Fine Characterization of the Effects of Aquifer Heterogeneity on Solute Transport: A Numerical Sandbox Experiment
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Numerical Sandbox Construction
2.2. Pumping Tests
2.3. Methods
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Equivalent Homogeneous Conceptual Model
3.2. Heterogeneity Characterization by Kriging
3.3. Heterogeneity Characterization by HT
3.4. Tracer Test
3.4.1. Comparison of Concentration Contours in the Reference Field and the Estimated Field
3.4.2. Mass Conservation of Solute Concentration
3.4.3. Route of Solute Mean Position
4. Conclusions
- As the number of pumping cycles increases, the accuracy of the inversely obtained K field is improved, although this improvement is no longer significant after the 6th pumping test. For specific regional hydrogeological studies, we can use a sufficient number of pumping cycles during a field experiment and determine the number of pumping cycles beyond which the effect of this number is no longer significant, thus providing a reference for determining the number of pumping cycles needed for different hydrogeological points of the same region.
- Incorporation of multilevel a priori geological information improves the accuracy in the estimated K field. When small-level heterogeneity is considered, the accuracy in the characterization of the K field heterogeneity of the aquifer inversely obtained by HT is generally higher than that by kriging.
- The HT-derived optimal estimated K field is able to not only fit head signals very well but also more accurately predict solute transport, suggesting that fine characterization of aquifer heterogeneity is of great importance to the prediction of solute transport.
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Time Point (s) | Concentration of Reference Field (mg/mL) Multiplied by Time (s) | Concentration of Estimated Field (mg/mL) Multiplied by Time (s) |
---|---|---|
10 | 12,617.05 | 12,348.89 |
70 | 13,389.39 | 13,184.79 |
100 | 13,530.88 | 13,437.63 |
270 | 13,965.98 | 14,346.23 |
500 | 14,235.86 | 14,513.34 |
700 | 14,176.88 | 14,257.88 |
1000 | 14,047.74 | 14,160.73 |
2000 | 14,030.94 | 14,016.92 |
3000 | 13,845.20 | 13,828.36 |
5000 | 12,698.78 | 12,609.27 |
6000 | 11,431.97 | 11,283.76 |
Time (s) | Displacement of Reference Field (cm) | Velocity of Reference Field (cm/s) | Displacement of Estimated Field (cm) | Velocity of Reference Field (cm/s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 0.23 | 0.0227 | 0.48 | 0.0478 |
70 | 2.35 | 0.0310 | 3.38 | 0.0385 |
100 | 3.14 | 0.0263 | 4.25 | 0.0289 |
270 | 6.36 | 0.0175 | 7.75 | 0.0191 |
500 | 9.27 | 0.0118 | 10.58 | 0.0113 |
700 | 11.28 | 0.0101 | 12.53 | 0.0097 |
1000 | 14.03 | 0.0089 | 15.37 | 0.0094 |
2000 | 23.48 | 0.0094 | 25.34 | 0.0099 |
3000 | 34.48 | 0.0110 | 36.86 | 0.0115 |
5000 | 51.35 | 0.0070 | 53.18 | 0.0064 |
6000 | 56.03 | 0.0047 | 57.00 | 0.0038 |
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Zhang, Y.; Wu, C.; Hu, B.X.; Yeh, T.-C.J.; Hao, Y.; Lv, W. Fine Characterization of the Effects of Aquifer Heterogeneity on Solute Transport: A Numerical Sandbox Experiment. Water 2019, 11, 2295. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112295
Zhang Y, Wu C, Hu BX, Yeh T-CJ, Hao Y, Lv W. Fine Characterization of the Effects of Aquifer Heterogeneity on Solute Transport: A Numerical Sandbox Experiment. Water. 2019; 11(11):2295. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112295
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhang, Yuefen, Chuanhao Wu, Bill X. Hu, Tian-Chyi Jim Yeh, Yimin Hao, and Wenhan Lv. 2019. "Fine Characterization of the Effects of Aquifer Heterogeneity on Solute Transport: A Numerical Sandbox Experiment" Water 11, no. 11: 2295. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112295