Review of Tertiary Gambier Limestone aquifer properties, lower South-East, South Australia

Abstract

Transmissivity and storage coefficients are important properties in the characterisation of aquifers. Transmissivities and storage coefficients have been calculated from aquifer test programs for all known wells from the Tertiary Limestone Aquifer in the Lower South-East and located within the study area. The Tertiary Limestone Aquifer consists of the Gambier Limestone in the Gambier Basin. Transmissivity and specific yield data for the Tertiary Limestone Aquifer (unconfined aquifer) were collated and examined for their reliability. Most of the reported data were of low reliability. Limited data was collected from aquifer tests using one or more observation wells. Some of the observation wells were completed within different intervals from that of the production well. Therefore the specific yield values obtained were rated ‘low’ reliability. Specific capacity data are usually more abundant than aquifer test data and is used as a measure of the productivity of a well. An empirical relationship was established between transmissivity values calculated from aquifer tests and their related specific capacity data. The resulting best-fit line is T = 3.95 x SC0.89 with R2 = 82.