Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport

This thesis deals with the development of tools and analysis to characterize and predict artificial recharge and radial convergent solute transport processes in heterogeneous media. The goal is to provide new insights to understand how heterogeneity, which is the main natural source of uncertainty i...

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Autor: Pedretti, Daniele
Tipo de recurso: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:España
Institución:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/123716
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/123716
https://dx.doi.org/10.5821/dissertation-2117-94963
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:626
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network_name_str España
repository_id_str
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
title Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
spellingShingle Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
Pedretti, Daniele
626
title_short Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
title_full Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
title_fullStr Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
title_full_unstemmed Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
title_sort Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transport
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Pedretti, Daniele
author Pedretti, Daniele
author_facet Pedretti, Daniele
author_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Sánchez Vila, Xavier
Bolster, Diogo
Fernández García, Daniel
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria del Terreny, Cartogràfica i Geofísica
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv 626
topic 626
description This thesis deals with the development of tools and analysis to characterize and predict artificial recharge and radial convergent solute transport processes in heterogeneous media. The goal is to provide new insights to understand how heterogeneity, which is the main natural source of uncertainty in decision-making processes related with groundwater applications, can be controlled and its effects predicted for practical purposes in these topics. For hydrogeological applications, accurate modeling of phenomena is needed, but it is uncertain. Uncertainty is derived from the spatio-temporal random distribution of hydrodynamic (physical, chemical and biological) variables affecting groundwater processes, which is translated into random distribution of modeling parameters and equations. Such randomness is of two types: epistemic, when it can be reduced increasing the sample frequency of an experiment; aleatory, when it cannot be reduced when more information is analyzed. Sometimes hydrodynamic processes occur at so small scales that they become impossible to characterize with traditional methods, and from a practical perspective, this is analogous to deal with aleatoric model parameters. However, if some constitutive relationship (either empirically, theoretically or physically based) can be built between processes across different scales, then small-scale processes can be reproduced by equivalent large-scale model parameters. Uncertainty becomes amenable to be treated as epistemic randomness, and large-scale characterization techniques can be used to improve the description, interpretation or prediction of these processes. This thesis deals with these topics. The manuscript is composed by two main parts (the first on artificial recharge and the second on solute transport), each of them divided into three chapters. In chapter 1 of each part, a tool is developed to obtain quantitative information to model a selected variable at coarse grid resolutions. In the case of artificial recharge, satellite images are used to model the spatial variability of the infiltration capacity on top soils with a metric-scale detail. In the case of solute transport, a new method to estimate density from particle distribution is shown. In chapters 2, it is explored what processes occurring at the fine scales can affect the interpretation of artificial recharge and solute transport processes at larger scales. In the first part, a combined method that joins satellite images and field data along with a simple clogging model is used to display the equally-possible spatio-temporal mapping of the infiltration capacity of topsoil during artificial pond flooding activities. In the second part, numerical three-dimensional models are used to simulate transport in heterogeneous media under convergent radial flow to a well at fine scale. It is shown that an appropriate model framework can reproduce similar observations on contaminant temporal distribution at controlling section similar to those obtained in the field tracer tests. It is also provided a physical explanation to describe the so-called anomalous late-time behavior on breakthrough curves which is sometimes observed in the reality at larger scales. In the chapters 3, models are used to define the uncertainty around operating parameters in the optic of prediction and management on artificial recharge and solute transport. In the first case, a probability framework is built to define the engineering risk of management of artificial recharge ponds due to random variability of the initial distribution of infiltration, which controls several important clogging factors based on theoretical approaches. In the case of solute transport, it is discussed how equivalent parameters based on mass-transfer models can be related with the geometrical distribution of hydraulic parameters in anisotropic formation, when convergent flow tracer tests are used.
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012
2013
2013
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format doctoralThesis
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10803/123716
https://dx.doi.org/10.5821/dissertation-2117-94963
url http://hdl.handle.net/10803/123716
https://dx.doi.org/10.5821/dissertation-2117-94963
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 155 p.
