Stratification

1. A confined stratified aquifer has a total thickness of 12m and is made up of three layers. The
bottom layer has a coefficient of permeability of 30m/day and a thickness of 5.0m. The middle and
top layers have permeability of 20m/day and 45m/day respectively and are of equal thickness.
Calculate the transmissivity of the confined aquifer and the equivalent permeability, if the flow is
along the stratification.

H 1  3 .5 m
K1  45m / day
H 2  3 .5 m
K 2  20m / day
H 3  5m
K 3  30m / day
H T  12m

H
K eq 
H1 H 2 H 3
 
K1 K 2 K 3
T  KxZ
12
K eq  T  34.56 x12
2 .5 2 .5 5
  T  414.72m 2 / day
45 20 30

K eq  34.56m / day
Steady – state One – Dimensional Flow
2. Confined Aquifer. A well fully penetrates a 25-m thick aquifer. After a long period of pumping at a
constant rate of 0.05m3/s, the drawdowns at distances of 50m and 150m from the well were
observed to be 3m and 1.2m, respectively. Determine the hydraulic conductivity and the
transmissivity.

Solution:

b  25m Q  0.05m 3 / s
r1  50m s1  3m
r2  150m s 2  1 .2 m

By using Thiem method

2 Kb( s2  s1 )
Q
r
2.303 log10 ( 1 )
r2
2 K (25)(1.2  3)
0.05 
50
2.303 log10 ( )
150

K  1.943 x10  4 m / s

transmissivity=Kb
 Kb
 1.943 x10  4 x 25
 4.857 x10 3 m 2 / s
Steady – State Well Hydraulics
3. Confined Aquifer. A 2-ft diameter well penetrates vertically through a confined aquifer 50ft thick.
When the well is pumped at 500 gpm, the drawdown in a well 50ft away is 10ft and in another well
100ft away is 3ft. What is the approximate head in the pumped well for steady – state conditions, and
what is the approximate drawdown in the well? Also compute the transmissivity. Take the initial
piezometric level as 100ft above the datum.

Solution:

Q  500 gpm
h1  b  s1
r1  50 ft
h1  50  10
s1  10 ft
h1  40 ft
r2  100 ft
s2  3 ft
h2  50  3
s  100 ft
h2  47
b  50 ft

Hydraulic conductivity
r
Q ln( 2 )
r1
K
2b(h2  h1 )
100
500 ln( )
K 50
250(47  40)

K  0.158gpm / ft 2

The transmissivity

T  Kb  0.158x50
T  7.88gpm / ft

The approximate head

r
Q ln( 2 )
r1
hw  h2 
2 Kb
100
500 ln( )
hw  47  50
2 (7.88)
hw  40 ft

Draw.down  sw  100  40  60 ft
4. Unconfined Aquifer. A well penetrates an unconfined aquifer. Prior to pumping, the water level
(head) is h0 = 25m. After a long period of pumping at a constant rate of 0.05m3/s, the drawdowns at
distances of 50m and 150m from the well were observed to be 3m and 1.2m, respectively. Determine
the hydraulic conductivity.

Solution:

 K (h12  hw2 )
Q
r
ln( 1 )
r2
r1
Qx 2.303 log10 ( )
rw
K
 (h12  hw2 )
.05 x 2.303 x log10 (50 / 150)
K
3.14 x(1.2 2  32 )
.05494
K
23.7384
K  2.314 x10 3 m / s
5. Drawdown was measured during a pumping test at frequent intervals in an observation well 200ft
from a well that was pumped at a constant rate of 500gpm. The data for this pump test are listed
below. These measurement show that the water level is still dropping after 4000 min of pumping;
therefore, analysis of the test data requires use of the Theis’ nonequilibrium procedure. Determine T
and S for this aquifer.

Pump Test Data

Time(min) Drawdown(ft)
1 0.05
2 0.22
3 0.40
4 0.56
5 0.70
7 0.94
10 1.20
20 1.80
40 2.50
100 3.40
300 4.50
1000 5.60
4000 7.00

Wu  1
1
1
u
s 1
t2

Tt
S
114.6Q 1
T xWu x 2693 xr 2
s u
114.6 x500 57300 x 2
T x1 S
1 1x 2693 x 200 2
T  57300 gpm / ft S  1.063 x10 3