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As an aquifer, the Kansas River alluvium is a prolific deposit of unconsolidated sands and gravels. It is a high yielding semi-confined aquifer (partially under pressure) meeting the needs of agricultural, industrial, and community interests. All watershed areas are sensitive to contamination. The lack of naturally occurring water-masses in Kansas only increases the dependence on river water and groundwater to fulfill our needs. Protection and remediation of these areas should be a high priority for Kansans.
Therefore, the hydrogeologic environment of these areas should be understood through careful characterization. An intrinsic property of some geologic bodies is the ability to transmit fluid. Estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K), transmissivity (T), storativity (S), and diffusivity (D), are of interest because they are variables describing flow within a geologic medium. These variables aid in the prediction of maximum well yields, spatial extent of contamination, or the effectiveness of remediation strategies. Thus, research to develop and improve methods for characterization of geologic medium, and the distribution of heterogeneities remains a high priority. A commonly used parameter in aquifer characterization is Darcy's proportionality constant or K. Typical methods used to determine K include pumping tests, which give average values over large volumes, and high-resolution slug tests, which give detailed information about the immediate area surrounding a well. The research presented here uses continuous, controlled, sinusoidal pressure signals [the continuous pulse test (CPT)] as a means to estimate vertical profiles of well-to-well hydraulic diffusivity. |
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