识别地下水超采区井水位异常性质的理论与方法

长期过量开采地下水,使地下水位持续下降、水质发生变化,动水位观测井断流;地面沉降造成井管上窜,观测管路系统被损坏等,这些现象对地震地下流体观测地震前兆异常的正确判断带来很大困难。应用水文地质理论与方法,分析含水层的水均衡状态、应力-应变状态及其与水位动态的关系,初步探讨了超采区井水位异常性质的理论与方法。结果表明,根据井孔所在区水位下降漏斗的扩散特征,结合以上所提到的理论和方法,依据资料多年变化特征,可以较准确地判断异常的性质。研究结果有助于区分单一集中抽水与长期地下水超采对水位观测的影响,有助于正确识别超采区水位前兆异常,有助于地震分析预报水平的提高     

滇南地区近期水位趋势上升异常机理初探

2014年以来,滇南地区高大、开远和易门3口井的井水位出现趋势上升现象。通过开展井孔周边地下水开采情况的调查、降水影响的定量排除、井孔含水层系统应力状态的定量计算、周边区域构造活动的分析以及井孔水体化学组分的分析等工作,认为易门井的水位年动态主要受控于降水,2003年以来的趋势下降和2014年的趋势转折上升与大椿树工业园区的深井开挖抽水密切相关;高大井和开远井的井水位自2014年以来的趋势转折上升现象不完全受控于降水,但与周边地下水的开采亦无直接联系,可能与近几年该区域南北向强挤压为主的构造活动有关。      

The Effects of Fault-Zone Cementation on Groundwater Flow at the Field Scale

Fault zones are an important control on fluid flow, affecting groundwater supply, contaminant migration, and carbon storage. However, most models of fault seal do not consider fault zone cementation, despite the recognition that it is common and can dramatically reduce permeability. In order to study the field-scale hydrogeologic effects of fault zone cementation, we conducted a series of aquifer pumping tests in wells installed within tens of meters of the variably cemented Loma Blanca Fault, a normal fault in the Rio Grande Rift. In the southern half of the study area, the fault zone is cemented by calcite; the cemented zone is 2-8 m wide. In the center of the study area, the cemented fault zone is truncated at a buttress unconformity that laterally separates hydrostratigraphic units with a ∼40X difference in permeability. The fault zone north of the unconformity is not cemented. Constant rate pumping tests indicate that where the fault is cemented, it is a barrier to groundwater flow. This is an important demonstration that a fault with no clay in its core and similar sediment on both sides can be a barrier to groundwater flow by virtue of its cementation; most conceptual models for the hydrogeology of faults would predict that it would not be a barrier to groundwater flow. Additionally, the lateral permeability heterogeneity across the unconformity imposes another important control on the local flow field. This permeability discontinuity acts as either a no-flow boundary or a constant head boundary, depending on the location of pumping.     

Sustainable Yield of a Hydrothermal Area: From Theoretical Concepts to the Practical Approach

Sustainable use of groundwater in the hydrothermal area of Viterbo (Central Italy) was analyzed. In this area, multipurposes utilization of groundwater coexists: several thermal springs and wells supply spas and public pools, cold and fresh water is used for irrigation and drinking-water. Starting from theoretical concepts, a management plan has been developed to ensure groundwater sustainability in response to the increased demand of withdrawal from thermal wells, by integrating previous hydrogeological studies, new investigations and a new finite-difference model. The most stringent constraints considered are: to maintain the quality of thermal and fresh waters, to limit the effects on the hydraulic equilibrium existing between overlapping aquifers, to ensure a significant flow to the natural thermal springs and the quality and flow rate of the spring used for drinking purposes. The practical approach included identification of the maximum pumping rate from the wells of the spas, analysis of the response time of the system under development and drafting of a safeguard and monitoring plan. The case examined takes into account the complexity of the task in defining practical measures for groundwater management on the basis of theoretical concepts of its sustainable use. A participative approach among the different water decision-makers and adaptive management in the use of groundwater resources with different quality represent the key points to overcome conflicts between different users, with the awareness of the ineludible uncertainties of the hydrogeological model.     

