Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled 

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Snake River Plain 

Aquifer Sediments at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5169

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

DOE/ID-22207

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy

1.0E-11

1.0E-10

1.0E-09

1.0E-08

1.0E-07

1.0E-06

1.0E-05

1.0E-04

1.0E-03

1.0E-02

1.0E-01

1.0E+00

1.0E+01

SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY, IN CENTIMETERS PER SECOND

Aquifer sediments (this study)

Unsaturated zone sediments (Winfield [2005])

Aquifer sediments (Pudney [1994])

Unit 1 (tracer data)

Unit 2 (tracer data)

Unit 3 (tracer data)

Unit 1 (aquifer tests)

Unit 2 (aquifer tests)Unit 3 (aquifer tests)

CORE-SCALE MEASUREMENTS FIELD-SCALE MEASUREMENTS
Cover: Graph showing ranges in saturated hydraulic conductivity for aquifer sediments 

from laboratory and field measurements.
Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer 

Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of 

Snake River Plain Aquifer Sediments at the 

Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

By Kim S. Perkins

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy

Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5169

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Mark D. Myers, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2008

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Suggested citation:

Perkins, K.S., 2008, Laboratory-measured and property-transfer modeled saturated hydraulic conductivity of Snake 

River Plain aquifer sediments at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific-Investigations 

Report 2008–5169, 14 p.
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Site Description.....................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................3

Methods...........................................................................................................................................................4

Results and Discussion.................................................................................................................................5

Summary and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................12

Acknowledgment.........................................................................................................................................12

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................12

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing location of the boundary for the subregional scale

ground-water flow model, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho ........................ 2

Figure 2. Map showing locations of boreholes from which core samples were

collected for this study, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho ........................... 3

Figure 3. Diagram showing experimental setup for falling-head, saturated hydraulic

conductivity measurements in the laboratory .......................................... 4

Figure 4. Graph showing ranges in saturated hydraulic conductivity measured in this

study, used in the development of the Winfield (2005) property-transfer

model, measured by Pudney (1994), determined based on contaminant

movement for units 1–3 (Ackerman and others, 2006), and determined based

on aquifer tests for units 1–3 (Ackerman and others, 2006), Idaho National

Laboratory, Idaho ........................................................................... 6

Figure 5. Graph showing particle-size distributions for 9 of the 10 core samples, Idaho

National Laboratory, Idaho ............................................................... 7

Figure 6. Graph showing bulk density values for samples from greater than 200 meters

depth and less than 60 meters depth, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho ............ 9

Figure 7. Graphs showing trends between saturated hydraulic conductivity and (A)

bulk density and (B) median particle diameter for the data from this study and

Pudney (1994), Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho ....................................... 10

Figure 8. Graph showing relation between predicted and observed saturated hydraulic

conductivity for the Winfield model, the Pudney model, a linear model fit to

the data from this study (linear fit 1), and a linear model fit to the data from

this study and the deep samples from Pudney (1994) (linear fit 2), Idaho

National Laboratory, Idaho ............................................................... 11
iv

Tables

Table 1. Samples used for measuring saturated hydraulic conductivity, Idaho National

Laboratory, Idaho ........................................................................... 4

Table 2. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, and particle size statistics for

aquifer core samples, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho .............................. 6

Table 3. U.S. Department of Agriculture textural size classes for 67 bulk aquifer

samples, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho ............................................. 8

Table 4. Root-mean-square errors and average errors for the Winfield model, the

Pudney model, a linear fit to the core-sample data from this study, and a

linear fit to the combined data from this study and the deep core samples

from Pudney, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho ....................................... 11

Conversion Factors and Datums

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

centimeter of water (cm-water) 0.01419 pound per square inch (lb/in2

) 

centimeter per second (cm/s) 0.03281 foot per second (ft/s)

centimeter per day (cm/d) 0.03281 foot per day (ft/d)

cubic centimeter (cm3

) 0.06102 cubic inch (in3) 

gram (g) 0.00220 pounds (lb)

gram per centimeter (g/cm) 0.00560 pound per inch (lb/in)

gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm3

) 0.03613 pounds per cubic inch (lb/in3)

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

millimeter (mm) 3.937 inch (in.)

square kilometer (km2

) 247.1 acre

square kilometer (km2

) 0.3861 square mile (mi2)

Datums

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 

(NGVD 29). 

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.
Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled 

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Snake River Plain 

Aquifer Sediments at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

By Kim S. Perkins

Abstract

Sediments are believed to comprise as much as 

50 percent of the Snake River Plain aquifer thickness in some 

locations within the Idaho National Laboratory. However, the 

hydraulic properties of these deep sediments have not been 

well characterized and they are not represented explicitly in 

the current conceptual model of subregional scale groundwater flow. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the nature 

of the sedimentary material within the aquifer and to test 

the applicability of a site-specific property-transfer model 

developed for the sedimentary interbeds of the unsaturated 

zone. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) was measured for 

10 core samples from sedimentary interbeds within the Snake 

River Plain aquifer and also estimated using the propertytransfer model. The property-transfer model for predicting Ksat

was previously developed using a multiple linear-regression 

technique with bulk physical-property measurements (bulk 

density [ρbulk], the median particle diameter, and the uniformity 

coefficient) as the explanatory variables. The model 

systematically underestimates Ksat, typically by about a factor 

of 10, which likely is due to higher bulk-density values for the 

aquifer samples compared to the samples from the unsaturated 

zone upon which the model was developed. Linear relations 

between the logarithm of Ksat and ρbulk also were explored for 

comparison.

