Heat tracer test in an alluvial aquifer: field experiment and inverse modelling

[en] Using heat as an active tracer for aquifer characterization is a topic of increasing interest. In this study, we investigate the potential of using heat tracer tests for characterization of a shallow alluvial aquifer. A thermal tracer test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River, Belgium. The tracing experiment consisted in simultaneously injecting heated water and a dye tracer in an injection well and monitoring the evolution of groundwater temperature and tracer concentration in the pumping well and in measurement intervals. To get insights in the 3D characteristics of the heat transport mechanisms, temperature data from a large number of observation wells closely spaced along three transects were used. Temperature breakthrough curves in observation wells are contrasted with what would be expected in an ideal layered aquifer. They reveal strongly unequal lateral and vertical components of the transport mechanisms. The observed complex behavior of the heat plume is explained by the groundwater flow gradient on the site and heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field. Moreover, due to high injection temperatures during the field experiment a temperature-induced fluid density effect on heat transport occurred. By using a flow and heat transport numerical model with variable density coupled with a pilot point approach for inversion of the hydraulic conductivity field, the main preferential flow paths were delineated. The successful application of a field heat tracer test at this site suggests that heat tracer tests is a promising approach to image hydraulic conductivity field. This methodology could be applied in aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) projects for assessing future efficiency that is strongly linked to the hydraulic conductivity variability in the considered aquifer.

Research Center/Unit :

Aquapôle - ULiège

Disciplines :

Geological, petroleum & mining engineering

Author, co-author :

Klepikova, Maria; ETH Zürich

Wildemeersch, Samuel

Hermans, Thomas ; Université de Liège > Département ArGEnCo > Géophysique appliquée

Jamin, Pierre ; Université de Liège > Département ArGEnCo > Hydrogéologie & Géologie de l'environnement

Orban, Philippe ; Université de Liège > Département ArGEnCo > Hydrogéologie & Géologie de l'environnement

Nguyen, Frédéric ; Université de Liège > Département ArGEnCo > Géophysique appliquée

Brouyère, Serge ; Université de Liège > Département ArGEnCo > Hydrogéologie & Géologie de l'environnement

Dassargues, Alain ; Université de Liège > Département ArGEnCo > Hydrogéologie & Géologie de l'environnement

Language :

English

Title :

Heat tracer test in an alluvial aquifer: field experiment and inverse modelling

Publication date :

June 2016

Journal title :

Journal of Hydrology

ISSN :

0022-1694

eISSN :

1879-2707

Publisher :

Elsevier Science

Volume :

540

Pages :

812-823

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique
University of Liège and the EU through the Marie Curie BeIPD-COFUND postdoctoral fellowship program (2013–2014)

Available on ORBi :

since 05 July 2016

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