Numerical Modeling of Atoll Island Hydrogeology

We implemented Ayers and Vachers' (1986) inclusive conceptual model for atoll island aquifers in a comprehensive numerical modeling study to evaluate the response of the fresh water lens to selected controlling climatic and geologic variables. Climatic factors include both constant and time-varying recharge rates, with particular attention paid to the effects of El Niño and the associated drought it brings to the western Pacific. Geologic factors include island width; hydraulic conductivity of the uppermost Holocene-age aquifer, which contains the fresh water lens; the depth to the contact with the underlying, and much more conductive, Pleistocene karst aquifer, which transmits tidal signals to the base of the lens; and the presence or absence of a semiconfining reef flat plate on the ocean side. Sensitivity analyses of steady-steady simulations show that lens thickness is most strongly sensitive to the depth to the Holocene-Pleistocene contact and to the hydraulic conductivity of the Holocene aquifer, respectively. Comparisons between modeling results and published observations of atoll island lens thicknesses suggest a hydraulic conductivity of approximately 50 m/d for leeward islands and approximately 400 m/d for windward islands. Results of transient simulations show that lens thickness fluctuations during average seasonal conditions and El Niño events are quite sensitive to island width, recharge rate, and hydraulic conductivity of the Holocene aquifer. In general, the depletion of the lens during drought conditions is most drastic for small, windward islands. Simulation results suggest that recovery from a 6-month drought requires about 1.5 years.     

Quantifying transient post‐overwash aquifer recovery for atoll islands in the Western Pacific

Marine overwash events for atoll islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which cause salinization of fresh groundwater because of infiltrating seawater, pose a significant challenge for island community sustainability in regard to water supply. Understanding transient fresh groundwater development during a post‐overwash period for a range of island sizes, geologic characteristics, and rainfall patterns is essential for water management. This paper presents a methodology for quantifying this development for an atoll nation, with methods applied to the 32 atolls of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the western Pacific. Using the numerical groundwater modelling code SUTRA, overwash events and post‐overwash freshwater–seawater dynamics are simulated for the range of island widths (200 to 1100 m), geologic characteristics (hydraulic conductivity corresponding to leeward and windward islands), and rainfall patterns (western, central, and eastern regions) present in the FSM, thereby providing results for each atoll island. Results show that 10–17, 8–12, and 6–12 months are required to achieve 60% freshwater lens recovery for leeward islands in the western, central, and eastern FSM, respectively, with variation due to rainfall rate and island width. In contrast, 4–9 months is required for 60% recovery for windward islands. However, the natural thinness of the lend on windward islands typically precludes extensive use of groundwater under average rainfall conditions. Overwash characteristics (depth, duration, and seasonal timing) did not significantly affect recovery times. For the region of lowest rainfall (western FSM), 6–10 months is required to achieve potable groundwater at the typical depth of hand‐dug wells. Results provide water resource managers and atoll island communities with important information regarding timing of potential fresh groundwater use following an overwash event. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting Future Groundwater Resources of Coral Atoll Islands

Fresh groundwater reserves on small coral islands are under continual threat of salinization and contamination because of droughts, storm‐surge overwash events, over‐extraction, island community urbanization, and sea level rise. Whereas storm‐surge overwash events can cause sudden groundwater salinization, long‐term changes in rainfall patterns and sea level elevation have the potential of rendering these islands uninhabitable in the coming decades. This study demonstrates the use of a tested freshwater lens thickness simulator to estimate the groundwater resources of a set of atoll islands in the coming decades. The method uses ranges of projected rates of annual rainfall and sea level rise (SLR) to provide a range of probable lens thickness for each island. Projected rainfall is provided by General Circulation Models that accurately replicate the historical rainfall patterns in the geographic region of the islands. Methodology is applied to 68 atoll islands in the Federated States of Micronesia. These islands have widths that range between 150 and 1000 m, and experience annual rainfall rates of between 2.8 and 4.8 m. Results indicate that under average conditions of SLR, beach slope, and rainfall, almost half of the island will experience a 20% decrease in lens thickness by the year 2050. For worst‐case scenarios (high SLR, low rainfall), average decrease in lens thickness is 55%, with almost half of the islands experiencing a decrease of greater than 75% and half of the islands having a lens thickness less than 1.0 m. Small islands (widths less than 400 m) are particularly vulnerable because of shoreline recession. Groundwater on islands in the western region is less vulnerable to SLR because of a projected increase in rainfall during the coming decades. Results indicate the vulnerability of small islands to changing climatic conditions, and can be used for water resources management and community planning. Methodology can be applied to any group of islands as a first approximation of the effect of future climate conditions on groundwater resources. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Atoll island hydrogeology: flow and freshwater occurrence in a tidally dominated system