Impacts of Seasonal Pumping on Stream‐Aquifer Interactions in Miryang,Korea

Large agricultural fields in South Korea are located mostly on alluvial plains, where a significant amount of groundwater is used for heating of water‐curtain insulated greenhouses. Such greenhouses are commonly used for crop cultivation during the winter dry season from November to March. After use the groundwater is discharged directly into streams, causing groundwater depletion. A hydrogeological study was carried out in a typical agricultural area of this type, located on an alluvial aquifer near the Nakdong River. Groundwater levels, chemical characteristics, and temperatures from 68 observation wells were analyzed to determine the impacts of seasonal groundwater pumping on the groundwater system and stream‐aquifer interactions. Our results show that the groundwater system has not yet reached a state of dynamic equilibrium. Decades of excessive seasonal pumping have caused a gradual decline of groundwater levels, leading to groundwater depletion, especially in areas further from the river. Seasonal pumping has also significantly affected groundwater quality in the aquifer near the river. Groundwater temperature is decreasing (in this case a disadvantage), and saline groundwater is being diluted by induced recharge. The results of this study provide a basic outline for effective integrated water management that is widely applicable in South Korea.     

Co-Seismic Groundwater Level Changes Induced by the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake in the Near Field

The large scales of co-seismic water level changes in mainland China were observed in response to the tragic 2008 Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake. To better understand the mechanism of these hydrogeological phenomena, groundwater-level data at 17 confined wells, with an epicentral distance of <500 km, were collected. We compare the static strain predicted by dislocation theory with the volumetric strain calculated by the tide effect of the groundwater based on poroelastic theory. The results show that the sign of the co-seismic groundwater level change is consistent with the sign predicted by dislocation theory. Additionally, the magnitude of the strain calculated by the two methods is also concordant in half of the wells. In the rest of the wells, the strains inversed from the groundwater level are one or two orders of magnitude larger than the fault dislocation model. These wells mostly have an epicenter distance larger than 300 km; therefore, the dynamic stress induced by the seismic wave may be responsible for the co-seismic water level changes in these wells. According to these results, we roughly estimate that the effect range of the static stress is approximately 300 km for the Wenchuan earthquake, and the dynamic stresses dominate beyond this epicenter distance. In addition, geological and hydrogeological conditions and other mechanisms may be responsible for these changes.     

鲁豫交界地区深井水位持续大幅度下降原因分析

鲁豫交界地区豫01、11井和鲁27井等3口地震观测深井的水位于2006年后出现了准同步的异常下降变化,下降幅度3 ～12m不等.经调查落实,发现该地区近年来地热开采活动日益增强,开采量逐年增大,并且开采层与异常井水位观测层同属于奥陶系热储层.为此,本文依据聊城-兰考断裂带附近区域的水文地质构造特征,建立了三维地下水流动模型,基于周边地热开采量数据和相关含水层参数,运用有限差分方法计算了地热开采所引起的区域水位降落漏斗,并分析了水位下降异常的时间演化和空间分布特征.结果显示,聊城-兰考断裂带附近区域自1995年开始地热开采活动以来,其逐年增加的地热开采量与地震观测井水位的下降幅度之间存在较好的对应关系,分析认为鲁豫交界地区3口深井水位的准同步异常下降与周边地热开采活动有关.     

首都圈地区前兆台址地质条件对其映震能力影响的统计分析

本文系统收集了首都圈地区38个形变类观测台、29个地下水类观测井与15个电磁类观测台的地质—水文地质条件,并根据1976—1989年间5个中强地震前的58个台项的异常,逐项统计分析了台址地质—水文地质条件对其映震能力的影响。得到的认识是,影响地形变类台站映震能力的主要地质条件是构造单元、邻近断裂的走向、距离、活动时代与台基地层岩性;影响地下水类观测井映震能力的主要条件是构造单元、邻近断裂的走向、距离、部位、井深、含水层的地层岩性与地下水类型;影响地电磁类台站映震能力的主要条件是构造单元、新生界盖层的结构与厚度、表土岩性、基底岩性与壳内高导层顶面埋深等。     

Modeling a Large-Scale Historic Aquifer Test: Insight into the Hydrogeology of a Regional Fault Zone

