Reduction for GMS Compatibility

The next stage in our analysis involved integration of the data into Groundwater Modeling System– a specialized piece of 3D sub-surface software. In order to take full advantage of GMS's interpolative and analytical functions it was necessary to further reduce our material ontology to a maximum of 5 classes. This process of reduction involved a set of new definition rules most being fairly intuitive, but a number of more subjective assumptions had to be made. In recognition of the data's final application in groundwater modeling, it was decided that the new reduced categories would focus on relative permeability, and where combined material types occurred under the BC definition set, the least permeable material would be representative. This would seem logical in light of the fact groundwater studies are mainly concerned with the presence and extent of impermeable layers above which aquifers can be confined. The new reclassification was therefore organized as a set of 5 classes in order of increasing permeability.