{"id":1783,"date":"2026-02-14T04:27:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T04:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/ch070-xhtml\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T14:45:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:45:35","slug":"method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/","title":{"raw":"14.5 Method to Interpret Underdamped Slug Tests","rendered":"14.5 Method to Interpret Underdamped Slug Tests"},"content":{"raw":"<div id=\"method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\" class=\"level1\">\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\r\n\r\nAn underdamped\u2011response of a groundwater system to slug testing is commonly encountered when formational hydraulic conductivity is high. The response to a slug\u2011in or slug\u2011out test is oscillatory as shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/the-slug-test\/#figure-103\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 103<\/span><\/a>. The oscillatory behavior of the water level is like that of a damped spring as described in physics books where the force of gravity on a mass hung from a spring and the energy stored in the spring counteract and the motion gradually dissipates as the kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy (e.g., Kreyszig, 1979).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nSeveral authors have developed methods to analyze an underdamped slug test response including van der Kamp (1976), Kipp (1985), Springer and Gelhar, 1991), Wylie and Magnuson (1995), McElwee and Zenner (1998), Zurbuchen and others (2002), Butler (1998), and Butler and others (2003). Butler and Garnett (2000) produced a Kansas Geologic Survey open file report and Butler and others (2003) published a journal article that presents a type\u2011curve methodology for assessing test results from unconfined and confined formations based on descriptions by Springer and Gelhar (1991) and Butler (1998). They developed two high\u2011hydraulic conductivity models based on the Bouwer and Rice (1976) and Hvorslev (1951) slug\u2011test formulations, the high\u2011K Bouwer and Rice, and the high\u2011K Hvorslev models (Butler &amp; Garnett, 2000; Butler et al., 2003). Their work utilized spreadsheet models to develop type curves and generate estimates of <em>K<\/em>. They provide free access to the spreadsheet models on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\/\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">KGS website<\/span><\/a>\u2197. The methods are described in the paper by Butler and Garnett (2000) published by the KGS and the journal article by Butler and others (2003). A description of this methodology follows.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nSlug testing of high hydraulic conductivity formations (like sand and gravels, and gravels) requires attention to detail as the oscillatory response often occurs over the first few seconds to 10s of seconds of the test. In cases where slug\u2011displacement volumes are small, and screened intervals long, observable water\u2011level responses may only last a few seconds. A successful test requires an instantaneous water\u2011level change and a transducer set to record water\u2011level variations with a time interval of a fraction of a second if possible. Butler and others (2003) report that the pneumatic air\u2011displacement method is recommended for head displacement as the release of air pressure at the initiation of the test results is a near\u2011instantaneous head change (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/field-data-overdamped-underdamped-and-critically-damped-water-level-responses\/#figure-109\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 109<\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-128\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 128<\/span><\/a>). Solid slugs are used when pneumatic test methods are unavailable.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"figure-128\" class=\"bc-figure figure\" data-custom-style=\"Captioned Figure\">\r\n\r\n<img style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.83333in; height: 3.75542in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file132-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<div class=\"bc-figcaption figcaption\">\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Image Caption\">\r\n<div class=\"figcaption-text\">\r\n\r\n<span id=\"X99dc39484c72fe558174867d6b9b27b03cc827e\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><strong>Figure 128 \u2011<\/strong> Pneumatic slug test set up and plot of normalized head change data. An initial static head measurement is taken before the test is initiated. a) Pneumatic slug\u2011test set up as described in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/performing-a-slug-test\/#figure-108\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 108<\/span><\/a>. The casing is capped and fitted with a valve, airline, and gauge and\/or pressure transducer. A second transducer is placed below the maximum water level, <em>H<sub>0<\/sub>.<\/em> The water table is depressed by pressurizing the water column in the sealed casing. The valve is closed and <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em> computed from the pressure gage reading or a cap mounted pressure transducer (small red rectangle). At time zero the valve is opened, and the water level is allowed to recover. A transducer (large vertical red rectangle) in the well records the water level response. b) Plot of normalized slug test head data (red dots), <em>H<sub>t<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>. The normalized head data are plotted on an arithmetic scale with a zero value (static\u2011fully recovered water level), and positive and negative values centered on the static water level.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nPrior to beginning the slug test a static water level is measured using steel or electronic water\u2011level tape. At the initiation of the test the well is capped, and the casing pressurized. The displacement value <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em> is estimated from the pressure gage or cap transducer reading (air pressure depressing the water level). It is recommended that multiple tests be conducted using different displacements, <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>. Values of <em>K<\/em> should not be dependent on <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>. Butler and Garnett (2000) and Butler and others (2003) report that the depth of the transducer below the static level is important. They found that when the well transducer was located within 0.5 m of the static water level the resulting measured maximum value of <em>H<sub>t<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em> was 0.9 or higher. They suggest that if the test is run and the recorded maximum normalized head is less than 0.9, the test should be repeated with the transducer raised to a new position closer to the static water level. Of course, the transducer must be below the water level (<em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>) measured at the beginning of the test. It is also important that the transducer sensitivity range, accuracy, and recording interval meet the slug\u2011test design.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"development-of-typecurve-equations\" class=\"level3\">\r\n<h3>Development of Type\u2011Curve Equations<\/h3>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\r\n\r\nButler (1996), Butler and Garnett (2000), and Butler and others (2003) provide the theory and equations used to develop type curves for analysis of oscillatory data. The methodology is applicable to unconfined and confined systems. An example of data analysis by this method follows.