Three-dimensional hydrofacies assemblages in ice-contact/proximal sediments forming a heterogeneous ‘hybrid’ hydrostratigraphic unit in central Illinois, USA

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3-D) hydrostratigraphic modelling of glacial sediment assemblages was undertaken as part of a groundwater study in central Illinois, USA. Sediments comprising these assemblages, informally referred to as the Glasford deglacial unit, form discontinuous sand-gravel layers including small aquifer zones, and fine-grained interstratified layers that may impede groundwater movement. This unit is stratigraphically above a regional aquitard overlying the important Mahomet aquifer. The study improves understanding of the internal stratigraphic architecture and hydrostratigraphic character of the unit. Data include descriptions of continuous cores, profiles of near-surface and downhole geophysical logs, and sediment descriptions from water well logs. Discrete bounding surfaces constructed using gOcad represent the main lithofacies assemblages forming a 3-D framework. The framework was further partitioned into a 3-D cellular grid for mapping the spatial distribution of fine- and coarse-grained facies. Hydraulic conductivity (K G) estimates were used to convert these lithofacies into hydrofacies. Medium- to coarse-grained hydrofacies (K G = 1.25 × 10−5 m/s) represent 46 % of the total volume, the remainder being fine-grained hydrofacies (K G = 3.01 × 10−8 m/s). The spatial pattern of these hydrofacies is highly heterogeneous, thus, designating the Glasford deglacial unit as an aquifer or aquitard would be conceptually misleading. The term “hybrid hydrostratigraphic unit” is introduced to better represent conceptually this type of unit in hydrostratigraphic models.