Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Tracing interactions of hydrogeology and land use in two Montana watersheds(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2024) Keeshin, Skye Ilan; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie A. EwingHydrogeologic systems dictate the introduction, transport, processing, and mixing of groundwaters, with implications for both groundwater and surface water quality. Land use can transform hydrogeologic processes and water quality through contributions of human amendments, alteration of soil and aquifer materials, and redistribution and consumption of water resources. Groundwater transit times are also orders of magnitude longer than those of surface water systems, resulting in lag times in water quality changes. In this thesis, I examine water quality consequences of land use in Montana at two headwater sites using geochemical tracers in groundwater and surface water. The first is within the Powder River Basin, the largest coal producing region in the US, where manmade aquifers composed of spoils from mine overburden replace existing unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers with salinity effects on downgradient waters. In a reclaimed coulee supplying groundwater to Rosebud Creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone River, geochemical and isotopic tracers reveal lateral contributions that contribute to dilution of high salinity mine-derived waters. These contributions include local inputs from shallow unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers and inputs of water on the order of 10,000 years from regional bedrock systems. The second site is the Gallatin Valley, a rapidly urbanizing intermountain basin in the Upper Missouri headwaters, where groundwater and surface water transects reveal mixing of water with a range of ages from a few years to 100,000 years. While not associated with spatial variation in nitrate concentration, these contributions likely attenuate rising nitrate concentrations in the valley aquifer as a whole over time, reflecting spatially variable loading from a legacy of agricultural fertilization and increasingly prevalent septic wastewater systems. A large component of the Gallatin Valley aquifer is decades old water sourced from higher elevation precipitation, consistent with long travelled mountain front stream losses. This component may diminish over time with an increasingly limited snowpack. Overall, hydrogeologic systems in these two land use regimes limit but do not eliminate effects of human-derived water quality concerns, and documenting them will improve water quality forecasting with impending changes in snowpack and precipitation.Item Nonlinear optical studies of gypsum dissolution mechanisms, surfactant adsorption on gypsum surface and analysis of environmentally related ions(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Yiyen, Galip; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robert Walker; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Southeastern Montana hosts one of the largest open-air coal mine sites in the world. Federal regulations after finalization of the open-air coal mining activities require reclamation, which creates buried spoils that may serve as aquifers at former mining sites. Once hosting an inland sea, the region's saline sedimentary rocks and soils contribute to the groundwater salinity, though at lower levels prior to mining. However, the creation of spoils through mining pulverizes soils, sediment, and rocks formerly overlying coal deposits, mixing them and increasing their surface area. In infiltrating waters from snow melt and heavy rain, minerals dissolve more readily due to this enhanced surface area in spoils, increasing the salinity in groundwater. A primary water quality concern in regional groundwater is high sulfate concentrations. Sulfate in water originates from weathering and dissolution of soluble secondary salts, such as calcium sulfate (dihydrate, hemihydrate and anhydrite), sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate. Gypsum (CaSO 4 x 2H 2O) is thought to be a primary source of dissolved sulfate in the ground and surface waters in Southeastern Montana and 'gypsum dissolution' is at the focus of this dissertation. Vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy was used to understand the molecular level interactions at the gypsum surface upon interaction with bulk water. Additionally, surfactant adsorption on gypsum surface and its impacts of gypsum dissolution were investigated. Besides optical spectroscopy studies, an efficient and quick water analysis technique was adapted to determine the sulfate concentrations in environmental samples. Two different types of orientations of structural water molecules at the gypsum surface were observed. Results also showed that these water molecules are tightly bound to the surface. Surfactant adsorption was found to be only limited to the surfactants with sulfate headgroups and resulted in suppressed gypsum dissolution. A titration technique is found to be effective and accurate for sulfate analysis of environmental water samples.Item Biofilm distribution in a porous medium environment emulating shallow subsurface