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nType curves based on <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>, a dimensionless damping factor, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> dimensionless time, and the normalized water\u2011level deviation, <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>, are generated using the overdamped type\u2011curve equations based on the damped\u2011spring solution (Kreyszig, 1979) as shown in Equations <span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(119)<\/span>, <span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(120)<\/span>, and <span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(121)<\/span>. The equations express the relationship between the dimensionless normalized head <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> at dimensionless time <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> (i.e., w(t<sub>d<\/sub>)) for various values of the dimensionless damping parameter <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>. The <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> term is calculated as part of the curve matching process (i.e., <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> = (<em>t*<\/em>\/<em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em>)<sup>2<\/sup><em>g<\/em>, where <em>*<\/em> denotes a curve match value and g is the acceleration due to gravity (modified from Butler and &amp; Garnett, 2000; Butler et al., 2003).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\"><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 6%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 66%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 11%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]w_{d}(t_{d}) = e^{\u2013\\frac{C_{D}}{2}t_{d}}\\left\\lbrack cos(\\omega_{d}t_{d}) + \\frac{C_{D}}{2\\omega_{d}}\\sin\\left( \\omega_{d}t_{d} \\right) \\right\\rbrack,\\ C_{D} &lt; 2[\/latex]<\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"X02f08351f606af8fe5be4ed58dfe3fb6911dd51\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span>(119)<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]w_{d}\\left( t_{d} \\right) = e^{\u2013t_{d}}\\left\\lbrack 1 + t_{d} \\right\\rbrack,\\ C_{D} = 2[\/latex]<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"X5a14a504b21287504ec8f2eb462decfe00dc4db\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span>(120)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]w_{d}\\left( t_{d} \\right) = \\left( \\frac{1}{\\beta_{1} - \\beta_{2}} \\right)\\left( \\beta_{1}e^{\\beta_{2}t_{d\\ \u2013\\ }}\\beta_{2}e^{\\beta_{1}t_{d}} \\right),\\ C_{D} &gt; 2[\/latex]<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"Xc780d3b6abae854d965d9f2663658080c714ee6\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span>(121)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nwhere:\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\"><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 14%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 2%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 68%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/th>\r\n<th>damping parameter (dimensionless)<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>g<\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>acceleration of gravity (LT<sup>\u20112<\/sup>)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>change in water level initiating a slug test (initial displacement (L)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>effective length of water column in well calculated as part of the curve matching process (i.e., <em>Le<\/em> = (<em>t*<\/em>\/<em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em>)<sup>2<\/sup><em>g<\/em>, where <em>*<\/em> denotes a curve match value and g is the acceleration due to gravity (L)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>time parameter ((g\/<em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> )<sup>0.5<\/sup>)t) where t = time (dimensionless)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>w<\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>deviation of water level from static level in well (L)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>normalized water\u2011level deviation (T)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u03c9<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>frequency parameter (|1\u2013 (<em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>\/2)<sup>2<\/sup>|<sup>0.5<\/sup>) (dimensionless)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u03b2<sub>1<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>\u2013 (<em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>\/2) \u2013 <em>\u03c9<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> (dimensionless)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u03b2<sub>2<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\r\n<td>\u2013 (<em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>\/2) + <em>\u03c9<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> (dimensionless)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nFor values of <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><sub>,<\/sub> and <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> type curves are generated and plotted on an arithmetic scale with <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> = 0 representing the static normalized water level (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-129\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 129<\/span><\/a>). The slug\u2011test data are plotted on the same vertical scale as the type curves being utilized (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-130\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 130<\/span><\/a>).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"figure-129\" data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<img style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 4.2in; height: 3.85in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file133-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Block Text\">\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<div class=\"figcaption-text\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Figure 129 \u2011<\/strong> Type curves used to analyze overdamped slug test responses. The arithmetic plot of normalized head (<em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>) versus dimensionless time (<em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>) for various dampening parameter values <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> (Butler &amp; Garnett, 2000).\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"figure-130\" data-custom-style=\"Captioned Figure\">\r\n\r\n<img style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.83333in; height: 2.91866in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file134-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Block Text\">\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<div class=\"figcaption-text\">\r\n\r\n<strong style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\">Figure 130 \u2011<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\"> Example from Butler and Garnett (2000) of slug test GEMS4S conducted at the Geohydrological Experimental and Monitoring Site (GEMS) in Douglas County Kansas, USA. a) Slug\u2011test results shown in red dots plotted as normalized head versus time at the same vertical scale as the type curves. b) Slug\u2011test data superposed on the type curves representing curves generated for the dimensional damping parameter <\/span><em style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\">C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em><span style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\"> between 0.50 and 1.0. This superposition is shown to illustrate the process. Field data and type curves are adjusted to obtain a match. The base x axis is the slug\u2011test time, and the upper x axis is the type\u2011curve dimensionless time. The illustrated type curves and data do not match in this figure (Butler &amp; Garnett (2000).