Field Guide for Slug Testing and Data Analysis

THE FIELD GUIDE FOR SLUG TESTING AND DATA ANALYSIS was released on 30 January 2009 and is proving to be a tool that is changing how hydrogeologists conduct slug tests.

For about 18 months, Jim Butler (Author of The Design, Performance and Analysis of Slug Tests), Glenn Duffield (Author of AQTESOLV software) and I designed and developed this 4-sided field guide. It seems to connect with - not only the field hydrogeologist, but - the experienced hydrogeologist who appreciates the detailed elements for obtaining reliable slug test results using the right approach, tools and analysis solution.

The field guide was a result of listening to and learning from attendees at MidwestGeo aquifer testing courses (2-day or advanced 3-day versions) and recognizing and successfully overcoming problematic conditions. For example, we each occasionally face extreme conditions that may include fractured, low-K or high-K formations causing uncertainty in preparing for, conducting and analyzing slug tests.

During the aquifer testing course, Jim Butler addresses those extreme conditions and clarifies issues that are often confusing when analyzing the data. Both he and Glenn Duffield provide a step-wise procedure for choosing the appropriate solution to analyze slug test data. It was the interaction with course attendees coupled with our own personal experiences that motivated us to create the field guide. I don't believe there is anything else like it.

The field guide captures those most-common elements discussed in the course and provides guidance for the practitioner who needs to think on his/her feet in the field or at the computer. Despite the depth of the field guide, it does not compare with Jim's 250+ page book.

Jim's book is one of those classically applied books that is a must have for any practicing hydrogeologist. Don't take my word for it. If you know slug testing, you know the Bouwer and Rice solution....so take Herman Bouwer's word instead:

Excellent...a significant milestone in slug test technology and, for that matter, groundwater hydrology.
-Herman Bouwer, USDA Water Conservation Laboratory

(Source: http://www.amazon.com/ 2009 editorial review)