Underground mining can affect the hydrological cycle, mainly groundwater flow. Particularly, water table can be modified, affecting the surrounding environment. In groundwater monitoring programs, water table mapping is one of most important issues. It helps in determining groundwater flow direction, identifying recharge and discharge zones and in evaluating contaminants dispersion. Water table position is related, among other factors, with the surface topography, easily obtainable data at low cost. In this study collocated cokriging is presented as an appropriate procedure to combine exhaustively known topographical information with water level readings at piezometers to map the water table. A case study in an underground coal mine illustrates the methodology.
geostatistics; collocated cokriging; linear model of coregionalization
