Mapping Aquifer Storage Properties Using S-Wave Velocity and InSAR-Derived Surface Displacement in the Kumamoto Area, Southwest Japan

Abstract

We present a novel approach to mapping the storage coefficient (Sk) from InSAR-derived surface deformation and S-wave velocity (Vs). We first constructed a 3D Vs model in the Kumamoto area, southwest Japan, by applying 3D empirical Bayesian kriging to the 1D Vs profiles estimated by the surface-wave analysis at 676 measured points. We also used the time series of InSAR deformation and groundwater-level data at 13 well sites covering April 2016 and December 2018 and estimated the Sk of the confined aquifer. The Sk estimated from InSAR, and well data ranged from ~0.03 to 2 × 10−3, with an average of 7.23 × 10−3, values typical for semi-confined and confined conditions. We found a clear relationship between the Sk and Vs at well locations, indicating that the compressibility of an aquifer is related to the stiffness or Vs. By applying the relationship to the 3D Vs model, we succeeded in mapping the Sk in an extensive area. Furthermore, the estimated Sk distribution correlates well with the hydrogeological setting: semi-confined conditions are predicted in the Kumamoto alluvial plain with a high Sk. Our approach is thus effective for estimating aquifer storage properties from Vs, even where limited groundwater-level data are available. Furthermore, we can estimate groundwater-level variation from the geodetic data.