H51B-0609:
Aquifer Characterization of the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site using 3-D Oscillatory Hydraulic Tomography
Friday, 19 December 2014
Tania Bakhos1, Michael A Cardiff2, David L Hochstetler1, Yaoquan Zhou3, Warren Barrash4 and Peter K Kitanidis5, (1)Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, (2)University of Wisconsin-Madison, Geoscience, Madison, WI, United States, (3)University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States, (4)Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States, (5)Stanford University, Los Altos Hills, CA, United States
Abstract:
Hydraulic Tomography is a method of aquifer characterization that estimates hydraulic parameters related to the subsurface, such as hydraulic conductivity and storage, from measurements of hydraulic heads at numerous observation locations during a series of hydrologic tests, commonly pumping tests. Characterizing the subsurface is important for many hydrogeologic projects such as site remediation and groundwater resource exploration. Oscillatory Hydraulic Tomography (OHT) is a method of imaging that uses a tomographic analysis of periodic signals. These signals are generated at distinct locations by oscillatory pumping tests in which fluid is extracted for half a period then re-injected. The transmitted effects of these signals are recorded at observation wells. The resulting measurements can be used to reconstruct the spatial variation of hydraulic parameters by solving a nonlinear inverse problem, which we solve using the geostatistical approach. Oscillatory pumping test data were collected in the summer of 2013 in an extensive field campaign at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site (BHRS), a moderately heterogeneous unconfined aquifer. We present results of OHT applied to the BHRS.
