Noordbergum Effect Demonstrated by Water Level Increases from Aquifer Drawdown Tests at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Campus, Kenosha, WI
Mentor 1
John Skalbeck
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
24-4-2015 3:45 PM
Description
Two pumping tests were conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on a deep confined aquifer with observation wells located in a shallower confined aquifer. The UW-Parkside campus is located on a Holocene glacial moraine overlaying Silurian dolomite of the Racine Formation. The 100-foot thick moraine is composed of the Oak Creek Formation and the New Berlin Formation deposited in two separate advances. These two formations consist primarily of clay separated by a sand lens forms a shallow confined aquifer. Clay separated the shallow confined aquifer from the deep confined aquifer consisting of a sand/gravel layer above the dolomite. Well UWP-1 is screened in the deep confined aquifer from 80 to 100 feet below ground surface (bgs). Wells UWP-2,-3,-4 are screened in the shallow aquifer from 15-30 feet bgs. For the July 14, 2014 test, the pumping rate was stepped from 0.3 gallons per minute (gpm) to 1.2 gpm. The pumping rate was 1.0 gpm for the September 25, 2014 test. During both pumping tests, waters levels in Wells UWP-1 and UWP-3 were measured using an electronic sounder while water levels in Wells UWP-2 and UWP-4 were measured with pressure transducers. The Noordbergum effect is a response to the decrease in pressure in the layered aquifer system from the drawdown of the water level in the pumping well screened in the deeper aquifer. The pressure decline is transferred quickly to the shallow aquifer which squeezes the aquifer and results in an observable rise in water level in the shallow aquifer. During both pumping test waters levels in observation wells UWP-2, UWP-3 and UWP-4 increased while the water level in pumping well UWP-1 decreased. The test results suggest that the Noordbergum effect was responsible for the increase of water levels within the shallow confined aquifer during drawdown of the deep aquifer.
Noordbergum Effect Demonstrated by Water Level Increases from Aquifer Drawdown Tests at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Campus, Kenosha, WI
Union Wisconsin Room
Two pumping tests were conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on a deep confined aquifer with observation wells located in a shallower confined aquifer. The UW-Parkside campus is located on a Holocene glacial moraine overlaying Silurian dolomite of the Racine Formation. The 100-foot thick moraine is composed of the Oak Creek Formation and the New Berlin Formation deposited in two separate advances. These two formations consist primarily of clay separated by a sand lens forms a shallow confined aquifer. Clay separated the shallow confined aquifer from the deep confined aquifer consisting of a sand/gravel layer above the dolomite. Well UWP-1 is screened in the deep confined aquifer from 80 to 100 feet below ground surface (bgs). Wells UWP-2,-3,-4 are screened in the shallow aquifer from 15-30 feet bgs. For the July 14, 2014 test, the pumping rate was stepped from 0.3 gallons per minute (gpm) to 1.2 gpm. The pumping rate was 1.0 gpm for the September 25, 2014 test. During both pumping tests, waters levels in Wells UWP-1 and UWP-3 were measured using an electronic sounder while water levels in Wells UWP-2 and UWP-4 were measured with pressure transducers. The Noordbergum effect is a response to the decrease in pressure in the layered aquifer system from the drawdown of the water level in the pumping well screened in the deeper aquifer. The pressure decline is transferred quickly to the shallow aquifer which squeezes the aquifer and results in an observable rise in water level in the shallow aquifer. During both pumping test waters levels in observation wells UWP-2, UWP-3 and UWP-4 increased while the water level in pumping well UWP-1 decreased. The test results suggest that the Noordbergum effect was responsible for the increase of water levels within the shallow confined aquifer during drawdown of the deep aquifer.
