Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

<p>My research group has made great advances in the field of fractured rock hydrogeology by developing a high resolution straddle packer testing system that can conduct four different types of hydraulic tests with exceptional precision and accuracy (slug tests, constant head step tests, pumping/recovery tests). This packer testing system provided data directly to a series of six published papers which focused on validating assumptions inherent in the mathematical models used to determine transmissivity (T), increasing the confidence in the T values by conducting more than one type of test, and improving the efficiency of packer testing in fractured rock by using other data collected prior to packer testing to identify the portions of the hole to be tested. All of the previous research conducted with this equipment has focused on the horizontal hydraulic conductivity (Kh). However, there is a paucity of information about the vertical hydraulic connectivity and vertical hydraulic conductivity (Kv) in fractured rock; this information is exceptionally difficult to acquire, but it is key to understanding the groundwater system. The requested equipment &ndash; an upgrade to the existing system designed to operate in boreholes &lt; 250 m deep - will extend the capabilities of the system to allow the testing of deeper boreholes up to 450 m deep. Information concerning Kv will be obtained by using four packers to isolate each test interval and pressure will be measured at 5 locations in the hole (in the three packed off intervals and in the open hole above and below the packed off intervals). This configuration will allow a better measurement of the short circuiting flow entering the hole immediately above/below the test interval, and measuring pressure in the open hole above these intervals will allow an estimation of the effective vertical length of the connectivity. This technologically advanced packer testing system will also provide better insights about the hydraulic head profile in each borehole, due to better isolation of the test interval from the rest of the open hole; these measurements are important for identifying zones or strata behaving as effective aquitards. The type of research described here is not common. Currently, we are the only research group in the world using packer testing equipment that is this versatile to characterize the nature of the subsurface flow in bedrock aquifers. All techniques developed in our group provide an excellent opportunity to train new and existing undergraduate and graduate students on how to obtain the best T values from hydraulic tests in fractured rock. We would be able to provide complete training from planning, to data acquisition in the field, to analyzing and writing up the results. In addition, private industry and government agencies would receive exposure to these methods through professional development short courses and conferences.</p>