Frequency Dependence of In Situ Transmissivity Estimation of Well‐Aquifer Systems From Periodic Loadings

Estimating the hydraulic parameters of a target aquifer is key to properly evaluating the groundwater resources. Conventional methods are costly, and measurements are infrequent. There are currently four popular methods for estimating aquifer parameters using the response of the well water level to a periodic loading. However, the differences and accuracy of the results obtained by these methods are still poorly understood. This study compares the four response models. We analyze the mechanisms of the phase lag between well water level and periodic loadings during such loading and discuss the applicability of each model. Taking the Jingle well in Shanxi Province as an example, hydraulic parameters were estimated using different models and compared. The results show that the aquifer transmissivity estimated using the periodic response methods depends on the loading frequency. This dependency is mainly determined by the difference between the actual aquifer transmissivity and the upper limit of transmissivity resolvable by the model. The tidal and barometric pressure response methods are suitable for low transmissivity aquifers, while seismic wave suitable is responsible for high transmissivity aquifers. Key Points Four hydraulic‐parameter estimation models are compared The mechanism of phase lag between water level and periodic loadings is discussed Estimated parameters depend on the frequency of periodic loading