One of the main challenges in characterizing the heterogeneity of large-scale aquifers using hydraulic tomography is to find an effective excitation that can significantly affect regional groundwater dynamics. Logically, variations of human-induced groundwater exploitation amounts may be a feasible option.This research selected the Handan Eastern Plain as the study area, one of the pilot areas for groundwater over-exploitation control in Hebei Province. Hydraulic tomography was applied to a two-dimensional confined aquifer by utilizing aquifer responses caused by reduced exploitation, and the effects of prior geological information and observation well configuration on parameter estimations were further discussed. Results showed that hydraulic tomography could effectively characterize the heterogeneity of large-scale aquifers, and accurate information of geological zonation could significantly improve parameter estimations. Correlation scales and variances have insignificant effects on the inversion results. In order to improve the precision of aquifer parameter estimation, the prior geological information and existing borehole data should be given full consideration, and new observation wells should be added into the existing monitoring network in the areas where there are significant changes in hydrogeological settings.This novel method for characterizing the heterogeneity of large-scale aquifers based on the concept of hydraulic tomography, is cost-effective for mapping large-scale aquifer heterogeneity with significant economic and social benefits, because it can save the huge time and manpower cost yielded by extra drilling and pumping tests by intelligently collecting the dataset of groundwater pumping and observation at the existing wells with reduced exploitation in the Hebei Province.
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