Conceptualization of flow and transport in a limestone aquifer by multiple dedicated hydraulic and tracer tests

What is it about?

A limestone aquifer with crushed and fractured aquifer units is characterized by designing, conducting and interpreting depth-specific tracer tests, employing fluorescent and ionic tracers with different diffusion properties. Flow parameters of the aquifer were determined by a set of hydraulic tests and a long-term pumping test. The aquifer tests and the tracer tests are described and evaluated.

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Why is it important?

We applied a comprehensive set of depth-discrete characterization methods in different units of a limestone aquifer in Denmark. This revealed lower hydraulic conductivities in crushed than in fractured limestone units. A major horizontal transport and low vertical connectivity in the fractured units was revealed by the tracer tests. Matrix diffusion was investigated by simultaneous injection of tracers with different diffusion coefficients.