Issues in characterizing heterogeneity and connectivity in non-multiGaussian media

The performances of kriging, stochastic simulations and sequential self-calibration inversion are assessed when characterizing a non-multiGaussian synthetic 2D braided channel aquifer. The comparison is based on a series of criteria such as the reproduction of the original reference transmissivity or head fields, but also in terms of accuracy of flow and transport (capture zone) forecasts when the flow conditions are modified. We observe that the errors remain large even for a dense data network. In addition some unexpected behaviours are observed when large transmissivity datasets are used. In particular, we observe an increase of the bias with the number of transmissivity data and an increasing uncertainty with the number of head data. This is interpreted as a consequence of the use of an inadequate multiGaussian stochastic model that is not able to reproduce the connectivity of the original field.     

Development of groundwater modeling for the Azraq Basin, Jordan

 The three-dimensional groundwater flow model MODFLOW was applied to simulate water level change in the complex multi-aquifer systems (the Upper and Middle Aquifers) of the Azraq basin. The model was calibrated by matching observed and simulated drawdown for steady and transient states over the period 1970–1992. Drawdown data for the period 1993–1997 were used to test the model's ability to predict the response of the aquifers. The model performed well in representing the water level contours of the Upper and Middle Aquifers for steady state calibration. Agreement between the observed and simulated drawdowns was obtained for transient state calibration. To predict the aquifer system responses for the period of 1997–2025, four different pumping schemes (scenarios) have been investigated. The first scenario (present pumping rate) reveals that there will be approximately a 25 m drop in the water level at the well-field area in 2025. However, the worst scenario (pumping rate at 1.5 times the present rate) reveals an approximate 39 m drop in the water level at the well-field area in 2025. The safe yield for the Upper Aquifer System was found to be about 25 million cubic meters (MCM) yearly. Received: 24 June 1999 · Accepted: 30 November 1999     

大尺度流域含水层参数值分布的反演法

大尺度流域的水文地质参数的分布特征是一个困难的研究课题.提出一个新的直接反演法用于推算大流域的含水层参数值的分布.此模型的有效性在日本关东流域的应用得到了验证.     

Geophysical characterization of the León-Chinandega aquifer,Nicaragua

Electrical geophysical surveys in the mode of vertical electrical soundings (VES) and continuous vertical electrical soundings (CVES) were conducted in the León-Chinandega plains, northwestern Nicaragua, in order to obtain detailed information about the geometry of the different hydrogeological layers in the aquifer and depth to the basement. A total of 51 VES were carried out within the plains. The results show a complex structure towards the north east of the area, and the southwestern part of the plains presents a smoother stratification. The geoelectrical measurements and borehole information indicate that the basement topography is characterized by hills and deep valleys with highly variable basement depths. Fifty CVES where done in a smaller area in the center of the plain. The resistivity data yielded considerable information revealing the existence of two main geo-electrical units. The combined interpretation of geological and geophysical data shows an environment typical of sedimentary volcanic coastal plains. The information collected during this investigation provides valuable data for estimating the fresh-water resources of the León-Chinandega aquifer system and for development of a groundwater management plan.     

The effect of aquifer heterogeneity on natural attenuation rate of BTEX

Monitored natural attenuation can be a viable option for remediation of groundwater contamination by BTEX compounds. Under the field conditions, the rate of contaminant mass attenuation through natural processes, such as biodegradation, to a large extent affected by the groundwater flow regime, which is primarily controlled by the aquifer heterogeneity. Numerical simulation techniques were used to describe quantitatively the relationship between biodegradation rate of BTEX and aquifer heterogeneity. Different levels of aquifer heterogeneity were described by random hydraulic conductivity fields (K) having different statistical parameters, the coefficient of variation (CV) and the correlation length (h). The Turning Bands Algorithm was used to generate such K fields. Visual MODFLOW/RT3D was used to simulate the fate and transport of dissolved BTEX plume within heterogeneous aquifers. The multispecies reactive transport approach described BTEX degradation using multiple terminal electron-accepting processes. First-order biodegradation rate constants were calculated from simulated BTEX plumes in heterogeneous flow fields. The results showed that aquifer heterogeneity significantly affected biodegradation rate; it decreased with increasing CV when h was in the range of up to 12 m, whereas it increased with increasing CV when h was greater than about 12 m. For well characterized aquifers, this finding could be of great value in assessing the effectiveness of natural attenuation during feasibility studies at BTEX contaminated sites.     

