor in the retardation of ions was the

amount of clay present. We also noted earlier that the retardation of organic solvents is

influenced by the amount of organic material present. Thus sediments with more organic

material, such as peat, will tend to retard organic contaminants and therefore slow down

their rate of migration.

3.1.2 Precipitate Sedimentary Environment

Under favorable conditions, chemical precipitates can form and become deposited on the

bottom of a quiescent water body. The Great Salt Lake is an example where a supersaturated

solution of halite (i.e., common table salt) is found and is being precipitated to

form a salt deposit. Calcium carbonate and calcium magnesium carbonate also precipitate

under suitable environmental conditions. In addition, it is possible to form a sedimentary

deposit via the accumulation on the ocean floor of the calcium carbonate remains of

aquatic plants and animals.

In general, unconsolidated precipitates would not be catalogued as permeable porous

media and therefore would play a minor role in groundwater flow and transport. However,

when they form rocks, as will be discussed in Section 3.2, they often are important.

3.1.3 Glacial Environments

Over the northern third of the United States, most of Canada, and in areas of higher

elevation elsewhere on the continent, the topography of surficial landforms has been

impacted by processes identified with Pleistocene glaciation. During Pleistocene time,

massive continental ice sheets moved southward from polar regions to form enormous

ice thicknesses. For example, in the Vermont area glacial ice was more than a mile in

thickness. The extent of Pleistocene glaciation is shown in Figure 3.8.

The term Pleistocene is associated with a particular period in Earth history. It is one

of two epochs or series that make up the period or system termed Quaternary . The

Quaternary period extends from 1.8 million years ago to the present. The other epoch