Faults can act as flow barriers or conduits to groundwater flow by introducing heterogeneity in permeability. We examine the hydrogeology of the Sandwich Fault Zone, a 137 km long zone of high-angle faults in northern Illinois, using a large-scale historic aquifer test. The fault zone is poorly understood at depth due to the majority of the faults being buried by glacial deposits and its near-vertical orientation which limits geologic sampling across faults. The aquifer test—perhaps one of the largest in terms of overall withdrawal in North American history—was conducted in 1942 at a facility adjacent to the fault zone. More than 34,000 m³/day was pumped for 37 days from nine multiaquifer wells open to the stratified Cambrian-Ordovician sandstone aquifer system. We modeled the aquifer test using a transient MODFLOW-USG model and simulated pumping wells with the CLN package. We tested numerous fault core/damage zone conceptualizations and calibrated to drawdown values recorded at production and observation wells. Our analysis indicates that the fault zone is a low-permeability feature that inhibits lateral movement of groundwater and that there is at least an order of magnitude decrease in horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the fault core compared to the undeformed sandstone. Large head declines have occurred north of the fault zone (over 300 m since predevelopment conditions) and modifying fault zone parameters significantly affects calibration to regional drawdown on a decadal scale. The flow-barrier behavior of the fault zone has important implications for future groundwater availability in this highly stressed region.     

Multivariate approaches optimize locations of groundwater pumping facilities for different hydrogeological scales

A number of optimization approaches regarding the design location of groundwater pumping facilities in heterogeneous porous media have elicited little discussion. However, the location of groundwater pumping facilities is an important factor because it affects water resource usage. This study applies two optimization approaches to estimate the best recharge zone and suitable locations of the pumping facilities in southwestern Taiwan for different hydrogeological scales. First, for the regional scale, this study employs numerical modelling, MODFLOW‐96, to simulate groundwater direction and the optimal recharge zone in the study area. Based on the model's calibration and verification results, this study preliminarily utilizes the simulated spatial direction of groundwater and compares the safe yield for each well group in order to determine the best recharge zone. Additionally, for the local scale, the micro‐hydrogeological characteristics are considered before determining the design locations of the pumping facilities. According to drawdown record data from six observation wells derived from pumping tests at the best recharge area, this study further utilizes the modified artificial neural network approach to improve the accuracy of the estimation parameters as well as to analyse the direction and anisotropy of the hydraulic conductivities of an equivalent homogeneous aquifer. The results suggested that the best locations for the pumping facilities are along the more permeable major direction. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of an aquifer system in the Upper Palar Basin: a case study

Hydrodynamics of the groundwater flow regime in hard rock regions, and its quantification, are not yet fully understood. This is mainly a result of several uncertainties involved in quantifying the hydrogeological parameters. Numerical techniques are potential tools in interpreting hydrogeological parameters in hard rock regions. Such a study was carried out in the Palar River Basin, Tamilnadu (India), where pumping tests carried out on large diameter wells were interpreted using a numerical technique. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lithological control of land subsidence induced by groundwater withdrawal in new urban AREAS (Granada Basin,SE Spain). Multiband DInSAR monitoring

Ground subsidence in the southeastern border of the Granada Basin (SE Spain) has been studied using remote sensing techniques. Over the last decades, the region has experienced a huge urban expansion, which has caused a substantial increase in water supply requirements. Water needs are exclusively met by groundwater by means of numerous pumping wells, which exploit a confined detrital aquifer of alluvial fan deposits with a heterogeneous facies distribution. A general piezometric level decline (up to 50 m) has been recorded in the aquifer during the past 30 years that has induced the generation of a subsiding area with oval shape oriented WNW‐ESE just where the new urban areas and pumping wells are located. Subsidence has been monitored by exploiting synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from ENVISAT (2003–2009) and Cosmo‐SkyMed (2011–2014). A new approach, which combines A‐DInSAR and small‐area persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) analysis, has been applied obtaining a good accuracy regarding temporal and spatial dimension of the subsidence. ENVISAT data (2003–2009) reveal subsidence rates up to 10–15 mm/year, and Cosmo‐SkyMed (2011–2014) values slightly lower; up to 10 mm/year. Temporal variations in the subsidence velocity are in accordance with the rainfall pattern and piezometric fluctuations in the aquifer. The sector with highest rates of subsidence does not correspond to the area with more intense groundwater exploitation but to the area with greater presence of clays in the confining layer of the aquifer. There is a clear lithological control in the spatial distribution of the ground subsidence. This work integrates detailed geological and hydrogeological data with differential SAR interferometry monitoring with the aim to better understand subsidence processes in detrital aquifers with small‐scale heterogeneity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time series decomposition of groundwater level changes in wells due to the Chi‐Chi earthquake in Taiwan: a possible hydrological precursor to earthquakes

