Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Environmental Engineering and Earth Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Lawrence Murdoch
Committee Member
Ronald Falta
Committee Member
Scott DeWolf
Abstract
Accurately estimating the distribution of aquifer properties is key to understanding contaminant movement in the subsurface. The distribution of aquifer properties is typically addressed using slug or constant-rate well tests, and the pros and cons of these tests are well known. Slug tests are appealing because they avoid removing contaminated water, but their results are affected by well skin and the small volume of displaced water limits the volume of aquifer that can be evaluated. Constant-rate well tests have the disadvantage of requiring disposal of potentially contaminated water, but they can generate properties that are more representative than slug tests, and they can be used to estimate well efficiency and storativity, which are difficult to characterize using slug tests. Periodic pumping tests are appealing because they have many of the advantages and few of the disadvantages of slug and constant-rate well tests. This project outlines the current state of conducting and analyzing periodic pumping tests and investigates the potential benefits and limitations of conducting these tests, including identifying zones of heterogeneities in the subsurface and utilizing vadose zone strain signals to characterize an underlying aquifer.
Recommended Citation
Smith-Jones, Austin, "Evaluation of Zero-Net-Rate Pumping Tests" (2023). All Theses. 3999.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3999