Application of Harmonic Analysis of Water Levels to Determine Vertical Hydraulic Conductivities in Clay-Rich Aquitards

A harmonic analysis method was used to determine vertical hydraulic conductivities (Kv) in geologic media between vertically separated piezometers using water level measurements. In this method, each water level time series was filtered and then decomposed using harmonic analysis into a sum of trigonometric components. The phase and amplitude of each harmonic function were calculated. These data were used to estimate Kv values between vertically separated data sets assuming one-dimensional transient flow. The method was applied to water level data collected from nested piezometers at two thick clay-rich till aquitards in Saskatchewan, Canada. At one site, routine water levels were measured in 12 piezometers (installed between 1 and 29 m below ground surface) since installation (1995). At the other site, water levels were measured in seven piezometers (installed between 4 and 53 m below ground surface) since installation (1998-1999). The Kv calculated using harmonic analysis decreased with depth below the water table at both sites, approaching matrix estimates of hydraulic conductivity between 10 and 11 m and between 21 and 43 m below ground surface. These depths reflected the depth of extensive vertical fracturing at the sites and showed that the depth of fracturing may be site specific.