Determining Anisotropic Characteristics in the Pen Argyl Member of the Martinsburg Formation

Presented By: Jason J. Palonis ERM Program

Purpose/ Focus
o

This study aims to verify anisotropic characteristics and determine the orientation and degree of anisotropy in an aquifer located in East Bangor, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

Methods Applied :

Aquifer Tests Hydrographs (time- drawdown data) (timeDrawdown contouring The Papadopulos Method - AQTESOLVE and TENSOR2D Aquifer Software

Background
o

The East Bangor Municipal Authority (EBMA) is in the process of establishing a new groundwater source in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania (figure below). The water source will act as a subsystem to the current system (Civil War era) and it would allow the municipality flexibility in the event of a failure of the existing well, tank or transmission system.

The targeted aquifer was the Pen Argyl Member of the Martinsburg Formation (figure above). - The Pen Argyl is a fractured rock aquifer, consisting of siltstone, sandstone and mudstone (Epstein, 1973). - The Martinsburg Formation was deposited during the Upper Ordovician period around 450 million years ago (Berg, et al., 1983). - Fractured rock systems are usually associated water bearing formations (Nelson 1992). The projected ultimate demand for the new system is 156 gpm (225,000 gpd). - 105 gpm were permitted- This required a combination of wells capable of supplying the 156 gpm. permitted-

AquiferAquifer- Drilling/Analysis
4 Wells were drilled- A, B, C & E (figure below). drilled- drilled to a depth of approx. 600 ft - a 60 ft. steel casing- protects the well from surface water casing The aquifer evaluation was conducted by a 48hr constant rate aquifer test (pump test). It was performed for each well to evaluate the characteristics of the aquifer. - During pumping, water levels were monitored in residential and previously drilled EBMA wells, using pressure transducers.

Purpose for Aquifer Testing

o Pumping tests are used to determine the capacity of the well and the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer. An aquifer test is conducted by pumping water from one well at a constant rate for 48 hours, while carefully measuring the water levels in the monitoring wells. During pumping, the pressure in the aquifer that feeds the well declines. This decline in pressure will show up as drawdown (change in hydraulic head) in a monitoring well. Drawdown in the cone of depression decreases with radial distance from the pumping well and drawdown increases with the length of time that the pumping continues.

The aquifer characteristics which are evaluated by most aquifer tests are: Hydraulic Conductivity (K)- The rate of (K)flow of water through (a porous medium), at a unit of hydraulic gradient. Specific Storage- a measure of the Storageamount of water a confined aquifer will give up for a certain change in hydraulic head. Transmissivity- The rate at which water is Transmissivitytransmitted through a unit thickness of an aquifer under a unit hydraulic gradient.

Isotropic and Anisotropic Aquifers

Isotropy means uniformity in all orientations. Anisotropy- difference, when measured along different axes Anisotropy-

Hypothetical Drawdown: Demonstrating Isotropy

In an Isotropic Aquifer, hydraulic conductivity is equal when measured in all directions which causes the cone of depression to form concentric circles. Drawdown measured in monitoring wells should be equal at equal distances from the pumping well. Isotropy is typical in sand and gravel aquifers (Ideal Aquifers).

Actual Drawdown: Demonstrating Anisotropy

In an Anisotropic Aquifer, hydraulic conductivity in the direction of flow tends to be greater than perpendicular to flow, which causes the cone of depression to form ellipses rather than circles (fracturing in the bedrock). Drawdown measured in monitoring wells at equal distances from the pumping well are not equal. Anisotropy is common in fractured bedrock aquifers.

Anisotropy
Anisotropy is a common feature in water-laid watersedimentary deposits (Ehirim and Ebeniro, 2009) and it is characteristic in the shales (and slates) of the Martinsburg Formation due to extensive fracturing and bedding planes (Nelson 1992).

Data from the pressure transducers allowed drawdown contours to be estimated for each well (A, B, C & E) using the maximum drawdown in the pumping well compared to the drawdown observed in the observation wells (figure)

The Papadopulos Method

Istavros S. Papadopulos (1965) presented a method that can be used to determine the magnitude of the maximum and minimum principal axes, based on the analysis of monitoring well data from a constant-rate pumping test. constant- Drawdown data from three or more monitoring wells at different directions from the pumping well are necessary. (Like a Triangulation) - The method can also be used to obtain the components of the transmissibility tensor (a product of the permeability tensor and aquifer thickness) and these components can be used to determine the angle of the principal axes.

Results of the Papadopulos Method:

Determining the Orientation and Degree of Anisotropy

Conclusion


There is considerable evidence to support that Anisotropy is present in the Pen Argyl Member of the Martinsburg Formation.

The End..

References


Many Thanks to Robert Cook Ph.D., P.G. and M. Nofil Barlas of Keystone College

 

 

Berg, T.M., et al.,1983. Stratigraphic Correlation Chart of Pennsylvania: G75, Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Cook Geologic, L.L.C., 2009. Hydrogeologic Report New Ground Water Source: Well A. East Bangor, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Ehirim, C.N. and Ebeniro, J.O. 2009. Comparative Investigation of Offset Wenner, Square and Schlumberger Arrays In Electrical Anisotropy Studies. Epstein, J.B., 1973, Geologic map of the Stroudsburg quadrangle, Pennsylvania-New Jersey: PennsylvaniaU.S. Geological Survey Quadrangle Map GQ-1047. GQFetter C.W. (1994). Applied Hydrogeology, Fourth Edition: Chapter 5, Ground Water Flow To Wells. Gernan, J.D. and Heidtman, J. P., 1997. Detailed Pumping Test to Characterize a Fractured Bedrock Aquifer. Retrieved from http://info.ngwa.org/gwol/pdf/972062745.PDF Kresic, Neven. 2007. Hydrogeology and Groundwater Modeling Second Edition, CRC Press. p.139. Kruseman, G.P., and N.A. de Ridder. 1990. Analysis and Evaluation of Pumping Test Data. Nelson, R.S., 1992. Structural control of ground water movements in the Pen Argyl member of the Martinsburg Formation, Pennsylvania: Geological Society of America, v. 24, no. 4, p. 57. Papadopulos, I.S. 1965. Nonsteady flow to a well in an infinite anisotropic aquifer. United States Environmental Protection Agency 1987. Guidelines for delineation of wellhead protection areas. Office of Ground Water Protection, Document No. 440/6-87-010. 440/6-87-