Research Project
The Use of Logging and Surface NMR Measurements to Estimate Hydraulic Conductivity in Unconsolidated Aquifers
The Problem
There are growing concerns, worldwide, about the sustainability of our groundwater resources. The critical decisions that must be made, in order to manage and protect our water resources, require accurate characterization of the properties of groundwater aquifers that govern both the storage and movement of water. The focus of this research project is the use of NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) logging and surface-based NMR as a means of determining hydraulic conductivity (K) in the saturated zone of an unconsolidated aquifer from measurement of NMR relaxation times.
NMR logging has been used for many years for petroleum applications. A key question to be addressed in our research: How can we obtain reliable estimates of K from NMR logging measurements in unconsolidated aquifers? Over the past decade, a non-invasive, surface-based NMR method, referred to as magnetic resonance sounding (MRS), has been developed and used to measure the NMR response of groundwater aquifers and obtain estimates of K. The two questions that will be addressed in this research: What is actually measured as the parameter currently taken to represent the NMR relaxation time in the MRS measurement? How can we obtain reliable estimates of K from MRS measurements in unconsolidated materials?
Our Approach
Our vision, and the motivation for the research, is the development of a new approach to NMR-based aquifer characterization that 1) is grounded in an improved understanding of the relationship between the NMR response and K of unconsolidated materials and 2) builds on the best of both technologies in an integrated way. Our approach will allow us to explore new ways of integrating the two forms of NMR measurement to obtain improved subsurface models of NMR properties, and of K. Our proposed research includes laboratory experiments, numerical modeling and field experiments.
