Near-surface models in Saudi Arabia

A single‐layer model of the near surface throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is available. While this simple model suffices for most areas and large subsurface structures, it fails in situations where the surface topography is complex, the base of weathering is below the datum, or where the time structural closure is less than the uncertainty in the static correction. In such cases, multiple‐layered models that incorporate velocities derived from analysis of first arrivals picked from seismic shot records have proved to be successful in defining the lateral heterogeneity of the near surface. The additional velocity information obtained from this first‐arrival analysis (direct as well as refracted arrivals) vastly improves the velocity–depth model of the near surface, regardless of the topography. Static corrections computed from these detailed near‐surface velocity models have significantly enhanced subsurface image focusing, thereby reducing the uncertainty in the closure of target structures. Other non‐seismic methods have been used either to confirm qualitatively or to enhance the layer models previously mentioned. Gravity data may be particularly useful in sandy areas to confirm general structure, while geostatistical modelling of vibrator base‐plate attributes has yielded information that enhances the velocity field. In the global context, exploration targets of the oil and gas industry are seeking smaller and lower relief‐time structures. Thus, near‐surface models will need to enhance and integrate these methods, particularly in areas where the assumption of flat‐lying near‐surface layers cannot be met.     

Hydrogeology of Wadi Al-Yammaniyah, Saudi Arabia

Quaternary alluvium, ranging in thickness from a few to 100 meters underlain by Precambrian rocks of metamor-phic and igneous origin, constitutes an important source of ground water in Wadi Al-Yammaniyah, Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this report is to assess the hydraulic properties, quality of water, and estimated change in storage in waterbearing rocks in the area. The results of eight pumping tests carried out in hand-dug, large-diameter wells, indicate that the hydraulic conductivity of the alluvial aquifer ranges from 5.6 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.85 × 10⁻³ cm/second (3.36 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.11 × 10⁻³ m/minute) and that its storativity varies from 8.23 × 10⁻² to 1.17 × 10⁻¹. The aquifer is replenished by sporadic but intensive rainfall of short duration. The present withdrawal is only about 10 percent of the annual recharge which is estimated at 52 × 10⁶ m³. It is shown that there is a substantial potential for the future development of potable ground water which would be required for the development of the area.     

Groundwater availability in the Khulais Plain,western Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Khulais plain lies within a typical arid area in western Saudi Arabia. Groundwater occurs within two aquifers in the area: the alluvium of the wadi system, and the sandy layers of the Cretaceous-Tertiary sedimentary succession. Detailed field investigations and laboratory analysis helped in determining the aquifer properties for each of the water-bearing units. Groundwater movement has been thoroughly studied, and distribution maps prepared to explain the variations in transmissivity, permeability, porosity and specific yield. An attempt has been made to estimate volumes of groundwater flow towards the plain. This study presents a first attempt towards determining groundwater availability in the Cretaceous-Tertiary succession of this part of the world.     

Estimation of rainfall distribution for the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Rainfall is the most important input parameter for water resource planning and hydrological studies because flood risk assessment, rainfall harvesting and runoff estimation depend on the rainfall distribution within a region. Due to practical and economic factors, it is not possible to site rainfall stations everywhere, so representative rainfall stations are sited at specific locations. Rainfall distribution is then estimated from such stations. In this study, rainfall distribution in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia was estimated using kriging, co-kriging and inverse distance weighted (IDW) methods. Historical records of rainfall from 47 stations for the period 1965–2010 and the altitude of these stations were used. The study shows that co-kriging is a better interpolator than the kriging and IDW methods, with a better correlation between actual and estimated monthly average rainfall for the region.     

