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Field and laboratory determination of the hydraulic diffusivity of a confining bed
Author(s) -
Wolff Roger G.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr006i001p00194
Subject(s) - piezometer , thermal diffusivity , hydraulic conductivity , aquifer , consolidation (business) , geology , geotechnical engineering , hydraulic head , overburden pressure , head (geology) , soil science , mechanics , groundwater , soil water , geomorphology , thermodynamics , physics , accounting , business
The field and laboratory evaluations of the hydraulic diffusivity of a confining bed are presented. The field approach consisted of measuring the head in the confining layer by placing piezometers equipped with differential pressure transducers at different depths in the confining layer. Pumping from the overlying aquifer resulted in an observed head change at the aquifer confining bed interface which for long periods of time could be approximated by a step drawdown. The best fit of observed data to the set of theoretical type curves for the step drawdown solution yields a hydraulic diffusivity, K' / S' S , of 2.9 × 10 −2 cm 2 /sec. Hydraulic diffusivity values for the natural effective load, as obtained in the laboratory using consolidation techniques, are in general agreement with this result. Hydraulic conductivity values as determined in the laboratory by consolidation and constant flow methods are generally similar for the same sample. Particle size distribution and the clay mineralogy are also given for each sample.