Estimating hydraulic conductivity using grain-size analyses, aquifer tests, and numerical modeling in a riverside alluvial system in South Korea

Hydraulic conductivity (K) for an alluvial system in a riverbank filtration area in Changwon City, South Korea, has been studied using grain-size distribution, pumping and slug tests, and numerical modeling. The alluvial system is composed of layers: upper fine sand, medium sand, lower fine sand, and a highly conductive sand/gravel layer at the base. The geometric mean of K for the sand/gravel layer (9.89?×?10^?4 m s^?1), as determined by grain-size analyses, was 3.33 times greater than the geometric mean obtained from pumping tests (2.97?×?10^?4 m s^?1). The geometric mean of K estimates obtained from slug tests (3.08?×?10^?6 m s^?1) was one to two orders of magnitude lower than that from pumping tests and grain-size analyses. K estimates derived from a numerical model were compared to those derived from the grain-size methods, slug tests and pumping tests in order to determine the degree of deviation from the numerical model. It is considered that the K estimates determined by the slug tests resemble the uppermost part of the alluvial deposit, whereas the K estimates obtained by grain-size analyses and pumping tests are similar to those from the numerical model for the sand/gravel layer of the riverside alluvial system.     

土壤饱和导水率的多尺度预测模型与转换关系

运用联合多重分形方法研究不同土层土壤饱和导水率与土壤基本物理特性的多尺度相关性,建立不同土层土壤饱和导水率的多尺度预测模型,构建不同土层土壤饱和导水率之间的转换关系。结果表明:不同土层土壤饱和导水率与土壤基本物理特性的相关程度排序不同;在单一尺度和多尺度上,0~20 cm土层土壤饱和导水率与土壤基本物理特性的相关程度排序相同,20~40 cm土层土壤饱和导水率与土壤基本物理特性的相关程度排序不同;土壤饱和导水率多尺度预测模型的预测精度较高,0~20 cm土层和20~40 cm土层拟合值的均方根误差分别为0.035 0和0.029 0;0~20 cm土层和20~40 cm土层土壤饱和导水率转换关系的计算精度较高,拟合值的均方根误差为0.037 5。     

A comparative study of hydraulic conductivity estimations using geostatistics

Three approaches for estimating the hydraulic conductivity (K) of the Trifa aquifer, Morocco were investigated: (1) kriging of the K values obtained from pumping tests, (2) cokriging of the pumping test data with electrical resistivity data as a secondary variable, and (3) cokriging of the pumping test data with the slope of the water table. Gauss-transformed values of the variables are used because they provide more robust variograms and transformed values of the primary and secondary variables show correlations higher than the raw values, which is beneficial in cokriging. In cokriging with electrical resistivity, two zones are considered since the geological deposits are different from the north to the south of the aquifer, which is reflected in different correlations between the variables. Comparison of the three approaches is based mainly on the estimation errors, and to a lesser degree on the cross-validations of the corresponding variogram models and general considerations, like the measurements’ reliability and aquifer make-up. The best-estimated K is given by cokriging with the slope of the water table and is therefore preferred for further use in groundwater flow modeling. Thus, electrical resistivity or the slope of the water table can both be used as secondary variables to estimate K, especially in heterogeneous aquifers with lateral variations in lithology, as is the case of the Trifa aquifer.     

Measurement of streambed hydraulic conductivity and its anisotropy

 A method is described for the measurement of streambed hydraulic conductivity. Unlike permeameter methods, this method applies straight and l-shaped standpipes directly to streambeds for measurements of in-situ hydraulic conductivity in the vertical (K _v ) and horizontal (K _h ) directions, as well as in other oblique directions (K _s ). This method has advantages in determination of K _v values over grain-size analysis, permeameter tests, or slug test methods. Also unique to this method is that it provides K _s values of a streambed. The measured results can be used to construct a hydraulic conductivity ellipse and to evaluate the anisotropy of streambed sediments. Field examples from the Republican River, Nebraska, demonstrated the usefulness of this method in the determination of streambed hydraulic conductivity and anisotropy along or across a river channel. Results indicate that the K _h is about three to four times larger than K _v , whereas K _s values are larger than K _v but smaller than K _h . Received: 6 March 2000 · Accepted: 18 April 2000     