<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\nThe slug\u2011test data are superposed on the type\u2011curve plot. The normalized head and dimensionless time scales are identical. The test time scale (x axis on <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-130\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 130<\/span><\/a>) is the slug\u2011test time data, and the upper x axis is the type\u2011curve dimensionless time axis. To obtain the best match between the field data and type curve, the field\u2011data plot remains unchanged as the type\u2011curve plot is stretched and contracted horizontally, attempting to generate the best match with the <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> values. The scale of the vertical axes is not changed. Once a match is determined, values of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em>, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em>, and <em>t*<\/em> (* is used to designate match values) are generated and used to solve for <em>K<\/em>. The Excel\u00ae spreadsheet software provided by Butler and Garnett (2000) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\/\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\/<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\">kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40<\/a>\u2197 generates a family of type curves that most closely match the slug\u2011test data and facilitates the fitting process. Iterative adjustment by the user is relied upon to generate visual matches between the data and type curves. Butler and others (2003) describe the use of the type\u2011curve generator spreadsheet and high\u2011<em>K<\/em> estimator spreadsheets. The Butler and Garnett (2000) fitting process and results for their example problem are shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-131\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 131.<\/span><\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"figure-131\" data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<img style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.29432in; height: 5.09028in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file135-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Block Text\">\r\n<blockquote><span id=\"X5d8f0289302816718c7c465b17ba445a31227d1\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Figure 131 \u2011<\/strong> Final match of slug\u2011test data (black dots) presented by Butler and Garnett (2000). Only the <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> values that most closely match the field data are shown with a best match of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em>=0.75 in this example. The additional match values are <em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em> = 12.7, and the corresponding slug\u2011test data time <em>t*<\/em> = 15 sec (Butler &amp; Garnett, 2000).<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Butler and others (2003) note that matches can be achieved because the value <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> controls the period (duration), and <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> controls the degree of curvature or oscillatory behavior. The curve match for the example shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-130\">Figure 130<\/a><\/span> provides values of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em> = 0.75, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em> = 12.7 and <em>t*<\/em> = 15 sec (* denotes these as match values). These values are used to solve for <em>K<\/em> using the Unconfined\u2011High\u2011<em>K<\/em> Bouwer and Rice model (Springer &amp; Gelhar, 1991) or the Confined\u2011High\u2011<em>K<\/em> Hvorslev model (Butler, 1998). The High\u2011<em>K<\/em> models are contained in the High\u2011<em>K<\/em> Estimator spreadsheet that also requires well construction data, and an estimate of the effective length of the water column (<em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em>).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"unconfinedhighk-bouwer-and-rice-model\" class=\"level3\">\r\n<h3><span id=\"X45c8444e1a18221a1ebab9673431bc4f94d9f77\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Unconfined\u2011High\u2011K Bouwer and Rice Model<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The Unconfined\u2011high\u2011K Bouwer and Rice Model is based on the work of Springer and Gelhar (1991) as presented by Butler and others (2003) and shown here as Equation\u00a0(122)<\/span>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\"><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 6%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 66%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 11%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">[latex]K_{r} = \\frac{t_{d}^{*}}{t^{*}}\\frac{{r_{c}}^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{R_{e}}{r_{s}} \\right)}{2\\ bC_{D}^{*}}[\/latex]<\/span><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"Xe3a881d41c55e7de41f48fb43993a67a1bdddfa\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(122)<\/span><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">where:<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\"><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 14%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 2%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 68%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">curve match time (dimensionless)<\/span><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">slug\u2011test curve match time (T)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>c<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">well\u2011casing radius corrected for the radius of the transducer cable (L)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radius of the well screen or borehole in isotropic aquifer, <em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em> (<em>K<sub>z<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em>)<sup>0.5<\/sup> for anisotropic systems (L)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radial hydraulic conductivity (LT<sup>\u20111<\/sup>)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>R<sub>e<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">effective radius of the slug test is computed as ln(<em>R<sub>e<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em>) from Equation\u00a0(110)<\/span> or (111) where <em>h<\/em> is the aquifer thickness (units of L) and <em>L<sub>w<\/sub><\/em> is the distance from the bottom of the well screen to the water table (units of L), and <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> is the effective length of the well screen (<em>b<\/em> as defined here) (units of L). Figure 121 provides definitions of these parameters. (dimensionless)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">screen length (L)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">match of dampening parameter (dimensionless)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The High\u2011K Bouwer and Rice model can be used when the base of the well screen is in contact with an impermeable boundary (lower boundary). The <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> parameter used to compute <em>R<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> is defined in Figure 116<\/span> as the effective length of the well screen. It is not the same <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> factor used in the type\u2011curve calculations of Equations\u00a0(119), (120), and (121) as defined in the list of parameters below Equation\u00a0(121). The High\u2011K\u2011Estimator spreadsheet assists in computing the <em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em> value.