Title:
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The integration of multi-scale hydrogeophysical data into numerical groundwater flow models
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Throughout this research, geophysical data is utilised to constrain numerical groundwater flow models at
two applied study areas: a sandstone aquifer in Northern Ireland and a basement rock aquifer in Benin,
west Africa. In Northern Ireland, airborne passive magnetics data are used to determine regional
heterogeneity occurrence combined with methods of upscaling / equivalence and a density function.
Furthermore, a stochastic component is undertaken in the form of multiple point statistics. This analysis
performs a probability simulation and pattern matching to determine a statistical occurrence of heterogeneity
distribution. In Benin, point magnetic resonance sounding data and electrical resistivity tomography surveys
are utilised to determine relationships to hydrogeological properties to aid many conceptualisations of the.
region.
All studies employed finite element groundwater flow modelling, alongside comparative statistics and model
ranking to determine the success and applicability of such analysis. In Northern Ireland, the deterministic
analysis indicates that an intermediate level of upscaling (between field scale and one regional anisotropy
value) provides statistically significant results at regional scale. The stochastic analysis effectively 'cleans'
the magnetics data to provide a new distribution of regional heterogeneity. Modelling results are relatively
comparable to the deterministic analysis and demonstrate the successful application of continuous
geophysical data into model parameterisation. In Benin, all models provide significant results despite
variations in model geometry and parameter conceptualisation. Point geophysical data permits effective
model creation and parameter distribution through positive correlation to hydro-structural controls. For all
models, minimal boundary conditions are applied and no post-processing is performed. As a result, the
benefit of adapting geophysics for model parameterisation is clearly evident and suggests new
hydrogeological paradigms for the study areas. Further work is required with regard to predicted
anthropogenic and climate change scenarios.
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