Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand
<p>Groundwater age or residence time is important for identifying flow and contaminant pathways through groundwater systems. Typically, groundwater age and age distributions are inferred via lumped parameter models based on measured age tracer concentrations. However, due to cost and time cons...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/27/4295/2023/hess-27-4295-2023.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827594536335966208 |
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| author | C. Tschritter C. J. Daughney S. Karalliyadda B. Hemmings U. Morgenstern C. Moore |
| author_facet | C. Tschritter C. J. Daughney S. Karalliyadda B. Hemmings U. Morgenstern C. Moore |
| author_sort | C. Tschritter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Groundwater age or residence time is important for identifying flow and contaminant pathways through groundwater systems. Typically, groundwater age and age distributions are inferred via lumped parameter models based on measured age tracer concentrations. However, due to cost and time constraints, age tracers are usually only sampled at a small percentage of the wells in a catchment. This paper describes and compares two methods to increase the number of groundwater age data points and assist with validating age distributions inferred from lumped parameter models. Two machine learning techniques with different strengths were applied to develop two independent metamodels that each aim to establish relationships between the hydrochemical parameters and the modelled groundwater age distributions in one test catchment. Ensemble medians from the best model realisations per age distribution percentile were used for comparison with the results from traditional lumped parameter models based on age tracers. Results show that both metamodelling techniques predict age distributions from hydrochemistry with good correspondence to traditional lumped parameter model (LPM)-derived age distributions. Therefore, these techniques can be used to assist with the interpretation of lumped parameter models where age tracers have been sampled, and they can also be applied to predict groundwater age distributions for wells in a similar hydrogeological regime that have hydrochemistry data available but no age tracer data.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:38:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f465c806ff14453b91f0a11771e54f33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:38:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-f465c806ff14453b91f0a11771e54f332023-12-06T07:06:09ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382023-12-01274295431610.5194/hess-27-4295-2023Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New ZealandC. Tschritter0C. J. Daughney1S. Karalliyadda2B. Hemmings3U. Morgenstern4C. Moore5GNS Science, Taupo, New ZealandNational Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington, New ZealandGNS Science, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai / Lower Hutt, New ZealandGNS Science, Taupo, New ZealandGNS Science, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai / Lower Hutt, New ZealandGNS Science, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai / Lower Hutt, New Zealand<p>Groundwater age or residence time is important for identifying flow and contaminant pathways through groundwater systems. Typically, groundwater age and age distributions are inferred via lumped parameter models based on measured age tracer concentrations. However, due to cost and time constraints, age tracers are usually only sampled at a small percentage of the wells in a catchment. This paper describes and compares two methods to increase the number of groundwater age data points and assist with validating age distributions inferred from lumped parameter models. Two machine learning techniques with different strengths were applied to develop two independent metamodels that each aim to establish relationships between the hydrochemical parameters and the modelled groundwater age distributions in one test catchment. Ensemble medians from the best model realisations per age distribution percentile were used for comparison with the results from traditional lumped parameter models based on age tracers. Results show that both metamodelling techniques predict age distributions from hydrochemistry with good correspondence to traditional lumped parameter model (LPM)-derived age distributions. Therefore, these techniques can be used to assist with the interpretation of lumped parameter models where age tracers have been sampled, and they can also be applied to predict groundwater age distributions for wells in a similar hydrogeological regime that have hydrochemistry data available but no age tracer data.</p>https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/27/4295/2023/hess-27-4295-2023.pdf |
| spellingShingle | C. Tschritter C. J. Daughney S. Karalliyadda B. Hemmings U. Morgenstern C. Moore Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand |
| title_full | Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand |
| title_fullStr | Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand |
| title_short | Estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry: comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the Heretaunga Plains aquifer system, New Zealand |
| title_sort | estimation of groundwater age distributions from hydrochemistry comparison of two metamodelling algorithms in the heretaunga plains aquifer system new zealand |
| url | https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/27/4295/2023/hess-27-4295-2023.pdf |
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