Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries
Impermeable aquifer boundaries affect the flow of groundwater, transport of contaminants, and the drawdown of water levels in response to pumping. Hydraulic methods can detect the presence of such boundaries, but these methods are not suited for mapping complex, 3D geological bodies. Airborne electr...
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doaj-d4e12a62ef4c4c2abf3fc52f90fba74c2020-11-25T02:35:44ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412018-07-0110897510.3390/w10080975w10080975Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer BoundariesJesse Korus0Conservation and Survey Division, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0996, USAImpermeable aquifer boundaries affect the flow of groundwater, transport of contaminants, and the drawdown of water levels in response to pumping. Hydraulic methods can detect the presence of such boundaries, but these methods are not suited for mapping complex, 3D geological bodies. Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods produce 3D geophysical images of the subsurface at depths relevant to most groundwater investigations. Interpreting a geophysical model requires supporting information, and hydraulic heads offer the most direct means of assessing the hydrostratigraphic function of interpreted geological units. This paper presents three examples of combined hydraulic and AEM analysis of impermeable boundaries in glacial deposits of eastern Nebraska, USA. Impermeable boundaries were detected in a long-term hydrograph from an observation well, a short-duration pumping test, and a water table map. AEM methods, including frequency-domain and time-domain AEM, successfully imaged the impermeable boundaries, providing additional details about the lateral extent of the geological bodies. Hydraulic head analysis can be used to verify the hydrostratigraphic interpretation of AEM, aid in the correlation of boundaries through areas of noisy AEM data, and inform the design of AEM surveys at local to regional scales.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/8/975heterogeneitygroundwatergeophysicshydrogeologyhydraulic barrier |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jesse Korus |
spellingShingle |
Jesse Korus Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries Water heterogeneity groundwater geophysics hydrogeology hydraulic barrier |
author_facet |
Jesse Korus |
author_sort |
Jesse Korus |
title |
Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries |
title_short |
Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries |
title_full |
Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries |
title_fullStr |
Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries |
title_full_unstemmed |
Combining Hydraulic Head Analysis with Airborne Electromagnetics to Detect and Map Impermeable Aquifer Boundaries |
title_sort |
combining hydraulic head analysis with airborne electromagnetics to detect and map impermeable aquifer boundaries |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Water |
issn |
2073-4441 |
publishDate |
2018-07-01 |
description |
Impermeable aquifer boundaries affect the flow of groundwater, transport of contaminants, and the drawdown of water levels in response to pumping. Hydraulic methods can detect the presence of such boundaries, but these methods are not suited for mapping complex, 3D geological bodies. Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods produce 3D geophysical images of the subsurface at depths relevant to most groundwater investigations. Interpreting a geophysical model requires supporting information, and hydraulic heads offer the most direct means of assessing the hydrostratigraphic function of interpreted geological units. This paper presents three examples of combined hydraulic and AEM analysis of impermeable boundaries in glacial deposits of eastern Nebraska, USA. Impermeable boundaries were detected in a long-term hydrograph from an observation well, a short-duration pumping test, and a water table map. AEM methods, including frequency-domain and time-domain AEM, successfully imaged the impermeable boundaries, providing additional details about the lateral extent of the geological bodies. Hydraulic head analysis can be used to verify the hydrostratigraphic interpretation of AEM, aid in the correlation of boundaries through areas of noisy AEM data, and inform the design of AEM surveys at local to regional scales. |
topic |
heterogeneity groundwater geophysics hydrogeology hydraulic barrier |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/8/975 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jessekorus combininghydraulicheadanalysiswithairborneelectromagneticstodetectandmapimpermeableaquiferboundaries |
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