Journal article
Redox front delineation framework from self-potential data for characterizing groundwater contaminant plumes
Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), Vol.677(Part B), 135924
09/2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135924
Abstract
•A novel framework for contaminant plume delineation from raw mixed SP signals.•Lab and field validations show enhanced accuracy in redox front identification.•SP surveys provide a non-invasive tool for groundwater remediation strategies.
Groundwater contamination from landfill leachate and hydrocarbon spills poses significant risks to water resources and public health. Conventional borehole-based monitoring methods provide accurate concentration data but are limited by sparse spatial coverage and an invasive nature. In contrast, self-potential (SP) surveys, as a non-invasive geophysical alternative, are particularly effective in detecting contaminant plumes through natural electric field variations. However, interpreting SP signals remains challenging due to overlapping electricity generation mechanisms in complex subsurface environments. This study develops an integrated redox front delineation framework combining advanced signal processing and imaging techniques to improve contaminant plume delineation. The framework consists of principal component analysis for source signal estimation, non-negative matrix factorization for target signal extraction, simulated annealing for SP amplitude and polarity recovery, and gradient-based inversion for SP source reconstruction. Laboratory experiments were conducted to validate the framework using two common SP signals in contaminated sites: microbial-mediated redox potential and fluid-related streaming potential. Results showed the framework significantly improved target signal extraction, with correlation coefficients increasing from 0.58 (microbial-related SP vs. mixed SP) to 0.85 (microbial-related SP vs. separated redox-type SP). The framework was then applied to field data from a municipal landfill, where the separated redox-related SP signals enabled more precise identification of contaminant plume boundaries compared to unprocessed data. This study provides a practical tool for the non-invasive characterization of contaminant plumes and the optimization of remediation strategies, advancing the deep cross-disciplinary application of geophysics, hydrogeophysics, and groundwater hydrology.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Redox front delineation framework from self-potential data for characterizing groundwater contaminant plumes
- Creators
- Jing Xie - Central South UniversityQinghua Huang - Peking UniversityYi-an Cui - Central South UniversityPu Wang - Central South UniversityLijuan Zhang - Hezhou UniversityHang Chen - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), Vol.677(Part B), 135924
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135924
- ISSN
- 0022-1694
- eISSN
- 1879-2707
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- National Natural Science Foundation of China: 42174170, 42204135, 42474173
Yi-an Cui and Pu Wang were supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in this work [grant numbers 42174170, 42204135, and 42474173] .
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 06/26/2026
- Date published
- 09/2026
- Academic Unit
- School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
- Record Identifier
- 9985179852102771
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