Analytical solution for subsurface gas flow to a well induced by surface pressure fluctuations.

A simple analytical model is presented for predicting subsurface gas flow to a vadose-zone well in response to atmospheric pressure fluctuations (barometric pumping). The effective radial permeability (kr) in the vicinity of the well is determined during model calibration using less than two weeks worth of data. By combining the flow solution with a solution for the vertical gas pressure, only atmospheric pressure data are required to predict the induced flow through a well. The ability to quantitatively predict naturally induced flow in vadose-zone wells by simple and inexpensive measurements is invaluable for systems using barometric pumping for remediation.