Joint Estimation of Hydraulic and Poroelastic Parameters from a Pumping Test

The coupling of hydraulic and poroelastic processes is critical in predicting processes involving the deformation of the geologic medium in response to fluid extraction or injection. Numerical models that consider the coupling of hydraulic and poroelastic processes require the knowledge of relevant parameters for both aquifer and aquitard units. In this study, we jointly estimated hydraulic and poroelastic parameters from pumping test data exhibiting “reverse water level fluctuations,” known as the Noordbergum effect, in aquitards adjacent to a pumped aquifer. The joint estimation was performed by coupling BIOT2, a finite element, two‐dimensional, axisymmetric, groundwater model that considers poroelastic effects with the parameter estimation code PEST. We first tested our approach using a synthetic data set with known parameters. Results of the synthetic case showed that for a simple layered system, it was possible to reproduce accurately both the hydraulic and poroelastic properties for each layer. We next applied the approach to pumping test data collected at the North Campus Research Site (NCRS) on the University of Waterloo (UW) campus. Based on the detailed knowledge of stratigraphy, a five‐layer system was modeled. Parameter estimation was performed by: (1) matching drawdown data individually from each observation port and (2) matching drawdown data from all ports at a single well simultaneously. The estimated hydraulic parameters were compared to those obtained by other means at the site yielding good agreement. However, the estimated shear modulus was higher than the static shear modulus, but was within the range of dynamic shear modulus reported in the literature, potentially suggesting a loading rate effect.     

任意广角波动方程深度偏移参数优化分析

强横向变速和陡倾角介质的成像问题是地震偏移成像的难点。本文在频率-空间域利用有限差分高阶分裂法求解任意广角波动方程实现了地震偏移成像。试验表明,参考速度的选取是影响成像精度的关键因素。脉冲响应测试表明通过优化参数任意广角波动方程能够以较低阶的方程获得较大的偏移角度。Marmousi模型数据叠前深度偏移试验表明,该方法能够适应强横向变速和陡倾角地质结构的成像,参数优化后能够取得更好的成像效果。     

Interpretation of a Pumping Test with Interference from a Neighboring Well

In confined aquifers, the influence of neighboring active wells is often neglected when interpreting a pumping test. This can, however, lead to an erroneous interpretation of the pumping test data. This paper presents simple methods to evaluate the transmissivity (T) and storativity (S) of a confined aquifer under Theis conditions, when an interfering well starts pumping in the neighborhood of the tested well before the beginning of the test. These new methods yield better estimates of the T and especially S values than when the interfering well influence is neglected. They also permit to distinguish between interfering wells and other deviations from the Cooper‐Jacob straight line, such as impermeable boundaries. The new methods were then applied on data obtained from a numerical model. The new methods require knowing the pumping rate of the interfering well and the time elapsed since the pumping started in each well, but contrary to previous methods, they do not require the aquifer natural level at the beginning of the test, which is often unknown if the interfering well has started pumping before the tested well.     

A Type-Curve Method for the Analysis of Pumping Tests with Piecewise-Linear Pumping Rates

Aquifer hydraulic parameters are commonly inferred from constant-rate pumping tests, while variable pumping rates are frequently encountered in actual field conditions. In this study, we propose a generally applicable dimensionless form of the analytical solution for variable-rate pumping tests in confined aquifers. In particular, we adopt a piecewise-linear fitting of variable pumping rates and propose a new type-curve method for estimating the hydraulic conductivity (K ) and specific storage (S_s ) of the investigated confined aquifer. For each test, a series of type curves, which depend on the variable pumping rates, the location of observation wells and the introduced first dimensionless inflection time, need to be provided for matching the observed drawdown data on a log-log graph. We first demonstrate the applicability and robustness of this method through a synthetic pumping test. Subsequently, we apply this method to analyze drawdown data from four pumping tests conducted within a multilayered aquifer/aquitard system in Wuxi city, Jiangsu Province, China. The parameter estimates are then compared with those reported by PEST. The K and S_s values estimated by the new type-curve method are found to be quite close to PEST-based estimates. Parameter estimation results demonstrate the difference in K and S_s values between observation wells. The difference could be attributed to the spatial heterogeneity in K and S_s . A future research topic may focus on the characterization of K and S_s heterogeneity with the currently available drawdown data from variable-rate pumping tests.     

Impact Assessment of Pumping Parameters on Groundwater Bacterial Communities

Groundwater microbial community samples are traditionally collected using pumping techniques optimized for groundwater chemistry assessment, although the impact of groundwater pumping parameters on apparent bacterial community structures (BCSs) is not really known. We therefore studied the impact of pumping lift, flow regime, and tubing material on BCS, which were analyzed by terminal‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP). Ruzicka dissimilarity coefficients were calculated between T‐RFLP profiles to assess disparities between BCS. Variations in pumping lift, flow regime, and tubing material did not affect the apparent BCS in experiments using a homogenous water system under laboratory conditions showing that the conditions within the tube had no detectable effect on BCS. However, pumping groundwater from aquifer monitoring wells at different flow rates in the field revealed a significant impact on the apparent BCS. Water samples collected from fine sediment were the most affected by the pumping flow rate.     

震源深度对基岩地震动参数的影响

基于安徽地区震源深度分布特征,选取典型场点构造不同震源深度分析模型,重点分析了震源深度的变异性对于基岩地震动参数的影响。研究结果表明:随着震源深度增加,基岩峰值加速度及加速度反应谱逐渐减小,且基岩峰值加速度减小幅度呈逐渐减弱的趋势;但水平向加速度反应谱特征周期随着震源深度增大而增大,同时震源深度对不同风险水平下基岩峰值加速度比值也产生一定的影响。     

硬夹层埋深对场地地震动参数的影响

选取某重要工程场地A3钻孔的厚度、剪切波速、密度等实际勘探数据,通过改变硬夹层的埋深,分析硬夹层不同埋深、不同地震时程对场地地震动参数的影响。研究结果表明:在硬夹层厚度不变和模型总厚度不变的情况下,地表水平向的峰值加速度随硬夹层埋深的增大而增大,但增幅逐渐减小;硬夹层埋深到达一定深度时不再影响地表水平峰值加速度;随着硬夹层埋深的增加,整个反应谱的谱值普遍增大。