A layered-aquifer model of groundwater occurrence in an atoll island was tested with a solute-transport numerical model. The computer model used, SUTRA, incorporates density-dependent flow. This can be significant in freshwater-saltwater interactions associated with the freshwater lens of an atoll island. Boundary conditions for the model included ocean and lagoon tidal variations. The model was calibrated to field data from Enjebi Island, Enewetak Atoll, and tested for sensitivity to a variety of parameters. This resulted in a hydraulic conductivity of 10 m day⁻¹ for the surficial aquifer and 1000 m day⁻¹ for the deeper aquifer; this combination of values gave an excellent reproduction of the tidal response data from test wells. The average salinity distribution was closely reproduced using a dispersivity of 0.02m. The computer simulation quantitatively supports the layered-aquifer model, including under conditions of density-dependent flow, and shows that tidal variations are the predominant driving force for flow beneath the island. The oscillating, vertical flow produced by the tidal variations creates an extensive mixing zone of brackish water. The layered-aquifer model with tidally driven flow is a significant improvement over the Ghyben-Herzberg-Dupuit model as it is conventionally applied to groundwater studies for many Pacific reef islands.     

Sea‐level rise impact on fresh groundwater lenses in two‐layer small islands

The fresh groundwater lenses (FGLs) of small islands can be highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including sea‐level rise (SLR). Many real cases of atoll or sandy islands involve two‐layer hydrogeological conceptualizations. In this paper, the influential factors that affect FGLs in two‐layer small islands subject to SLR are investigated. An analytical solution describing FGLs in circular islands, composed of two geological layers, is developed for the simplified case of steady‐state and sharp‐interface conditions. An application of the developed model is demonstrated to estimate the FGL thickness of some real‐world islands by comparison with existing FGL thickness data. Furthermore, numerical modelling is applied to extend the analysis to consider dispersion effects and to confirm comparable results for both cases. Sensitivity analyses are used to assess the importance of land‐surface inundation caused by SLR, relative to other parameters (i.e. thickness of aquifer layers, hydraulic conductivity, recharge rate and land‐surface slope) that influence the FGL. Dimensionless parameters are used to generalize the findings. The results demonstrate that land‐surface inundation has a considerable impact on a FGL influenced by SLR, as expected, although the FGL volume is more sensitive to recharge, aquifer thickness and hydraulic conductivity than SLR impacts, considering typical parameter ranges. The methodology presented in this study provides water resource managers with a rapid‐assessment tool for evaluating the likely impacts of SLR and accompanying LSI on FGLs.     

Assessing groundwater availability of the Maldives under future climate conditions

Groundwater resources of the Republic of the Maldives are threatened by a variety of factors including variable future rainfall patterns, continued population growth and associated pumping demands, rising sea level, and contamination from the land surface. This study assesses changes in groundwater availability due to variable rainfall patterns and sea level rise (SLR) in the coming decades, a key component of water resources management for the country. Using a suite of two‐dimensional density‐dependent groundwater flow models, time‐dependent thickness of the freshwater lens is simulated for a range of island sizes (200 to 1,100 m) during the time period of 2011 to 2050, with recharge to the freshwater lens calculated using rainfall patterns provided by general circulation models for the three distinct geographic regions of the Maldives. The effect of SLR on the freshwater lens is quantified using estimates of shoreline recession and associated decreases in island width. If rainfall is solely considered, groundwater availability is projected to increase, as lens thickness during the 2031–2050 time periods is slightly greater (1–5%) than during the 2011–2030 time period. However, including the impact of SLR indicates an overall decrease in lens thickness, with drastic decreases (60% to 100%) projected for small islands (200 m) and moderate decreases (12% to 14%) expected for 400 m islands, which accommodate one third of the national population. Similar methodologies can be used for other atoll island nations, such as the Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Kiribati. For the Maldives, results from this study can be used in conjunction with population growth estimates to determine the feasibility of including groundwater in water resources planning and management for the country.     

