Mapping Preferential Groundwater Pathways

The Basics

Deciding where to place monitoring wells or remediation injection borings is extremely difficult. Surface geophysics can be an invaluable tool. Unfortunately, the technology has had uncertain success in the environmental field.

Billions of dollars have been spent developing geophysical imaging technologies. As the funding has come predominantly from the oil and gas exploration businesses, it is not surprising that the focus has been on the development of technologies to help locate oil and gas. Thus, these technologies are excellent in delineating structures that may contain these compounds.

Of course, the needs in the environmental arena are much different. We need to locate wells that intercept preferential groundwater pathways. The problem is that none of the traditional geophysical tools is focused on groundwater.

The Company Dajak Represents

Willowstick Technologies provides a unique imaging technology called AquaTrack™ which allows you to map groundwater directly without the disruptions and potential harms associated with extensive drilling.

Applications

Willowstick has applied AquaTrack to map preferential groundwater pathways at about 100 sites over the last three years. Applications include:

Karstic systems
Salt water intrusion
Potential well locations
Landfill seepage
Pathways through aquitards
Pathways through man-made structures, such as dams

AquaTrack Process

Willowstick energizes an aquifer at depth with AC current, which in turn induces a magnetic field. The aquifer can be near surface or as much as 5,000 feet below grade.
Willowstick measures and records the magnetic field at selected grid spacings at the surface.
Willowstick reduces the field data and provides 3D maps of preferential groundwater pathways.

Benefits