Integral characterization of groundwater systems honoring connectivity metrics
Abstract
We present a method for the stochastic characterization of groundwater systems honoring data from three types of information: (a) point-to-point transport connectivity metrics estimated from field tracer tests; (b) estimates of flow connectivity metrics obtained from the relatively fast or slow flow response that is observed at a point location given the flow impulse at another location; and (c) measurements of transmissivity at a local scale. The method thus efficiently integrates data obtained from different hydraulic tests, each one sampling different areas within the aquifer. To achieve this, we first extend the concept of point-to-point flow connectivity and transport connectivity, mathematically formulated by trinchero et al. (2008) for pumping conditions, to support a more general flow configuration. Interestingly, point-to-point flow connectivity can be generally seen as a weighted integral of transmissivity over the entire domain, the weighting function being proportional to the sensitivity of heads with respect to the natural log of transmissivity per unit of aquifer volume. On the contrary, point-to-point transport connectivity is a weighted integral along the particle path of the solute mass that involves two variables: transmissivity and flow onnectivity. Each variable has its own distinct weighting function. The weighting function of transmissivity is inversely proportional to both the homogeneous travel time and the point velocity sampled along the travel path. Based on this, we show how to generate conditional transmissivity and connectivity maps. An example of the method is provided to evaluate the worth of including connectivity data during the characterization of groundwater systems.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AGUFM.H11K..03F
- Keywords:
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- 1829 HYDROLOGY / Groundwater hydrology;
- 1869 HYDROLOGY / Stochastic hydrology;
- 1873 HYDROLOGY / Uncertainty assessment