Investigating the Representative of Aquifer Transmissivity Determined by Passive Response Methods: A Comparison With Time‐Dependent Hydraulic Parameters Inferred From Different Stages of Pumping Tests

• Published in: Water resources research 2024-02, Vol.60 (2), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Qi, Zhiyu, Shi, Zheming, Rasmussen, Todd, Guo, Huaming, Wang, Guangcai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aquifer parameters; aquifer pumping test; Aquifer testing; Aquifers; Atmospheric pressure; Barometers; barometric pressure response; Boreholes; Drawdown; Earth; Earth tides; Estimates; Fluctuations; Groundwater; Groundwater management; Hydraulic properties; Hydraulics; Mathematical analysis; Parameter estimation; Parameters; Pressure; Pumping; Pumping tests; Scale effect; Scales; Storage; Test methods; tidal response; Time dependence; Transmissivity
• ISSN: 0043-1397; 1944-7973
• DOI: 10.1029/2022WR033952

Aquifer pumping tests represent a standard method for estimating hydraulic characteristics, with practitioners often focusing on late period drawdown data because these are less affected by within‐ and near‐borehole effects (e.g., borehole‐storage and skin effects). Alternatively, groundwater responses to natural forcing (e.g., barometric pressure and earth tides) provide a passive method for estimating aquifer parameters at a low cost. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have compared parameters calculated from different periods within a pumping test with those from passive methods. Herein, we compare the aquifer transmissivity estimated using both active and passive methods in two wells located in the Beetaloo Region of Northern Australia. The active method estimates aquifer transmissivity during three periods (i.e., the early, middle, and late periods) of an aquifer pumping test, while the passive method employs groundwater responses to barometric‐pressure and earth‐tide fluctuations. We find that the range of best‐fit aquifer transmissivity is 1.18 × 10−5–1.79 × 10−5 m2/s and 1.73 × 10−5–2.14 × 10−5 m2/s for OW1 and OW2, respectively. The transmissivity estimated from the barometric pressure response method is the largest. The aquifer transmissivity using barometric pressure responses are consistent with early‐ and middle‐period estimates. This suggests that barometric pressure responses are more sensitive to within‐ and near‐borehole effects. The scales of the tidal response method are smaller than those of the pumping test method. Plain Language Summary The accurate estimation of the hydraulic properties of aquifers is important for effective groundwater management. Both active (aquifer pumping tests) and passive (natural forcing such as barometric‐pressure and earth‐tide fluctuations) methods are used to estimate aquifer hydraulic properties. However, the aquifer parameters estimated from aquifer pumping tests are variable as borehole effects (e.g., borehole storage and skin effects) dissipate as the cone‐of‐depression expands over time. This leads to dynamic changes in parameters during the early, middle, and late periods of an active pumping test. By comparing the aquifer transmissivity from these different periods with those estimated from passive (tidal/barometric pressure) responses and combining with scale effect, we find that barometric pressure responses are consistent with early and middle periods (corresponding to within‐ and