Cross-flows in observation boreholes induced by distant pumping of basalt aquifers: Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho
- Boise State Univ., ID (United States)
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Boise, ID (United States)
Vertical flow velocities up to 20 ft/minute occur in borehole between stratified permeable zones of basalt aquifers of the eastern Snake River Plain. Water is transferred vertically in wells across relatively impermeable zones 35 to 65 ft thick between permeable zones 515 feet deep and a zone 550 to 575 ft deep. Large rates of cross flows are caused by a well 2,000 feet distant which pumps 3,100 gallons/minute with a 2.0 hour on and a 3.5 hour off cycle. Impeller flow-meter logging shows the pump cycle produces reversals in flow direction within 120 seconds of pump switching. Preliminary results from packer isolation of the 500--515 ft zone indicates flow is induced by a hydraulic-head difference between permeable zones set up within 14 seconds of the pump turning on in the distant well. Distant pumping induces downward flow in the observation well, indicating the lower zone has a better connection to the pumped zone. When the pump is off, flow is upward at a lesser rate, suggesting the ambient hydraulic head in this system of aquifers decreases upward. Transmissivity of 1.5 [times] 10[sup 6] gallons/day/ft and storativity of 0.08 from well tests reported by others in this area of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory do not predict such rapid response times for head changes over a distance of 2,000 feet. The authors suggest that the basalt aquifer system here behaves on a short time scale as a system of confined aquifers with storativity on the order of 10[sup [minus]5] rather than 0.08. The above observations on USGS wells no. 44 and 46 and pumping well CPP-2 show that cross-flow in boreholes provides a vertical path for ground water and contaminant movement between stratified basalt aquifers in the vicinity of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant.
- OSTI ID:
- 5450876
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9305259-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 89. annual meeting of the Cordilleran Section and the 46th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Reno, NV (United States), 19-21 May 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
AQUIFERS
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDROLOGY
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SNAKE RIVER PLAIN
BASALT
BOREHOLES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLOW MODELS
FLOWMETERS
GROUND WATER
IDAHO
IDAHO CHEMICAL PROCESSING PLANT
PERMEABILITY
PUMPING
WATER POLLUTION
WATER TABLES
WATER WELLS
CAVITIES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
ROCKS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WATER
WELLS
053001* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects- Siting- (1992-)
540250 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
580000 - Geosciences