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Decomposing groundwater head variations into meteorological and pumping components: a synthetic study

Décomposition des variations de charge hydraulique des eaux souterraines en composantes météorologiques et de pompage: étude de synthèse

Descomposición de las variaciones de la carga hidráulica de las aguas subterráneas en componentes meteorológicos y de bombeo: un estudio sintético

把地下水头变化分解到气象和抽水成分中:综合研究

Decompondo variações de carga hidráulica em componentes meteorológicas e de bombeamento: um estudo sintético

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Abstract

Time-series modeling is often used to decompose groundwater hydrographs into individual drivers such as pumping and meteorological factors. To date, there has been an assumption that a simulation fitting the total hydrograph produces reliable estimates of the impact from each driver. That is, assessment of the decomposition has not used an independent estimate of each decomposition result. To begin to address this, a synthetic study is undertaken so that the impact of each driver is known. In this study, 500 MODFLOW groundwater models of a one-layer unconfined aquifer were constructed. For each model, three hydrogeological properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity, storativity and depth to aquifer basement), the distance between observation and pumping bores, and extraction rate were set randomly and synthetic groundwater hydrographs were derived. For each hydrograph, the influence of individual drivers was estimated using six different time-series models. These estimates were then compared to the known meteorological and pumping influences derived from the MODFLOW models. The results demonstrate that hydrograph separations obtained from time-series models do not always result in reliable estimation of pumping and meteorological influences even when the overall hydrograph fit is good. However, when the time-series model represents the important processes (e.g. phreatic evaporation is included for shallow water tables) and the (head) variance of the pumping signal to the meteorological signal is between 0.1 and 10, the time-series model has the potential to adequately separate the influence of pumping and climate.

Résumé

La modélisation des séries chronologiques est souvent utilisée pour décomposer les hydrogrammes des eaux souterraines en leurs déterminants pris individuellement, par exemple le pompage et les facteurs météorologiques. Jusqu’à ce jour, il y avait une hypothèse selon laquelle une simulation qui concorde avec l’hydrogramme dans sa totalité fournit une estimation fiable de l’impact imputable à chaque déterminant. Autrement dit, l’évaluation de la décomposition n’utilisait pas une estimation indépendante de chaque résultat de décomposition. Pour avancer dans la résolution de ce problème, une étude de synthèse destinée à connaître l’impact de chaque déterminant a été entreprise. Dans cette étude, 500 modèles MODFLOW d’aquifère libre mono-couche ont été établis. Pour chaque modèle, trois propriétés hydrogéologiques (conductivité hydraulique de la zone saturée, coefficient d’emmagasinement et profondeur du mur de l’aquifère), la distance entre piézomètre et puits de pompage et le débit de pompage ont été fixés de manière aléatoire et des hydrogrammes synthétiques des eaux souterraines ont été déduits. Pour chaque hydrogramme, l’influence de chaque facteur a été estimée d’après la modélisation de six chroniques différentes. Ces évaluations ont été ensuite comparées aux influences connues de la météorologie et du pompage telles que déduites des modèles MODFLOW. Les résultats montrent que les séparations d’hydrogramme obtenues par la modélisation des séries temporelles ne se traduisent pas toujours par une estimation fiable des influences du pompage et de la météorologie, même quand la correspondance avec l’hydrogramme global est bonne. Cependant, quand le modèle des séries chronologiques représente les processus importants (par exemple l’évaporation phréatique est comptabilisée pour une surface de nappe libre peu profonde) et que la variance du signal de pompage par rapport au signal météorologique est comprise entre 0.1 et 10, le modèle de séries chronologiques est capable de séparer correctement l’influence du pompage de celle du climat.

