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Bayesian Decision Analysis for Plume Interception Wells
Author(s) -
Wijedasa Hewa A.,
Kemblowski Marian W.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1993.tb00868.x
Subject(s) - interception , plume , aquifer , slug test , bayesian probability , environmental science , hydraulic conductivity , statistics , groundwater , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , mathematics , geology , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , geography , ecology , soil water , biology
In this paper we apply the Bayesian decision analysis to the engineering design of a ground‐water interception well whose purpose is to capture a contaminant plume. Two decision variables are considered: (1) pumping rate of an interception well when the desired width of interception zone is known, and (2) optimal number of slug tests needed to estimate the statistics of mean log‐conductivity. The optimal number of slug tests is calculated for the case when no prior information regarding the mean of log‐conductivity is available. The analysis is performed for steady‐state ground‐water flow in a linear‐type aquifer. Two utility functions are considered. The utility functions account for the risk associated with not capturing the contaminant plume, cost of pumping, and cost of aquifer testing.