Characterization of an island aquifer from tidal response

Growing demand for potable water for various needs has lead to indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater resources, particularly, in the terrain where surface water resources are negligible. One such area is an island where groundwater is the only source of fresh water. Groundwater is the prime source of fresh water on most of the atolls in the world. Groundwater on these islands is in the form of thin fragile floating lens and is often vulnerable to overexploitation, draught, tidal waves, tsunami and cyclone resulting in seawater ingress. Sustainable development of this meager source of fresh groundwater for a longer time becomes a more difficult task on small atolls with a large population depending on this vital resource. To develop a sustainable management scheme and identify the vulnerable part of aquifer, characterization of the aquifer system on islands is imperative. Groundwater on an atoll is extremely vulnerable to seawater mixing through natural as well as human activities. One such natural process is the tides of the ocean. The response of sea tide to the water table on the island offers valuable data as well as cost-effective means to characterize an aquifer system. Such characterization is vital for the management of groundwater resources on an atoll. The obtained results have compared well with the parameters obtained through a conventional pumping test. Therefore, the use of tidal response to the water table, which can easily be recorded, provides a rapid and cost-effective means to characterization of the aquifer system on the island.     

Geoelectrical survey over perched aquifers in the northern part of Upper Sakarya River Basin,Türkiye

In this study, a groundwater exploration survey was conducted using the DC Resistivity (DCR) method in a hydrogeological setting containing a perched aquifer. DCR data were gathered and an electrical tomography section was recovered using conventional four-electrode instruments with a Schlumberger array and a two-dimensional (2D) inversion scheme. The proposed scheme was tested over a synthetic three-dimensional (3D) subsurface model before deploying it in a field situation. The proposed method indicated that gathering data with simple four-electrode instruments at stations along a line and 2D inversion of datasets at multiple stations can recover depth intervals of the studied aquifer in the hydrogeological setting even if it has a 3D structure. In this study, 2D inversion of parallel profiles formed a pseudo-3D volume of the subsurface resistivity structures and mapped out multiple resistive (>25 ohm·m) bodies at shallow (between 50–100 m) and deep sections (>150 m). In general, the proposed method is convenient to encounter geological units that have limited vertical and spatial extensions in any direction and presents resistivity contrast from groundwater-bearing geologic materials.     

Numerical evaluation of pumping well transmissivity estimates in laterally heterogeneous formations

Transmissivity estimates derived from non-steady-state, single well, constant discharge, aquifer tests in laterally heterogeneous environments generally are questioned relative to their representativeness of aquifer conditions. Drawdown in pumping wells reflects the removal of water from storage in the aquifer and transient refraction of groundwater path-lines during the evolution of a non-symmetrical cone of depression. Simulations of single-well aquifer tests in aquifers with simple, arbitrary distributions of block heterogeneities suggest that transmissivity (T) values derived by the Cooper–Jacob (1946) method generally reflect volumetric, weighted mean T values of all of the heterogeneities contacted by the cone of depression at a particular time. This finding suggests that early-time drawdown data for single well aquifer tests reflect rapidly changing, volumetric, weighted mean T values proximal to the pumping well while late-time drawdown data reflect stabilized conditions and spatially averaged, volumetric weighted mean T out to a considerable distance from the pumping well.

