Articles | Volume 23, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3603-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3603-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Error in hydraulic head and gradient time-series measurements: a quantitative appraisal
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Applied Geosciences (AGW), Karlsruhe, Germany
Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre (CWI), the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
Vincent E. A. Post
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hanover, Germany
Margaret Shanafield
National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
Torsten Krekeler
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hanover, Germany
Eddie W. Banks
National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
Philipp Blum
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Applied Geosciences (AGW), Karlsruhe, Germany
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Cited
44 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Measuring a Low Horizontal Hydraulic Gradient in a High Transmissivity Aquifer J. McDonald
- Implications of Peat Soil Conceptualization for Groundwater Exfiltration in Numerical Modeling: A Study on a Hypothetical Peatland Hillslope A. Autio et al.
- Groundwater flow patterns in a coastal fen exposed to drainage, rewetting and interaction with the Baltic Sea M. Toro et al.
- Characterizing the radius of influence during pumping tests using the absolute critical drawdown criterion: Cases of integer flow dimensions D. Méité et al.
- Zero or not? Causes and consequences of zero‐flow stream gage readings M. Zimmer et al.
- Evaluation of GRACE derived groundwater storage changes in different agro-ecological zones of the Indus Basin F. Akhtar et al.
- Saltwater intrusion from an estuarine river: A field investigation I. Setiawan et al.
- Real-time ultrasonic water level IoT sensor for in-situ soil permeability testing P. Blanco-Gómez et al.
- Constraining regional-scale groundwater transport predictions with multiple geophysical techniques C. Li et al.
- An investigation of the spatial and temporal variability of the saline interface in a sandy aquifer subject to storm wave runup and rainfall recharge R. Acworth et al.
- Groundwater level observations in 250,000 coastal US wells reveal scope of potential seawater intrusion S. Jasechko et al.
- In situ estimation of subsurface hydro-geomechanical properties using the groundwater response to semi-diurnal Earth and atmospheric tides G. Rau et al.
- Rescue of groundwater level time series: How to visually identify and treat errors I. Retike et al.
- Evaporation from the dried-up lake bed of Lake Urmia, Iran S. Darehshouri et al.
- Identifying groundwater recharge and discharge zones using geostatistical simulation of hydraulic head and its derivatives R. Keegan-Treloar et al.
- A Low-Cost, Multi-Sensor System to Monitor Temporary Stream Dynamics in Mountainous Headwater Catchments R. Assendelft & H. van Meerveld
- Efficient uncertainty quantification for seawater intrusion prediction using Optimized sampling and Null Space Monte Carlo method S. Saad et al.
- Varied hydrological regime of a semi-arid coastal wetland J. Cuevas et al.
- Contribution of groundwater to wetland sustainability in arid Chile: an integrated hydrological, physicochemical, and isotopic approach J. Cuevas et al.
- Comparing Methods and Defining Practical Requirements for Extracting Harmonic Tidal Components from Groundwater Level Measurements D. Schweizer et al.
- Classifying groundwater management under different alternatives for Zanjan alluvial aquifer, northwestern Iran M. Naderi & M. Teimouri
- Evaluation of the Saq aquifer groundwater resources in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia E. Buscarlet et al.
- Downscaling GRACE-scale groundwater storage variations to aquifer scales: A linear regression approach based on the water balance concept M. Fakourian et al.
- A Global-Scale Time Series Dataset for Groundwater Studies within the Earth System A. Bäthge et al.
- Passive subsurface characterization in subsiding deltas: assessing land subsidence mitigation potential with frequency analyses of groundwater heads and superposing harmonic drivers F. Dörr et al.
- On the Reliability of Variable‐Rate Pumping Test Results: Sensitivity to Information Content of the Recorded Data M. Naderi & H. Gupta
- A compact and low‐cost do‐it‐yourself water level meter N. Michelsen
- Limitation of the Application of Heat Tracer in Investigating Groundwater and River Interactions under Dynamic Flow Conditions M. Ge et al.
