Development of a three-dimensional model of sedimentary texture in valley-fill deposits of Central Valley, California, USA

A three-dimensional (3D) texture model was developed to help characterize the aquifer system of Central Valley, California (USA), for a groundwater flow model. The 52,000-km² Central Valley aquifer system consists of heterogeneous valley-fill deposits. The texture model was developed by compiling and analyzing approximately 8,500 drillers’ logs, describing lithologies up to 950 m below land surface. The lithologic descriptions on the logs were simplified into a binary classification of coarse- and fine-grained. The percentage of coarse-grained sediment, or texture, was then computed for each 15-m depth interval. The model was developed by 3D kriging of the percentage of coarse-grained deposits onto a 1.6-km spatial grid at 15-m depth intervals from land surface down to 700 m below land surface. The texture model reflects the known regional, spatial, and vertical heterogeneity in the aquifer system. The texture model correlates to sediment source areas, independently mapped geomorphic provinces, and factors affecting the development of alluvial fans, thus demonstrating the utility of using tcdrillers’ logs as a source of lithologic information. The texture model is upscaled to a layered groundwater flow model for use in defining the hydraulic properties of the aquifer system.