Estimation of hydraulic conductivity and porosity of a heterogeneous porous aquifer by combining transition probability geostatistical simulation, geophysical survey, and pumping test data

Vahab Amiri (), Nassim Sohrabi (), Peiyue Li () and Saurabh Shukla ()
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Vahab Amiri: Yazd University
Nassim Sohrabi: Yazd Regional Water Authority
Peiyue Li: Chang’an University
Saurabh Shukla: Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2023, vol. 25, issue 8, No 14, 7713-7736

Abstract: Abstract As the first attempt in Iran, the combination of electrical resistivity measurement of groundwater and aquifer matrix with pumping tests and stochastic modeling of hydrofacies was used to estimate hydraulic conductivity (K) and porosity (φ). The stochastic simulation of stratigraphy using transition probability geostatistical simulation (T-PROGS) program shows that this aquifer is mainly composed of three dominant facies including fine sand, medium-coarse sand, and silt-clay. Fine sand has the highest volume proportion (42%) compared to the other two facies. The simulation results show that this alluvial medium shows great heterogeneity as well as anisotropy, which has led to many changes in the values of φ and K. This probabilistic model provided the particle sizes concerning the facies distribution, and these values were then used to calculate K. The average K measured in 54 pumping tests (about 10 m/day) was used as a criterion for inversely determining the optimal values of Archie's equation parameters (i.e., electrical tortuosity (α) and cementation factor (m)), which were 0.6 and 1.4, respectively. Calculations using the Kozeny–Carman–Bear (KCB) equation show that the minimum, maximum and average K values at 180 points are about 0.1, 91, and 10.6 m/day, respectively. Also, the porosity varies between 0.1 and 0.59 (with an average of 0.28). The Voronoi entropy map shows that the lowest amount of K entropy is found in the northern half of this area and the highest entropy is found in the northern coastal parts, a small part in the south as well as the northwest of the region. The proportion of the two medium and high entropy classes is higher than the other three classes, indicating significant changes in calculated K due to the heterogeneity of the porous medium.

Keywords: Hydraulic conductivity; Porosity; Electrical resistivity; Pumping tests; Stochastic simulation of stratigraphy; Kozeny–Carman–Bear (KCB) equation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02368-6

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