An analytical method of analysing the oscillatory pressure head measured at any depth in a well casing

Abstract When a slug test is conducted in a highly permeable aquifer, a shallow pressure transducer in the well casing produces an oscillatory pressure head that is representative of the water level fluctuation, whereas a deep pressure transducer in the well casing yields an oscillatory pressure head that is different from the water level change. Although the solutions for shallow and deep pressure head are different, it is found that the ratios of the subsequent extremity displacements are in an identical relationship (an extremity can be a maximum or a minimum in the oscillatory pressure head). Based on this relationship, an analytical data analysis method for the determination of the hydraulic conductivity is developed for both shallow and deep pressure transducer data. This analytical method is applied to the pressure head measured at different depths in the well casing of a well partially penetrating an unconfined coarse sand aquifer. Satisfactory results are obtained, validating the applicability of this analytical method for pressure transducer data at any depth in a well casing. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.