Magnetic resonance sounding dataset of a hard-rock headwater catchment for assessing the vertical distribution of water contents in the subsurface.

Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) measurements are acquired at 16 stations in the Strengbach headwater catchment (Vosges Mountains - France). These data, rendering the vertical distribution of water contents in the subsurface, are used to show their potential in conditioning a hydrological model of the catchment, as described in the article "Magnetic resonance sounding measurements as posterior information to condition hydrological model parameters: Application to a hard-rock headwater catchment" - Journal of Hydrology (2020). Acquisition protocols follow a free induction decay scheme. Data are filtered by applying a band-pass filter at the Larmor frequency. A filter removing the 50 Hz noise is also applied with the exception of data at a Larmor frequency close to the 50 Hz harmonic. The signal envelopes are then fitted by a decaying exponential function over time to estimate the median characteristic relaxation time of each MRS sounding.

Constraining groundwater modeling with magnetic resonance soundings.

Magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) is a noninvasive geophysical method that allows estimating the free water content and transmissivity of aquifers. In this article, the ability of MRS to improve the reliability of a numerical groundwater model is assessed. Thirty-five sites were investigated by MRS over a ∼5000 km(2) domain of the sedimentary Continental Terminal aquifer in SW Niger. Time domain electromagnetic soundings were jointly carried out to estimate the aquifer thickness. A groundwater model was previously built for this section of the aquifer and forced by the outputs from a distributed surface hydrology model, to simulate the observed long-term (1992 to 2003) rise in the water table. Uncertainty analysis had shown that independent estimates of the free water content and transmissivity values of the aquifer would facilitate cross-evaluation of the surface-water and groundwater models. MRS results indicate ranges for permeability (K = 1 × 10(-5) to 3 × 10(-4) m/s) and for free water content (w = 5% to 23% m(3) /m(3) ) narrowed by two orders of magnitude (K) and by ∼50% (w), respectively, compared to the ranges of permeability and specific yield values previously considered. These shorter parameter ranges result in a reduction in the model's equifinality (whereby multiple combinations of model's parameters are able to represent the same observed piezometric levels), allowing a better constrained estimate to be derived for net aquifer recharge (∼22 mm/year).

Resolution of MRS applied to the characterization of hard-rock aquifers.

The performance of the Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) method applied to the investigation of heterogeneous hard-rock aquifers was studied. It was shown using both numerical modeling and field measurements that MRS could be applied to the investigation of the weathered part of hard-rock aquifers when the product of the free water content multiplied by the thickness of the aquifer is >0.2 (for example, 10-m-thick layer with a 2% water content). Using a currently available one-dimensional MRS system, the method allows the characterization of two-dimensional subsurface structures with acceptable accuracy when the size of the subsurface anomaly is equal to or greater than the MRS loop. However, the fractured part of hard-rock aquifers characterized by low effective porosity (<0.5%) cannot be resolved using currently available MRS equipment. It was found that shallow water in the weathered part of the aquifer may screen MRS signals from deeper water-saturated layers, thus further reducing the possibility of investigating deeper fractured aquifers. A field study using the NUMIS(plus) MRS system developed by IRIS Instruments was carried out on an experimental watershed in southern India. A heterogeneous unconfined aquifer in a gneissic formation was successfully localized, and MRS results were confirmed by drilling shortly after the geophysical study. The top of the aquifer revealed by MRS was found to be in a good agreement with observed static water level measurements in boreholes.

Magnetic resonance sounding applied to aquifer characterization.

Magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) is distinguished from other geophysical tools used for ground water investigation by the fact that it measures a magnetic resonance signal generated directly from subsurface water molecules. An alternating current pulse energizes a wire loop on the ground surface and the MRS signal is generated; subsurface water is indicated, with a high degree of reliability, by nonzero amplitude readings. Measurements with varied pulse magnitudes then reveal the depth and thickness of water saturated layers. The hydraulic conductivity of aquifers can also be estimated using boreholes for calibration. MRS can be used for both predicting the yield of water supply wells and for interpolation between boreholes, thereby reducing the number of holes required for hydrogeological modeling. An example of the practical application of MRS combined with two-dimensional electrical imaging, in the Kerbernez and Kerien catchments area of France, demonstrates the efficiency of the technique.