conditions(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2021) Massey, KaeLee Frances; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Matthew Fields; Heidi J. Smith, Al B. Cunningham, Hannah Dreesbach, Luke J. McKay, Yupeng Fan, Ying Fu, Joy D. Van Nostrand, Jizhong Zhou, Katie F. Walker, Terry C. Hazen and Matthew W. Fields were co-authors of the article, 'Biofilm distribution in a porous medium reactor emulating shallow subsurface conditions' which is contained within this thesis.Microorganisms in the terrestrial subsurface play important roles in nutrient cycling and degradation of anthropogenic contaminants, functions essential to the maintenance of healthy aquifers. Microorganisms have the potential to change the geochemical properties of the shallow terrestrial subsurface, and previous studies have uncovered significant roles microorganisms can play in groundwater processes, such as biogeochemical cycling. Much of the attention given to the shallow terrestrial subsurface has been focused on the effects of contamination and how microorganisms function in these systems, with far less emphasis on understanding how hydraulic properties influence subsurface microbial ecology. To fully understand how environmental factors impact microbial community dynamics, interactions, succession, colonization, and dispersal in the shallow subsurface environment it is essential to understand the link between microbiology and hydrology. In this thesis, an up-flow packed bed reactor (PBR) was designed to emulate select field conditions (i.e., flow rate and particle size) observed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory-Field Research Center (ORNL-FRC) to observe how environmental factors influences metabolic activity, community establishment, and cell distribution in a micropore environment. Furthermore, we developed methods to visualize the localization of active and non-active cells within the porous medium. The goals of this thesis were to 1) understand how environmental variables impact distribution and metabolic activity of microbial cells in the soil pore microenvironment at the FRC using native sediment bug trap material, 2) evaluate the hydraulic properties of the presented up-flow packed bed reactor (PBR), 3) observe how inert, non-charged particles distribute in a porous media environment, and 4) observe the biofilm distribution a microorganism isolated from the ORNL-FRC using different inoculation strategies. Overall, the data demonstrates that the presented reactor system accurately emulates field conditions and environmental factors (pH, particle size, average pore velocity) and the distribution of cells in ex situ conditions. The results of this thesis have implications for elucidating the impacts of environmental factors on metabolic activity and cell distribution in a field relevant reactor system.Item The effect of permafrost thaw and geologic substrate on dissolved organic carbon mobilization and transformation in northern streams(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2019) Wologo, Ethan Andrew; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie A. Ewing; Sarah Shakil, Scott Zolkos, Sadie Textor, Stephanie Ewing, Jane Klassen, Robert G.M. Spencer, David C. Podgorski, Suzanne E. Tank, Michelle A. Baker, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Kimberly P. Wickland, Sydney S.W. Foks, Jay P. Zarnetske, Joseph Lee-Cullin, Futing Liu, Yuanhe Yang, Pirkko Kortelainen, Jaana Kolehmainen, Joshua F. Dean, Jorien E. Vonk, Robert M. Holmes, Gilles Pinay, Michaela M. Powell, Jansen Howe, Rebecca Frei and Benjamin W. Abbott were co-authors of the article, 'No evience of dissolved organic matter priming in permafrost stream networks: a circumpolar assessment' submitted to the journal 'Global biogeochemical cycles' which is contained within this thesis.; Stephanie Ewing, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Jim Paces, Rob Striegl, Duane Froese and Joshua Koch were co-authors of the article, 'Groundwater connection and doc transport in the Yukon River Basin: uranium and strontium isotopes in permafrost catchments' submitted to the journal 'Global biogeochemical cycles' which is contained within this thesis.Permafrost landscapes exhibit unique hydrology that is linked both chemically and physically to nutrient cycling and geochemical processes. Permafrost thaw is expected to result in a positive feedback to Earth's climate system through carbon release to the atmosphere; this potential demands better understanding of hydrologic pathways in permafrost landscapes in the face of global change. The work that follows is divided into two main bodies of research that explore both carbon dynamics and isotope geochemistry of river waters draining permafrost catchments in the Yukon River Basin (YRB). The first study uses in-vitro incubations of stream water from seven permafrost regions to investigate how biolabile carbon additions (acetate) and inorganic nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) 'prime' water-column dissolved organic carbon (DOC) decomposition. No priming effect from biolabile carbon addition was evident through changes in DOC concentrations or compositional transformations, but consumption of added acetate was correlated