Microstructure and hydraulic conductivity of a compacted lime-treated soil

Under a given compaction energy and procedure, it is known that maximum dry density of a soil is lowered due to lime addition. This modification of maximum dry density could alter the hydraulic conductivity of the soil. The main object of this study was to assess the impact of lime-stabilization on a silt soil microstructure and then on saturated hydraulic conductivity. An investigation at the microscopic level with mercury intrusion porosimetry showed that lime treatment induced the formation of a new small class, with a diameter lower than 3 × 10³ Å in the compacted soil. This class is responsible for the difference in dry density between the treated and the untreated sample after compaction. It is shown that this small pores class was not altered by the compaction water content, the compaction procedure or the dry density. As in untreated soils, only the larger pores were modified by the compaction water content and the compaction procedure in the lime treated samples. The hydraulic conductivity appeared to be only related to the largest pores volume of the tested silt, regardless of lime treatment. Therefore, this study demonstrated that even if addition of lime resulted in a dramatic change of the maximum dry density of the tested silty soil, its effect on hydraulic conductivity is limited.     

分形渗透模型在饱和冻土中的应用

冻土中的渗透系数对于评估冻土工程中的水,热和溶质迁移至关重要。以往研究表明,渗透系数主要依赖孔隙结构,经常被描述为孔径大小和孔隙率,但是这两个参数并不能充分地表征孔隙结构。为加强对孔隙结构的描述,引用分形理论研究了冻土中的渗透系数。基于非均匀毛细管束模型和分形理论,提出了饱和冻土中渗透系数的分形模型,并提出通过土体冻结特征曲线获取冻土中孔径分布的理论方法。为了验证分形模型的有效性,对已有实验数据进行分析。分析表明,分形渗透系数模型是毛细管分维、最大孔径、黏度和迂曲度的函数,孔径分布变化是导致冻土渗透系数变化的根本原因。通过对比,计算值与实测值吻合较好。结果表明分形模型可以较好的预测冻土中的渗透系数,研究结果可为冻土渗透机理研究提供参考。     

An empirical model for estimating hydraulic conductivity of highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in Taiwan

This paper presents the establishment of an empirical HC model for estimating rock mass hydraulic conductivity of highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in Taiwan using high-resolution borehole acoustic televiewer and double packer hydraulic tests. Four geological parameters including rock quality designation (RQD), depth index (DI), gouge content designation (GCD), and lithology permeability index (LPI) were adopted for establishing the empirical HC model. To verify rationality of the proposed HC model, 22 in-situ hydraulic tests were carried out to measure the hydraulic conductivity of the highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in three boreholes at two different locations in Taiwan. Besides, the model verification using another borehole data with four additional in-situ hydraulic tests from similar clastic sedimentary rocks was also conducted to further verify the feasibility of the proposed empirical HC model. The field results indicated that the rock mass in the study area has a conductivity between the order of 10^− 10 m/s and 10^− 6 m/s at the depth between 34 m and 275 m below ground surface. Results demonstrate that the empirical HC model may provide a useful tool to predict hydraulic conductivity of the highly disturbed clastic sedimentary rocks in Taiwan based on measured HC-values.     

土壤饱和导水率空间预测的不确定性分析

当土壤转换函数应用于土壤水力性质估计时,对于预测值的不确定性往往容易被忽视。为了有针对性地提出减少这种不确定性的方法和措施,提高土壤转换函数的实际应用能力,以两种现有的土壤转换函数(Vereecken和HYPRES模型)为例,将其应用于山东省平度市土壤饱和导水率的空间预测,并利用拉丁超立方抽样(LHS)方法对预测结果的不确定性进行了分析。结果表明,饱和导水率空间预测的不确定性主要来源于土壤基本性质的空间插值误差和土壤转换函数自身的预测误差。当Vereecken模型应用于饱和导水率空间预测时,预测结果的不确定性主要由土壤基本性质空间插值误差所决定,土壤转换函数预测误差的影响较小,而HYPRES模型则是受二者的双重影响。     

土壤非饱和导水率模型中参数的敏感性分析

针对邵明安根据再分布过程得出的非饱和导水率模型,对其中参数的敏感性进行分析,通过实测资料计算非饱和导水率对不同参数的敏感度,对比参数对非饱和导水率的影响程度。研究表明采用线性关系表示土壤湿润剖面的平均湿度和湿润锋处湿度之间的关系时,非饱和导水率对参数的敏感性比其他参数高得多。     

Influence of streambed hydraulic conductivity on solute exchange with the hyporheic zone

