| 1. |
- Earon, Robert, 1983-
(författare)
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Groundwater resources in hard rock coastal terrains : Insights into heterogeneity and spatial variability
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Challenges regarding water security in hard rock coastal regions with limited soil cover are: a seasonal absence of recharge during times of peak residency, heterogeneity and variability of the fracture network, close proximity to saline water sources and spatially inconsistent storage and extraction. In areas where it is not feasible to connect residents to municipal water systems, a better understanding of the resilience of reservoirs is needed. The purpose of this study is to investigate and describe the spatial nature of hydraulic data in these types of terrains and present several novel GIS-based groundwater tools with the intent of increasing local water security and aiding in sustainable water resources management. Methods used in this study include groundwater balance modelling and conceptual groundwater storage modelling, as well as a combination of parametric and non-parametric statistical methods such as ANOVA, PCA, correlation and semivariogram analyses. Specific capacity estimates from the Geological Survey of Sweden’s well archive grouped by age or rock type showed very little autocorrelation and in assumed homogeneous geological regions showed statistically significant differences when arbitrarily grouped along a lineament. Estimates of kinematic porosity based on surface fracture data were found have statistically significant correlations with the well data. A GIS-based multivariate prediction tool for assessing Groundwater Resources Potential (GRP) was found to have statistically significant correlations with well data. The GRP method was then combined with a conceptual groundwater storage model and was subsequently found to have statistically significant correlations with chloride concentrations in well quality tests. The storage model was found to have a spatially-dependent sensitivity, meaning that different assumptions within the model had varying effects on the model depending on the geological settings. Incorporating the storage model into a spatial groundwater balance model was then compared with groundwater level time series data over a period of two years, where it was found to have a good explanative capacity and RMSE values of the storage ratio (0.06 to 0.34). Additionally, a soil depth model was developed, tested and found to produce promising results in regions with frequent rock outcrops, where up to 86% of estimates were within 2 m of actual soil depths. Conclusions from this study illustrate the need for a spatial approach to groundwater resources in these types of terrains, and demonstrate a strong potential of several new tools for quantity, capacity and vulnerability estimates to increase water security in a changing climate.
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| 2. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Groundwater Resources Potential in Hard Rock Terrain : A Multivariate Approach
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ground Water. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0017-467X .- 1745-6584.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Groundwater resources are limited and difficult to predict in crystalline bedrock due to heterogeneity and anisotropy in rock fracture systems. Municipal-level governments often lack the resources for traditional hydrogeological tests when planning for sustainable use of water resources. A new methodology for assessing groundwater resources potential (GRP) based on geological and topographical factors using principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was developed and tested. ANOVA results demonstrated statistically significant differences in classed variable groups as well as in classed GRP scores with regard to hydrogeological indicators, such as specific capacity (SC) and transmissivity. Results of PCA were used to govern the weight of the variables used in the prediction maps. GRP scores were able to identify 79% of wells in a verification dataset, which had SC values less than the total dataset median. GRP values showed statistically significant correlations using both parametric (using transformed datasets) and non-parametric methods. The method shows promise for municipal or regional level planning in crystalline terrains with high levels of heterogeneity and anisotropy as a hydrogeologically and statistically based tool to assist in assessing groundwater resources. The methodology is executed in a geographic information systems environment, and uses often readily available data, such as geological maps, feature maps and topography, and thus does not require expensive and time-consuming aquifer tests.
