In this module, you will learn how to analyze pump and slug test data to determine hydrogeologic parameters (e.g. hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, storativity, etc.) and characterize the aquifer system underlying the Snake Valley along the Nevada-Utah border. The module begins with a brief review of aquifer properties and covers well tests, uncertainty in hydrogeologic parameters, and hydrostratigraphy. The target audience includes upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying hydrology, hydrogeology, and water resources engineering.

Module Author:

Dr. Alex Beebe is an Associate Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth Sciences where he specializes in hydrology, hydrogeology, and environmental geology. He received a B.S. in Geology and Biology from the University of South Alabama in 2007 and went on to receive his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University in 2013. Prior to receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Beebe worked as a staff geologist for an environmental consulting firm that specializes in monitoring groundwater contamination plumes from leaky underground storage tanks and superfund sites, risk based corrective action, and landfill permitting and monitoring. Dr. Beebe’s research interests lie in the relationship between human activities and the quantity and quality of water resources, and he is currently working to elucidate the effects of diffuse groundwater discharge through seafloor sediments (i.e. submarine groundwater discharge) on the quality of coastal waters.

Mark Hausner is an Assistant Research Professor in Hydrology at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada. His research focuses on understanding heat and mass transfer in the environment, especially as these processes are impacted by climate change and in turn affect ecosystems. A broadly trained hydrologist with a background in water resource engineering, Mark advises students and teaches Groundwater Hydrology and Hydrologic Field Methods in the University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences.