Case Studies

The pages in this section present comprehensive simulations performed with the 3D Visualization module on recurring scenarios: groundwater chromium plumes, PFAS fingerprinting, pesticide degradation, and multi-hypothesis comparisons. Each case illustrates a specific engine configuration, the reasoning behind it, and how to interpret the outputs. The objective is not to provide "ready-made" recipes but to demonstrate how the software's various building blocks come together to solve a concrete problem.

Four Cases, Four Key Mechanisms

These four cases were selected because each brings a different mechanism to the forefront. Users dealing with a similar situation can draw direct inspiration from them. Those with different requirements can identify the dominant mechanism to find the most relevant reference page.

Cr(VI) Plume

Speciation-transport coupling: a Cr source producing different plumes based on local redox conditions.

PFAS Fingerprinting

Highly mobile conservative transport: persistence and distinction between precursors and terminal products.

Pesticide Degradation

Kinetics coupled to local conditions: distinguishing between dilution, adsorption, and active degradation.

Multi-Hypothesis

Comparing multiple scenarios within the same scene to identify the key differentiators in predictions.

Anatomy of a Case Study Page

Every case study follows the same structure to allow for quick comparative reading. Understanding this structure helps in navigating efficiently from one case to another.

Section	Content
Context	Real-world or field-inspired situation, problem statement, and objectives.
Scene Setup	Footprint, subsurface layers, sampling points, and boundary conditions.
Engine Parameters	Target compounds, active pathways, kinetic constants, and geochemical conditions.
Results	Visualization of 3D fields, significant cross-sections, and temporal evolution.
Interpretation	What the results indicate, what they don't, and where the uncertainties lie.
Extensions	Scenario variants, comparison with similar cases, and links to technical documentation.

How to Use Cases for Your Own Project

These cases are not ready-to-use files. Instead, they describe a methodology that can be replicated using your own data. The recommended workflow is as follows:

Identify the dominant mechanism > Read the most relevant case study > Pinpoint key parameters > Adapt to your specific project > Compare with field measurements

These cases also demonstrate how to link technical pages together: every parameter used refers back to its corresponding reference page. By browsing a case, a reader incidentally learns how to navigate the documentation and can return to theoretical pages when deeper detail is needed.

Related and Complementary Cases

Some cases share characteristics that benefit from cross-referencing. For example, both the Cr(VI) and pesticide cases illustrate a strong coupling between local geochemistry and plume evolution, but through different mechanisms (speciation vs. kinetics). Reading both provides a better understanding of the engine's general behavior than either one alone.

Mechanism of Interest	Illustrative Case	Complementary Case
Redox Speciation	Cr(VI) Plume	PFAS Fingerprinting (lack of speciation)
High-Mobility Transport	PFAS Fingerprinting	Cr(VI) Plume (oxidized zone)
Spatially Variable Kinetics	Pesticide Degradation	Cr(VI) Plume (speciation variability)
Isotopes & Simulation Coupling	Pesticide Degradation	Multi-Hypothesis
Uncertainty & Model Selection	Multi-Hypothesis	All other cases

What the Cases Do Not Cover

The case library is intentionally limited to the most demonstrative situations. Several frequent contexts are not explicitly covered: plumes in fractured media, transport in the unsaturated zone, complex groundwater-river interactions, or multi-contaminant sites with interactions. For these scenarios, technical reference pages remain available, and IsoFind support can assist in adapting the methodology.

The cases presented use synthetic or heavily anonymized datasets. The specific numerical values are representative but should not be taken as absolute values for a real-world site. Every site has unique characteristics that require site-specific parameterization.

Learn More

Cr(VI) Plume: The most demonstrative case for speciation-transport coupling.
PFAS Fingerprinting: Long-term conservative transport scenario.
Pesticide Degradation: Spatially variable kinetics scenario.
Multi-Hypothesis: Comparing multiple scenarios in the same scene.