Stochastic multiple data integration for the characterization of quaternary aquifers
Authors:   , Néven Alexis 
Published: August 2023

Groundwater resource management often requires the development of geological and hydrogeological models. However, constructing accurate models can be a challenging and time-consuming task, especially in large areas with complex Quaternary deposits. However, these areas are often the most frequently subject to resource exploitation and pollution. To address this issue, several studies have proposed innovative methodologies to integrate various types of data, including wells, geophysical, and hydrogeological data. The objective is to facilitate the construction of these models within coherent and reproducible frameworks with robust error estimation. In these, we present four studies that present novel methodologies to address this challenge. The first study presents a large and dense Time Domain ElectroMagnetic (TDEM) dataset acquired in the upper Aare Valley, Switzerland, to improve knowledge of the spatial variations of Quaternary deposits. The inverted resistivity models derived from this acquisition were published and could be used for various future studies. It also highlights the data set’s potential for data integration algorithm development because of the abundance of various freely available data on the same zone. The second study proposes a new methodology to combine boreholes and geophysical data with a propagation of the uncertainty to predict the probability of clay at the scale of a valley. A spatially varying translator function was used to estimate the clay fraction from resistivity. The parameters of this function are inverted using the description of the boreholes as control points. They combine this clay fraction estimation with a nondeterministic 3D stochastic interpolation framework based on a Multiple Points Statistics algorithm and Gaussian Random Function to obtain a 3D realistic high spatial resolution model of clay fraction for the upper Aare valley. The study demonstrates the quality of the predicted values and their corresponding uncertainties using cross-validation. The third study addresses the possibility of integrating boreholes, geophysical, and hydrogeological data, while keeping the geological concept of the models coherent. We used a stochastic geological model generator to construct a set of prior models based on the boreholes. We then propose a multiscale inversion approach that combines low-fidelity and less accurate models with high-fidelity and more accurate models to reduce the time needed for the inversion to converge. Both geophysical and hydrogeological data are integrated, using an Ensemble Smoother with Multiple Data Assimilation Algorithm (ES-MDA) algorithm. The workflow ensures that the models are geologically consistent and robustly estimate the associated uncertainty with the final model. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach for a controlled synthetic case. It shows that ArchPY and ES-MDA are capable of generating plausible subsurface realizations for Quaternary Sedimentological Models. Finally, the fourth study presents an innovative methodology that combines the ES-MDA algorithm with an open-source hierarchical geological modeling code to integrate multiple data sources and construct geologically consistent models with robust error estimation. The methodology is applied to a field case in the upper Aare Valley, Switzerland. In order to benchmark the methodology, a cross-validation framework is implemented. The approach results in final models that effectively balance accuracy and uncertainty and can take into account various data sources, including geophysical data, regional conceptual knowledge, boreholes, and hydrogeological measurements at a valley scale. In summary, this thesis presents several innovative methods that could be applied on small to large scale hydrogeological model realization.