A Space-based Geofluids Observatory for New Mexico
Abstract
Arid regions depend on sustainable management and use of their groundwater resources and an in-depth understanding of their aquifers, generally monitored at monitoring wells. Similarly limited to point measurements are hydrocarbon production and brine byproduct reinjections.
Such point measurements result in significant interpolation, often extrapolation in light of poorly constrained geologic data, to assess reservoir storage capacities and structural heterogeneities. Space geodetic observations can quantify the deformation of the surface due to gefluid dynamics induced by, for instance, groundwater pumping and aquifer recovery, manifesting in pore pressure changes and mass redistributions. A promising approach for future studies to quantify geofluid dynamics is a combination of InSAR and GRACE, which leverages freely available data and global coverage. Due to its relatively low tectonic activity, and sparse vegetation, New Mexico presents an ideal test ground for a project to characterize irrigation pumping, hydrocarbon production, brine reinjection and magma transport via subsurface mass and volume change estimations derived from InSAR and GRACE integration. We present an initial state-wide deformation map and inventory derived from Sentinel 1A/B time series analysis, showing spatial clustering of aquifer, brine reinjection, and mining activities.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.H12D..02G
- Keywords:
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- 1829 Groundwater hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1835 Hydrogeophysics;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1865 Soils;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1899 General or miscellaneous;
- HYDROLOGY