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"confined-highk-hvorslev-model\" class=\"level3\">\r\n<h3><span id=\"Xafb58f32e170713c41b05d89db239aee8c8f6d6\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Confined \u2013 High\u2011K Hvorslev Model<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The High\u2011K Hvorslev model was developed by Butler and others (2003). It is defined by Equation\u00a0(123)<\/span>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\"><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 6%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 66%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 11%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">[latex]K_{r} = \\left( \\frac{t_{d}^{*}}{t^{*}} \\right)\\frac{{r_{c}}^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{b}{2r_{s}} + \\left( 1 + \\left( \\frac{b}{{2r}_{s}} \\right)^{2} \\right)^{0.5} \\right)}{2\\ bC_{D}^{*}}[\/latex]<\/span><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"X65e746a2677b0e094fe759068945f76251ca9ef\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(123)<\/span><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">where:<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\"><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 14%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 2%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 68%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">curve match time (dimensionless)<\/span><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">slug\u2011test curve match time (T)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>c<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">well\u2011casing radius corrected for the radius of the transducer cable (L)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radius of the well screen or borehole in isotropic aquifer, <em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em> (<em>K<sub>z<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em>)<sup>0.5<\/sup> for anisotropic systems (L)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radial hydraulic conductivity (LT<sup>\u20111<\/sup>)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">screen length (L)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">match of dampening parameter (dimensionless)<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The High\u2011K Hvorslev model does not represent conditions where the bottom of the casing is adjacent to an impermeable bottom boundary. Butler and others (2003) state that if this condition occurs the term 2r<sub>s<\/sub> in the numerator of Equation\u00a0(123)<\/span> should be replace with r<sub>s<\/sub>. They state that corrections for small\u2011diameter wells can also be incorporated.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Example<\/strong><\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">A pneumatic slug test was performed in a high hydraulic conductivity, isotropic, confined aquifer as shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-132\">Figure 132<\/a><\/span>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"figure-132\" data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<img style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.83333in; height: 3.5592in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file136-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span id=\"X11934f5f11a3ff23f9b0590d53141c092749546\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Figure 132 \u2011<\/strong> Set up for a slug test of an isotropic and homogenous sand and gravel confined aquifer and a hypothetical plot of the slug\u2011test results. a) Well configuration. b) Normalized slug\u2011test results and curve\u2011match parameters.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The slug\u2011test results were normalized and curve matched to the type curves shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-128\">Figure 128<\/a><\/span>. Parameters derived from the type\u2011curve match are C<sub>D<\/sub> = 0.75, t<sub>d<\/sub>* = 12.7 and t* = 15 sec. The formation is confined so the High\u2011K Hvorslev Model is applied.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]\\begin{aligned}\r\nK_{r} &amp;= \\left( \\frac{t_{d}^{*}}{t^{*}} \\right)\\frac{r_{c}^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{b}{2r_{s}} + \\left( 1 + \\left( \\frac{b}{2r_{s}} \\right)^{2} \\right)^{0.5} \\right)}{2\\, b C_{D}^{*}} \\\\\r\n&amp;= \\left( \\frac{12.7\\,\\text{s}}{15\\,\\text{s}} \\right)\\frac{(0.025\\,\\text{m})^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{0.6\\,\\text{m}}{2(0.057\\,\\text{m})} + \\left( 1 + \\left( \\frac{0.6\\,\\text{m}}{2(0.057\\,\\text{m})} \\right)^{2} \\right)^{0.5} \\right)}{2\\,(0.6\\,\\text{m})\\,(0.75)} = 0.0014\\,\\frac{\\text{m}}{\\text{s}}\r\n\\end{aligned}[\/latex]<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]K_{r} = 0.0014\\,\\frac{\\text{m}}{\\text{s}}\\,\\frac{86400\\,\\text{s}}{\\text{d}} = 121\\,\\frac{\\text{m}}{\\text{d}}[\/latex]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"transitional-slugtest-responses\" class=\"level3\">\r\n<h3><span id=\"X7fc7848c3eba98f1862280052ff35fb029549ec\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Transitional Slug\u2011Test Responses<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\r\n\r\n<span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The curve matching methods described above have also been applied to non\u2011oscillatory slug test responses in highly conductive settings. Results may show a mix of responses. These are referred to as transitional slug test data sets because conditions show a system is acting partly as overdamp and partly as undamped (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/the-slug-test\/#figure-103\">Figure 103<\/a><\/span>). Butler and others (2003) provide an example of a set of curves derived from the packer test of an interval of a highly conductive aquifer. The data are plotted and then the curve\u2011matching methodology and <em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em> calculations are performed. The authors conclude that the underdamped curve\u2011matching methods and equations provided good estimates of formational properties when hydraulic conductivity values are high. When curve\u2011matching results were compared to values computed using the conventional overdamped Hvorslev equation method (straight\u2011line approach) the conventional method produced values that were 13 percent higher than those derived from underdamped curve matching. The authors concluded that when the values of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> were greater than three, conventional underdamped methods provided reasonable values.