The BHS Pennines Section host webinars of current hydrological research carried out by PhD students at Leeds University. The sessions are aimed at members from across the country, on a range of topics. Speakers are below and abstracts attached.
Speaker: Daniel Matthews
Groundwater flow through networks of conduits and fissures in the Chalk aquifer can transport surface-derived contaminants from sinkholes to public water supply abstractions at velocities in exceedance of 200 metres per hour, severely limiting the impact of attenuation or dispersion. These karstic flow pathways, formed by dissolution of pre-existing structural or lithological features, are increasingly thought to play a significant role in chalk hydrogeology. My research uses groundwater tracing methods to characterise karstic flow in the Chalk and to understand its impact on aquifer function and water quality. Daniel is working with Affinity Water on his fieldwork which primarily involves conducting tracer tests to a selection of their public water supply abstractions in Hertfordshire using artificial dyes and bacteriophages as tracers.