Seismic Reflection Study of a Shallow Aquifer During a Pumping Test

  1. Bradley A. Birkelo†,
  2. Don W. Steeples‡,
  3. Richard D. Miller§,
  4. Marios Sophocleous

Article first published online: 21 MAR 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1987.tb02211.x

Issue

Ground Water

Ground Water

Volume 25, Issue 6, pages 703–709, November 1987

Additional Information

How to Cite

Birkelo, B. A., Steeples, D. W., Miller, R. D. and Sophocleous, M. (1987), Seismic Reflection Study of a Shallow Aquifer During a Pumping Test. Ground Water, 25: 703–709. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1987.tb02211.x

Author Information

  1. Kansas Geological Survey, 1930 Constant Ave., Campus West, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66046.

  1. †

    Bradley A. Birkelo received a B.S. degree in Geology in 1982 and a B.S. degree in Geophysics in 1983 from the University of Minnesota. From 1984 to 1985 he worked as a Hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Trenton, New Jersey. He worked as a graduate research assistant for the Kansas Geological Survey from 1985 to 1987, and completed his M.S. degree in Geology with emphasis in Geophysics in 1987 at the University of Kansas.

  2. ‡

    Don W. Steeples received a B.S. degree (1969) in Geophysics and an M.S. degree (1970) in Geology from Kansas State University, and an M.S. degree (1974) and Ph.D. degree (1975) in Geophysics from Stanford University. He has published approximately 60 papers and 50 abstracts in various areas of geophysics. Since 1975 he has been a research associate in seismology at the Kansas Geological Survey where he is now Deputy Director. For six years he supervised a MiniSOSlE seismic reflection research crew. His present research interests are in new applications and improving methods of high-resolution reflection surveys. He is president and cofounder of Great Plains Geophysical, Inc., a consulting firm.

  3. §

    Richard D. Miller received a B.A. degree in Physics from Benedictine College in 1980 and an M.S. degree in Physics with emphasis in Geophysics from The University of Kansas in 1983. He joined the research staff of the Kansas Geological Survey in the Geophysics and Geochemistry Section in 1983. Since then he has been working with cost-effective applications of seismics to special engineering problems.

  4. Marios Sophocleous received his B.S. degree in Natural Science and Geology from the University of Athens, Greece, his M.S. degree in Water Resources from The University of Kansas, and his Ph.D. degree in Hydrogeology from the University of Alberta, Canada. He is Senior Scientist in the Geohydrology Section of the Kansas Geological Survey. He has published in the areas of simultaneous water and heat transport, ground-water level declines, observation well network design, mass transport, ground-water recharge, watershed hydrologic balance modeling, stream-aquifer interaction, and hydrogeologic instrumentation.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 MAR 2006
  2. Article first published online: 21 MAR 2006
  3. Received October 1986, revised June 1987, accepted June 1987.

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ABSTRACT

Seismic reflection surveys were used to follow the drawdown in a shallow aquifer during a pumping test. Using severe analog low-cut filters and 1/4-m geophone spacings, 335 Hz reflections were obtained from the top of the saturated zone 2.7 m deep. The reflections moved down in time as the saturated zone dropped in response to pumping. The dominant frequency and bandwidth both dropped during pumping indicating a more diffuse reflecting boundary. Slight pullups of reflectors at specific locations on the CDP sections may indicate a higher elevation of the capillary fringe and therefore finer sediments in those locations. Other potential applications of this technique include mapping cones of depression and detecting and delineating perched-water tables.

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