Abstract
Management of groundwater resources is critical to arid countries like Kuwait. One crucial information that is often not available to groundwater modelers is transmissivity of aquifers. Kriging is used to characterize the transmissivity of the two most commonly used aquifers in Kuwait (the Dammam and Kuwait Group aquifers). The transmissivity of the two aquifers is represented as a random spatial function where heterogeneity is described by the probability distribution and variogram of sample values. A structural analysis was performed which consisted of the construction and interpretation of sample variograms and the selection of model variograms to best fit the structure of the log-transformed transmissivity. The analysis indicated that the transmissivity of the Dammam aquifer is highly anisotropic and has a longer range of influence and larger variance (39 km; 333,487) than those for the Kuwait Group aquifer (10 km; 44,613). The model variograms were used in the kriging analysis to estimate the spatial average value of the transmissivity of the two aquifers in Kuwait. The estimated transmissivity of the Kuwait Group aquifer ranges from <50 to about 800 m2 day−1, and is controlled principally by the thickness of the saturated zone in the aquifer. The estimated transmissivity in Dammam aquifer ranges from ~100 to 2200 m2 day−1, with high transmissivity fields coinciding with both the areas of major anticline and fault structures and the areas of aquifer recharge by fresh water, indicating the enhancement of the transmissivity on these structures by dissolution. Low transmissivity fields are located in the areas where the aquifer waters are stagnant. The performed analysis can be used to aid in the development of numerical models for sustainable management of the aquifer system in Kuwait, defining artificial recharge sites, and in optimizing the locations of future development wellfields.
Highlights
IntroductionEstimating the T is considered an essential parameter for developing local and regional water management plans, modeling groundwater flow and solute transport [2], and selecting areas for additional hydrologic tests [3]
Transmissivity (T) is often used in specifying the groundwater extraction potential of an aquifer [1].estimating the T is considered an essential parameter for developing local and regional water management plans, modeling groundwater flow and solute transport [2], and selecting areas for additional hydrologic tests [3]
A pumping test is the most reliable and standard method to determine the T value in aquifers. These pumping tests are expensive, and often, their results are localized spatially. This makes it imperative to extrapolate the information on a larger scale for developing sustainable water management plans
Summary
Estimating the T is considered an essential parameter for developing local and regional water management plans, modeling groundwater flow and solute transport [2], and selecting areas for additional hydrologic tests [3]. Transmissivity depends both on the properties of the porous matrix and the fluid passing through the strata. A pumping test is the most reliable and standard method to determine the T value in aquifers These pumping tests are expensive, and often, their results are localized spatially.
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