TY - JOUR
T1 - Advancing measurements and representations of subsurface heterogeneity and dynamic processes: towards 4D hydrogeology
AU - Hermans, Thomas
AU - Goderniaux, Pascal
AU - Jougnot, Damien
AU - Fleckenstein, Jan H.
AU - Brunner, Philip
AU - Nguyen, Frédéric
AU - Linde, Niklas
AU - Huisman, Johan Alexander
AU - Bour, Olivier
AU - Lopez Alvis, Jorge
AU - Hoffmann, Richard
AU - Palacios, Andrea
AU - Cooke, Anne-Karin
AU - Pardo-Álvarez, Álvaro
AU - Blazevic, Lara
AU - Pouladi, Behzad
AU - Haruzi, Peleg
AU - Fernandez Visentini, Alejandro
AU - Nogueira, Guilherme E.H.
AU - Tirado-Conde, Joel
AU - Looms, Majken C.
AU - Kenshilikova, Meruyert
AU - Davy, Philippe
AU - Le Borgne, Tanguy
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Copernicus GmbH. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/1/12
Y1 - 2023/1/12
N2 - Essentially all hydrogeological processes are strongly influenced by the subsurface spatial heterogeneity and the temporal variation of environmental conditions, hydraulic properties, and solute concentrations. This spatial and temporal variability generally leads to effective behaviors and emerging phenomena that cannot be predicted from conventional approaches based on homogeneous assumptions and models. However, it is not always clear when, why, how, and at what scale the 4D (3D + time) nature of the subsurface needs to be considered in hydrogeological monitoring, modeling, and applications. In this paper, we discuss the interest and potential for the monitoring and characterization of spatial and temporal variability, including 4D imaging, in a series of hydrogeological processes: (1) groundwater fluxes, (2) solute transport and reaction, (3) vadose zone dynamics, and (4) surface–subsurface water interactions. We first identify the main challenges related to the coupling of spatial and temporal fluctuations for these processes. We then highlight recent innovations that have led to significant breakthroughs in high-resolution space–time imaging and modeling the characterization, monitoring, and modeling of these spatial and temporal fluctuations. We finally propose a classification of processes and applications at different scales according to their need and potential for high-resolution space–time imaging. We thus advocate a more systematic characterization of the dynamic and 3D nature of the subsurface for a series of critical processes and emerging applications. This calls for the validation of 4D imaging techniques at highly instrumented observatories and the harmonization of open databases to share hydrogeological data sets in their 4D components.
AB - Essentially all hydrogeological processes are strongly influenced by the subsurface spatial heterogeneity and the temporal variation of environmental conditions, hydraulic properties, and solute concentrations. This spatial and temporal variability generally leads to effective behaviors and emerging phenomena that cannot be predicted from conventional approaches based on homogeneous assumptions and models. However, it is not always clear when, why, how, and at what scale the 4D (3D + time) nature of the subsurface needs to be considered in hydrogeological monitoring, modeling, and applications. In this paper, we discuss the interest and potential for the monitoring and characterization of spatial and temporal variability, including 4D imaging, in a series of hydrogeological processes: (1) groundwater fluxes, (2) solute transport and reaction, (3) vadose zone dynamics, and (4) surface–subsurface water interactions. We first identify the main challenges related to the coupling of spatial and temporal fluctuations for these processes. We then highlight recent innovations that have led to significant breakthroughs in high-resolution space–time imaging and modeling the characterization, monitoring, and modeling of these spatial and temporal fluctuations. We finally propose a classification of processes and applications at different scales according to their need and potential for high-resolution space–time imaging. We thus advocate a more systematic characterization of the dynamic and 3D nature of the subsurface for a series of critical processes and emerging applications. This calls for the validation of 4D imaging techniques at highly instrumented observatories and the harmonization of open databases to share hydrogeological data sets in their 4D components.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147334111&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5194/hess-27-255-2023
DO - 10.5194/hess-27-255-2023
M3 - Article
SN - 1027-5606
VL - 27
SP - 255
EP - 287
JO - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
JF - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
IS - 1
ER -