Contaminant transfer and hydrodispersive parameters in basaltic lava flows: Artificial tracer test and implications for long-term management

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the vulnerability after point source contamination and characterize water circulations in volcanic flows located in the Argnat basin volcanic system (Chaîne des Puys, French Massif Central) using a tracer test performed by injecting a iodide solution. The analysis of breakthrough curves allowed the hydrodispersive characteristics of the massive lava flows to be determined. Large Peclet numbers indicated a dominant advective transport. The multimodal feature of breakthrough curves combined with high values of mean velocity and low longitudinal dispersion coefficients indicated thatwater flows in an environment analogous to a fissure system, and only slightly interacts with a low porosity matrix (ne < 1%). Combining this information with lava flow stratigraphy provided by several drillings allowed a conceptual scheme of potential contaminant behaviour to be designed. Although lava flows are vulnerable to point source pollution due to the rapid transfer of water within fractures, the saturated scoriaceous layers located between massive rocks should suffice to strongly buffer the transit of pollution through dilution and longer transit times. This was consistent with the low recovery rate of the presented tracer test.