Groundwater dynamics of Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu

Geoelectric and hydrologic surveys during spring tides revealed the spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater quality produced by tidal forcing in Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu. The observed low resistivity showed that saline water largely immersed the surficial Holocene aquifer, indicating that there is no thick freshwater lens in Fongafale Islet, unlike in other atoll islands of comparable size. Half of the islet was constructed by reclaiming the original swamp with porous, highly permeable coral blocks; this reclaimed area should not be considered as part of the islet width for calculation of the expected thickness of the freshwater lens. The degree of aquifer salinization depends on the topographic characteristics and the hydrologic controls on the inland propagation of the tidal forcing. Large changes in bulk resistivity and the electrical conductivity of groundwater from wells indicate that periodic salinization in phase with the semidiurnal tides was occurring widely, especially in areas at lower elevation than the high-tide level and in reclaimed areas with high permeability. Thin sheets of nearly fresh and brackish water were observed in the surficial aquifer in areas above the high-tide level and in taro swamps, respectively. The thinness of the brackish and freshwater sheets suggests that the taro swamps and the fresh groundwater resources of the islet are highly vulnerable to salinization from anticipated sea-level rise. An understanding of the inherent geologic and topographic features of an atoll is necessary to evaluate the groundwater resources of the atoll and assess the vulnerability of its water resources to climate change.     

Quantifying threats to groundwater resources in the Republic of Maldives Part I: Future rainfall patterns and sea‐level rise

Reserves of fresh groundwater on atoll islands are extremely fragile due to climatic and anthropogenic stresses. Of major concern is the quantity of water to be available in the coming decades under the influence of variable rainfall patterns, rising sea level, environmental conditions, and expected population growth that depends on groundwater resources. In this study, a 3‐dimensional numerical modelling approach using the SEAWAT modelling code is used to estimate freshwater lens volume fluctuation for 4 representative islands in the Republic of Maldives in response to long‐term changes in rainfall, sea‐level rise (SLR), and anthropogenic stresses such as groundwater pumping and short‐term impacts from tsunami‐induced marine overwash events. This work is divided into 2 papers. This first paper presents numerical model set‐up and calibration, and the effect of future rainfall patterns and SLR on fresh groundwater reserves. The second paper focuses on marine overwash events. The results of simulated future freshwater lens volume presented in the first study contribute to efficient groundwater resources planning and management for the Maldives in the upcoming decades. Freshwater lenses in small atoll islands (area < 0.6 km²) are shown to have a strong variability trends in the upcoming decades with expected reduction in lens volume between 11% and 36% due to SLR. In contrast, freshwater lenses in larger atoll islands (area > 1.0 km²) are shown to have less variability to changing patterns with expected reduction in lens volume between 8% and 26% due to SLR. Study results can provide water resource managers with valuable findings for consideration in water security measures.     

Quantifying threats to groundwater resources in the Republic of Maldives Part II: Recovery from tsunami marine overwash events

Marine overwash events are among the most serious short‐term threats to groundwater supply of small coral islands. During such events, seawater can inundate small islands partially or completely, causing salinization of the aquifer. A comprehensive knowledge of freshwater lens recovery is essential for water planners on these islands. In this study, a numerical modelling approach is used to quantify recovery of the freshwater lens on 4 islands of the Maldives after a tsunami‐induced overwash event similar to that experienced from the Indian Ocean earthquake in December 2004. The islands vary in size (0.2 to 10.1 km²) and span the climatic regions of the Maldives. A tested 3‐dimensional SEAWAT groundwater model for each island is used to simulate the recovery process. Recharge rates from historical rainfall data and from global climate models are imposed on each island during the post‐overwash recovery period. The effect of groundwater pumping on lens recovery also is examined. Results show abrupt decrease in fresh groundwater volumes for each island, followed by recovery that is significantly influenced by island size and recharge patterns. Overall, salinization is more widespread on small islands (<1 km²), but recovery is more rapid than for large islands. Between 50% and 90% of lens recovery occurs after 2 years for small islands (<1 km²) whereas only 35% and 55% for large islands. Imposing pumping rates required to sustain the local population lengthened the recovery time between 5% and 15%, with smaller islands having the higher percentage. However, the governing factor on recovery time is the spatial extent of land surface inundation by the overwash event, with wave height and duration of the event having a negligible impact. A strong relationship exists between required recovery time and island surface area, thereby providing a method to determine recovery time for other atoll islands not investigated in this study with similar geologic structure. Our results can be used to aid in managing water resources during the post‐overwash period.     

