Abstract
This paper presented a stochastic approach for estimating time-related solute capture zones of a pumping well in spatially correlated heterogeneous flow fields in three dimensions. An estimation algorithm using random walk particle tracking was applied to assess the travel time and subsequent spatial probability distributions of introduced ensemble lattice cells having the probability ΩWp that particles located initially within cells reach the pumping wells during a certain duration of the pumping. Proposed methodology demonstrated some proper time-related solute capture zones under the different conditions of the degree of heterogeneity. The results indicated that the volume of solute capture zones having the probability ΩWp ≥ 0.5 exhibited the dependency on the pumping rate but on the heterogeneity and the increase of the heterogeneity led to the increase of the volume comprised by the non-zero probability cells.