The largest and most disastrous earthquake in Taiwan (Mw: 7·3) in the 20th century, the Chi‐Chi earthquake, hit central Taiwan at 01:47 local time on September 21, 1999. The groundwater level changes were rapid at that time. Studies have found that the rapid change in groundwater levels was a co‐seismic phenomenon. This work analyzes the possibility that the abnormal change in groundwater levels may have occurred before the earthquake. Three well stations with a total of five wells are considered. They are all near the Che‐Lung‐Pu fault, which caused the Chi‐Chi earthquake. The time series decomposition method was applied to decompose the seasonal groundwater level, the trend in groundwater levels, and the period of the change in the groundwater level. Residual groundwater levels were found by subtracting the determined seasonal, trend and period data from corresponding data for the original groundwater level. The computed residual water levels in July, August and September of 1999, were transformed into a frequency spectrum by a Fourier method. Additionally, the effects of barometric pressures on the groundwater level changes were also evaluated. Analytical results show that the spectral density functions of the irregular groundwater level in the confined aquifer at the Chu‐Shan well in September behaved differently from those in July and August. We posit that a pre‐seismic hydrogeological anomaly may have existed before the Chi‐Chi earthquake, and can be considered in future studies of anomalies associated with earthquakes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater modelling and marine intrusion in the semi‐arid systems (Cap‐Bon,Tunisia)

This article studies the effect of drought and pumping discharge on groundwater supplies and marine intrusion in the Korba aquifer (Cap‐Bon peninsula, Tunisia). The Groundwater Modelling System has been used to model the groundwater flow and to simulate the seawater intrusion. The calibration is based on the groundwater levels in the steady state from 1963, and in the transient state from the groundwater levels from 1963 to 2005. The main objective is to quantify the components of the groundwater mass balance and to estimate the hydraulic conductivity distribution. The impact of pumping discharge on the groundwater level evolution has been examined by two pumping scenarios P1 (no. 8420) and P2 (no. 8862) wells. The hydrodynamic modelling shows the increasing drawdowns after 14 years of pumping: 4 m in P1 well and about 5 m in P2 well below sea level. The drawdowns are accompanied by the inverse hydraulic gradient. The numerical model was used to discuss the management of the groundwater resources of Cap‐Bon. As the population continues to grow and the demand for groundwater pumping intensifies beyond the 1963 level, it can be expected that the actual extent of seawater intrusion in the future would be more severe than the model prediction. Better strategies for groundwater development and management will be necessary to protect the freshwater aquifers to the marine intrusion. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeological Investigation of Hydrocarbon Contamination of Ground Water in Albolote (Granada, Spain)

In July 1988, hydrocarbons were detected in wells in the urban area of Albolote, near Granada, Spain, near the border of the "Vega de Granada" alluvial aquifer. According to available hydrogeological data, the contamination was attributed to leaks in the underground pipelines of a nearby (300m) industrial factory, where the loss of 40,000 to 50,000 liters of gasoline had been detected some weeks before. A complete hydrogeological investigation was then undertaken, involving, among other techniques: (a) an inventory of the existing wells in the area; (b) the preparation of piezometric maps; (c) the application of electrical geophysical methods; (d) the drilling of piezometers and new pumping wells between the urbanized area and the leak point; (e) the improvement of the pluviometric and piezometric control by the installation of a pluviograph and several limnigraphs; (f) the sampling, initially daily and finally weekly, in a 20-well observation network, also used for piezometric control; and (g) the geostatistical study of the analytical data. The contamination plume, extended in the direction of the flow lines, has a length of 500m and a width of less than 50m, and appears to have occurred mainly in a paleochannel. Hydrocarbons (1600 liters) were recovered by pumping and by using absorbent blankets, as well as by a gas and liquid suction method. Hydrocarbon concentrations have continuously decreased. However, sporadic increases, associated with rainfall, have been observed suggesting the presence of retained hydrocarbons in the unsaturated zone. The rate of decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations has currently slowed, particularly in the less affected zone. As a means of activating the cleaning up of the unsaturated zone, an artificial recharging method has been designed.     