- Using Freshwater Heads to Analyze Flow Directions in Saline Aquifers of the Pingtung Plain, Taiwan Y. Chiu et al.
- Shallow-groundwater-level time series and a groundwater chemistry survey from a boreal headwater catchment, Krycklan, Sweden J. Erdbrügger et al.
- Machine Learning-Based Reconstruction and Prediction of Groundwater Time Series in the Allertal, Germany T. Tran et al.
- An innovative methodology for determining origin-based components of the water cycle: Application to the Zanjan alluvial aquifer, Iran M. Naderi
- Upscaling a chemical screening approach to assess impacts of shale, tight and deep gas development on unconfined aquifers R. Doble et al.
- Data-driven statistical optimization of a groundwater monitoring network M. Meggiorin et al.
- Physics-informed neural network for hydraulic prediction in open-channel water transfer projects with sparse monitoring data Z. Li et al.
- Frequency-Dependent Acoustic Effects of Wind on Ambient Sound and Current Velocities of Natural Reefs D. Fortunato et al.
- Lagging theory for periodic hydraulic head signals in aquifers Y. Lin & B. Kurylyk
- Application of Indicator Kriging to hydraulic head data to test alternative conceptual models for spring source aquifers R. Keegan-Treloar et al.
- Conceptual data-driven approach for analyzing the vulnerability of coastal roadways to groundwater level changes B. de Oliveira Sousa et al.
- Fault-controlled springs: A review R. Keegan-Treloar et al.
- Controls on Pre-seismic Groundwater Pressure Variations: Insights from Poroelastic Sensitivity Analysis and Aquifer Properties M. Antonellini et al.
- Eine Echtzeit-Online-Methode zur Beurteilung der künstlichen Grundwasseranreicherung und Grundwasserentnahme C. Moeck et al.
- The effects of long-term saline groundwater pumping for desalination on the fresh–saline water interface: Field observations and numerical modeling S. Stein et al.
- Jenseits von Sichardt – empirische Formeln zur Bestimmung der Absenkreichweite eines Brunnens und ein Verbesserungsvorschlag A. Desens & G. Houben
44 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Measuring a Low Horizontal Hydraulic Gradient in a High Transmissivity Aquifer J. McDonald
- Implications of Peat Soil Conceptualization for Groundwater Exfiltration in Numerical Modeling: A Study on a Hypothetical Peatland Hillslope A. Autio et al.
- Groundwater flow patterns in a coastal fen exposed to drainage, rewetting and interaction with the Baltic Sea M. Toro et al.
- Characterizing the radius of influence during pumping tests using the absolute critical drawdown criterion: Cases of integer flow dimensions D. Méité et al.
- Zero or not? Causes and consequences of zero‐flow stream gage readings M. Zimmer et al.
- Evaluation of GRACE derived groundwater storage changes in different agro-ecological zones of the Indus Basin F. Akhtar et al.
- Saltwater intrusion from an estuarine river: A field investigation I. Setiawan et al.
- Real-time ultrasonic water level IoT sensor for in-situ soil permeability testing P. Blanco-Gómez et al.
- Constraining regional-scale groundwater transport predictions with multiple geophysical techniques C. Li et al.
- An investigation of the spatial and temporal variability of the saline interface in a sandy aquifer subject to storm wave runup and rainfall recharge R. Acworth et al.
- Groundwater level observations in 250,000 coastal US wells reveal scope of potential seawater intrusion S. Jasechko et al.
- In situ estimation of subsurface hydro-geomechanical properties using the groundwater response to semi-diurnal Earth and atmospheric tides G. Rau et al.
- Rescue of groundwater level time series: How to visually identify and treat errors I. Retike et al.
- Evaporation from the dried-up lake bed of Lake Urmia, Iran S. Darehshouri et al.
- Identifying groundwater recharge and discharge zones using geostatistical simulation of hydraulic head and its derivatives R. Keegan-Treloar et al.
- A Low-Cost, Multi-Sensor System to Monitor Temporary Stream Dynamics in Mountainous Headwater Catchments R. Assendelft & H. van Meerveld
- Efficient uncertainty quantification for seawater intrusion prediction using Optimized sampling and Null Space Monte Carlo method S. Saad et al.