A conservative solute tracer experiment was conducted in Indian Creek, a small urban stream in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to investigate the role of subsurface properties on the exchange between streamwater and the hyporheic zone (subsurface surrounding the stream). Sodium Bromide (NaBr) was used as a conservative tracer, and it was monitored in the surface water at two stations and in the upper bed sediments (shallow hyporheic zone extending from 7.5 to 10 cm below the streambed). The hydraulic conductivity (K) of the upper bed sediments and the lower bed sediments (10–12.5 cm below the streambed) was measured in situ. High tracer concentrations were observed in the upper layer at locations where the hydraulic conductivity of the upper layer was larger than that of the lower layer. Low concentrations in the upper layer were observed in the converse case. A statistically significant relationship between the mass retained in the upper layer and the difference of K values between layers was observed.     

Effect of salt of various concentrations on liquid limit,and hydraulic conductivity of different soil-bentonite mixtures

Effect of the various concentrations of NaCl and CaCl₂ on the four different soil-bentonite mixtures has been evaluated. The results show that the liquid limit of the mixtures decreases with an increase in the salt concentration. Liquid limit decreased significantly with an increase in CaCl₂ concentration from 0 to 0.1 N. However, a further increase in the concentration did not produce any significant decrease in liquid limit. A quite opposite trend was observed for the NaCl solution. An increase in NaCl concentration from 0 to 0.1 N did not produce any major decrease in the liquid limit, but a further increase in concentration from 0.1 to 1 N decreased the liquid limit significantly. Consolidation tests were carried out on the mixtures to evaluate the effect of mineralogical composition of the bentonite on the hydraulic conductivity (k) of the mixture in the presence of various salts concentrations. The k for any mixtures was found to be decreasing with decrease in the salt concentration. At relatively low concentration, Ca²⁺ had more effect on the k in comparison to the same concentration of Na⁺. However, at 1 N of NaCl and CaCl₂ almost an equal value of k was observed. A comparison of the performance of four bentonites showed that the mixture with bentonite having highest exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) exhibited the lowest k when permeated with de-ionized (DI) water, however, k increased with an increase in the salt concentration. Similarly, mixture with a bentonite of lower ESP exhibited a higher k with DI water but with the increase in the salt concentration alteration in the k, compared to all other mixtures, was relatively less.     

Estimation of the hydraulic conductivity of soils improved with vertical drains

In this study, some limitations associated with modeling the hydraulic conductivity of soil improved with vertical drains are discussed. In addition, some limitations of conventional methodologies for deducing the hydraulic conductivity from oedometer or Rowe cell tests are investigated. An alternative approach for estimating the hydraulic conductivity in soils improved by vertical drains is discussed. This methodology will allow for simpler finite element modeling of consolidation due to vertical drains. The effectiveness of this technique has been demonstrated using a field study.     

多孔介质非饱和导水率预测的分形模型

多孔介质非饱和导水率是地下水污染预测与评价的重要参数。根据分形几何的基本原理和方法,推导出了与Campbell经验公式在形式上完全一致的多孔介质非饱和导水率的预测公式。公式中的幂指数为介质孔隙分维和随机行走分维的函数,分别体现了多孔介质的静态性质与动态性质对其中水分运动的影响,但静态性质的影响是主要的,即导水率主要受多孔介质的结构控制。根据文献中报道的大量数据,利用笔者推导的预测公式计算得到的幂指数的统计值与试验测定的幂指数的统计值基本一致,说明推导的理论公式预测多孔介质非饱和导水率是较为可靠的。     

The hydraulic conductivity field and groundwater flow in the unconfined aquifer system of the Keta Strip,Ghana

This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity field and the groundwater flow pattern as predicted by a calibrated steady state groundwater flow model for the Keta Strip, southeastern Ghana. The hydraulic conductivity field is an important parameter in evaluating aquifer properties in space, and in general basin-wide groundwater resources evaluation and management. This study finds that the general hydraulic conductivity of the unconsolidated unconfined aquifer system of the Keta Strip ranges between 2 m/d and 20 m/d, with an average of 15 m/d. The spatial variation in horizontal hydraulic conductivity appears to take the trend in the variations in the nature of the material in space. Calibrated groundwater recharge suggests that 6.9–34% of annual precipitation recharges the shallow aquifer system. This amount of recharge is significant and suggests high fortunes in terms of groundwater resources development for agriculture and industrial activities in the area. A spatial distribution of groundwater recharge from precipitation is presented in this study. The spatial pattern appears to take the form of the distribution in horizontal hydraulic conductivity, and suggests that the vertical hydraulic conductivity takes the same pattern of spatial variation as the horizontal hydraulic conductivity. This is consistent with observations in other areas. The resulting groundwater flow is dominated by local flow systems as the unconfined system is quite shallow. A general northeast – southwest flow pattern has been observed in the study area.     

