Engineering Geology

Engineering Geology

Reducing Uncertainty in Hydrodynamic Parameter Estimation of Heterogeneous Alluvial Aquifers through AHP-Based Integration of Pumping Tests, Geophysics, and Grain-Size Data: Insights from the Golgir Plain, Southwest Iran

Articles in Press
Authors
Soroor Mazrae Asl 1
Amir Saberinasr 1
Farzad Akbari 1
Babak Biglari 2
1 Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
2 University of Shiraz
Abstract
Accurate estimation of hydrodynamic parameters in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers remains a major challenge in sustainable groundwater management, as different methods often yield inconsistent results across spatial scales. In this study, hydraulic conductivity, storage coefficient, and specific yield were estimated using pumping tests, geophysical surveys, and grain-size analysis. The results were integrated through a systematic framework based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Uncertainty was quantitatively assessed using the coefficient of variation (CV). Pumping test results indicated that hydraulic conductivity varies within a narrow range of 0.416–0.524 m/day, with a mean value of 0.475 m/day and a CV of approximately 8%, reflecting the high reliability and stability of this method. In contrast, the geophysical approach yielded a mean hydraulic conductivity of about 3.9 m/day with a CV of nearly 41%, highlighting the effects of spatial heterogeneity and uncertainties inherent in indirect estimation techniques. Grain-size analysis exhibited the highest variability, with hydraulic conductivity ranging from approximately 0.7 to 8 m/day and a CV exceeding 50%, indicating strong sensitivity to local-scale sedimentary characteristics. Integration of the three methods using AHP, assigning higher weight to pumping tests, moderate weight to grain-size analysis, and lower weight to geophysical data, effectively reduced method-dependent bias and produced spatially and physically consistent hydrodynamic parameter maps. The highest hydraulic conductivity and specific yield values were identified in the eastern and northeastern parts of the plain, while the lowest values occurred in the western and northwestern areas. The final integrated results indicate hydraulic conductivity and specific yield ranges of 0.49–1.01 m/day and 0.0039–0.045, respectively. The proposed integrative approach provides a practical and transferable framework for uncertainty management and informed decision-making in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
Keywords
groundwater
Golgir Plain
Geophysics
Hydrodynamic properties
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Engineering Geology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 December 2025