- Varied hydrological regime of a semi-arid coastal wetland J. Cuevas et al.
- Contribution of groundwater to wetland sustainability in arid Chile: an integrated hydrological, physicochemical, and isotopic approach J. Cuevas et al.
- Comparing Methods and Defining Practical Requirements for Extracting Harmonic Tidal Components from Groundwater Level Measurements D. Schweizer et al.
- Classifying groundwater management under different alternatives for Zanjan alluvial aquifer, northwestern Iran M. Naderi & M. Teimouri
- Evaluation of the Saq aquifer groundwater resources in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia E. Buscarlet et al.
- Downscaling GRACE-scale groundwater storage variations to aquifer scales: A linear regression approach based on the water balance concept M. Fakourian et al.
- A Global-Scale Time Series Dataset for Groundwater Studies within the Earth System A. Bäthge et al.
- Passive subsurface characterization in subsiding deltas: assessing land subsidence mitigation potential with frequency analyses of groundwater heads and superposing harmonic drivers F. Dörr et al.
- On the Reliability of Variable‐Rate Pumping Test Results: Sensitivity to Information Content of the Recorded Data M. Naderi & H. Gupta
- A compact and low‐cost do‐it‐yourself water level meter N. Michelsen
- Limitation of the Application of Heat Tracer in Investigating Groundwater and River Interactions under Dynamic Flow Conditions M. Ge et al.
- Using Freshwater Heads to Analyze Flow Directions in Saline Aquifers of the Pingtung Plain, Taiwan Y. Chiu et al.
- Shallow-groundwater-level time series and a groundwater chemistry survey from a boreal headwater catchment, Krycklan, Sweden J. Erdbrügger et al.
- Machine Learning-Based Reconstruction and Prediction of Groundwater Time Series in the Allertal, Germany T. Tran et al.
- An innovative methodology for determining origin-based components of the water cycle: Application to the Zanjan alluvial aquifer, Iran M. Naderi
- Upscaling a chemical screening approach to assess impacts of shale, tight and deep gas development on unconfined aquifers R. Doble et al.
- Data-driven statistical optimization of a groundwater monitoring network M. Meggiorin et al.
- Physics-informed neural network for hydraulic prediction in open-channel water transfer projects with sparse monitoring data Z. Li et al.
- Frequency-Dependent Acoustic Effects of Wind on Ambient Sound and Current Velocities of Natural Reefs D. Fortunato et al.
- Lagging theory for periodic hydraulic head signals in aquifers Y. Lin & B. Kurylyk
- Application of Indicator Kriging to hydraulic head data to test alternative conceptual models for spring source aquifers R. Keegan-Treloar et al.
- Conceptual data-driven approach for analyzing the vulnerability of coastal roadways to groundwater level changes B. de Oliveira Sousa et al.
- Fault-controlled springs: A review R. Keegan-Treloar et al.
- Controls on Pre-seismic Groundwater Pressure Variations: Insights from Poroelastic Sensitivity Analysis and Aquifer Properties M. Antonellini et al.
- Eine Echtzeit-Online-Methode zur Beurteilung der künstlichen Grundwasseranreicherung und Grundwasserentnahme C. Moeck et al.
- The effects of long-term saline groundwater pumping for desalination on the fresh–saline water interface: Field observations and numerical modeling S. Stein et al.
- Jenseits von Sichardt – empirische Formeln zur Bestimmung der Absenkreichweite eines Brunnens und ein Verbesserungsvorschlag A. Desens & G. Houben
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 02 May 2026
Short summary
The flow of water is often inferred from water levels and gradients whose measurements are considered trivial despite the many steps and complexity of the instruments involved. We systematically review the four measurement steps required and summarise the systematic errors. To determine the accuracy with which flow can be resolved, we quantify and propagate the random errors. Our results illustrate the limitations of current practice and provide concise recommendations to improve data quality.
The flow of water is often inferred from water levels and gradients whose measurements are...