Analysis of an unconfined aquifer subject to asynchronous dual-tide propagation

Most published solutions for aquifer responses to ocean tides focus on the one-sided attenuation of the signal as it propagates inland. However, island aquifers experience periodic forcing from the entire coast, which can lead to integrated effects of different tidal signals, especially on narrow high-permeability islands. In general, studies disregard a potential time lag as the tidal wave sweeps around the island. We present a one-dimensional analytical solution to the ground water flow equation subject to asynchronous and asymmetric oscillating head conditions on opposite boundaries and test it on data from an unconfined volcanic aquifer in Maui. The solution considers sediment-damping effects at the coastline. The response of Maui Aquifers indicate that water table elevations near the center of the aquifer are influenced by a combination of tides from opposite coasts. A better match between the observed ground water head and the theoretical response can be obtained with the proposed dual-tide solution than with single-sided solutions. Hydraulic diffusivity was estimated to be 2.3 × 10⁷ m²/d. This translates into a hydraulic conductivity of 500 m/d, assuming a specific yield of 0.04 and an aquifer thickness of 1.8 km. A numerical experiment confirmed the hydraulic diffusivity value and showed that the y -intercepts of the modal attenuation and phase differences estimated by regression can approximate damping factors caused by low-permeability units at the boundary.     

Some relationships between lithology,basin form and hydrology: a case study from the Thames basin,UK

The role of lithology in influencing basin form and function is explored empirically by investigating correlations between a range of catchment variables, where the spatial unit of analysis is not surface catchments but lithologically coherent groundwater units. Using the Thames basin, UK, as a case study, nine groundwater units have been identified. Values for 11 hydrological and geomorphological variables, including rainfall, drainage density, Baseflow Index, aquifer porosity, storage coefficient and log‐hydraulic conductivity, aquifer and drainage elevation, river incision, and hypsometric integral have been estimated for each of the groundwater units in the basin, and Pearson correlation coefficients calculated for all pairs of variables. Seven of the correlation coefficients are found to be significant at a confidence level of > 99%. Negative correlations between drainage density and log aquifer hydraulic conductivity, and between drainage density and river incision, and positive correlations between log‐hydraulic conductivity and river incision, log‐hydraulic conductivity and Baseflow Index, and between Baseflow Index and river incision are inferred to have consistent causal explanations. For example, incision of rivers into aquifers leads to relative increases in hydraulic gradients in the vicinity of rivers which, in turn, promotes the development of secondary porosity increasing both aquifer hydraulic conductivity and, hence, Baseflow Index. The implication of this interpretation is that the geomorphological evolution of basins is intimately linked to the evolution of hydraulic conductivity of the underlying aquifers. This is consistent with, and supports the notion of a coupled complexly evolving surface water‐groundwater system. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of Improved Hydrologic Testing and Borehole Geophysical Logging Methods for Aquifer Characterization

Depth-discrete aquifer in formal ion was obtained using recently developed adaptations and improvements to conventional characterization techniques. These improvements included running neutron porosity and hulk density geophysical logging tools through a cased hole, performing an enhanced point-dilution tracer test for monitoring tracer concentration as a function of Lime and depth, and using pressure derivatives for diagnostic and quantitative analysis of constant rate discharge lest data. Data results from the use of these techniques were used to develop a conceptual model of a heterogeneous aquifer. Depth-discrete aquifer information was required to effectively design field-scale deployment and monitoring of an in situ bioremediation technology.
Geophysical logging and point-dilution tracer test results provided the relative distribution of porosity and horizontal hydraulic conductivity, respectively, with depth and correlated well. Hydraulic pumping tests were conducted to estimate mean values for transmissivity and effective hydraulic conductivity, Tracer lest and geophysical logging results indicated that ground water flow was predominant in the upper approximate 10 feet of the aquifer investigated. These results were used to delineate a more representative interval thickness for estimating effective hydraulic conductivity. Hydraulic conductivity, calculated using this representative interval, was estimated lo be 73 ft/d, approximately three limes higher than that calculated using the full length of the screened test interval.     