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div id=\"method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\" class=\"level1\">\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\n<p>An underdamped\u2011response of a groundwater system to slug testing is commonly encountered when formational hydraulic conductivity is high. The response to a slug\u2011in or slug\u2011out test is oscillatory as shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/the-slug-test\/#figure-103\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 103<\/span><\/a>. The oscillatory behavior of the water level is like that of a damped spring as described in physics books where the force of gravity on a mass hung from a spring and the energy stored in the spring counteract and the motion gradually dissipates as the kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy (e.g., Kreyszig, 1979).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>Several authors have developed methods to analyze an underdamped slug test response including van der Kamp (1976), Kipp (1985), Springer and Gelhar, 1991), Wylie and Magnuson (1995), McElwee and Zenner (1998), Zurbuchen and others (2002), Butler (1998), and Butler and others (2003). Butler and Garnett (2000) produced a Kansas Geologic Survey open file report and Butler and others (2003) published a journal article that presents a type\u2011curve methodology for assessing test results from unconfined and confined formations based on descriptions by Springer and Gelhar (1991) and Butler (1998). They developed two high\u2011hydraulic conductivity models based on the Bouwer and Rice (1976) and Hvorslev (1951) slug\u2011test formulations, the high\u2011K Bouwer and Rice, and the high\u2011K Hvorslev models (Butler &amp; Garnett, 2000; Butler et al., 2003). Their work utilized spreadsheet models to develop type curves and generate estimates of <em>K<\/em>. They provide free access to the spreadsheet models on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\/\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">KGS website<\/span><\/a>\u2197. The methods are described in the paper by Butler and Garnett (2000) published by the KGS and the journal article by Butler and others (2003). A description of this methodology follows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>Slug testing of high hydraulic conductivity formations (like sand and gravels, and gravels) requires attention to detail as the oscillatory response often occurs over the first few seconds to 10s of seconds of the test. In cases where slug\u2011displacement volumes are small, and screened intervals long, observable water\u2011level responses may only last a few seconds. A successful test requires an instantaneous water\u2011level change and a transducer set to record water\u2011level variations with a time interval of a fraction of a second if possible. Butler and others (2003) report that the pneumatic air\u2011displacement method is recommended for head displacement as the release of air pressure at the initiation of the test results is a near\u2011instantaneous head change (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/field-data-overdamped-underdamped-and-critically-damped-water-level-responses\/#figure-109\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 109<\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-128\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 128<\/span><\/a>). Solid slugs are used when pneumatic test methods are unavailable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"figure-128\" class=\"bc-figure figure\" data-custom-style=\"Captioned Figure\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.83333in; height: 3.75542in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file132-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"bc-figcaption figcaption\">\n<div data-custom-style=\"Image Caption\">\n<div class=\"figcaption-text\">\n<p><span id=\"X99dc39484c72fe558174867d6b9b27b03cc827e\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><strong>Figure 128 \u2011<\/strong> Pneumatic slug test set up and plot of normalized head change data. An initial static head measurement is taken before the test is initiated. a) Pneumatic slug\u2011test set up as described in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/performing-a-slug-test\/#figure-108\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 108<\/span><\/a>. The casing is capped and fitted with a valve, airline, and gauge and\/or pressure transducer. A second transducer is placed below the maximum water level, <em>H<sub>0<\/sub>.<\/em> The water table is depressed by pressurizing the water column in the sealed casing. The valve is closed and <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em> computed from the pressure gage reading or a cap mounted pressure transducer (small red rectangle). At time zero the valve is opened, and the water level is allowed to recover. A transducer (large vertical red rectangle) in the well records the water level response. b) Plot of normalized slug test head data (red dots), <em>H<sub>t<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>. The normalized head data are plotted on an arithmetic scale with a zero value (static\u2011fully recovered water level), and positive and negative values centered on the static water level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>Prior to beginning the slug test a static water level is measured using steel or electronic water\u2011level tape. At the initiation of the test the well is capped, and the casing pressurized. The displacement value <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em> is estimated from the pressure gage or cap transducer reading (air pressure depressing the water level). It is recommended that multiple tests be conducted using different displacements, <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>. Values of <em>K<\/em> should not be dependent on <em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>. Butler and Garnett (2000) and Butler and others (2003) report that the depth of the transducer below the static level is important. They found that when the well transducer was located within 0.5 m of the static water level the resulting measured maximum value of <em>H<sub>t<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em> was 0.9 or higher. They suggest that if the test is run and the recorded maximum normalized head is less than 0.9, the test should be repeated with the transducer raised to a new position closer to the static water level. Of course, the transducer must be below the water level (<em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em>) measured at the beginning of the test. It is also important that the transducer sensitivity range, accuracy, and recording interval meet the slug\u2011test design.