Geostatistical modelling of ground conditions to support the assessment of site contamination

The pattern of ground contamination across a site depends on the historical pattern of contaminant releases at the surface and the redistribution and the fate of contaminants below the surface. Using these concepts a new site assessment approach (assessment modelling) is proposed based on the development of three stochastic models: a model of the physical structure of the ground materials beneath the site; a model of the distribution of surface contaminant spills; and a model of the flow and transport of spilled material into the heterogeneous underlying ground to construct alternative, equally likely, present day contaminant distributions. Combining the models within a Monte Carlo framework can, in principle, improve the understanding of the potential for excess contamination across the site and improve decisions on remediation options and locations. A trial application has been undertaken in the UK using a particular site to assess the approach. The conditions at the site used for the trial and the first of the stochastic model developments, the geostatistical modelling of the soil heterogeneity, are presented in this paper. Non-parametric and parametric geostatistics have been employed to formulate the geostatistical models of the site soils using lithological information from 146 trial pits and boreholes. The approach to the soil modelling and the verification and validation of the results are described. The heterogeneity of the subsurface is complicated by the presence of made-ground, comprised of various inert building wastes, and the non-stationarity of the heterogeneity of the natural ground. This paper is the first of three describing the assessment modelling methodology and its trial application to the site.     

Estimating aquifer properties using groundwater hydrograph modelling

Estimation of aquifer hydraulic properties is essential for predicting the response of an aquifer to extractions and hence estimating the availability of the groundwater resources. Aquifer tests are commonly used for the estimation of aquifer properties; however, they can be expensive and often only characterize the short‐term response of the aquifer. This paper presents a time series modelling approach to estimating aquifer hydraulic properties. It is applied to 42 bores monitoring an unconfined aquifer within an irrigation region of south‐eastern Australia, and the resulting probabilistic estimate of hydraulic properties are evaluated against pumping test estimates. It is demonstrated that the time series modelling can provide a reliable estimate of the hydraulic properties that are typical of a very long‐term pumping test. Furthermore, the application of the time series modelling to 42 bores provided novel insights into the aquifer heterogeneity. We encourage others to further test the approach and the source code is available from: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/48546‐peterson‐tim‐j‐groundwater‐statistics‐toolbox Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissolved organic matter in coastal waters at Jeddah,Saudi Arabia

Water samples collected during April 1982–April 1983 from Red Sea coastal waters at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were investigated for dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved lipid, dissolved organic phosphorus, dissolved monosaccharides, total dissolved sugars and dissolved polysaccharides. All showed extremely high values at two stations. This can be attributed to the direct effect of untreated wastes on these two locations and the limited water exchange between the study area and the open sea.     

Microbial community of cyanobacteria mats in the intertidal zone of oil-polluted coast of Saudi Arabia

Cyanobacterial mats are found at various locations along the coast of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Those mats were affected by severe oil pollution following 1991 oil spill. In this study, samples from Abu Ali Island were collected at three selected sampling sites across the intertidal zone (Lower, Middle, and Upper) in order to understand the effect of extreme environmental conditions of high salinity, temperature and desiccation on distribution of cyanobacteria along the oil polluted intertidal zone. Our investigation of composition of cyanobacteria and diatoms was carried out using light microscopy, and Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. Light microscopy identification revealed dominant cyanobacteria to be affiliated with genera Phormidium, Microcoleus, and Schizothrix, and to a lesser extent with Oscillatoria, Halothece, and various diatom species. The analysis of DGGE of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA fragments showed that the diversity of cyanobacteria decreases as we proceed from the lower to the upper intertidal zone. Accordingly, the tidal regime, salinity, elevated ambient air temperature, and desiccation periods have a great influence on the distribution of cyanobacterial community in the oil polluted intertidal zone of Abu Ali Island.     

Seismic behavior and zoning of the sabkha soils in Jubail industrial city,Saudi Arabia

This study aimed at the micro-level seismic behavior and zoning of the saline sabkha strata in Jubail industrial area in Eastern Saudi Arabia. It encompasses the evaluation of the site-specific seismic response parameters and the liquefaction potential for various possible subsurface conditions under the probable seismic event(s). The approach to achieve the objectives of this study included the following: analysis of geologic, hydrologic, and geotechnical data of the area; performance of field and laboratory dynamic testing; and dynamic modeling and analysis of the subsurface profiles. The results of the simulation have been used to develop liquefaction potential maps and site-specific spectra of the study area, consisting of ten seismic zones under a range of probable peak horizontal ground acceleration (PHA). Results do not show significant probability of liquefaction of the loose soil layers in the study area at the maximum possible design PHA of 0.035 g; however, liquefaction is anticipated at higher PHA values. Site-specific spectral response resulted in values of S _s and S ₁ spectral accelerations to be different as compared to those suggested by local standards. The resulting seismic micro-zonation maps and the corresponding parameters are very useful for the stability analysis of the existing and planned structures in the Jubail area.     

