Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A hydrostratigraphic simplification approach to build 3D groundwater flow numerical models: example of a Quaternary deltaic deposit aquifer

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The construction of 3D hydrogeological models for unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers remains particularly challenging, especially in Quaternary deposits. Simplifications at small or large scale are part of groundwater flow modeling and are often required due on the usual inherent complexity of the stratigraphic systems. This study analyzes the effects of hydrostratigraphic simplifications on the accuracy of 3D numerical groundwater flow models. Such investigation is conducted from an initial detailed model of an aquifer located in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region in Canada and the considered simplifications are based on using the equivalent hydraulic conductivity concept. Different levels or approaches of simplification are applied to numerical simulated models and the results of the different scenarios are compared. A root mean square (RMS) calibration result of 3.79 m on the groundwater levels is obtained for the most detailed model, while the RMS ranges between 4.01 and 4.83 m with the simplified models. Such results illustrate a gain obtained in the calibration of the model with increasing level of hydrostratigraphic details, but that this gain is relatively limited. The proposed methodology for simplifying the hydrostratigraphic settings could be used by hydrogeological modellers for a wide variety of aquifers constituted of sedimentary granular material.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albinet M, Margat J (1970) Cartographie de la vulnerabilité à la pollution des nappes d’eau souterraines. Bulletin du BRGM 2:13–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen DM, Schuurman N, Deshpande A, Scibek J (2008) Data integration and standardization in cross-border hydrogeological studies: a novel approach to hydrostratigraphic model development. Environ Geol 53:1441–1453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anctil F, Rousselle J, Lauzon N (2012) Hydrologie: cheminements de l’eau. Presses internationales Polytechnique, Montréal, p 391

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson M (1989) Hydrogeologic facies models to delineate large-scale spatial trends in glacial and glaciofluvial sediments. Bull Geol Soc Am 101:501–511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bersezio R, Bini A, Giudici M (1999) Effects of sedimentary heterogeneity on groundwater flow in a Quaternary pro-glacial delta environment: joining facies analysis and numerical modelling. Sed Geol 129:327–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beyer W (1964) On the determination of hydraulic conductivity of gravels and sands from grain-size distributions. Wasserwirtschaft-Wassertechnik 14:165–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya JP (2006) Deltas. In: Walker RG, Posamentier H (eds) Facies models revisited, vol 84. SEPM Special Publication, Tulsa, pp 237–292

  • Calvache ML, Ibáñez S, Duque C, Martín-Rosales W, López-Chicano M, Rubio JC, González A, Viseras C (2009) Numerical modelling of the potential effects of a dam on a coastal aquifer in Spain. Hydrol Process 23:1268–1281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapuis RP (2004) Predicting the saturated hydraulic conductivity of sand and gravel using effective diameter and void ratio. Can Geotech J 41:787–795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chesnaux R, Baudement C, Hay M (2011a) Assessing and comparing the hydraulic properties of granular aquifers on three different scales. In: Proceedings of GeoHydro 2011, joint meeting of the Canadian Quaternary Association and the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, August 28–31, 2011, Quebec City, Canada, p 9

  • Chesnaux R, Lambert M, Fillastre U, Walter J, Hay M, Rouleau A, Daigneault R, Germaneau D, Moisan A (2011b) Building a geodatabase for mapping hydrogeological features and 3D modeling of groundwater systems: application to the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region, Canada. Comput Geosci 37:1870–1882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daigneault RA, Cousineau PA, Leduc É, Beaudoin G, Milette S, Horth N, Roy DW, Lamothe M, Allard G (2011) Rapport final sur les travaux de cartographie des formations superficielles réalisés dans le territoire municipalisé du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Québec) entre 2009 et 2011. Ministère des Ressources Naturelles, Québec, p 246

  • Dessureault R (1975) Hydrogéologie du Lac St-Jean (partie nord-est). Ministère des Ressources Naturelles, Québec, p 90

    Google Scholar 

  • DHI-WASY (2009) White papers vol I. Berlin, Germany, p 368

  • DHI-WASY (2010) FEFLOW 6—user manual. Berlin, Germany, p 94

  • Doherty J (2011) Modeling: picture perfect or abstract art? Ground Water 49(4):455–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drew D, Hötzl H (1999) Karst hydrogeology and human activities. impacts, consequences and implications. -IAH-International contributions to hydrogeology, A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Brookfield, p 322

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott T (1986) Deltas. In: Reading HG (ed) Sedimentary environments and facies. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, pp 113–154

