Collaborative Research: The role of temporally varying specific storage on confined aquifer dynamics

合作研究：随时间变化的特定存储对承压含水层动态的作用

• 批准号: 2242366
• 负责人: Erich Mueller
• 金额: $ 5.64万
• 依托单位: Southern Utah University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-15 至 2026-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2242366&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; role; temporally; varying

Access to clean drinking water continues to be a growing concern as climate change, population growth and industrialization increase the prevalence of water scarcity. In response to dwindling surface water supply, many regions turn to water from porous rocks or sediments known as aquifers that hold most of the world’s liquid freshwater. Confined aquifers, which are typically deep and pressurized, hold the majority of freshwater in the world’s aquifers. Predicting whether water storage in a confined aquifer will increase, decrease, or remain constant given variations in human activity such as pumping, and climate change is critical for preserving aquifers for future use, but has been challenging to estimate. Changes in confined aquifer storage are typically estimated by a parameter known as storativity, which is obtained by multiplying changes in water levels measured in wells. In this project, the researchers will determine how storativity changes over space and time, and how accurate estimation of storativity can help scientists and engineers to accurately estimate aquifer storage, and improve our ability to effectively manage groundwater use. In confined aquifers, storativity can vary significantly over time, leading to inaccurate predictions in traditional groundwater models if the storativity is assumed constant. The compaction of clay layers, which can be observed from satellites, causes changes in storativity. If clays are present, assuming that storativity is constant can lead to overly optimistic estimates of aquifer recharge which, if implemented in management practices, could result in rapid aquifer depletion. In this research, the investigators will develop groundwater models for the Parowan Valley in Utah, a region with well-constrained groundwater use, and that shares similarities with other high-use aquifers of the world. They will develop two types of models, (1) traditional models that assume constant storativity, and (2) more robust models that allow storativity to vary with time and compare the model performance against well measurements and satellite data. Through this research, scientists will quantify the effect that time-varying storativity has on aquifer storage, and contribute to improving estimates of recharge and aquifer parameters such as hydraulic conductivity. During the project, they will collaborate and work with community stakeholders, and train graduate and undergraduate students in both research and science communication.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

随着气候变化，人口增长和工业化的增加，人们对清洁饮用水的访问越来越不断增加。为了响应地表供水的减少，许多区域转向多孔岩石或沉积物的水，称为含水层，这些含水层含有世界大部分液体淡水。封闭的含水层通常是深层且加压的，在世界含水层中占据了大部分淡水。预测含水层中的储水是否会增加，减少或保持恒定，因为在人类活动（例如抽水和气候变化）的变化中，对于保留含水层以供将来使用的含水层至关重要，但要挑战估计。限制含水层存储的变化通常由称为储藏的参数估计，该参数是通过在井中测得的水位变化而获得的。在该项目中，研究人员将确定储藏率如何在空间和时间上发生变化，以及对储藏率的准确估计如何帮助科学家和工程师准确估计含水层的存储，并提高我们有效管理地下水使用的能力。在狭窄的含水层中，随着时间的流逝，储藏率可能会大不相同，如果假定稳定性恒定，则导致传统地下水模型的预测不准确。可以从卫星上观察到的粘土层的压实会导致存储性变化。如果存在粘土，则假设存储性是恒定的，则会导致对含水层充电的过度乐观估计，如果在管理实践中实施，可能会导致含水层的快速耗竭。在这项研究中，研究人员将开发犹他州帕罗瓦山谷的地下水模型，犹他州是一个具有良好约束地下水的地区，并与世界其他高使用含水层具有相似之处。他们将开发两种类型的模型，（1）传统模型，这些模型具有恒定的纪念性，以及（2）更强大的模型，允许存放性随时间而变化，并将模型性能与井测量和卫星数据进行比较。通过这项研究，科学家将量化随时间变化的代数对含水层存储的影响，并有助于改善对补给和含水层参数（例如水利电导率）的估计。在项目期间，他们将与社区利益相关者合作并合作研究，并在研究和科学传播方面培训毕业生和本科生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用该基金会的知识分子和更广泛的影响评估标准，通过评估来诚实地获得支持。