Yongwei Fu, Andrew Binley, Robert Horton, Joshua Heitman
{"title":"Modeling the Nonlinear–To–Linear Relationship Between Bulk and Pore Water Electrical Conductivity in Saturated Porous Media Using a Padé Approximant","authors":"Yongwei Fu, Andrew Binley, Robert Horton, Joshua Heitman","doi":"10.1029/2024wr037935","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"A petrophysical model that accurately relates bulk electrical conductivity (σ) to pore fluid conductivity (σ<sub>w</sub>) is critical to the interpretation of geophysical measurements. Classical models are either only applicable over a limited salinity regime or incorrectly explain the nonlinear-to-linear behavior of the σ(σ<sub>w</sub>) relationship. In this study, asymptotic limits at zero and infinite salinity are first established in which, σ is expressed as a linear function of σ<sub>w</sub> with four parameters: cementation exponent (<i>m</i>), the equivalent value of volumetric surface electrical conductivity (σ<sub>s</sub>), the volume fraction of overlapped diffuse layer (ϕ<sub>od</sub>) and parameter χ representing the ratio of the volume fraction of the water phase to that of the solid phases in the surface conduction pathway. Subsequently, we bridge the gap between the two extremes by employing the Padé approximant (PA). Given that parameter χ exhibits a marginal influence on the σ(σ<sub>w</sub>) curve, based on measurements for 15 samples, we identify its optimal value to be 0.4. After setting the optimal value of <i>χ</i>, we proceed to evaluate the performance of the PA model by comparing its estimates and estimates made by two existing models to measured values from 27 rock samples and eight sediment samples. The comparison confirms that the PA model estimates are more accurate than estimates made by existing models, particularly at low salinity and for samples with higher cation exchange capacity. The PA model is advantageous in scenarios involving the interpretation of electrical data in freshwater environments.","PeriodicalId":23799,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources Research","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Water Resources Research","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024wr037935","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
A petrophysical model that accurately relates bulk electrical conductivity (σ) to pore fluid conductivity (σw) is critical to the interpretation of geophysical measurements. Classical models are either only applicable over a limited salinity regime or incorrectly explain the nonlinear-to-linear behavior of the σ(σw) relationship. In this study, asymptotic limits at zero and infinite salinity are first established in which, σ is expressed as a linear function of σw with four parameters: cementation exponent (m), the equivalent value of volumetric surface electrical conductivity (σs), the volume fraction of overlapped diffuse layer (ϕod) and parameter χ representing the ratio of the volume fraction of the water phase to that of the solid phases in the surface conduction pathway. Subsequently, we bridge the gap between the two extremes by employing the Padé approximant (PA). Given that parameter χ exhibits a marginal influence on the σ(σw) curve, based on measurements for 15 samples, we identify its optimal value to be 0.4. After setting the optimal value of χ, we proceed to evaluate the performance of the PA model by comparing its estimates and estimates made by two existing models to measured values from 27 rock samples and eight sediment samples. The comparison confirms that the PA model estimates are more accurate than estimates made by existing models, particularly at low salinity and for samples with higher cation exchange capacity. The PA model is advantageous in scenarios involving the interpretation of electrical data in freshwater environments.
期刊介绍:
Water Resources Research (WRR) is an interdisciplinary journal that focuses on hydrology and water resources. It publishes original research in the natural and social sciences of water. It emphasizes the role of water in the Earth system, including physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes in water resources research and management, including social, policy, and public health implications. It encompasses observational, experimental, theoretical, analytical, numerical, and data-driven approaches that advance the science of water and its management. Submissions are evaluated for their novelty, accuracy, significance, and broader implications of the findings.