Generation of aquifer heterogeneity maps using two-dimensional spectral texture segmentation techniques

Numerical models that solve the governing equations for subsurface fluid flow and transport require detailed quantitative maps of spatially variable hydraulic properties. Recently, there has been great interest in,methods that can map the spatial variability of hydraulic properties such as porosity and hydraulic conductivity (permeability). Presently, only limited data on natural permeability spatial structure are available. These data are often based on extensive discrete sampling in outcrops or boreholes. Then methods are used to interpolate between data values to map aquifer heterogeneity Interpolation methods often,mask critical local or intermediate scale heterogeneities. As sediment texture is directly correlated with many hydraulic properties we developed two new texture segmentation algorithms based on a space-local two-dimensional wavenumber spectral method known as the S-Transform. Existing texture segmentation algorithms could not delineate the subtle and continuous texture variations that exist in natural sediments. The S-Transform algorithms successfully delineated geologic structures and grain size patterns in photographs of outcrops in a glacial fluvial deposit; thus, no interpolation methods were required to produce continuous two-dimensional maps of texture facies. The S-Transform method is robust and is insensitive to changes in light intensity and moisture variations. This makes the algorithm particularly applicable to natural sedimentary outcrops. The effectiveness of our methods are tested by correlating measured relative grain sizes in the images with actual grain size measurements taken from the sedimentary outcrops.