scholarly journals Hydraulic properties of the Paskapoo Formation in west-central Alberta

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 883-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra T. Hughes ◽  
Brian D. Smerdon ◽  
Daniel S. Alessi
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Thin Section ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Lower Portion ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
West Central ◽  
Confining Layers ◽  
Drill Cores

In an effort to better understand the hydraulic properties of the Paskapoo Formation, hydraulic conductivity and porosity were evaluated for a region in west-central Alberta. Whereas previous studies have focused mainly on sandstone units in the lower portion of the Paskapoo Formation, in southern and central parts of the province, this study focuses on the middle to upper portions. Hydraulic conductivity values were determined by air permeametry for seven drill cores from the area between Hinton and Fox Creek, Alberta. Thin-section petrology and porosity analyses using photomicrographs were also conducted for three of the seven drill cores. Results confirm previous findings that the Paskapoo Formation has heterogeneous hydraulic properties, with horizontal hydraulic conductivity values ranging from 10−10 to 10−5 m/s (determined by air permeametry) and porosity values ranging from 0.02% to 15.3%. The first measurements for the upper sandstone units are provided (1.1 × 10−9 – 2.6 × 10−5 m/s and 0.08%–15.3%) and numerous measurements of the middle siltstone–mudstone unit (1.1 × 10−10 – 4.9 × 10−8 m/s and 0.02%–1.8%) for the northwestern portion of the Paskapoo Formation. Qualitative petrologic analysis suggests that the degree of cementation, rather than grain size, is the dominant control on the hydraulic properties of this portion of the formation. This study determined primary hydraulic properties for both the highly conductive units often considered as aquifers and the low-conductivity units considered as aquitards or confining layers. When combined with previous findings, this study helps expand the understanding of the Paskapoo Formation and provides critical data for assessing groundwater resources.

scholarly journals Impact of controlled changes in grain size and pore space characteristics on the hydraulic conductivity and spectral induced polarization response of "proxies" of saturated alluvial sediments

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 6057-6080 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Koch ◽  
A. Kemna ◽  
J. Irving ◽  
K. Holliger
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Induced Polarization ◽  
Alluvial Deposits ◽  
Spectral Induced Polarization ◽  
Industrial Grade ◽  
Granulometric Characteristics

Abstract. Understanding the influence of pore space characteristics on the hydraulic conductivity and spectral induced polarization (SIP) response is critical for establishing relationships between the electrical and hydrological properties of surficial unconsolidated sedimentary deposits, which host the bulk of the world's readily accessible groundwater resources. Here, we present the results of laboratory SIP measurements on industrial-grade, saturated quartz samples with granulometric characteristics ranging from fine sand to fine gravel, which can be regarded as proxies for widespread alluvial deposits. We altered the pore space characteristics by changing (i) the grain size spectra, (ii) the degree of compaction, and (iii) the level of sorting. We then examined how these changes affect the SIP response, the hydraulic conductivity, and the specific surface area of the considered samples. In general, the results indicate a clear connection between the SIP response and the granulometric as well as pore space characteristics. In particular, we observe a systematic correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the relaxation time of the Cole-Cole model describing the observed SIP effect for the entire range of considered grain sizes. The results do, however, also indicate that the detailed nature of these relations depends strongly on variations in the pore space characteristics, such as, for example, the degree of compaction. The results of this study underline the complexity of the origin of the SIP signal as well as the difficulty to relate it to a single structural factor of a studied sample, and hence raise some fundamental questions with regard to the practical use of SIP measurements as site- and/or sample-independent predictors of the hydraulic conductivity.