with ambient nutrient concentrations. Sites with fine-textured, ice-rich substrate and proximal thermokarst features had higher ambient DOC and nutrient concentrations, and consequently the fastest rates of acetate consumption. We conclude that the fate of biolabile DOC released from degrading permafrost will depend largely on inorganic nutrient availability in receiving waterbodies. The second part of this thesis focuses on hydrology of intermediate-sized catchments in the YRB. We evaluate uranium isotope activity ratios ([234U/238U]) as tracers of groundwater-surface water connection in thawing permafrost landscapes. Streams draining loess-mantled areas had [234U/238U] values moderately increased relative to meteoric values. Streams draining low-order catchments with rocky substrate and surface disturbance exhibit dramatically increased [234U/238U] values, consistent with groundwater connection. In addition, we observed higher DOC concentrations both in areas influenced by recent thaw and where flow is restricted by ice-rich silt. The transformation of northern stream chemistry will likely continue as northern permafrost environents warm, with greatest resilience of ground ice in loess-blanketed areas not subject to thermal erosion by groundwater. As subsurface storage expands and groundwater exchange intensifies, ecosystems within and connected to northern streams will also be transformed, with implications for resource managers concerned with fish and wildlife management in these systems.Item SR and U isotopes reveal interactions of surface water and groundwater along the mountain headwaters to intermountain basin transition (Hyalite Canyon and Gallatin Valley, MT)(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2018) Miller, Florence Rita; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie A. Ewing; Stephanie A. Ewing, Robert A. Payn, James B. Paces, Sam Leuthold and Stephan Custer were co-authors of the article, 'SR and U isotopes reveal the influence of lithologic structure on stream-groundwater interaction along a mountain headwater catchment (Hyalite Canyon, MT)' submitted to the journal 'Water resources research' which is contained within this thesis.; Stephanie A. Ewing, Robert Payn, Sam Leuthold, Stephan Custer, Tom Michalek and James B. Paces were co-authors of the article, 'SR and U isotopes reveal mixing patterns of groundwater and surface water influenced by human management in an intermountain basin (Gallatin Valley, MT)' submitted to the journal 'Journal of hydrology' which is contained within this thesis.Mountainous regions of the western United States are characterized by steep, rapidly eroding mountain headwater streams transitioning to more depositional intermountain basins. The character and flux of water across these process domains is subject to projected changes in mountain headwater snowpack and agricultural and urban land use in rapidly developing intermountain basins. Here we evaluate controls on water/rock, water/substrate, and surface/groundwater interactions within Hyalite Creek and the Gallatin Valley of southwest Montana. We use solute loads and geochemical tracers (87 Sr/86 Sr, Ca/Sr, and [234U/238U]) as indicators of such interactions. Surface water, groundwater, and soil samples were collected between 2016 and 2018. Stream water in upper Hyalite Creek had low 87 Sr/86 Sr values typical of volcanic and sedimentary host rock units, and low [234 U/238 U] values consistent with shorter flow path soil, shallow aquifer or runoff water. Middle Hyalite Creek had increased [234 U/238 U] values, reflecting groundwater inflows from the Madison Group limestones. Lower Hyalite Creek had an increase in 87 Sr/86 Sr values and decrease in [234 U/238 U] values, indicated contributions from Archean gneiss fracture flow. Using mixing models, we estimate inflows from the Madison contribute ~4% during summer baseflow conditions and inflows from the Archean contribute ~2% to ~8% of streamflow during summer and winter baseflow conditions. At the mountain front, diverse Ca/Sr, 87Sr/86Sr, and [234U/238U] ratios were observed as a result of convergent flow in mountain headwaters catchments. In the intermountain basin, divergent flow at the mountain front recharges valley aquifers and combines with infiltration through soils. With distance down-valley, we observe intermediate values of Ca/Sr, 87 Sr/86 Sr, and [234 U/238 U], suggesting mixing of diverse source waters. Higher concentrations of Sr, alkalinity, and Ca/Sr and 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios consistent with soil carbonates suggest water infiltration through soil facilitated the influence of soil secondary carbonates on groundwater geochemistry. Additionally, increased water movement through soil facilitates the increase in anthropogenic loading of NO3- and Cl- in surface and groundwaters. Our results provide novel quantification of groundwater contribution to streamflow in mountain headwaters, and elucidate water quality and quantity controls from the mountain front across the intermountain basin, including valley aquifer recharge, infiltration through soils, and anthropogenic solute influxes to groundwater.Item Bacterial community dynamics and variability in shallow