Groundwater azimuth detection

Abstract

An apparatus detects the azimuth of the migration of groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles. The apparatus comprises a probe consisting of a light source which emits light in a vertical orientation and a photodigitizer which faces the light source and is separated from the light source to permit the flow of groundwater between the light source and the photodigitizer. When the probe is submerged in migrating groundwater, the eclipses of light created by the suspended microscopic particles as the groundwater passes between the light source and the photodigitizer are detected by the photodigitizer. information from the photodigitizer is processed and then visually displayed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus for, and a method of, detecting the azimuth of groundwater migration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Groundwater is water located under the Earth's surface. It is considered to be the most precious of all geologic resources due to the fact that millions of people are dependent upon it for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Groundwater occurs naturally in the pores and fractures of rock and sediment. Although T The information processing means is represented in FIG. 1 as a "black box", but generally consists of a computer and software. The information processing means transforms the information into a form suitable for transmission to the visual display means 20. The visual display means presents the information in a manner which can be directly observed by a viewer. A preferred visual display means is a computer graphics display monitor.

With the appropriate orientation and magnification, and with the placement of directional coordinates (Up being North, Right being East, etc.) on the monitor screen, the apparatus makes the detection of azimuth instantly understandable. The magnification achieved is the ratio of the diagonal dimension of the monitor screen to the actual diameter of the laser beam. A preferred magnification is about 500 to 1000 times, most preferably about 800 times. At a magnification of 800 times, a suspended microscopic particle having a diameter of 5 microns appears on the monitor screen as an image having a diameter of 0.4 cm, a readily visible size. Similarly, an actual groundwater migration velocity of 2.25 cm/hour appears on the monitor screen as a velocity of 0.5 cm/sec. Thus, the viewer sees on the monitor a movement of dark spots (as shown in FIG. 1) across the screen in the exact direction of the azimuth of the groundwater migration and can determine the azimuth in only a few seconds. In addition to the visual display, the information processed can be stored, videotaped, printed, or transmitted elsewhere.

The probe 14 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2. It consists of the light source 16, the photoditizer 17, the brackets 18, and gyroscope 21. The cable 13 is shown as comprising cable 22 to support the weight of the probe, electrical line 23 for carrying information to and from the photodigitizer, and electrical line 24 for carrying information to and from the gyroscope. The light source is shown emitting light 25 straight up toward the photodigitizer. Microscope Microscopic particles 26 of clay or other material suspended in the groundwater are shown magnified many times for illustration purposes. Five such particles are shown passing between the light source and the photodigitizer where they create eclipses of light (shadows). The five moving shadows are detected by the photodigitizer and appearing appear in motion on the screen of the visual display means 20 shown in FIG. 1.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting the azimuth of the migration of groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a probe comprising a light source which emits light in a vertical orientation and a photodigitizer which faces the light source and is separated from the light source to permit the flow of groundwater between the light source and the photodigitizer, such that when the probe is submerged in migrating groundwater, the eclipses of light created by the suspended microscopic particles as the groundwater passes between the light source and the photodigitizer are detected by the photodigitizer;

(b) a means to determine the directional orientation of the probe when submerged in migrating groundwater;

(c) a means to process the information from the photodigitizer and from the directional-orientation means; and

(d) a means to visually display the azimuth of the migration of the groundwater.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a laser.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the photodigitizer comprises an opticram.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the directional-orientation-determination-means comprises a gyroscope.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the visual-display-means comprises a computer graphics display monitor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the information-processing-means comprises a computer and software.

7. A method of detecting the azimuth of the migration of groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles, the method comprising:

(a) submerging a probe into migrating groundwater, the probe comprising a light source which emits light in a vertical orientation and a photodigitizer which faces the light source and is separated from the light source to permit the flow of groundwater between the light source and the photodigitizer so that the eclipses of light created by the suspended microscopic particles as the groundwater passes between the light source and the photodigitizer are detected by the photodigitizer;

(b) determining the directional orientation of the probe;

(c) processing the information from the photodigitizer and the information concerning the directional orientation of the probe; and

(d) visually displaying the azimuth of the migration of the groundwater.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the light source of the probe comprises a laser.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the photodigitizer of the probe comprises an opticram.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the directional orientation of the probe is determined with a gyroscope.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the azimuth is visually displayed on a computer graphics display monitor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the information is processed with a computer and software.

13. An apparatus for detecting the azimuth of migration of groundwater, in situ, said groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles, the apparatus comprising:

a light source, an imaging device and a light path extending from the light source to the imaging device, the path including a path segment adapted to be occupied by said groundwater, in situ, and to be oriented in a direction transverse to the direction of said migration, whereby an image is formed by said imaging device of particles in said path segment,

a direction indicator coupled with said imaging device,

and a display device at a location remote from said path segment and being electrically coupled with said imaging device for displaying said image in a predetermined angular relation with the orientation of said imaging device,

whereby movement of said particles in said path segment can be viewed on said display for detecting said azimuth of migration. 14. The apparatus of claim 13 including:

a probe with said light source and said imaging device mounted therein with a supporting structure which maintains the light source and imaging device in spaced relation with each other so that groundwater, in situ, may flow therebetween, whereby said probe may be submerged as a unit in said

groundwater. 15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said light source comprises a laser. 16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said light source comprises a laser and wherein said display device displays said image with magnification thereof. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said magnification is at least five hundred. 18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said imaging device comprises a photodigitizer. 19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said direction indicator is a gyroscope. 20. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said display device is a monitor. 21. The apparatus of claim 19 including a computer having inputs connected with said imaging device and said direction indicator and having an output connected with said display device. 22. The method of detecting the azimuth of migration of groundwater, in situ, in the earth, said groundwater containing suspended microscopic particles, the method comprising:

submerging first and second optical elements into a body of groundwater, said elements being separated from each other and allowing said migration of groundwater, in situ, in a region between said elements,

emitting a beam of illumination from said first optical element into and through said region,

forming an image of suspended microscopic particles in said beam which is received at said second element,

determining the directional orientation of said second element,

and determining the direction of motion, relative to said orientation, of the suspended microscopic particles in said beam and the ground water containing them as an indication of said azimuth of migration.

23. The method of claim 22 including the step of illuminating said first optical element with a laser. 24. The method of claim 23 including the step of magnifying said image with a magnification of at least five hundred for the display on said display device. 25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of forming an image is performed by a photodigitizer. 26. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of forming an image is performed by a video camera. 27. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of determining

directional orientation is performed by a gyroscope. 28. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of determining the direction of motion is performed by viewing a display device which reproduces said image in a predetermined angular relation with the orientation of said second element.