Optimal design of pumping tests in leaky aquifers for stream depletion analysis

We analyze the optimal design of a pumping test for estimating hydrogeologic parameters that are subsequently used to predict stream depletion caused by groundwater pumping in a leaky aquifer. A global optimization method is used to identify the test’s optimal duration and the number and locations of observation wells. The objective is to minimize predictive uncertainty (variance) of the estimated stream depletion, which depends on the sensitivities of depletion and drawdown to relevant hydrogeologic parameters. The sensitivities are computed analytically from the solutions of Zlotnik and Tartakovsky [Zlotnik, V.A., Tartakovsky, D.M., 2008. Stream depletion by groundwater pumping in leaky aquifers. ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering 13, 43–50] and the results are presented in a dimensionless form, facilitating their use for planning of pumping test at a variety of sites with similar hydrogeological settings. We show that stream depletion is generally very sensitive to aquitard’s leakage coefficient and stream-bed’s conductance. The optimal number of observation wells is two, their optimal locations are one close to the stream and the other close to the pumping well. We also provide guidelines on the test’s optimal duration and demonstrate that under certain conditions estimation of aquitard’s leakage coefficient and stream-bed’s conductance requires unrealistic test duration and/or signal-to-noise ratio.     

Capture Versus Capture Zones: Clarifying Terminology Related to Sources of Water to Wells

The term capture, related to the source of water derived from wells, has been used in two distinct yet related contexts by the hydrologic community. The first is a water‐budget context, in which capture refers to decreases in the rates of groundwater outflow and (or) increases in the rates of recharge along head‐dependent boundaries of an aquifer in response to pumping. The second is a transport context, in which capture zone refers to the specific flowpaths that define the three‐dimensional, volumetric portion of a groundwater flow field that discharges to a well. A closely related issue that has become associated with the source of water to wells is streamflow depletion, which refers to the reduction in streamflow caused by pumping, and is a type of capture. Rates of capture and streamflow depletion are calculated by use of water‐budget analyses, most often with groundwater‐flow models. Transport models, particularly particle‐tracking methods, are used to determine capture zones to wells. In general, however, transport methods are not useful for quantifying actual or potential streamflow depletion or other types of capture along aquifer boundaries. To clarify the sometimes subtle differences among these terms, we describe the processes and relations among capture, capture zones, and streamflow depletion, and provide proposed terminology to distinguish among them.     

Identification of Pumping Influences in Long‐Term Water Level Fluctuations

Identification of the pumping influences at monitoring wells caused by spatially and temporally variable water supply pumping can be a challenging, yet an important hydrogeological task. The information that can be obtained can be critical for conceptualization of the hydrogeological conditions and indications of the zone of influence of the individual pumping wells. However, the pumping influences are often intermittent and small in magnitude with variable production rates from multiple pumping wells. While these difficulties may support an inclination to abandon the existing dataset and conduct a dedicated cross‐hole pumping test, that option can be challenging and expensive to coordinate and execute. This paper presents a method that utilizes a simple analytical modeling approach for analysis of a long‐term water level record utilizing an inverse modeling approach. The methodology allows the identification of pumping wells influencing the water level fluctuations. Thus, the analysis provides an efficient and cost‐effective alternative to designed and coordinated cross‐hole pumping tests. We apply this method on a dataset from the Los Alamos National Laboratory site. Our analysis also provides (1) an evaluation of the information content of the transient water level data; (2) indications of potential structures of the aquifer heterogeneity inhibiting or promoting pressure propagation; and (3) guidance for the development of more complicated models requiring detailed specification of the aquifer heterogeneity.     

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.     

Model-aided design and optimization of artificial recharge-pumping systems

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for the design and optimization of artificial recharge-pumping systems (ARPS). The objective of ARPS is to provide a maximum abstraction rate through artificial recharge, while meeting two operational constraints: (a) the influences of the system operation on groundwater levels should be no more than 25 mm in the vicinity of the system; and (b) the travel time of the infiltrated water from the recharge pond to the pumping wells should be more than 60 days. The combined use of a 3-dimensional generic groundwater simulation model with particle tracking analyses has identified the two best ARPS systems: the circular pond system and the island system. By coupling the simulation model with linear and mixed integer programming optimization, the optimal pumping scheme (number, locations and rates of the pumping wells) has been determined. An unsteady state model has been used to simulate the response of the operation of the two systems under natural seasonal variations. The implementation aspects of the two systems are compared.