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Scandinavian Tills

1990 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo B. Lind ◽  
Lars Lundin
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Soil Horizons ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mean Grain Size ◽  
Distinctive Difference ◽  
The Relationship

There is a distinctive difference in hydraulic properties between the upper horizons of Scandinavian till soil and the deeper C-horizon. The hydraulic conductivity has been studied in different soil profile types, mainly Podzolic variants. In the topsoil there are correlations from grain size and porosity to hydraulic conductivity. Both porosity and hydraulic conductivity are stratified with depth. Often high conductivity appears in the upper soil horizons decreasing with depth to low values at about one metre. This pattern varies with soil type. The soils vary with topographic location as does the groundwater level. Published data on hydraulic conductivity in the C-horizon of sandy-silty tills in Scandinavia covers a wide range, from about 5 × 10−9 m/s to 5 × 10−4 m/s, with a mean of 3 × 10−6 m/s. The correlation between porosity and hydraulic conductivity, as well as between mean grain size and hydraulic conductivity, is weak in the C-horizon. It is concluded that the sediment structure has a decisive influence on the hydraulic conductivity of till. A model of the relationship between fabric (in relation to water flow direction), the porosity in the poresize interval 30-95 μm and the hydraulic conductivity is presented.

scholarly journals Impact of changes in grain size and pore space on the hydraulic conductivity and spectral induced polarization response of sand

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1785-1794 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Koch ◽  
A. Kemna ◽  
J. Irving ◽  
K. Holliger
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Induced Polarization ◽  
Spectral Induced Polarization ◽  
Industrial Grade ◽  
Granulometric Characteristics ◽  
Cole Model

Abstract. Understanding the influence of pore space characteristics on the hydraulic conductivity and spectral induced polarization (SIP) response is critical for establishing relationships between the electrical and hydrological properties of surficial unconsolidated sedimentary deposits, which host the bulk of the world's readily accessible groundwater resources. Here, we present the results of laboratory SIP measurements on industrial-grade, saturated quartz samples with granulometric characteristics ranging from fine sand to fine gravel. We altered the pore space characteristics by changing (i) the grain size spectra, (ii) the degree of compaction, and (iii) the level of sorting. We then examined how these changes affect the SIP response, the hydraulic conductivity, and the specific surface area of the considered samples. In general, the results indicate a clear connection between the SIP response and the granulometric as well as pore space characteristics. In particular, we observe a systematic correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the relaxation time of the Cole-Cole model describing the observed SIP effect for the entire range of considered grain sizes. The results do, however, also indicate that the detailed nature of these relations depends strongly on variations in the pore space characteristics, such as, for example, the degree of compaction. This underlines the complexity of the origin of the SIP signal as well as the difficulty to relate it to a single structural factor of a studied sample, and hence raises some fundamental questions with regard to the practical use of SIP measurements as site- and/or sample-independent predictors of the hydraulic conductivity.

scholarly journals Experimental investigation to characterize simple versus multi scaling analysis of hydraulic conductivity at a mesoscale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guglielmo Federico Antonio Brunetti ◽  
Samuele De Bartolo ◽  
Carmine Fallico ◽  
Ferdinando Frega ◽  
Maria Fernanda Rivera Velásquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Scaling Analysis ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Porous Formation ◽  
Proper Design ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe spatial variability of the aquifers' hydraulic properties can be satisfactorily described by means of scaling laws. The latter enable one to relate the small (typically laboratory) scale to the larger (typically formation/regional) ones, therefore leading de facto to an upscaling procedure. In the present study, we are concerned with the spatial variability of the hydraulic conductivity K into a strongly heterogeneous porous formation. A strategy, allowing one to identify correctly the single/multiple scaling of K, is applied for the first time to a large caisson, where the medium was packed. In particular, we show how to identify the various scaling ranges with special emphasis on the determination of the related cut-off limits. Finally, we illustrate how the heterogeneity enhances with the increasing scale of observation, by identifying the proper law accounting for the transition from the laboratory to the field scale. Results of the present study are of paramount utility for the proper design of pumping tests in formations where the degree of spatial variability of the hydraulic conductivity does not allow regarding them as “weakly heterogeneous”, as well as for the study of dispersion mechanisms.

