Unusual drawdown curves for a pumping test in an unconfined aquifer at Lachenaie, Quebec: field data and numerical modeling

An unconfined aquifer was instrumented with monitoring wells over a surface area of about 100 m × 100 m. The aquifer is a sand deposit overlying a thick nonfissured layer of Champlain Sea clay. The paper presents the results of a pumping test at a constant flow rate. None of the curves of drawdown versus time presented the S shape of current theories; however, all drawdowns indicated that the aquifer was homogeneous. The values for the specific yield were too low and varied with distance and time instead of being constant. The theories for steady and unsteady states provided different values for the saturated hydraulic conductivity. To understand the field behavior that differs from theoretical predictions, the pumping test conditions were modeled numerically using a finite element method. The transmissivity was derived from the Dupuit equation, and different curves for capillary retention and unsaturated permeability were examined. The numerical drawdowns agree with the experimental drawdowns. Several numerical models were investigated. All of them solved the inverse problem correctly for steady-state conditions and fairly well for transient conditions with highly nonlinear characteristic functions. The best solution to the transient problem was obtained using trial and error, by considering how the drawdown curves might be modified due to anisotropy and stratification. According to these field tests and the numerical analysis, the S shape is not the rule, and a different shape can be perfectly normal due to the complexity of unsaturated flow.Key words: pumping, unconfined aquifer, permeability, drawdown, numerical modeling.