Title: Optimal solute transport in heterogeneous aquifer: coupled inverse modelling

Authors: Jie Liang, Guangming Zeng, Shenglian Guo, Anlei Wei, Xiaodong Li, Lin Shi, Chunyan Du

Addresses: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China. ' College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China. ' State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Luo Jiashan Street, Wuhan, 430072, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China. ' College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China. ' College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China. ' College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China. ' College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China

Abstract: Characterisation of transmissivity heterogeneity is critical for groundwater flow and solute transport. The heterogeneity of transmissivity is studied through variogram-based techniques. Conventionally, the parameters in variogram are obtained by fitting measurements to a theoretical variogram. However, conditioning to the sampled geological variables neglects the effects of observed concentration data. This paper presents a coupled inverse modelling system conditioning to both types of measurement. The results of a hypothetical two-dimensional steady flow indicated that the description of transmissivity and solute concentration field was improved when both measured transmissivity data and solute concentration data were combined in the coupled inverse modelling system.

Keywords: groundwater flow; transmissivity heterogeneity; inverse modelling; variogram; solute transport; heterogeneous aquifers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.034243

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.42 No.1/2/3, pp.258 - 269

Published online: 30 Jul 2010 *

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