Hydraulic Conductivity and Transmissivity Estimates from Slug Tests in Wells Within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Arkansas and Mississippi, 2020

Dates

Publication Date: 2023-06-30
Time Period: 2020-03-17
Time Period: 2020-08-06

Citation

Pugh, A.L., 2023, Hydraulic Conductivity and Transmissivity Estimates from Slug Tests in Wells Within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Arkansas and Mississippi, 2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9AXRVT7.

Summary

During the spring and summer of 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey, Lower Mississippi – Gulf Water Science Center, conducted single well slug tests on selected wells within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain in Arkansas and Mississippi to estimate hydraulic conductivity (K) and transmissivity (T) values for the aquifers in which the wells are screened. A total of 324 tests were conducted on 48 wells. The computer software AQTESOLV version 4.50.002 (HydroSOLVE, Inc., 2007) was used to interpret the slug test data to estimate K and T values. Mean estimates of K for the 44 wells screened in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer ranged from 3 to 401 feet per day (ft/day) and mean estimates of T ranged from 285 to 80,559 square feet per [...]

Summary

During the spring and summer of 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey, Lower Mississippi – Gulf Water Science Center, conducted single well slug tests on selected wells within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain in Arkansas and Mississippi to estimate hydraulic conductivity (K) and transmissivity (T) values for the aquifers in which the wells are screened. A total of 324 tests were conducted on 48 wells. The computer software AQTESOLV version 4.50.002 (HydroSOLVE, Inc., 2007) was used to interpret the slug test data to estimate K and T values. Mean estimates of K for the 44 wells screened in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer ranged from 3 to 401 feet per day (ft/day) and mean estimates of T ranged from 285 to 80,559 square feet per day (ft²/day). Mean estimates of K for the 4 wells screened in the Sparta Sand or 500-foot Sand (Memphis Aquifer) that make up part of the middle Claiborne aquifer of the Mississippi embayment aquifer system ranged from 0.14 to 183 ft/day and mean estimates of T ranged from 55 to 67,913 ft²/day.

This Data Release contains the following data and supporting metadata:

A PDF document with calibration information for the mechanical slugs used for testing.
A zipped file of the site files containing:
1. The site’s slug test field form (pdf).
2. Digital images of the site (jpg).
3. Water-level pressure transducer log files (csv),
4. Excel files(s) of transducer data with Time vs. Water Depth plots and the selected Time – Displacement data used for analysis.
5. The AQTESOLV solution report files (aqt) for each slug test.
A summary data file in two formats (csv & GIS shape file) including the following information for each site:
1. Site information [site name, agency code, USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) site number]
2. Location information (latitude, longitude, state, county).
3. Well construction information [well depth and diameter, casing diameter, top and bottom of opening (screen), and opening (screen) length].
4. Aquifer information (local and national aquifer codes, and aquifer thickness).
5. Slug test information (test date and static water-level).
6. Estimates information (minimum, mean, median, and maximum K and T values and the solution method).
An equipment documentation file (csv) listing the water-level tape, transducer, and slug used at each site.
A water-level documentation file (csv) listing the before and after testing water-level measurements for each site.
A model input file (csv) listing the values input into the model for each test.
A model solutions file (csv) listing both the “Visual” and “Auto” match solution estimates for the slug tests at each site.

Additional information, including discussions of the hydrogeologic setting, well descriptions, slug testing and analysis methods, and a summary of the slug test results are available in the Scientific Investigations Report associated with this Data Release (Pugh, 2022).

This dataset was collected and analyzed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey, Mississippi Alluvial Plain Regional Water-Availability Study

Contacts

Point of Contact :: Southeast Region: LMG-INVEST OPRS PROG
Originator :: Aaron L Pugh
Metadata Contact :: Southeast Region: LMG-INVEST OPRS PROG
Publisher :: U.S. Geological Survey
USGS Mission Area :: Water Resources
SDC Data Owner :: Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
Distributor :: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase

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2020_LMG_SlugTest.xml “XML file for this landing page” Original FGDC Metadata	View	32.6 KB	application/fgdc+xml
2020_LMG_SlugTest_Model-Solutions.csv “Model Solutions”		29.78 KB	text/csv
SlugCalibration2020.pdf “Mechanical Slug Calibration documentation”		596.48 KB	application/pdf
SlugTest2020SiteFiles.zip “Site Files”		317.19 MB	application/zip
Fig1_SiteLocationMap.jpg “Location map of selected wells slug tested in 2020”		894.67 KB	image/jpeg
2020_LMG_SlugTest_Equipment.csv “Equipment Documentation”		4.54 KB	text/csv
2020_LMG_SlugTest_Model-Inputs.csv “Model Inputs”		32.93 KB	text/csv
2020_LMG_SlugTest_Water-Levels.csv “Water-level Documentation”		4.81 KB	text/csv
2020_LMG_SlugTest.csv “Data Summary .csv file”		13.43 KB	text/csv
LMG_SlugTest_2020_Final_ESRIShapefiles.zip “ESRI Shapefiles.zip”		1.55 MB	application/zip