Estimation of statistical parameters for censored lognormal hydraulic conductivity measurements

Field tests of hydraulic conductivity (e.g., injection test, pumping test, etc.) in low permeability formations are subject to censoring due to the detection limit of the instruments used. An iterative method of estimating the mean and variance of hydraulic conductivity data with a presumed log-normal distribution function is presented. This method accounts for the data that are actually below the lower detection limit (called truncated data) and thus gives distribution parameters that are more representative for the underlying distribution. The proposed method is then tested on two simulated normally distributed random datasets having different variances. The results show that the means and variances estimated by the proposed method are very accurate. Finally, the method is used to estimate the mean and variance of hydraulic conductivity data from single hole water injection tests in a fractured geological formation.     

Inverse modelling of groundwater flow around a large-scale underground cavern system considering the excavation-induced hydraulic conductivity variation

This study proposed an inverse modelling procedure for evaluating the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity and its variation induced by excavation in fractured rocks by integrating a strain-dependent hydraulic conductivity model. The time-series measurements of both hydraulic head and discharge were used to construct the objective function for improving the reliability, which was solved with a combined method of orthogonal design, transient groundwater flow modelling, artificial neural network and genetic algorithm-based optimization for reducing the computational cost. The proposed methodology proves its effectiveness by successful inverse modelling of the groundwater flow around the underground caverns at the Jinping-I Hydropower Station.     

Analysis of flow behavior in a landfill with cover soil of low hydraulic conductivity

 This paper presents the results of field tests of hydrologic parameters in a landfill and the results of numerical simulation to find the efficiency of the pumping method to reduce leachate levels in the landfill. The field hydraulic conductivity and storativity of waste and buried cover soils in the landfill are measured by pumping and slug tests. The hydrologic condition inside the landfill is first calibrated using the drawdown-time curve obtained from the pumping test, and the flow behavior of leachate during pumping in the landfill, when various layers of waste and buried cover soil exist, is analyzed through three-dimensional numerical simulation of flow. The results of the field investigation show that the buried cover soil of low hydraulic conductivity forms an impermeable layer preventing the downward flow of leachate and upward flow of landfill gas. The hydraulic conductivities of the pumping test and slug tests were quite close on the same order of magnitude. It was also possible to match the drawdown-time data of the field tests with those of the model using input data close to the hydrologic property obtained from the field tests. The numerical flow analysis showed that pumping was possible up to 120 tons/day for a single well without a drain, while the pumping rate could be increased to 300 tons/day for the same well with the drain. From the vertical section of the flow vector with a horizontal drain, the barrier role of buried cover soil is identified, which was proposed by examining the water contents of the disposed cover soil and waste in the field. Received: 15 May 1998 · Accepted: 4 January 1999     

利用ERT数据推求非均质多孔介质渗透系数初探

高密度电阻率成像法（ERT）能通过改变间距来对不同尺度上的地质体特征进行描述，近年来广泛地应用于地质、工程等领域。本文从电流场和渗流场的相似性出发来研究电阻率和渗透系数之间的关系，简要介绍了利用ERT技术所得的电阻率数据推求渗透系数的基本原理，并利用张家港大新和塘桥两处的ERT测量数据推求出渗透系数。与两地抽水试验结果和岩性取样分析的结果分别进行对比，结果较为吻合。     

The log-normal distribution for hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays: Two or three parameters?

Risk and uncertainty assessments for waste containment systems employing clay barriers often include spatial variability in the hydraulic conductivity as part of the analysis. The two-parameter log-normal distribution is often used to describe the spatial variability, but for compacted clays the three-parameter form can be more appropriate. A statistical hypothesis test was developed that can be used to determine if the two- or three-parameter form of the log-normal distribution is more appropriate. The test is based on a likelihood ratio, comparing likelihood functions for the two- and three-parameter forms at their maximums. Likelihood functions are used assuming that a data set can be segregated into a set of distinct groups of hydraulic conductivities. A step-by-step calculation procedure is described and the test is applied to data collected from 45 sites.