Resumen

El modelado de series de tiempo se usa a menudo para descomponer hidrogramas de agua subterránea en componentes, tales como el bombeo y los factores meteorológicos. Hasta la fecha, ha existido el supuesto que una simulación adecuada del hidrograma total produce estimaciones fiables de los efectos de cada componente. Es decir, la evaluación de la descomposición no ha utilizado una estimación independiente de cada resultado de la descomposición. Para comenzar a abordar esto, se llevó a cabo un estudio sintético de modo de conocer el impacto de cada componente. En este estudio, se construyeron 500 modelos MODFLOW de aguas subterráneas de un acuífero no confinado de una sola capa. Para cada modelo, se fijaron al azar las propiedades hidrogeológicas (conductividad hidráulica saturada, almacenamiento y profundidad al basamento acuífero), la distancia entre pozos de observación y de bombeo y la tasa de extracción y a partir de ello fueron derivados los hidrogramas sintéticos de agua subterránea. Para cada hidrograma, se estimó la influencia de los componentes individuales usando seis diferentes modelos de series de tiempo. Estas estimaciones se compararon con las influencias meteorológicas y de bombeos conocidas, derivadas a partir de los modelos MODFLOW. Los resultados demuestran que las separaciones de hidrogramas obtenidas a partir de los modelos de series de tiempo no siempre resultan en estimaciones seguras de las influencias meteorológicas y del bombeo aún cuando el ajuste general del hidrograma es bueno. Sin embargo, cuando el modelo de series de tiempo representa los procesos importantes (por ejemplo, la evaporación desde la freática es incluida para niveles freáticos someros) y la (carga hidráulica) la varianza entre la señal de bombeo y la señal meteorológica es entre 0.1 y 10, el modelo de series de tiempo tiene el potencial para separar adecuadamente la influencia de bombeo y el clima.

摘要

时间序列模拟常常用于分解地下水水位曲线到单个的驱动因素中,如抽水和气象因素。迄今为止,有一个假定就是,拟合整个水文曲线的模拟从每个驱动因素中可得出可靠的影响估算结果。这就是说,分解评价没有使用每个分解结果的独立估算值。为了首先强调这点,进行了综合研究,以便获知每个驱动因素的影响。在本项研究中,建立了一个单层非承压含水层500个MODFLOW地下水模型。每个模型,随机设定了三个水文地质特性(饱和水力传导系数、储存系数和含水层底部的深度)、观测井和抽水井的距离及抽水速度,得到了综合地下水水位曲线图。针对每个水位曲线图,利用六个不同的时间序列模型估算了每个驱动因素的影响。然后,把这些估算值与由MODFLOW模型得到的已知气象和抽水影响进行了对比。结果显示,即使是整体水位曲线图拟合非常好,时间序列模型得到的水位曲线图也并不总能得出抽水和气象影响的可靠估算结果。然而,当时间序列模型展示重要过程(例如,浅层水位中包括潜水蒸发)时及抽水信号对气象信号的(水头)变化在0.1和10之间时,时间序列模型具有充分分离抽水和气候影响的潜力。

Resumo

Modelagem de séries temporais é comumente usada para decompor hidrogramas de água subterrânea em componentes forçantes individuais, como bombeamento e fatores meteorológicos. Até o momento, tem existido uma hipótese de que uma simulação que ajusta o hidrograma total produz uma estimativa confiável do impacto de cada componente. Isto é, uma avaliação de decomposição não utiliza uma estimativa independente de cada resultado da decomposição. Para começar a lidar com o problema, um estudo sintético foi feito de forma que o impacto de cada componente seja conhecido. Neste estudo, foram construídos 500 modelos de água subterrânea MODFLOW de um aquífero não confinado de uma camada. Para cada modelo, três propriedades hidrológicas (condutividade hidráulica saturada, coeficiente de armazenamento e profundidade da base do aquífero), a distância entre os poços de observação e de bombeamento e a taxa de extração foram definidas de forma aleatória, tendo seus hidrogramas de água subterrânea derivados. Para cada hidrograma, a influência das componentes forçantes individuais foi estimada usando seis modelos de séries temporais distintos. Estas estimativas foram então comparadas com influências meteorológicas e de bombeamento conhecidas, derivadas dos modelos MODFLOW. Os resultados demonstram que a separação dos hidrogramas obtidos através dos modelos de séries temporais nem sempre resultam em estimativas confiáveis da influência de bombeamento e de condições meteorológicas, mesmo quando o ajuste do hidrograma é bom. Entretanto, quando um modelo de séries temporais representa o processo importante (p. ex. evaporação freática é incluída em aquíferos rasos) e a variância (de carga) entre o sinal de bombeamento com o sinal meteorológico está entre 0.1 e 10, o modelo de séries temporais tem o potencial de separar adequadamente a influencia de bombeamento e clima.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the financial support received from the Australian Research Council (grant numbers: LP0991280 and LP130100958), the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Victoria, Australia), and the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia). The authors thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Shapoori, V., Peterson, T.J., Western, A.W. et al. Decomposing groundwater head variations into meteorological and pumping components: a synthetic study. Hydrogeol J 23, 1431–1448 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-015-1269-7

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