INTEGRATING 3D GPR FACIES ANALYSIS AND HIGH RESOLUTION HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY DATA: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSPORT MODELING IN HETEROGENEOUS MEDIA

The transport of solutes through aquifers is primarily controlled by the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity (K). With limited availability of K data, as is common in many field studies, it is not possible to accurately simulate transport using the classical advection-dispersion equation, particularly in heterogeneous deposits. Although alternative approaches for simulating transport through such deposits may provide reasonable representations of average plume behavior, they do not replicate observed concentration histories at observation wells. We postulate that a suite of novel high‐resolution characterization methods may provide the necessary subsurface data to significantly improve flow and transport simulations through heterogeneous porous media. To this end, we combined 3D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data with high-resolution K (HRK) and electrical conductivity (EC) data from direct-push profiles, at a heterogeneous fluvial deposit in northeastern Mississippi. The full-resolution GPR data cubes, collected using standard field equipment, were used to generate 3D facies models, which include information on major bounding surfaces, dip angles and directions, and connectivity. The HRK and EC profiles, collected using equipment mounted on Geoprobe drilling rigs, provided information on vertical distribution of hydraulic and electric properties at intervals of a few centimeters. Comparative analysis of the geophysical and drilling data reveals a good correlation at the major facies boundaries. Data integration has enabled construction of hydrostratigraphic models of these heterogeneous deposits and realistic modeling of flow and transport.