The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study

Understanding groundwater flow involves characterizing the spatial variability of aquifer attributes and possible hydraulic connectivity structures. The latter are of crucial importance because high permeability channels may control groundwater flow and contaminant transport. In evaporitic aquifer s...

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Autores: Trabucchi, Michela|||0000-0003-1198-8184, Fernández García, Daniel|||0000-0002-4667-3003, Carrera Ramírez, Jesús|||0000-0002-8054-4352
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/403547
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/403547
https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030676
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Groundwater flow
Aigües subterrànies -- Escolament
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Hidrologia subterrània
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spelling The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case studyTrabucchi, Michela|||0000-0003-1198-8184Fernández García, Daniel|||0000-0002-4667-3003Carrera Ramírez, Jesús|||0000-0002-8054-4352Groundwater flowAigües subterrànies -- EscolamentÀrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Hidrologia subterràniaUnderstanding groundwater flow involves characterizing the spatial variability of aquifer attributes and possible hydraulic connectivity structures. The latter are of crucial importance because high permeability channels may control groundwater flow and contaminant transport. In evaporitic aquifer systems, these preferential channels can consist of karst conduits, developed at different scales, as well as fault zones. These features condition the economic development of salt flats at the Central Andes. Hydraulic connectivity may affect exploitation efficiency by enhancing the inflow of less evaporated brine thus diminishing its mineral content (i.e., concentration of Li and K). In this context, we investigate if it is possible to use (tomographic) stochastic inversion (regularized pilot point method) in order to characterize the presence of connectivity structures in an evaporitic aquifer of great extension (some 1,500 km2) from head response measured at numerous observation points during a year long sequence of three hydraulic tests. Results show that, even though the solution is nonunique, the main preferential flow zones are identified. Numerous inversions yield similar fits to observed drawdowns with maximum errors of few centimeters. Preferential flow is identified not only by elongated high permeability regions, but also by a marked scale effect (model transmissivities are some 30 times larger than their local tests counterparts). The main high conductivity zones are consistent with independent information based on geophysics, isotopes, mixing ratios, piezometric data, and the expected dissolution processes.We acknowledge the Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile, S.A. (SQM) for the great work done in the field, the constant support, and data sharing. The authors greatfully acknowledge Carlota Viñas for its help and support, as well as Xavier Sanchez-Vila for the constructive discussions. We acknowledge the financial support provided by the Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. through project “Proyección de la evolución SOP – Salar de Atacama. Fase II: ensayos de campo y laboratorio” (SA 9500001785) and by the AGAUR (Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca, Generalitat de Catalunya), through project AGAUR-2017-SGR1485. Michela Trabucchi acknowledges the financial support from the AGAUR through the FI fellowship (2018FIB200079).Peer Reviewed20222022-06-0120242024-02-29journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2117/403547https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030676reponame:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPCinstname:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/4035472026-05-27T15:37:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
title The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
spellingShingle The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
Trabucchi, Michela|||0000-0003-1198-8184
Groundwater flow
Aigües subterrànies -- Escolament
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Hidrologia subterrània
title_short The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
title_full The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
title_fullStr The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
title_full_unstemmed The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
title_sort The worth of stochastic inversion for identifying connectivity by means of a long-lasting large-scale hydraulic test: the Salar de Atacama case study
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Trabucchi, Michela|||0000-0003-1198-8184
Fernández García, Daniel|||0000-0002-4667-3003
Carrera Ramírez, Jesús|||0000-0002-8054-4352
author Trabucchi, Michela|||0000-0003-1198-8184
author_facet Trabucchi, Michela|||0000-0003-1198-8184
Fernández García, Daniel|||0000-0002-4667-3003
Carrera Ramírez, Jesús|||0000-0002-8054-4352
author_role author
author2 Fernández García, Daniel|||0000-0002-4667-3003
Carrera Ramírez, Jesús|||0000-0002-8054-4352
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Groundwater flow
Aigües subterrànies -- Escolament
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Hidrologia subterrània
topic Groundwater flow
Aigües subterrànies -- Escolament
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Hidrologia subterrània
description Understanding groundwater flow involves characterizing the spatial variability of aquifer attributes and possible hydraulic connectivity structures. The latter are of crucial importance because high permeability channels may control groundwater flow and contaminant transport. In evaporitic aquifer systems, these preferential channels can consist of karst conduits, developed at different scales, as well as fault zones. These features condition the economic development of salt flats at the Central Andes. Hydraulic connectivity may affect exploitation efficiency by enhancing the inflow of less evaporated brine thus diminishing its mineral content (i.e., concentration of Li and K). In this context, we investigate if it is possible to use (tomographic) stochastic inversion (regularized pilot point method) in order to characterize the presence of connectivity structures in an evaporitic aquifer of great extension (some 1,500 km2) from head response measured at numerous observation points during a year long sequence of three hydraulic tests. Results show that, even though the solution is nonunique, the main preferential flow zones are identified. Numerous inversions yield similar fits to observed drawdowns with maximum errors of few centimeters. Preferential flow is identified not only by elongated high permeability regions, but also by a marked scale effect (model transmissivities are some 30 times larger than their local tests counterparts). The main high conductivity zones are consistent with independent information based on geophysics, isotopes, mixing ratios, piezometric data, and the expected dissolution processes.
publishDate 2022
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022
2022-06-01
2024
2024-02-29
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2117/403547
https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030676
url https://hdl.handle.net/2117/403547
https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030676
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
instname:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
instname_str Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
reponame_str UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
collection UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
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