Determination of fractured aquifer characteristics from evaluation of pump tests of wells in the crystalline rocks of the Blue Ridge allocthon

The Precambrian age rocks of the Blue Ridge thrust sheet near Roanoke, Virginia, comprise an igneous and metamorphic assemblage with the predominance of porosity and permeability of the formations attributed to secondary factors. Aquifer characteristics of transmissivity, storage coefficient, hydraulic conductivity and fracture NL) permeability are determined from evaluation of pump tests conducted on ground water supply wells developed in this fractured aquifer. Evaluation of pump test data indicates that aquifer response is similar to a double porosity medium in some instances. Comparison of pump tests at locations close to, and further removed from, the leading edge of the Blue Ridge Thrust Fault indicate little variability in fracture permeability. The data suggest that deep circulation of ground water in the Blue Ridge allochthon may be more likely than previously thought.