  • Evans AW (2007) Planning and urban design standards. J Am Plan Assoc 73:355–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadd NR (1988) The basin, the ice, the Champlain Sea. The late Quaternary development of the Champlain Sea basin GAC Special Paper vol 35, pp 15–24

  • Hazen A (1911) Discussion: dams on sand foundations. Trans Am Soc Civ Eng 73:199

    Google Scholar 

  • Heinz J, Aigner T (2003) Hierarchical dynamic stratigraphy in various Quaternary gravel deposits, Rhine glacier area (SW Germany): implications for hydrostratigraphy. Int J Earth Sci 92:923–938

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill MC (2006) The practical use of simplicity in developing ground water models. Ground Water 44:775–781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudon-Gagnon E, Chesnaux R, Cousineau PA, Rouleau A (2011) A methodology to adequately simplify aquifer models of quaternary deposits: preliminary results. In: Proceedings of GeoHydro 2011, joint meeting of the Canadian Quaternary Association and the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, August 28–31, 2011, Quebec City, Canada, p 7

  • Istok J (1989) Groundwater modeling by the finite element method. American Geophysical Union, Washington D.C., p 405

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Klingbeil R, Kleineidam S, Asprion U, Aigner T, Teutsch G (1999) Relating lithofacies to hydrofacies: outcrop-based hydrogeological characterisation of Quaternary gravel deposits. Sed Geol 129:299–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaSalle P, Tremblay G (1978) Dépôts meubles Saguenay Lac Saint-Jean. Ministère des Richesses Naturelles, Québec, p 61

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonards GA (ed) (1962) Engineering properties of soils. In: Foundation Engineering. McGraw-Hill Book Co, New York, pp 66–240

  • Matheron G (1969) Le krigeage universel. École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris, p 84

  • NAVFAC NFEC (1974) Design manual: Civil Engineering Navy Dept., p 177

  • Refsgaard JC (1997) Parameterisation, calibration and validation of distributed hydrological models. J Hydrol 198:69–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson PK (2009) Interpretation of cone penetration tests—a unified approach. Can Geotech J 46:1337–1355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross M, Parent M, Lefebvre R (2004) 3D geologic framework models for regional hydrogeology and land-use management: a case study from a Quaternary basin of southwestern Quebec, Canada. Hydrogeol J 13:690–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savard M, Lefebvre R, Martel R, Ouellet M, Rousseau N (2007) Guide méthodologique pour la caractérisation des aquifères granulaires de surface. Ministère du Développement Durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs Québec, p 80

  • Schwartz FW, Zhang H (2003) Fundamentals of ground water. Wiley, New York, p 583

    Google Scholar 

  • Sepúlveda N, Kuniansky EL (2009) Effects of model layer simplification using composite hydraulic properties. Hydrogeol J 18:405–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpe DR, Pugin A, Pullan SE, Gorrell G (2003) Application of seismic stratigraphy and sedimentology to regional hydrogeological investigations: an example from Oak Ridges Moraine, southern Ontario, Canada. Can Geotech J 40:711–730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todd DK, Mays LW (2005) Groundwater hydrology, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York, p 636

  • Weissmann G, Carle S, Fogg G (1999) Three-dimensional hydrofacies modeling based on soil surveys and transition probability geostatistics. Water Resour Res 35:1761–1770

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the hydrogeological project conducted in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region as part of the “Programme d’Acquisition de Connaissances sur les Eaux Souterraines” of Quebec (PACES-SLSJ), with contributions from the “Ministère du Développement Durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs” of the Government of Québec, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Ville de Saguenay, Conseil des Montagnais, Conférence régionale des élus and the four Municipalités Régionales de Comté of the region. Funding from the “Fondation de l’UQAC” (FUQAC) is also acknowledged. The authors would like to thank Cynthia Vigneault, Emmanuelle B.Gagné and Pierre-Luc Dallaire for their support in field data acquisition. One anonymous reviewer and the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. LaMoreaux are also thanked for their comments which improved the quality of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département des sciences appliquées, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), 555 Boulevard de l’Université, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada

    Etienne Hudon-Gagnon, Romain Chesnaux, Pierre A. Cousineau & Alain Rouleau

Authors
  1. Etienne Hudon-Gagnon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Romain Chesnaux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pierre A. Cousineau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alain Rouleau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Romain Chesnaux.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hudon-Gagnon, E., Chesnaux, R., Cousineau, P.A. et al. A hydrostratigraphic simplification approach to build 3D groundwater flow numerical models: example of a Quaternary deltaic deposit aquifer. Environ Earth Sci 74, 4671–4683 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4439-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4439-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation