Methods and systems for monitoring groundwater discharge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215883-B2
Application number	US-201715397084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2017
Priority date	Jan 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments for monitoring groundwater discharge by one or more processors are described. A groundwater head at each of at least some of a plurality of locations is measured. A groundwater discharge for at least one of the plurality of locations is determined based on the measured groundwater heads. The determined groundwater discharge is compared to a groundwater discharge threshold associated with the at least one of the plurality of locations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, by a one or more processors, for monitoring groundwater discharge, comprising:
measuring a groundwater head at each of at least some of a plurality of locations;
determining a groundwater discharge for at least one of the plurality of locations based on the measured groundwater heads;
comparing the determined groundwater discharge to a groundwater discharge threshold associated with the at least one of the plurality of locations; and
generating an indication of said comparison of the determined groundwater discharge to the groundwater discharge threshold; wherein generating the indication further comprises providing the indication to an electronic device via one of an electronic message, a visual message displayed on a display, and an aural message.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of locations for which the groundwater discharge is determined is not a location at which the groundwater head is measured.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the groundwater discharge based on the measured groundwater heads is performed using a groundwater flow equation comprising a mathematical relationship describing a flow of groundwater through an aquifer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of locations at which the groundwater heads are measured are within a radius of influence of the at least one of the plurality of locations for which the groundwater discharge is determined.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the groundwater discharge is further based on at least one hydrogeologic characteristic associated with the plurality of locations.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one hydrogeologic characteristic includes at least one of hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, or permeability.

7. A system for monitoring groundwater discharge, comprising:
at least one processor that
receives a measurement of a groundwater head at each of at least some of a plurality of locations;
determines a groundwater discharge for at least one of the plurality of locations based on the measured groundwater heads;
compares the determined groundwater discharge to a groundwater discharge threshold associated with the at least one of the plurality of locations; and
generates an indication of said comparison of the determined groundwater discharge to the groundwater discharge threshold; wherein generating the indication further comprises providing the indication to an electronic device via one of an electronic message, a visual message displayed on a display, and an aural message.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of locations for which the groundwater discharge is determined is not a location at which the groundwater head is measured.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the determining of the groundwater discharge based on the measured groundwater heads is performed using a groundwater flow equation comprising a mathematical relationship describing a flow of groundwater through an aquifer.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of locations at which the groundwater heads are measured are within a radius of influence of the at least one of the plurality of locations for which the groundwater discharge is determined.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the determining of the groundwater discharge is further based on at least one hydrogeologic characteristic associated with the plurality of locations.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one hydrogeologic characteristic includes at least one of hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, or permeability.

13. A computer program product for monitoring groundwater discharge by one or more processors, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
an executable portion that receives a measurement of a groundwater head at each of at least some of a plurality of locations;
an executable portion that determines a groundwater discharge for at least one of the plurality of locations based on the measured groundwater heads;
an executable portion that compares the determined groundwater discharge to a groundwater discharge threshold associated with the at least one of the plurality of locations; and
an executable portion that generates an indication of said comparison of the determined groundwater discharge to the groundwater discharge threshold; wherein generating the indication further comprises providing the indication to an electronic device via one of an electronic message, a visual message displayed on a display, and an aural message.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of locations for which the groundwater discharge is determined is not a location at which the groundwater head is measured.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the determining of the groundwater discharge based on the measured groundwater heads is performed using a groundwater flow equation comprising a mathematical relationship describing a flow of groundwater through an aquifer.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of locations at which the groundwater heads are measured are within a radius of influence of the at least one of the plurality of locations for which the groundwater discharge is determined.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the determining of the groundwater discharge is further based on at least one hydrogeologic characteristic associated with the plurality of locations.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the at least one hydrogeologic characteristic includes at least one of hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, or permeability.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Mckenna Sean A
• Tirupathi Seshu

Classifications

• E21B47/04

  Measuring depth or liquid level · CPC title

• G01V9/02 Primary

  Determining existence or flow of underground water · CPC title

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title