Numerical modelling of stream–aquifer interaction: Quantifying the impact of transient streambed permeability and aquifer heterogeneity

Stream–aquifer interaction plays a vital role in the water cycle, and a proper study of this interaction is needed for understanding groundwater recharge, contaminants migration, and for managing surface water and groundwater resources. A model‐based investigation of a field experiment in a riparian zone of the Schwarzbach river, a tributary of the Rhine River in Germany, was conducted to understand stream–aquifer interaction under alternative gaining and losing streamflow conditions. An equivalent streambed permeability, estimated by inverting aquifer responses to flood waves, shows that streambed permeability increased during infiltration of stream water to aquifer and decreased during exfiltration. Aquifer permeability realizations generated by multiple‐point geostatistics exhibit a high degree of heterogeneity and anisotropy. A coupled surface water groundwater flow model was developed incorporating the time‐varying streambed permeability and heterogeneous aquifer permeability realizations. The model was able to reproduce varying pressure heads at two observation wells near the stream over a period of 55 days. A Monte Carlo analysis was also carried out to simulate groundwater flow, its age distribution, and the release of a hypothetical wastewater plume into the aquifer from the stream. Results of this uncertainty analysis suggest (a) stream–aquifer exchange flux during the infiltration periods was constrained by aquifer permeability; (b) during exfiltration, this flux was constrained by the reduced streambed permeability; (c) the effect of temporally variable streambed permeability and aquifer heterogeneity were found important to improve the accurate capture of the uncertainty; and (d) probabilistic infiltration paths in the aquifer reveal that such pathways and the associated prediction of the extent of the contaminant plume are highly dependent on aquifer heterogeneity.     

A comparison of three methods for regional flood frequency analysis in Saudi Arabia

The objective of the study was to compare the relative accuracy of three methodologies of regional flood frequency analysis in areas of limited flood records. Thirty two drainage basins of different characteristics, located mainly in the southwest region of Saudi Arabia, were selected for the study. In the first methodology, region curves were developed and used together with the mean annual flood, estimated from the characteristics of drainage basin, to estimate flood flows at a location in the basin. The second methodology was to fit probability distribution functions to annual maximum rainfall intensity in a drainage basin. The best fitted probability function was used together with common peak flow models to estimate the annual maximum flood flows in the basin. In the third methodology, duration reduction curves were developed and used together with the average flood flow in a basin to estimate the peak flood flows in the basin. The results obtained from each methodology were compared to the flood records of the selected stations using three statistical measures of goodness-of-fit. The first methodology was found best in a case of having short length of record at a drainage basin. The second methodology produced satisfactory results. Thus, it is recommended in areas where data are not sufficient and/or reliable to utilise the first methodology.     

Mathematical modelling and parameter identification for a coastal aquifer

The identification of parameters is considered for an unconfined coastal underground aquifer which is subject to the action of the sea tide on its boundary. First, by introducing a suitable mathematical model, it is possible to separate the problem of determining the permeability from that of determining the specific yield. Then the identification procedures employed are described in detail and some computational results are presented.     

Comparing state-of the art near-surface models of a seismic test line from Saudi Arabia

We present a seismic Test Line, provided by Saudi Aramco for various research teams, to highlight a few major challenges in land data processing due to near‐surface anomalies. We discuss state‐of‐the‐art methods used to compensate for shallow distortions, including single‐layer, multilayer, plus/minus, refraction and tomostatics methods. They are a starting point for the new technologies presented in other papers, all dealing with the same challenging data described here. The difficulties on the Test Line are mostly due to the assumption of vertical raypaths, inherent in classical applications of near‐surface correction statics. Even the most detailed velocity/depth model presents difficulties, due to the compleX‐raypath. There is a need for methods which are based on more complex models andtheories.     