Extension: LMG_SlugTest_2020.zip
LMG_SlugTest_2020.sd		2.54 MB
thumbnail.png		2.48 KB

Related External Resources

Type: Citation

Arthur, J.K., and Taylor, R.E., 1998, Ground-water flow analysis of the Mississippi Embayment aquifer system, South-Central United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1416-1, 148 p, 9 plates.	https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1416I
Bouwer, H., and Rice, R.C., 1976, A slug test for determining hydraulic conductivity of unconfined aquifers with completely or partially penetrating wells: Water Resources Research, v. 12, no. 3, p. 423–428.	https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/WR012i003p00423
Brown, D.L., Narasimhan, T.N., and Demir, Z., 1995, An evaluation of the Bouwer and Rice method of slug test analysis: Water Resources Research, v. 31, no. 5, p. 1239–1246.	https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/94WR03292
Butler, J.J., Jr., 2005, A simple correction for slug tests in small-diameter wells: Groundwater, v. 40, no. 3, p. 303–308.	https://ngwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2002.tb02658.x
Cunningham, W.L., and Schalk, C.W., comps., 2011, Groundwater technical procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 1–A1, 151 p	https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/1a1/
Evenson, E.J., Orndorff, R.C., Blome, C.D., Böhlke, J.K., Hershberger, P.K., Langenheim, V.E., McCabe, G.J., Morlock, S.E., Reeves, H.W., Verdin, J.P., Weyers, H.S., and Wood, T.M., 2013, U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Strategy—Observing, understanding, predicting, and delivering water science to the Nation: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1383–G, 49 p.	https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1383G
Hart, R.M., Clark, B.R., and Bolyard, S.E., 2008, Digital surfaces and thicknesses of selected hydrogeologic units within the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5098, 33 p.	https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5098/
Hosman, R.L., Long, A.T., Lambert, T.W., and Jeffery, H.G., 1968, Tertiary aquifers in the Mississippi embayment, with discussions of quality of the water: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 448–D, 29 p.	https://doi.org/10.3133/pp448D
Hvorslev, M.J., 1951, Time lag and soil permeability in ground-water observations: Vicksburg, Miss., Waterways Experiment Station, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bulletin No. 36, 50 p.	https://erdc-library.erdc.dren.mil/jspui/bitstream/11681/4796/1/BUL-36.pdf
HydroSOLVE, Inc., 2007, AQTESOLV for Windows, user’s guide: Reston, Va., 529 p.	http://www.aqtesolv.com/download/aqtw20070719.pdf
Petersen, J.C., Broom, M.E., and Bush, W.V., 1985, Geohydrologic units of the Gulf Coastal Plain in Arkansas: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 85–4116, 20 p., 9 pls.	https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri854116
Renken, R.A., 1998, Ground water atlas of the United States—Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi: U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Atlas HA 730–F, p. 65–83.	https://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_f/F-text4.html
Springer, R.K., and Gelhar, L.W., 1991, Characterization of large-scale aquifer heterogeneity in glacial outwash by analysis of slug tests with oscillatory responses, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in Mallard, G.E., and Aronson, D.A., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program—Proceedings of the technical meeting, Monterey, California, March 11–15, 1991: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 91–4034, p. 36–40.	https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri914034
Torak, L.J., and Painter, J.A., 2019, Geostatistical estimation of the bottom altitude and thickness of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3426, 2 sheets.	https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3426
U.S. Geological Survey [USGS], 2020, USGS water data for the Nation: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database.	https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN
U.S. Geological Survey [USGS], [undated], MERAS Groundwater Availability Study, subsurface map.	https://www2.usgs.gov/water/lowermississippigulf/lmgweb/meras/submap.html

Purpose

The purpose of a well slug test, or instantaneous change in head test, is to obtain data from which an estimate of hydraulic conductivity (K) and transmissivity (T) of an aquifer can be calculated. The test results from this study will be used to further evaluate the occurrence, availability, and quality of groundwater in the aquifers underlying the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. These data support the following publication: Pugh, Aaron L., 2022, Hydraulic Conductivity and Transmissivity Estimates from Slug Tests in Wells Within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Arkansas and Mississippi, 2020: U.S. Geological Scientific Investigations Report ####, ## p.

Hydraulic Conductivity and Transmissivity Estimates from Slug Tests in Wells Within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Arkansas and Mississippi, 2020

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