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"development-of-typecurve-equations\" class=\"level3\">\n<h3>Development of Type\u2011Curve Equations<\/h3>\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\n<p>Butler (1996), Butler and Garnett (2000), and Butler and others (2003) provide the theory and equations used to develop type curves for analysis of oscillatory data. The methodology is applicable to unconfined and confined systems. An example of data analysis by this method follows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>Type curves based on <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>, a dimensionless damping factor, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> dimensionless time, and the normalized water\u2011level deviation, <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>, are generated using the overdamped type\u2011curve equations based on the damped\u2011spring solution (Kreyszig, 1979) as shown in Equations <span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(119)<\/span>, <span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(120)<\/span>, and <span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(121)<\/span>. The equations express the relationship between the dimensionless normalized head <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> at dimensionless time <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> (i.e., w(t<sub>d<\/sub>)) for various values of the dimensionless damping parameter <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>. The <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> term is calculated as part of the curve matching process (i.e., <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> = (<em>t*<\/em>\/<em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em>)<sup>2<\/sup><em>g<\/em>, where <em>*<\/em> denotes a curve match value and g is the acceleration due to gravity (modified from Butler and &amp; Garnett, 2000; Butler et al., 2003).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 6%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 66%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 11%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]w_{d}(t_{d}) = e^{\u2013\\frac{C_{D}}{2}t_{d}}\\left\\lbrack cos(\\omega_{d}t_{d}) + \\frac{C_{D}}{2\\omega_{d}}\\sin\\left( \\omega_{d}t_{d} \\right) \\right\\rbrack,\\ C_{D} < 2[\/latex]<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"X02f08351f606af8fe5be4ed58dfe3fb6911dd51\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span>(119)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]w_{d}\\left( t_{d} \\right) = e^{\u2013t_{d}}\\left\\lbrack 1 + t_{d} \\right\\rbrack,\\ C_{D} = 2[\/latex]<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"X5a14a504b21287504ec8f2eb462decfe00dc4db\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span>(120)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]w_{d}\\left( t_{d} \\right) = \\left( \\frac{1}{\\beta_{1} - \\beta_{2}} \\right)\\left( \\beta_{1}e^{\\beta_{2}t_{d\\ \u2013\\ }}\\beta_{2}e^{\\beta_{1}t_{d}} \\right),\\ C_{D} > 2[\/latex]<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"Xc780d3b6abae854d965d9f2663658080c714ee6\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span>(121)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>where:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 14%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 2%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 68%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/th>\n<th>damping parameter (dimensionless)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>g<\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>acceleration of gravity (LT<sup>\u20112<\/sup>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>H<sub>0<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>change in water level initiating a slug test (initial displacement (L)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>effective length of water column in well calculated as part of the curve matching process (i.e., <em>Le<\/em> = (<em>t*<\/em>\/<em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em>)<sup>2<\/sup><em>g<\/em>, where <em>*<\/em> denotes a curve match value and g is the acceleration due to gravity (L)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>time parameter ((g\/<em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> )<sup>0.5<\/sup>)t) where t = time (dimensionless)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>w<\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>deviation of water level from static level in well (L)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>normalized water\u2011level deviation (T)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u03c9<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>frequency parameter (|1\u2013 (<em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>\/2)<sup>2<\/sup>|<sup>0.5<\/sup>) (dimensionless)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u03b2<sub>1<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>\u2013 (<em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>\/2) \u2013 <em>\u03c9<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> (dimensionless)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u03b2<sub>2<\/sub><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">=<\/td>\n<td>\u2013 (<em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em>\/2) + <em>\u03c9<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> (dimensionless)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>For values of <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em><sub>,<\/sub> and <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> type curves are generated and plotted on an arithmetic scale with <em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> = 0 representing the static normalized water level (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-129\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 129<\/span><\/a>). The slug\u2011test data are plotted on the same vertical scale as the type curves being utilized (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-130\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 130<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"figure-129\" data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 4.2in; height: 3.85in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file133-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Block Text\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"figcaption-text\">\n<p><strong>Figure 129 \u2011<\/strong> Type curves used to analyze overdamped slug test responses. The arithmetic plot of normalized head (<em>w<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>) versus dimensionless time (<em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em>) for various dampening parameter values <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> (Butler &amp; Garnett, 2000).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"figure-130\" data-custom-style=\"Captioned Figure\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.83333in; height: 2.91866in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file134-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Block Text\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"figcaption-text\">\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\">Figure 130 \u2011<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\"> Example from Butler and Garnett (2000) of slug test GEMS4S conducted at the Geohydrological Experimental and Monitoring Site (GEMS) in Douglas County Kansas, USA. a) Slug\u2011test results shown in red dots plotted as normalized head versus time at the same vertical scale as the type curves. b) Slug\u2011test data superposed on the type curves representing curves generated for the dimensional damping parameter <\/span><em style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\">C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em><span style=\"font-size: 0.9em; text-align: initial;\"> between 0.50 and 1.0. This superposition is shown to illustrate the process. Field data and type curves are adjusted to obtain a match. The base x axis is the slug\u2011test time, and the upper x axis is the type\u2011curve dimensionless time. The illustrated type curves and data do not match in this figure (Butler &amp; Garnett (2000).