aquifers(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Zelaya, Anna Jesus; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Matthew Fields; Albert E. Parker, Kathryn L. Bailey, Ping Zhang, Joy Van Nostrand, Ning Daliang, Dwayne A. Elias, Jizhong Zhou, Terry C. Hazen, Adam P. Arkin and Matthew W. Fields were co-authors of the article, 'High spatiotemporal variability of bacterial diversity over short time scales with unique geohydrochemistry within a shallow, pristine aquifer' which is contained within this thesis.; Albert E. Parker, Kathryn L. Bailey, Ping Zhang, Joy Van Nostrand, Ning Daliang, Dwayne A. Elias, Jizhong Zhou, Terry C. Hazen, Adam P. Arkin and Matthew W. Fields were co-authors of the article, 'Population filtering in sediment biofilms from dynamic, source planktonic communities' which is contained within this thesis.; Sara Altenburg, Kathryn L. Bailey, Heidi J. Smith, Dwayne A. Elias and Matthew W. Fields were co-authors of the article, 'Community structure across particle size in-vitro and in-situ' which is contained within this thesis.; Heidi J. Smith, Frederick von Netzer and Matthew W. Fields were co-authors of the article, 'Contribution of total and viable DNA pools on diversity estimates of contaminated and non-contaminated subsurface sediments and groundwater' which is contained within this thesis.The shallow, terrestrial subsurface plays an important role in sustaining life above ground. Globally, subsurface environments are becoming increasingly threatened by anthropogenic sources of contamination and disturbance. The Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) played an important role in the development of nuclear weapons during World War II. In the process, the underlying subsurface became contaminated with radioactive and hazardous wastes. Strategies to remediate polluted subsurface environments such as Oak Ridge have included natural attenuation by resident microbes such as bacteria. Such studies would be aided by a thorough understanding of the natural variability of microbial diversity over space and time in uncontaminated environments. We examined microbial community diversity and variability in both contaminated and non-contaminated sites of the ORR via ss-rRNA paired-end sequencing. An initial in-situ spatiotemporal survey of non-contaminated groundwater was conducted in order to understand how diversity changes over time in an undisturbed aquifer. Moreover, different models were used to estimate possible causal relationships between geochemical parameters and population distribution. Additionally, surrogate sediment samplers were filled with native sediment to assess the diversity of the attached bacterial fraction. Communities observed in the attached fraction were a subset of groundwater communities, although the dominant fractions of each were distinct. After initial assessment, in-vitro groundwater was used as both a nutrient source and microbial inoculum for bioreactors filled with glass beads of various sizes in order to understand particle size effects on community dynamics. Potential viability of resident microbes in both contaminated and non-contaminated groundwater and cored sediments was assessed using PMA-Seq and other complementary methods. Collectively, results show that 1) microbial communities in groundwater are highly dynamic over short timescales, 2) corresponding changes in geochemistry are mostly weakly related to changes in community structure (except perhaps after a disturbance or stress period), 3) community assembly may be affected by pore space volume, 4) PMA-viable populations differ between solid and aqueous fractions, 5) most subsurface cells are intact, and 6) traditional estimates of largely abundant populations may be influenced by the presence of DNA from non-viable members, resulting in less abundant populations being unmeasured or underestimated. The results of this study have implications for sampling and appropriate estimations of microbial populations in situ as well as the inherent variability in an uncontaminated shallow aquifer.Item Visualizing and quantifying biomineralization in wellbore analog reactors(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2017) Norton, Drew Owen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Adrienne PhillipsSubsurface fluid injection is a proposed method for the storage of hydrocarbon fuels and the mitigation of fossil fuel emissions. Concerns about leakage exist when storing fluids in the subsurface given their potential to damage functional groundwater aquifers or be emitted to the atmosphere. Defects detrimental to the integrity of subsurface storage systems can occur in and around the wellbore, thus fluid storage systems are heavily dependent on the cement surrounding the wellbore to maintain a seal. A method proposed to seal defects in the subsurface is Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP). MICP is a technique that uses low viscosity fluids and microorganisms (~2 microns diameter) to seal defects troublesome to subsurface fluid storage. In the MICP process, microorganisms such as Sporosarcina pasteurii that contain the enzyme urease catalyze the hydrolysis of urea to produce ammonium and carbonate species. When this process occurs in the presence of dissolved