A mathematical solution by Moench (1985) is useful for determining the hydraulic
properties (transmissivity and storage coefficient of aquifer, vertical hydraulic
conductivity and storage coefficient of aquitard and wellbore skin) of leaky
aquifers. Analysis involves matching the solution to water-level displacement data
collected during a pumping test. The Moench solution accounts for wellbore storage and
wellbore skin.
AQTESOLV for Windows provides visual and automatic methods for
matching the Moench solution to pumping test data. This easy-to-use and intuitive software
promotes rapid and accurate determination of aquifer properties.
Assumptions
The following assumptions apply to the use of the Moench solution:
aquifer has infinite areal extent
aquifer is homogeneous, isotropic and of uniform thickness
aquifer potentiometric surface is initially horizontal
pumping well is fully penetrating
flow to pumping well is horizontal
aquifer is leaky
flow is unsteady
water is released instantaneously from storage with decline of hydraulic head
confining bed(s) has infinite areal extent, uniform vertical hydraulic conductivity and
storage coefficient, and uniform thickness
confining bed(s) is overlain or underlain by an infinite constant-head plane source
flow in the aquitard(s) is vertical
Solution Options
AQTESOLV for Windows provides the following options for the Moench
solution:
large-diameter pumping wells
variable pumping rates
multiple pumping wells
multiple observation wells
References
Moench, A.F., 1985. Transient flow to a large-diameter well in an aquifer with
storative semiconfining layers, Water Resources Research, vol. 21, no. 8, pp. 1121-1131.