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p>The slug\u2011test data are superposed on the type\u2011curve plot. The normalized head and dimensionless time scales are identical. The test time scale (x axis on <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-130\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 130<\/span><\/a>) is the slug\u2011test time data, and the upper x axis is the type\u2011curve dimensionless time axis. To obtain the best match between the field data and type curve, the field\u2011data plot remains unchanged as the type\u2011curve plot is stretched and contracted horizontally, attempting to generate the best match with the <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> values. The scale of the vertical axes is not changed. Once a match is determined, values of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em>, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em>, and <em>t*<\/em> (* is used to designate match values) are generated and used to solve for <em>K<\/em>. The Excel\u00ae spreadsheet software provided by Butler and Garnett (2000) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\/\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\/<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40\">kgs.ku.edu\/Hydro\/Publications\/OFR00_40<\/a>\u2197 generates a family of type curves that most closely match the slug\u2011test data and facilitates the fitting process. Iterative adjustment by the user is relied upon to generate visual matches between the data and type curves. Butler and others (2003) describe the use of the type\u2011curve generator spreadsheet and high\u2011<em>K<\/em> estimator spreadsheets. The Butler and Garnett (2000) fitting process and results for their example problem are shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-131\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Figure 131.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"figure-131\" data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.29432in; height: 5.09028in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file135-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Block Text\">\n<blockquote><p><span id=\"X5d8f0289302816718c7c465b17ba445a31227d1\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Figure 131 \u2011<\/strong> Final match of slug\u2011test data (black dots) presented by Butler and Garnett (2000). Only the <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> values that most closely match the field data are shown with a best match of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em>=0.75 in this example. The additional match values are <em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em> = 12.7, and the corresponding slug\u2011test data time <em>t*<\/em> = 15 sec (Butler &amp; Garnett, 2000).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Butler and others (2003) note that matches can be achieved because the value <em>t<sub>d<\/sub><\/em> controls the period (duration), and <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> controls the degree of curvature or oscillatory behavior. The curve match for the example shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-130\">Figure 130<\/a><\/span> provides values of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em> = 0.75, <em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em> = 12.7 and <em>t*<\/em> = 15 sec (* denotes these as match values). These values are used to solve for <em>K<\/em> using the Unconfined\u2011High\u2011<em>K<\/em> Bouwer and Rice model (Springer &amp; Gelhar, 1991) or the Confined\u2011High\u2011<em>K<\/em> Hvorslev model (Butler, 1998). The High\u2011<em>K<\/em> models are contained in the High\u2011<em>K<\/em> Estimator spreadsheet that also requires well construction data, and an estimate of the effective length of the water column (<em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"unconfinedhighk-bouwer-and-rice-model\" class=\"level3\">\n<h3><span id=\"X45c8444e1a18221a1ebab9673431bc4f94d9f77\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Unconfined\u2011High\u2011K Bouwer and Rice Model<\/span><\/h3>\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The Unconfined\u2011high\u2011K Bouwer and Rice Model is based on the work of Springer and Gelhar (1991) as presented by Butler and others (2003) and shown here as Equation\u00a0(122)<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 6%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 66%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 11%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">[latex]K_{r} = \\frac{t_{d}^{*}}{t^{*}}\\frac{{r_{c}}^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{R_{e}}{r_{s}} \\right)}{2\\ bC_{D}^{*}}[\/latex]<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"Xe3a881d41c55e7de41f48fb43993a67a1bdddfa\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(122)<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">where:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 14%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 2%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 68%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">curve match time (dimensionless)<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">slug\u2011test curve match time (T)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>c<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">well\u2011casing radius corrected for the radius of the transducer cable (L)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radius of the well screen or borehole in isotropic aquifer, <em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em> (<em>K<sub>z<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em>)<sup>0.5<\/sup> for anisotropic systems (L)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radial hydraulic conductivity (LT<sup>\u20111<\/sup>)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>R<sub>e<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">effective radius of the slug test is computed as ln(<em>R<sub>e<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em>) from Equation\u00a0(110)<\/span> or (111) where <em>h<\/em> is the aquifer thickness (units of L) and <em>L<sub>w<\/sub><\/em> is the distance from the bottom of the well screen to the water table (units of L), and <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> is the effective length of the well screen (<em>b<\/em> as defined here) (units of L). Figure 121 provides definitions of these parameters. (dimensionless)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">screen length (L)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">match of dampening parameter (dimensionless)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The High\u2011K Bouwer and Rice model can be used when the base of the well screen is in contact with an impermeable boundary (lower boundary). The <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> parameter used to compute <em>R<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> is defined in Figure 116<\/span> as the effective length of the well screen. It is not the same <em>L<sub>e<\/sub><\/em> factor used in the type\u2011curve calculations of Equations\u00a0(119), (120), and (121) as defined in the list of parameters below Equation\u00a0(121). The High\u2011K\u2011Estimator spreadsheet assists in computing the <em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em> value.