Controls on induced polarization in sandy unconsolidated sediments and application to aquifer characterization

Geophysics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1547-1558 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. D. Slater ◽  
D. R. Glaser
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Internal Surface ◽  
Ionic Mobility ◽  
Induced Polarization ◽  
Hysteretic Behavior ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
Unconsolidated Sediments ◽  
Fluid Conductivity ◽  
Grain Diameter

Resistivity and induced polarization (IP) measurements (0.1–1000 Hz) were made on clay‐free unconsolidated sediments from a sandy, alluvial aquifer in the Kansas River floodplain. The sensitivity of imaginary conductivity σ″, a fundamental IP measurement, to lithological parameters, fluid conductivity, and degree of saturation was assessed. The previously reported power law dependence of IP on surface area and grain size is clearly observed despite the narrow lithologic range encountered in this unconsolidated sedimentary sequence. The grain‐size σ″ relationship is effectively frequency independent between 0.1 and 100 Hz but depends on the representative grain diameter used. For the sediments examined here, d90, the grain diameter of the coarsest sediments in a sample, is well correlated with σ″. The distribution of the internal surface in the well‐sorted, sandy sediments investigated here is such that most of the sample weight is likely required to account for the majority of the internal surface. We find the predictive capability of the Börner model for hydraulic conductivity (K)estimation from IP measurements is limited when applied to this narrow lithologic range. The relatively weak dependence of σ″ on fluid conductivity (σw) observed for these sediments when saturated with an NaCl solution (0.06–10 S/m) is consistent with competing effects of surface charge density and surface ionic mobility on σ″ as previously inferred for sandstone. Importantly, IP parameters are a function of saturation and exhibit hysteretic behavior over a drainage and imbibition cycle. However, σ″ is less dependent than the real conductivity σ′ on saturation. In the case of evaporative drying, the σ″ saturation exponent is approximately half of the σ′ exponent. Crosshole IP imaging illustrates the potential for lithologic discrimination of unconsolidated sediments. A fining‐upward sequence correlates with an upward increase in normalized chargeability Mn, a field IP parameter proportional to σ″. The hydraulic conductivity distribution obtained from the Börner model discriminates a hydraulically conductive sand–gravel from overlying medium sand.

Hyphal colonization of Rhizophagus irregularis increases unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of a loamy sand distant from roots

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bitterlich ◽  
Richard Pauwels
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Volumetric Water Content ◽  
Rhizophagus Irregularis ◽  
Loamy Sand ◽  
Soil Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Hydraulic ◽  
Root Exclusion

<p>Hydraulic properties of mycorrhizal soils have rarely been reported and difficulties in directly assigning potential effects to hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) arise from other consequences of AMF being present, i.e. their influence on growth and water consumption rates of their host plants that both also influence soil hydraulic properties.</p><p>We assumed that the typical nylon meshes used for root-exclusion experiments in mycorrhizal research can provide a dynamic hydraulic barrier. It is expected that the uniform pore size of the rigid meshes causes a sudden hydraulic decoupling of the enmeshed inner volume from the surrounding soil as soon as the mesh pores become air-filled. Growing plants below the soil moisture threshold for hydraulic decoupling would minimize plant-size effects on root-exclusion compartments and allow for a more direct assignment of hyphal presence to modulations in soil hydraulic properties.</p><p>We carried out water retention and hydraulic conductivity measurements with two tensiometers introduced in two different heights in a cylindrical compartment (250 cm³) containing a loamy sand, either with or without the introduction of a 20 µm nylon mesh equidistantly between the tensiometers. Introduction of a mesh reduced hydraulic conductivity across the soil volumes by two orders of magnitude from 471 to 6 µm d<sup>-1</sup> at 20% volumetric water content.</p><p>We grew maize plants inoculated or not with Rhizophagus irregularis in the same soil in pots that contained root-exclusion compartments while maintaining 20% volumetric water content. When hyphae were present in the compartments, water potential and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity increased for a given water content compared to compartments free of hyphae. These differences increased with progressive soil drying.</p><p>We conclude that water extractability from soils distant to roots can be facilitated under dry conditions when AMF hyphae are present.</p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Stabilization of soil hydraulic properties under a long term no-till system

