A frequency domain analysis to characterize heterogeneity and recharge mechanisms in a fractured crystalline-rock aquifer

We investigate aquifer behavior and recharge mechanisms in fracture media using a frequency domain approach. Main interest was the quantification of aquifer characteristic time response, storativity and estimation of heterogeneity and connectivity impact on well behavior on a wide range of temporal scales from 1 day to 8 years. Transfer Functions were calculated for a fractured crystalline-rock aquifer system located in Ploemeur (S of Brittany, France). Recharge, first calculated as effective rainfall, and groundwater level fluctuations (tide effects removed) were used as input and output functions, respectively. The Transfer Function quantifies the ratio of amplitudes of the input and output in the frequency domain. The obtained transfer functions are typically constant at low frequency and decay with frequency for mid and high frequencies. Classical behavior models for interpreting transfer functions are the linear and Dupuit models, plus combination with fast flow component. For linear and Dupuit models, the transfer function |H(?)|2 scales respectively as |H(?)|2 ~ ?-2, and |H(?)|2 ~ ?-1 for high frequencies. The transfer functions obtained for the fractured rock aquifer of Ploemeur do not follow these scaling. Instead, they scale as |H(?)|2 ~ ?-?, with ?=0.7. This suggests that the heterogeneity at different scales in this fractured system involves a variety of transfer processes that cannot be represented by classical models. We discuss the relevance of alternative dual-permeability and multi-permeability models for modeling the rainfall-hydraulic head response in this fractured media. We analyze the variability of the response (characteristic time, amplitude and asymptotic log-log slope) for wells intersecting the main fracture zone, intersecting secondary fracture zones or located in weathered rock.