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"confined-highk-hvorslev-model\" class=\"level3\">\n<h3><span id=\"Xafb58f32e170713c41b05d89db239aee8c8f6d6\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Confined \u2013 High\u2011K Hvorslev Model<\/span><\/h3>\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The High\u2011K Hvorslev model was developed by Butler and others (2003). It is defined by Equation\u00a0(123)<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 6%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 66%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 11%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">[latex]K_{r} = \\left( \\frac{t_{d}^{*}}{t^{*}} \\right)\\frac{{r_{c}}^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{b}{2r_{s}} + \\left( 1 + \\left( \\frac{b}{{2r}_{s}} \\right)^{2} \\right)^{0.5} \\right)}{2\\ bC_{D}^{*}}[\/latex]<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: right;\"><span id=\"X65e746a2677b0e094fe759068945f76251ca9ef\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">(123)<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">where:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table style=\"width: 85%;\" data-custom-style=\"Table\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 14%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 2%;\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 68%;\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t<sub>d<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">curve match time (dimensionless)<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>t*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">slug\u2011test curve match time (T)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>c<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">well\u2011casing radius corrected for the radius of the transducer cable (L)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radius of the well screen or borehole in isotropic aquifer, <em>r<sub>s<\/sub><\/em> (<em>K<sub>z<\/sub><\/em>\/<em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em>)<sup>0.5<\/sup> for anisotropic systems (L)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">radial hydraulic conductivity (LT<sup>\u20111<\/sup>)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">screen length (L)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: right; width: 16.5659%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><em>C<sub>D<\/sub>*<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; width: 3.02297%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">=<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.4111%;\"><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">match of dampening parameter (dimensionless)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The High\u2011K Hvorslev model does not represent conditions where the bottom of the casing is adjacent to an impermeable bottom boundary. Butler and others (2003) state that if this condition occurs the term 2r<sub>s<\/sub> in the numerator of Equation\u00a0(123)<\/span> should be replace with r<sub>s<\/sub>. They state that corrections for small\u2011diameter wells can also be incorporated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Example<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">A pneumatic slug test was performed in a high hydraulic conductivity, isotropic, confined aquifer as shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-132\">Figure 132<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"figure-132\" data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; ;width: 5.83333in; height: 3.5592in;\" src=\"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/02\/file136-2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span id=\"X11934f5f11a3ff23f9b0590d53141c092749546\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Figure 132 \u2011<\/strong> Set up for a slug test of an isotropic and homogenous sand and gravel confined aquifer and a hypothetical plot of the slug\u2011test results. a) Well configuration. b) Normalized slug\u2011test results and curve\u2011match parameters.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The slug\u2011test results were normalized and curve matched to the type curves shown in <a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/method-to-interpret-underdamped-slug-tests\/#figure-128\">Figure 128<\/a><\/span>. Parameters derived from the type\u2011curve match are C<sub>D<\/sub> = 0.75, t<sub>d<\/sub>* = 12.7 and t* = 15 sec. The formation is confined so the High\u2011K Hvorslev Model is applied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-custom-style=\"Body Text\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]\\begin{aligned}  K_{r} &= \\left( \\frac{t_{d}^{*}}{t^{*}} \\right)\\frac{r_{c}^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{b}{2r_{s}} + \\left( 1 + \\left( \\frac{b}{2r_{s}} \\right)^{2} \\right)^{0.5} \\right)}{2\\, b C_{D}^{*}} \\\\  &= \\left( \\frac{12.7\\,\\text{s}}{15\\,\\text{s}} \\right)\\frac{(0.025\\,\\text{m})^{2}\\ln\\left( \\frac{0.6\\,\\text{m}}{2(0.057\\,\\text{m})} + \\left( 1 + \\left( \\frac{0.6\\,\\text{m}}{2(0.057\\,\\text{m})} \\right)^{2} \\right)^{0.5} \\right)}{2\\,(0.6\\,\\text{m})\\,(0.75)} = 0.0014\\,\\frac{\\text{m}}{\\text{s}}  \\end{aligned}[\/latex]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[latex]K_{r} = 0.0014\\,\\frac{\\text{m}}{\\text{s}}\\,\\frac{86400\\,\\text{s}}{\\text{d}} = 121\\,\\frac{\\text{m}}{\\text{d}}[\/latex]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"transitional-slugtest-responses\" class=\"level3\">\n<h3><span id=\"X7fc7848c3eba98f1862280052ff35fb029549ec\" class=\"anchor\"><\/span><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">Transitional Slug\u2011Test Responses<\/span><\/h3>\n<div data-custom-style=\"First Paragraph\">\n<p><span data-custom-style=\"Hyperlink\">The curve matching methods described above have also been applied to non\u2011oscillatory slug test responses in highly conductive settings. Results may show a mix of responses. These are referred to as transitional slug test data sets because conditions show a system is acting partly as overdamp and partly as undamped (<a href=\"\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/chapter\/the-slug-test\/#figure-103\">Figure 103<\/a><\/span>). Butler and others (2003) provide an example of a set of curves derived from the packer test of an interval of a highly conductive aquifer. The data are plotted and then the curve\u2011matching methodology and <em>K<sub>r<\/sub><\/em> calculations are performed. The authors conclude that the underdamped curve\u2011matching methods and equations provided good estimates of formational properties when hydraulic conductivity values are high. When curve\u2011matching results were compared to values computed using the conventional overdamped Hvorslev equation method (straight\u2011line approach) the conventional method produced values that were 13 percent higher than those derived from underdamped curve matching. The authors concluded that when the values of <em>C<sub>D<\/sub><\/em> were greater than three, conventional underdamped methods provided reasonable values.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"menu_order":63,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1783","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":589,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4167,"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1783\/revisions\/4167"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/589"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1783\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.gw-project.org\/an-introduction-to-hydraulic-testing-in-hydrogeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}