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 1281-1292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Alberto Lozano ◽  
Carlos Germán Soracco ◽  
Vicente S. Buda ◽  
Guillermo O. Sarli ◽  
Roberto Raúl Filgueira
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Soil Physical Properties ◽  
Water Retention Curve ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Tillage System ◽  
Crop Sequence

The area under the no-tillage system (NT) has been increasing over the last few years. Some authors indicate that stabilization of soil physical properties is reached after some years under NT while other authors debate this. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the last crop in the rotation sequence (1st year: maize, 2nd year: soybean, 3rd year: wheat/soybean) on soil pore configuration and hydraulic properties in two different soils (site 1: loam, site 2: sandy loam) from the Argentinean Pampas region under long-term NT treatments in order to determine if stabilization of soil physical properties is reached apart from a specific time in the crop sequence. In addition, we compared two procedures for evaluating water-conducting macroporosities, and evaluated the efficiency of the pedotransfer function ROSETTA in estimating the parameters of the van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) model in these soils. Soil pore configuration and hydraulic properties were not stable and changed according to the crop sequence and the last crop grown in both sites. For both sites, saturated hydraulic conductivity, K0, water-conducting macroporosity, εma, and flow-weighted mean pore radius, R0ma, increased from the 1st to the 2nd year of the crop sequence, and this was attributed to the creation of water-conducting macropores by the maize roots. The VGM model adequately described the water retention curve (WRC) for these soils, but not the hydraulic conductivity (K) vs tension (h) curve. The ROSETTA function failed in the estimation of these parameters. In summary, mean values of K0 ranged from 0.74 to 3.88 cm h-1. In studies on NT effects on soil physical properties, the crop effect must be considered.

scholarly journals The referential grain size and effective porosity in the Kozeny–Carman model

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Urumović ◽  
K. Urumović Sr.
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Specific Surface ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Specific Surface Area ◽  
Effective Porosity ◽  
Critical Conditions ◽  
Saturated Porous Media ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Mean Grain Size

Abstract. In this paper, the results of permeability and specific surface area analyses as functions of granulometric composition of various sediments (from silty clays to very well-graded gravels) are presented. The effective porosity and the referential grain size are presented as fundamental granulometric parameters expressing an effect of the forces operating on fluid movement through the saturated porous media. This paper suggests procedures for calculating referential grain size and determining effective (flow) porosity, which result in parameters that reliably determine the specific surface area and permeability. These procedures ensure the successful application of the Kozeny–Carman model up to the limits of validity of Darcy’s law. The value of effective porosity in the referential mean grain size function was calibrated within the range of 1.5 μm to 6.0 mm. The reliability of the parameters applied in the KC model was confirmed by a very high correlation between the predicted and tested hydraulic conductivity values (R2=0.99 for sandy and gravelly materials; R2=0.70 for clayey-silty materials). The group representation of hydraulic conductivity (ranging from 10–12 m/s up to 10–2 m/s) presents a coefficient of correlation of R2=0.97 for a total of 175 samples of various deposits. These results present new developments in the research of the effective porosity, the permeability and the specific surface area distributions of porous materials. This is important because these three parameters are critical conditions for successful groundwater flow modeling and contaminant transport. Additionally, from a practical viewpoint, it is very important to identify these parameters swiftly and very accurately.

Horizontal hydraulic conductivity of shallow streambed sediments and comparison with the grain-size analysis results

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 454-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengpeng Lu ◽  
Xunhong Chen ◽  
Cheng Cheng ◽  
Gengxin Ou ◽  
Longcang Shu
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Grain Size Analysis ◽  
Size Analysis ◽  
Streambed Sediments
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document