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| 3. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Hydraulic heterogeneity and its impact on kinematic porosity in Swedish coastal terrains
- 2018
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Ingår i: Engineering Geology. - : Elsevier. - 0013-7952 .- 1872-6917. ; 245
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hydrogeology in crystalline rock aquifers is often problematic due to the heterogeneity and anisotropy in thefracture network. Kinematic porosity of the host rock is exceedingly important for municipal decision makers inassessing sustainably extractable water supply volumes and assessing contaminant transport behavior within thematrix. This study explores heteroscedasticity in the hydrogeological characteristics of the fracture network andestimation of kinematic porosity from superficial fracture measurements. Estimates were based on the geometricalproperties of the fractures including: fracture frequency, aperture and orientation. The estimates wereadjusted for aperture changes with depth, connectivity of the fracture network, fracture continuity and measurementorientation bias. The results were compared with well archive data and correlations were found to besignificant with more than 95% confidence. Erratic behaviour of well data relative to fracture measurementsindicates that well orientation with respect to the fracture network gives incomplete hydrogeological data.Spatial heterogeneity of the bedrock was examined using spatial statistics and geographic information systems.The results from the spatial statistical analyses of well data showed that the heterogeneity within the bedrock issufficiently high that spatial correlations cease to exist in nearly all investigated rock types at distances greaterthan 500 m, and in some rocks, particularly sedimentary gneisses, no spatial correlations were observed.Arbitrarily grouped samples with similar geology and topography showed evidence of non-stationary variance.Results indicate that regional generalizations based on sparse point measurements are highly error prone andpotential exists in complementary field-based estimates.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Initial Effects of a New Highway Section on Soil and Groundwater
- 2012
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Ingår i: Water, Air and Soil Pollution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-6979 .- 1573-2932. ; 223:8, s. 5413-5432
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The environmental impacts of 16 different contaminants originating from the E18 Highway (17,510 annual average daily traffic) were studied over the initial months of the highway's operational life. Investigative methods used included electrical resistivity surveying, water chemistry analyses, soil analyses, distribution modeling, and transportation modeling of contaminants. The study conclusively showed a year-round infiltration due to melting of the snowpack from road salt, and a strong preferential, anthropogenic pathway due to increased hydraulic conductivities of road construction materials relative to in situ soils. The resistivity surveys produced values well below the expected values for the highway materials, indicating increased ionic content within the unsaturated zone. Time lapse resistivity modeling showed a clear downwards spreading of contamination from the roadway to subsurface distances greater than 5 m. Elevated concentrations of nearly every studied contaminant relative to baseline values were observed, with many metal concentrations within the snow pack averaging values in excess of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's groundwater limitations. Distribution modeling demonstrated a potential offset of peak values from the road surface due to plowing and splash transport processes, and indicated different distribution behavior during winter months than during summer months. One-dimensional transport modeling demonstrated the importance of adsorption and other retentive factors to the migration of contaminants to groundwater and provided an estimate for potential long-term contaminant concentrations.
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| 6. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Insight into the influence of local streambed heterogeneity on hyporheic-zone flow characteristics
- 2020
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Ingår i: Hydrogeology Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. - 1431-2174 .- 1435-0157. ; 28:8, s. 2697-2712
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interaction between surface water and groundwater plays a fundamental role in influencing aquatic chemistry, where hyporheic exchange processes, distribution of flow paths and residence times within the hyporheic zone will influence the transport of mass and energy in the surface-water/groundwater system. Geomorphological conditions greatly influence hyporheic exchange, and heterogeneities such as rocks and clay lenses will be a key factor for delineating the hyporheic zone. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) were used to investigate the streambed along a 6.3-m-long reach in order to characterise geological layering and distinct features which may influence parameters such as hydraulic conductivity. Time-lapse ERT measurements taken during a tracer injection demonstrated that geological features at the meter-scale played a determining role for the hyporheic flow field. The penetration depth of the tracer into the streambed sediment displayed a variable spatial pattern in areas where the presence of highly resistive anomalies was detected. In areas with more homogeneous sediments, the penetration depth was much more uniformly distributed than observed in more heterogeneous sections, demonstrating that ERT can play a vital role in identifying critical hydraulic features that may influence hyporheic exchange processes. Reciprocal ERT measurements linked variability and thus uncertainty in the modelled resistivity to the spatial locations, which also demonstrated larger variability in the tracer penetration depth, likely due to local heterogeneity in the hydraulic conductivity field.
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| 7. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Integrating storage and spatial variability into regional groundwater balances : Moving towards water security in hard rock coastal areas
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In terrains with limited soil cover and groundwater storage, groundwater resource management is governed by the spatial nature of storage, recharge and extraction. Local soils may act as important groundwater reservoirs for residents which have no other feasible water supply. A novel groundwater balance methodology is presented which accounts for the spatial distribution of storage and extraction. Existing topographical and geological databases as well as well data were used to construct a conceptual model of the groundwater system, assuming stratigraphy based on typical geology. The method is implemented in a geographic information systems environment and allows for variable climate and land use scenarios.Several scenarios were examined with this method, demonstrating that on a regional scale average reservoir volumes meet demand but at the local levels depletion of reservoirs may be experienced. Groundwater level drawdown in excess of 50% of the projected reservoir storage were seen, particularly near the coast. Soil-filled valleys may act as local hydraulic barriers, preventing contamination from saline water provided no direct hydraulic connection is present. The method demonstrates the importance of a spatial approach in managing groundwater resources, and shows promise as a tool for planners in increasing water security.