Effects of Improper Characterization of Aquifer Thickness on Estimates of Hydraulic Conductivity from Pumping Tests

Pumping test data for surficial aquifers are commonly analyzed under the assumption that the base of the aquifer corresponds to the bottom of the test wells (i.e., the aquifer is truncated). This practice can lead to inaccurate hydraulic conductivity estimates, resulting from the use of low saturated thickness values with transmissivity estimates, and not accounting for the effects of partially penetrating wells. Theoretical time-drawdown data were generated at an observation well in a hypothetical unconfined aquifer for various values of saturated thickness and were analyzed by standard curve-matching techniques. The base of the aquifer was assumed to be the bottom of the pumping and observation wells. The overestimation of horizontal hydraulic conductivity was found to be directly proportional to the error in assumed saturated thickness, and to the (actual) ratio of vertical to horizontal hydraulic conductivity (K_v/K_h). Inaccurately high estimates of hydraulic conductivity obtained by aquifer truncation can lead to overestimates of ground water velocity and contaminant plume spreading, narrow capture zone configuration estimates, and overestimates of available ground water resources.     

Effects of Marine Overwash for Atoll Aquifers: Environmental and Human Factors

Inundation of atoll islands by marine overwash is a serious threat to fresh groundwater, which can be a critical emergency water resource after artificial storage or other water resource infrastructure has been exhausted or destroyed. In contrast to drought, which slowly exhausts water supplies and often can be forecasted in time, overwash can occur with little warning and can ruin both rain catchment storage and groundwater reserves. In this study, a SUTRA‐based model is applied to estimate how groundwater contamination by overwash and subsequent recovery of fresh groundwater are influenced by geologic factors (aquifer hydraulic conductivity, dispersivity, and the presence or absence of a reef flat plate), the seasonal timing of the event (wet vs. dry), and the presence of hand‐dug wells that penetrate the reef flat plate. Actual tidal and rainfall data from regions in the western Pacific are applied to simulated 30‐month recovery periods for hypothetical islands with properties and conditions characteristic of the western Pacific. For all scenarios, results indicate that 12 to 16 months are required to achieve 60% recovery of fresh groundwater. However, the time required to restore useful quantities of groundwater to acceptable salt concentration at depths typical of hand‐dug wells is only 3 to 6 months. Of particular interest is the influence of the reef flat plate, which acts as a barrier to infiltrating seawater, thus preserving a pocket of confined freshwater during an overwash event and the recovery, which could probably be utilized if the necessary tools and equipment are on hand.     

Stream water infiltration, bank storage, and storage zone changes due to stream-stage fluctuations

During a flood period, stream-stage increases induce infiltration of stream water into an aquifer; subsequent declines in stream stage cause a reverse motion of the infiltrated water. This paper presents the results of the water exchange rate between a stream and aquifer, the storage volume of the infiltrated stream water in the surrounding aquifer (bank storage), and the storage zone. The storage zone is the part of aquifer where groundwater is replaced by stream water during the flood. MODFLOW was used to simulate stream–aquifer interactions and to quantify rates of stream infiltration and return flow. MODPATH was used to trace the pathlines of the infiltrated stream water and to determine the size of the storage zone. Simulations were focused on the analyses of the effects of the stream-stage fluctuation, aquifer properties, the hydraulic conductivity of streambed sediments, regional hydraulic gradients, and recharge and evapotranspiration (ET) rates on stream–aquifer interactions. Generally, for a given stream–aquifer system, larger flow rates result from larger stream-stage fluctuations; larger storage volumes and storage zones are produced by larger and longer-lasting fluctuations. For a given stream-stage hydrograph, a lower-permeable streambed, an aquitard, or an anisotropic aquifer of low vertical hydraulic conductivity can significantly reduce the rate of infiltration and limit the size of the storage zone. The bank storage solely caused by the stage fluctuation differs slightly between gaining and losing streams. Short-term rainfall recharge and ET loss in the shallow groundwater slightly influence on the flow rate, but their effects on bank storage in a larger area for a longer period can be considerable.     

Neogene aquifer properties specified through the interpretation of electrical sounding data,Salamiyeh region,central Syria

Twenty‐nine Schlumberger electrical soundings were carried out in the Salamiyeh region in Syria using a maximum current electrode separation of 1 km. Three soundings were made at existing boreholes for comparison. Aquifer parameters of hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity were obtained by analysing pumping test data from the existing boreholes. An empirical relationship between hydraulic conductivity determined from the pumping test and both resistivity and thickness of the Neogene aquifer has been established for these boreholes in order to calculate the geophysical hydraulic conductivity. A close agreement has been obtained between the computed hydraulic conductivity and that determined from the pumping test. The relationship established has, therefore, been generalized in the study area in order to evaluate hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity at all the points where geoelectrical measurements have been carried out. This generalization allows one to derive maps of the hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity in the study area based on geoelectrical measurements. These maps are important in future modelling processes oriented towards better exploitation of the aquifers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in hydraulic conductivity of laboratory sand-clay mixtures caused by a seawater-freshwater interface

