Determining a composite value for the saturated hydraulic conductivity in a recharge area of the Guarani Aquifer System, using pedotransfer functions

Author(s)

de Oliveira, Marcelo Eduardo Dias ^[1] ; Gastmans, Didier ^[1] ; Sacchi, Marcelo Donadelli ^[1] ; Rocha, Rodrigo Esteves ^[1] ; de Lima, Camila ^[1] ; dos Santos, Vinicius ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estado Sao Paulo, Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: RBRH-REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE RECURSOS HIDRICOS; v. 26, 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The saturated hydraulic conductivity (K-s) is an essential property for modeling water and contaminants movement into aquifers. However, K-s is extremely variable, even when considering nearby locations, which poses a challenge for modeling at catchment scales. Field measurements of K-s are most of the time expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive. This study aimed to obtain, for modeling purposes, and using pedotransfer functions (PTFs), a composite value of K-s at a catchment scale, in a recharge area of the Guarani Aquifer System. Soil samples were taken across the study area, and the K-s for each sampling point were determined by several PTF methods. At the same locations, K-s field measurements were taken using a Guelph permeameter. Average values of K-s for all the sampling points calculated by PTFs were similar to the average value obtained by field measurements. The use of PTFs proved to be a faster and simpler method to efficiently determine the K-s value for the watershed and to capture the stochastic variation in terms of soil pore combination at the watershed scale. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/03467-3 - Variability of precipitation isotopic composition in central portion of São Paulo State based on intra-events evaluation
• Grantee: Vinícius dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate