Multitechnique approach for characterizing the hydrogeology of aquifer systems: application to the Mauricie region of Québec, Canada

Abstract

The Groundwater Knowledge Acquisition Project (Programme d’acquisition de connaissances sur les eaux souterraines, PACES) in eastern Mauricie, Québec, aimed to develop multiple groundwater characterization methods and provided a more comprehensive portrait of this resource across the region. The proper management and protection of regional groundwater require an accurate characterization and detailed description of regional aquifers. Here, a comprehensive summary is presented, showcasing the amalgamation of specialized investigation tools and diverse groundwater characterization methods developed throughout the Eastern Mauricie PACES project. This holistic approach unveils valuable insights into hydrogeological units while identifying the crucial parameters that define the regional aquifers. Information related to groundwater surface or subsurface distribution is presented through comprehensive thematic maps, stratigraphic sections, 3D fence diagrams, novel geophysical techniques, conceptual models, and numerical modeling. Integrating a comprehensive spatially referenced database, targeted subregional studies, and peer-reviewed research has significantly enhanced our understanding of regional groundwater. This paper offers substantial information on regional aquifers and their surrounding geology. The approach developed during the eastern Maurice PACES project will serve to better manage and protect groundwater resources in Québec and elsewhere.

RÉSUMÉ

Le projet d‘acquisition de connaissances sur les eaux souterraines (PACES) réalisé sur le territoire de l‘est de la Mauricie a permis de développer des méthodes de caractérisation des eaux souterraines pour fournir un portrait global de cette ressource. Afin de mieux gérer et protéger les eaux souterraines du territoire de l’est de la Mauricie, une caractérisation et une évaluation des aquifères régionaux s‘imposaient. Le PACES réalisé sur le territoire de l’est de la Mauricie a contribué de manière significative à l‘accroissement des connaissances sur les eaux souterraines de la province de Québec en développant de nouveaux outils et de nouvelles méthodes d‘investigation qui fournissent des informations adéquates sur les unités hydrogéologiques, permettant ainsi d‘établir un profil des principaux paramètres caractérisant les aquifères présents sur le territoire. Les principaux résultats du PACES fournissent des informations adéquates sur la distribution des eaux souterraines en surface et en sous-surface, tels que des cartes thématiques, des sections stratigraphiques, des diagrammes barrières, des nouvelles techniques de géophysique, des modèles conceptuels et des modélisations numériques. Grâce à une base de données géospatiale et des recherches collatérales, ce document fournit des informations substantielles sur la caractérisation des aquifères et leurs environnements géologiques pour mieux gérer et protéger les ressources en eaux souterraines au Québec, au Canada, et dans le monde. Cet article résume également les principaux résultats du projet et les particularités des principaux aquifères de la région de l’est de la Mauricie.

Keywords:

• Eastern Mauricie
• geospatial database
• groundwater resources
• investigation tools and methods
• thematic maps

Acknowledgments

We thank the PACES team for writing the original reports, performing the measurements, processing and analyzing the data, producing hydrogeological maps and an atlas, and building the GIS-based comprehensive database. We would like alos to express our gratitude to Éric Rosa from PACES-UQTR for granting us access to his MALÅ GX for collecting the GPR data. We also extend our thanks to PACES-UQTR for their valuable technical support, guidance in data processing, and training on operating the different geophysical instruments. We also sincerely thank Josu Otaeigi for creating the eastern Mauricie stratigraphic sections. We wish to thank the reviewers for the time and energy used to review our manuscript. Their comments greatly improved the quality and relevance of our manuscript.

Authors’ contributions

Y.L. wrote the paper with input from all authors, processed and analyzed the geophysical data and performed the analyses; L.B. contributed to the writing and the review of the manuscript; J.W. and R.C. contributed to the writing, supervision, and funding acquisition. M.L. and A.F. were the principal leaders of the PACES project in eastern Mauricie from 2018 to 2022. They contributed to the writing of the original reports and created the original drafts of most figures. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

PACES-LAMEMCN section Mauricie-est data is published by the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques: MELCC), Government of Québec, Canada. All data from the eastern Mauricie region are publicly available through the Public Digital Database on the website of the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP) of the Québec government. You can access the public data for these regions at the following address: https://cerm. uqac. ca/paces/lanau diere- mauri cieest-moyen ne- cote- nord/.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Groundwater Knowledge Acquisition Program (PACES) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a postsecondary research grant to Y.L., grant number [ESD3-546526-2020].