calcium, calcium carbonate may precipitate. To study MICP in defects common to the wellbore, two reactors systems were created. The first was constructed to mimic the geometry of the wellbore and allowed the visual observation of MICP formation. The second quantified MICP in a cement channel defect using X-ray computed microtomography. A reduction in apparent permeability and void fraction was observed in both systems, demonstrating the ability of MICP to restrict fluid flow in defects common to the wellbore. Observations made during these experiments will aid in improving the safety and efficacy of subsurface fluid storage systems.Item Hydrologic influence of wetland restoration : the Story Mill case study(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2016) Deford, Lillian Bell; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Joel CahoonThe Story Mill Wetland is a 20 hectare restoration project in Bozeman Montana, intended to help improve the quality of surface water that leaves the city. The streams that border the property, Bozeman Creek and the East Gallatin River, exceed the Montana Department of Environmental Quality's (MTDEQ) water quality standards for nitrogen (0.27 mg/L) and phosphorus (0.08 mg/L). Wetlands in the landscape have become more intriguing in the advent of MTDEQs adoption of Circular DEQ-13, a legal framework for nutrient trading to achieve improved watershed water quality. Earth-work took place in Summer/Fall 2014, including excavating 5,800 m 2 of disconnected floodplain, and filling a surface drain. The research objectives were to quantify the impacts of the restoration so as to make inferences about the short-term changes in groundwater/surface water interaction, wetland volume and area, and the wetland's impact on the water quality in the bordering streams. Measurements of groundwater levels and surface water flow rates, and water chemistry analyses for both water sources, were recorded weekly from 30 shallow wells and 5 stream gauging stations from August 2014 through September 2015. Groundwater velocity and hydraulic residence time were estimated by performing slug tests in several groundwater wells. Spatially normalized wetland area and volume were calculated based on interpolated groundwater surfaces. Throughout the monitoring period, in all surface and groundwater samples, total nitrogen never exceeded 3 mg/L, averaged 0.76 mg/L, and almost always exceeded the target standard for the East Gallatin River. Total phosphorus was below the detection limit in 97% of all samples and never exceeded 0.22 mg/L. Neither average nutrient concentrations nor pH showed significant general temporal trends, while dissolved oxygen decreased over time. Changes in hydrology were generally localized near earth moving activity. Overall, wetland volume decreased slightly and wetland area increased slightly. Hydraulic gradients showed the primary flow of groundwater to be out of the wetland, with an average soil water velocity of 0.11 m/day. The slow moving groundwater in the wetland system appears to limit the extent of groundwater/surface water interaction, and hinders the role of the wetland in enhancing the water quality in the receiving creeks.Item Naturalwater storage and climate change resiliency in Montana : a geospatial approach(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Holmes, Danika Leah; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jamie McEvoy; Jamie McEvoy, Jean Dixon and Scott Payne Water were co-authors of the article, 'Natural water storage and climate change resiliency in Montana: a geospatial approach' submitted to the journal 'Water' which is contained within this thesis.Climate change is projected to affect the quantity, quality, and timing of water availability in Montana, including a shift toward earlier spring runoff and more winter precipitation as rain. Montana state agencies have expressed the need to mitigate drought and damage from extreme flood events by identifying new locations for more efficient water storage. In the 2015 Montana State Water Plan, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) identifies natural storage infrastructures (floodplains, wetlands, riparian areas) as valuable tools to increase drought resiliency and mitigate water shortage. Quantifying how much water can be stored through natural storage has been a key question for Montana water planners. This study addresses western state management needs for a cost- and time-effective method of estimating floodplain water storage potential and provides a GIS-based model that identifies potential natural storage sites using open-source data. The result is a range of storage capacities for a study site near Melstone, Montana, under eight natural water storage conditions. Storage potentials ranged from 934 m 3 for small flood extents to 321,252 m 3 for large floods. This model can be refined using additional hydraulic inputs, and re-scaled to address more complex questions probing the efficacy of natural infrastructure-based water storage in the western United States.Item Proposal for instrumentation and study of the Gallatin seismic-sensitive well/ Leverett Harvey Ropes.(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1963) Ropes, Leverett Harvey