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Resume Los estimados de transmisividad derivados de estados no estables, pozos individuales, descarga constante, pruebas de acuíferos en ambientes heterogéneos laterales generalmente se cuestionan en cuanto a su representatividad de las conidiones de los acuíferos. La extracción de agua en pozos de bombeo refleja la extracción de agua del depósito en el acuífero y la refracción transitoria de líneas de trayectoria del agua subterránea durante la evolución de un cono no simétrico de depresión. Las simulaciones de pozos individuales, pruebas de acuíferos en acuíferos con distribuciones simples, arbitrarias de heterogeneidades de bloque sugieren que los valores de transmisividad (T) derivados por el método Cooper–Jacob (1946) generalmente reflejan valores medios volumétricos potenciales (weighted) de todas las heterogeneidades en contaco con el cono de la depresión en un momento particular. Este descubrimiento sugiere que los datos de extracción tempranos de pruebas de pozos individuales reflejan valores medios potenciales volumétricos que cambian rápidamente en la proximidad del pozo de bombeo mientras que los valores de extracción tardíos reflejan condiciones estabilizadas y medias potenciales volumétricas a una distancia considerable del pozo de bombeo.

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Resumé Les estimés de transmissivité dérivés dessais de pompage en régime transitoire dans un seul puits contenu dans une formation latéralement hétérogène sont généralement questionable en ce qui concerne la représentativité des conditions de laquifère. Le rabattement dans les puits de pompage reflète lextraction deau provenant de lemmagasinement de laquifère et la réfraction en régime transitoire des lignes découlement durant lévolution dun cone de dépression non symétrique. Des simulations dessai de pompage dans un seul puits contenu dans un domaine avec des blocs hétérogènes distribués arbitrairement suggèrent que les valeurs de transmissivité obtenus avec la méthode dinterprétation de Cooper–Jacob (1946) sont généralement représentatifs du volume moyen pondéré de toutes les hétérogénéités en contact avec le cone de dépression à un temps particulier. Cette découverte suggère que les données de rabattement au début dun essai pour un seul puits reflètent un changement rapide des valeurs moyennes proximales pondérées tandis que le rabattement à un temps tardif reflète les conditions stabilisées et la moyenne spatiale jusquà une distance considérable du puits de pompage.

     

Recognition of the hydrogeological potential using electrical sounding in the Khemisset-Tiflet region,Morocco

The low recharge of reservoirs and the increasing demand for water limit the potential of mobilized resources, especially in arid to semi-arid areas like Morocco. Integrated management is essential to safeguard this resource. In respect with this perspective, this work provides the analysis of hydrogeological potential of Khemisset-Tiflet region, which falls within the action area of the Sebou Hydraulic Basin Agency. The basis of our studies was as follows:(1) The interpretation of the existing geoelectric data;(2) application of geophysical methods for non-destructive reconnaissance and their integration into a Geographic Information System(GIS). The analysis demonstrates that: The map of the isohypses and the geoelectric cross-section of the substratum of the superficial roof aquifer show clearly a plunge associated with development of the Paleozoic roof in the South and the direction of flow of the surface water is from south to north, from the upper zone to the north of the El Kansera dam. These conclusions constitute very useful contribution for any resource management projects in this area.     

Fast modeling of cross-covariances in the LMC: A tool for data integration

Although modeling of cross-covariances by fitting the linear model of coregionalization (LMC) is considered a cumbersome task, cross-covariances are the key for integration of data for multiple attributes in environmental hydrology, aquifer and reservoir characterizations using multivariate geostatistics. This paper proposes a novel method of modeling cross-covariances in the linear model of coregionalization (LMC). The classic minimum/maximum autocorrelation factors (MAF) method is analyzed and found to be a good tool to discriminate the elementary nested structures of directional sample covariance matrices. Thus, separate modeling of the scalar sample covariance for each MAF factor may allow to obtain the complete LMC model for the original attributes after a back rotation of the diagonal model covariance matrix of directional factors. However, such a back rotation is not computable following the classic MAF formulation. This paper introduces an ambi-rotational minimum/maximum autocorrelation factors (AMAF) method that allows a back and forth double rotation of the directional diagonal model covariance matrix for factors. This approach provides a device for modeling of the full matrix of directional covariance and cross-covariance for the original attributes in the LMC without recurring to iterations. In this way, the use of multivariate geostatistics for data integration is allowed avoiding collocated approaches or rotation and modeling of data factor scores. The method is illustrated with an example for covariances for three attributes.