Solute Transport in Field-Scale Aquifers

Abstract

Quantifying the multiscale hydraulic heterogeneity in aquifers and their effects on solute transport is the task of this chapter. Using spatial statistics, we explain how to quantify spatial variability of hydraulic properties or parameters in the aquifer using the stochastic or random field concept. In particular, we discuss spatial covariance, variogram, statistical homogeneity, heterogeneity, isotropy, and anisotropy concepts. Field examples complement the discussion. We then present a highly parameterized heterogeneous media (HPHM) approach for simulating flow and solute transport in aquifers with spatially varying hydraulic properties to meet our interest and observation scale. However, our limited ability to collect the needed information for this approach promotes alternatives such as Monte Carlo simulation, zonation, and equivalent homogeneous media (EHM) approaches with macrodispersion approaches. This chapter details the EHM with the macordispersion concept.