Refined chloride mass‐balance method and its application in Saudi Arabia

The rainfall and infiltration elements of the hydrological cycle in arid regions are characterized by temporal and spatial variations that are random and sporadic. Consequently, the chloride concentration in rainfall has a similar behaviour. Despite this, the classical chloride mass balance (CMB) approach only employs arithmetic and weighted averages for recharge estimation. In this paper, the classical CMB method is modified by taking into account some perceived deficiencies in the methodology. The modified CMB method takes into consideration additional statistical parameters, namely variances and the correlation coefficient between variables concerned based on the application of the perturbation method. Strategic aquifer planning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires a quick method for estimating groundwater recharge in order to determine the temporal management of available water resources. To demonstrate the difference between the classical and the refined CMB methods, both were applied to a representative basin, i.e. Wadi Yalamlam, in the western part of Saudi Arabia. Based on the refined calculations, recharge to groundwater is found to be 11% of the effective annual rainfall. This refined method provides higher recharge rates because it takes into account the actual variability in the variables concerned and can, thus, improve the accuracy of future groundwater recharge estimation studies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring Fog Water Harvesting Potential and Quality in the Asir Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

During the last decade, the exploitation of the existing water resources in the Asir region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has considerably increased due to both the decrease in annual precipitation and the added population pressures from the growing tourist industry. To face the conventional water shortage, attention has been mainly focused on desalination of water. To save the region from severe water shortage, additional new water sources that are low-cost and renewable must be identified. There exists an alternative source of water such as fog water harvesting. Fog forms in the Asir Region more frequently between December and February compared to the other months of the year. This paper presents the study of the climatic conditions in the Asir region of the Kingdom to identify the most suitable location for fog water collection as well as design and testing of two large fog collectors (LFCs) of size 40?m² along with standard fog collectors (SFCs) of 1?m² in that region. During the period from 27 December 2009 to 9 March 2010, a total of 3,128.4 and 2,562.4 L of fog water were collected by the LFC at two sites in the Al-Sooda area of the Asir region, near Abha. Experimental results indicate that fog water collection can be combined with rain water harvesting systems to increase water yield during the rainy season. The quality of the collected fog water was analyzed and compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standards and found to be potable. An economic analysis was carried out for the proposed method of obtaining fresh water from the fog. The study suggests a clear tendency that in terms of both quality and magnitude of yield, fog is a viable source of water and can be successfully used to supplement water supplies in the Asir region of the Kingdom.     

Finite elements modelling of a large water table aquifer in transient conditions

A chalky aquifer located near Liege (Belgium), is recharged by infiltration through the overlying loess. Wells and collecting tunnels produce a daily flow of 60 000 m³ out of this aquifer when hydrogeological balances have shown that an average yield of 100 000 m³/day should be possible.Finite element modelling has been developed to foresee the evolution of the water table to get some additional information especially about the main drainage axis.The transient flow constitutive laws are recalled in confined and unconfined aquifers. A new law is proposed to model the water table surface in transient conditions and with a fixed meshing network. Using the local flow equilibrium and the virtual power principle, the FEM formulation is set up. The time integration and the iteration technique are shortly discussed.The 3D discretization and the modelling of the entire aquifer has been realized. The problem requires about 3600 DOF and 2670 8-nodes isoparametric brick finite elements. The modelling has been quite delicate because of the geometric complexity of the different geological layers. This complexity justifies fully the use of the finite element method; there is indeed a great diversity of geological characteristics and the range of the different permeabilities is very wide. Sensitivity of the model to permeabilities and storage coefficient variations has been studied and various numerical problems have been notified.The calibration procedure is described in its main steps, and the most significant results are presented.