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa)
reponame:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
instname:CBUC, CESCA
instname_str CBUC, CESCA
reponame_str TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
collection TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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spelling Tools and analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics in heterogeneous aquifers: applications to artificial recharge and forced-gradient solute transportPedretti, Daniele626This thesis deals with the development of tools and analysis to characterize and predict artificial recharge and radial convergent solute transport processes in heterogeneous media. The goal is to provide new insights to understand how heterogeneity, which is the main natural source of uncertainty in decision-making processes related with groundwater applications, can be controlled and its effects predicted for practical purposes in these topics. For hydrogeological applications, accurate modeling of phenomena is needed, but it is uncertain. Uncertainty is derived from the spatio-temporal random distribution of hydrodynamic (physical, chemical and biological) variables affecting groundwater processes, which is translated into random distribution of modeling parameters and equations. Such randomness is of two types: epistemic, when it can be reduced increasing the sample frequency of an experiment; aleatory, when it cannot be reduced when more information is analyzed. Sometimes hydrodynamic processes occur at so small scales that they become impossible to characterize with traditional methods, and from a practical perspective, this is analogous to deal with aleatoric model parameters. However, if some constitutive relationship (either empirically, theoretically or physically based) can be built between processes across different scales, then small-scale processes can be reproduced by equivalent large-scale model parameters. Uncertainty becomes amenable to be treated as epistemic randomness, and large-scale characterization techniques can be used to improve the description, interpretation or prediction of these processes. This thesis deals with these topics. The manuscript is composed by two main parts (the first on artificial recharge and the second on solute transport), each of them divided into three chapters. In chapter 1 of each part, a tool is developed to obtain quantitative information to model a selected variable at coarse grid resolutions. In the case of artificial recharge, satellite images are used to model the spatial variability of the infiltration capacity on top soils with a metric-scale detail. In the case of solute transport, a new method to estimate density from particle distribution is shown. In chapters 2, it is explored what processes occurring at the fine scales can affect the interpretation of artificial recharge and solute transport processes at larger scales. In the first part, a combined method that joins satellite images and field data along with a simple clogging model is used to display the equally-possible spatio-temporal mapping of the infiltration capacity of topsoil during artificial pond flooding activities. In the second part, numerical three-dimensional models are used to simulate transport in heterogeneous media under convergent radial flow to a well at fine scale. It is shown that an appropriate model framework can reproduce similar observations on contaminant temporal distribution at controlling section similar to those obtained in the field tracer tests. It is also provided a physical explanation to describe the so-called anomalous late-time behavior on breakthrough curves which is sometimes observed in the reality at larger scales. In the chapters 3, models are used to define the uncertainty around operating parameters in the optic of prediction and management on artificial recharge and solute transport. In the first case, a probability framework is built to define the engineering risk of management of artificial recharge ponds due to random variability of the initial distribution of infiltration, which controls several important clogging factors based on theoretical approaches. In the case of solute transport, it is discussed how equivalent parameters based on mass-transfer models can be related with the geometrical distribution of hydraulic parameters in anisotropic formation, when convergent flow tracer tests are used.DOCTORAT EN ENGINYERIA DEL TERRENY (Pla 2007)Universitat Politècnica de CatalunyaSánchez Vila, XavierBolster, DiogoFernández García, DanielUniversitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria del Terreny, Cartogràfica i Geofísica201320132012info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion155 p.application/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10803/123716https://dx.doi.org/10.5821/dissertation-2117-94963TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa)reponame:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Redinstname:CBUC, CESCAInglésADVERTIMENT. L'accés als continguts d'aquesta tesi doctoral i la seva utilització ha de respectar els drets de la persona autora. Pot ser utilitzada per a consulta o estudi personal, així com en activitats o materials d'investigació i docència en els termes establerts a l'art. 32 del Text Refós de la Llei de Propietat Intel·lectual (RDL 1/1996). Per altres utilitzacions es requereix l'autorització prèvia i expressa de la persona autora. En qualsevol cas, en la utilització dels seus continguts caldrà indicar de forma clara el nom i cognoms de la persona autora i el títol de la tesi doctoral. No s'autoritza la seva reproducció o altres formes d'explotació efectuades amb finalitats de lucre ni la seva comunicació pública des d'un lloc aliè al servei TDX. Tampoc s'autoritza la presentació del seu contingut en una finestra o marc aliè a TDX (framing). Aquesta reserva de drets afecta tant als continguts de la tesi com als seus resums i índexs.info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:www.tdx.cat:10803/1237162026-06-14T12:46:07Z
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