Estimation of Spatial Distribution of Specific Yield by Using Hydraulic Tomography and Gravity Measurements

Specific yield (Sy) is an important aquifer parameter especially highly correlated to the groundwater resources estimation. Sy is typically obtained through filed sampling. However, obtaining the detailed spatial distribution of Sy through a large amount of field point samples for a field area is an arduous task. To efficiently derive the distribution of Sy for a field area, this study proposed a method that integrates hydraulic head and gravity measurements based on hydraulic tomography (HT). A synthetic case is used to demonstrate the capability of the developed method. Our preliminary results show that gravity measurements are helpful to constrain the estimated distribution of Sy. By comparing the results estimated by the proposed method with that of original HT, the uncertainty of the distribution of Sy estimated by the proposed method is improved. Our studies show that the proposed method is practicable and could be useful to reduce the uncertainty of field-scale characterization.