Cokriging Transmissivity, Head and Trajectory Data for Transmissivity and Solute Path Estimation.

Area of Science:

• Hydrogeology
• Geostatistics
• Environmental Engineering

Background:

• Numerical models for aquifer analysis are often infeasible due to time and economic constraints.
• Simple methodologies are needed for feasibility studies and practical aquifer characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply a straightforward cokriging method for aquifer characterization using monitoring network data.
• To estimate solute path and transmissivity, even with unknown source intensity and location.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cokriging with existing covariance and cross-covariance functions.
• Incorporated a first-order approximation for log-transmissivity variance.
• Conducted numerical Monte Carlo experiments to assess accuracy in varying heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• Cokriging accurately estimates solute paths and transmissivity in weakly heterogeneous aquifers with limited data.
• Accuracy is higher in weakly heterogeneous fields due to more linear relationships between variables.
• The method accounts for unknown solute source intensity and location.

Conclusions:

• Cokriging offers a valuable, simplified approach for aquifer parameter estimation.
• This method is particularly effective when data is scarce and aquifer heterogeneity is low.
• It provides a feasible alternative to complex numerical modeling for specific applications.