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| 8. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Integrating storage and spatial variability into shallow groundwater balances : moving towards water security in hard rock coastal areas
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nordic Hydrology. - : IWA Publishing. - 0029-1277 .- 1996-9694. ; 51:6, s. 1293-1311
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In terrains with limited soil cover and groundwater storage, groundwater resource management is governed by the spatial nature of storage, recharge and distributed local extraction. Local soils act as important groundwater reservoirs for residents who have no other feasible water supply. A novel heuristic methodology is presented which accounts for the spatial distribution of storage and extraction, using existing topographical and geological databases in addition to well data to construct an applied conceptual groundwater model with assumed stratigraphy. The method uses a geographic information systems (GIS) environment and allows for modelling climate and land-use scenarios. Several scenarios were examined, demonstrating that average reservoir volumes meet demand but at the local levels depletion of reservoirs occurs. Groundwater abstraction in excess of 50% of the approximate freshwater storage was observed in the model, particularly near the coast. Soil-filled valleys may act as local hydraulic barriers by maintaining a higher pressure head as they are less susceptible to large-level fluctuations than the hard rock and may aid in preventing contamination from saline water provided no direct hydraulic connection is present. The method demonstrates the importance of a spatial approach in managing groundwater resources and could be used as a tool in increasing water security.
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| 9. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of a spatial approach to water resources management in heterogeneous regions
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Limited groundwater storage in recently glaciated terrains with frequent hard, crystalline bedrock outcrops poses challenges for groundwater resources management. Due to often-limited economic resources allocated to groundwater investigations in areas where drinking water is primarily supplied by private wells, heuristic solutions such as groundwater balances with built-in limitations of storage may serve a vital role in improving water security. This study investigates the use of a conceptual groundwater balance model and the use of a conceptual-statistical reservoir vulnerability model with this aim. A limited storage, GIS-based groundwater balance model using existing databases was applied to an area outside of Stockholm, Sweden with existing groundwater level measurement data. The spatial model showed improved performance over existing S-Hype model estimates of groundwater levels currently used in groundwater resources management by the Geological Survey of Sweden, even without local calibration. Differences between two wells with time series data showed evidence of strong influence due to in-situ geological conditions. Groundwater vulnerability estimates correlated significantly with chloride measurements from an existing chemistry database. The performance of the conceptually-based spatial groundwater balance supports the use of the approach as an aid for municipal planners and decision-makers in moving towards sustainable groundwater resources planning and improving water security in areas with limited storage and a large number of dispersed, private wells.
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| 10. |
- Earon, Robert
(författare)
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Water supply in hard rock coastal regions : The effect of heterogeneity and kinematic porosity
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Water resources in hard rock terrain are difficult to characterize due to heterogeneity and anisotropy in the fracture network, low porosities and limited recharge volumes available during the summer season. Three methods were developed and evaluated in order to assist in water supply planning. A groundwater resources potential index was estimated using multivariate statistics, where physical and geological variables were classified using Analysis of Variance and Fisher's Least Significant Difference tests according to their effect on hydraulic properties. Principal component analysis was used to assign weights to the different classed variables. Classes and weights were used to produce an index referred to as groundwater resources potential (GRP), which correlated significantly with well data. Nearly 80% of the wells with less than median specific capacity values also had GRP values at those locations of zero or lower. Non-stationary variance was observed in specific capacity sub-samples taken from the Geological Survey of Sweden's well archive, despite homogeneous geology and topography. Spatial statistical analyses showed that spatial correlations were weak in well archive samples, implying that regional approximations based on sparse point data are highly error prone. Kinematic porosity estimated using superficial fracture measurements correlated significantly with well archive data. However, low correlation coefficients indicated that well data is likely not a suitable method for predicting water supply characteristics. This approach is an efficient method which shows promise in preliminary estimations of groundwater storage in heterogenic terrains. A groundwater balance model which describes seasonal groundwater storage changes was created in order to better approximate the groundwater situation often found in Swedish urbanized and semi-urbanized hard rock terrains. The model was based on a water budget approach at the pixel scale, and allows for approximation of well extraction which is not uniformly distributed in space. The model showed that in specific regions groundwater extraction may lead to severe decreases in groundwater level, where these impacts may not otherwise be expected. Dry season modelling with 10% increased evapotranspiration showed that in several areas groundwater reservoir depletion may be influenced by more than 50%.
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