The influence of small amounts of clay minerals on the hydraulic conductivity of sandy aquifer was investigated by laboratory experiments. Admixture of up to 1.5% by weight of clay minerals to sand did not cause any measurable decrease of hydraulic conductivity for seawater. Increasing the clay fraction from 1.5% to 10% decreased hydraulic conductivity by one order of magnitude. Montmorillonite caused the strongest decrease; the effect of kaolinite and illite was only half as large. When seawater was flushed by freshwater, hydraulic conductivity of the montmorillonite-sand mixture decreased drastically. However, flushing with freshwater did not measurably affect the hydraulic conductivity of an illite-sand or kaolinite-sand mixture. The explanation for this behaviour is the capability of various types of clay to adsorb different quantities of water between their platelets which induces a gel-droplet formation process. This is governed by the chemical composition and the ionic strength of the solution.     

Using geophysical methods to define the attitude and extension of water-bearing strata in the Miocene sediments of the Pannonian Basin

In the area near the village of Jazak (southern part of Fruška Gora mountain, Serbia), hydrogeological investigations were carried out for the purpose of finding a water supply source to provide an adequate volume of water for a mineral water bottling plant. The first exploratory borehole (IBJf-1) penetrated a water-bearing layer of Miocene organogenic limestones. This aquifer has a thickness of about 30 m and a yield of only 2.2 l/s, which falls short of the required water volume (5 l/s).The objective of further exploration was to define the attitude and extension of the aquifer and thus select a more favourable site for a new exploratory borehole that would secure the required volume of water. For this purpose, geophysical exploration was carried out in 2003 through vertical electrical sounding (VES) and high-resolution 3D reflection seismic methods. The VES measurements enabled determination of aquifer depth and indicated that the water-bearing strata extend over the entire area studied. However, because of the equivalence problem, it was not possible to determine the thickness of the water-bearing stratum based solely on the VES data. Thus, the 3D seismic method was used in the second stage of investigation. A low-cost 3D seismic survey was carried out with fixed receiver lines, using a vibrator as the source of the seismic waves.From the 3D seismic data it was possible to determine the aquifer thickness. The depth of the aquifer determined by interpretation of the 3D seismic data was in accordance with the depth determined by the VES method. Based on the assumption that the hydraulic conductivity of this formation is identical or similar over the entire area, as well as the fact that the first well showed the presence of a subartesian aquifer, we proposed drilling another borehole (IBJf-2) in the zone where the data indicated that the water-bearing stratum was much thicker. The data obtained by drilling and coring were in agreement with the predicted aquifer thickness. Pumping tests showed that the water discharge in borehole IBJf-2 was 6 l/s.The results show that the objective of delineating the groundwater body by combined application of two geophysical methods (VES and 3D seismic) was successfully performed.     

Depth‐dependent hydraulic conductivity distribution patterns of a streambed

Characterization of streambed hydraulic conductivity from the channel surface to a great depth below the channel surface can provide needed information for the determination of stream‐aquifer hydrologic connectedness, and it is also important to river restoration. However, knowledge on the streambed hydraulic conductivity for sediments 1 m below the channel surface is scarce. This study describes a method that was used to determine the distribution patterns of streambed hydraulic conductivity for sediments from channel surface to a depth of 15 m below. The method includes Geoprobe's direct‐push techniques and Permeameter tests. Direct‐push techniques were used to generate the electrical conductivity (EC) logs and to collect sequences of continuous sediment cores from river channels, as well as from the alluvial aquifer connected to the river. Permeameter tests on these sediment cores give the profiles of vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v) of the channel sediments and the aquifer materials. This method was applied to produce K_v profiles for a streambed and an alluvial aquifer in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska, USA. Comparison and statistical analysis of the K_v profiles from the river channel and from the proximate alluvial aquifer indicates a special pattern of K_v in the channel sediments. This depth‐dependent pattern of K_v distribution for the channel sediments is considered to be produced by hyporheic processes. This K_v‐distribution pattern implied that the effect of hyporheic processes on streambed hydraulic conductivity can reach the sediments about 9 m below the channel surface. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.