Introduction

The subsurface at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL; 

fig. 1) consists of thick layers of fractured basalt interbedded 

with thin layers of fluvial, eolian, and lacustrine sediments. 

These sedimentary interbeds affect vertical and horizontal 

flow through the saturated and unsaturated zones, although 

the effect on the regional aquifer flow regime is not well 

understood. In the current conceptual model of the eastern 

Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer (Ackerman and others, 

2006), the overall volume of sediment and basalt is treated 

as three composite units with effective hydraulic properties 

that are considered to account for the hydraulic effects of 

both types of material in combination within each unit. The 

modeling effort aims to simplify geologic and hydrologic 

features while retaining those features that are important to 

water flow and contaminant transport. 

Welhan and others (2006) evaluated sediment thickness 

within the model domain using data from 333 boreholes in 

and around the INL and determined that within the Big Lost 

Trough (fig. 1), an area known to have the greatest sediment 

accumulation, sediment comprises more than 50 percent of 

the stratigraphic thickness at some locations. The hydrologic 

significance of this sediment is evident in water-table contours 

that indicate increased gradients in this area of high sediment 

accumulation (Joseph Rousseau, U.S. Geological Survey, oral 

commun., 2007). The hydraulic influence of these units, and 

hence their importance in the subregional flow model, requires 

an assessment of the nature of the sedimentary material that 

would facilitate verification of the model-simulated flow 

behavior. Vertical gradients observed in the field and those 

produced by numerical simulation could be verified using 

knowledge of the hydraulic properties of the sedimentary 

material. Sediment abundances (Welhan and others, 2006) 

along with the properties measured in this study provide 

information useful in model refinement and establish the 

foundation for an aquifer-specific property-transfer model. 

Site Description

The INL was established in 1949 for nuclear-energy 

research under the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (now 

the U.S. Department of Energy). The INL occupies about 

2,300 km2 of the west-central part of the ESRP (fig. 1). The 

site hosts several facilities of which at least four have been 

used to generate, store, or dispose of radioactive, organic, and 

inorganic wastes. The ESRP is a northeast-trending basin, 

about 320 km long and 80–110 km wide, that slopes gently to 

the southwest and is bordered by northwest-trending mountain 

ranges. The ESRP is underlain by interbedded volcanic and 

sedimentary layers that extend as much as 3,000 m below 

land surface. The sedimentary interbeds, which constitute 
2 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

about 15 percent by volume of the unsaturated zone and ESRP 

aquifer (Anderson and Liszewski, 1997), result from quiet 

intervals between volcanic eruptions and are of fluvial, eolian, 

and lacustrine origin. Volcanic units composed primarily of 

basalt flows, welded-ash flows, and rhyolite, may be vesicular 

to massive with either horizontal or vertical fracture patterns. 

The climate of the ESRP is semiarid and the average 

annual precipitation is 22 cm. Parts of the ESRP aquifer 

underlie the INL. The depth to the water table ranges from 

60 m in the northern part of the INL to about 200 m in the 

southern part (Barraclough and others, 1981; Liszewski and 

Mann, 1992). The predominant direction of ground-water 

flow is from northeast to southwest. Recharge to the aquifer 

is primarily from irrigation water diversions from streams, 

precipitation and snowmelt, underflow from tributary-valley 

streams, and seepage from surface-water bodies (Hackett and 

others, 1986). Within the INL boundaries, the Big Lost River 

(fig. 1) is an intermittent stream that flows from southwest to 

northeast. 

20 KILOMETERS

0 20 MILES

0 10

10

113°30’ 113° 112°30’

44°

43°

43°30’

Atomic

City

Arco

Howe

Mud 

Lake

Terreton WHITE KNOB

MOUNTAINS

PIONEER MOUNTAINS

LOST RIVER RANGE

LEMHI RANGE

SNAKE

RIVER

Big

Lost

River

Mackay

Reserviour Little

lost River

Birch Creek

Camas

Creek

Mud 

Lake

Figure 2 location

Big 

Southern 

Butte

Middle

Butte East

Butte

EASTERN SNAKE RIVER PLAIN

20

20

26

93

26

93

33

28

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:24,000 and 1:100,000

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection Standard parallels 42°50’N and 

44°10’N, central meridian 113°00’W

Datum is North American Datum of 1927

EASTERN

SNAKE

RIVER

PLAIN

IDAHO NATIONAL

LABORATORY

BOISE

TWIN FALLS POCATELLO

IDAHO

FALLS

IDAHO

EXPLANATION

Idaho Natinonal Laboratory boundary

Model boundary

Approximate extent

of Big Lost Trough

Ground-water flow model boundary

Figure 1. Location of the boundary for the subregional scale ground-water flow model, Idaho National Laboratory, 

Idaho.
Introduction 3

Purpose and Scope

This report describes the nature of the sedimentary 

material within the ESRP aquifer, which will aid in further 

development of the subregional ground-water flow model. 

The measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) 

and bulk properties on highly consolidated core samples from 

the ESRP aquifer and estimates of Ksat based on the sitespecific models developed by Winfield (2005) and Pudney 

(1994) also are presented. In recent years, numerous deep 

Figure 2. Locations of boreholes from which core samples were collected for this study, Idaho National Laboratory, 

Idaho.

USGS 133

M2051

M1823

M2050A

113°10' 113° 112°50'

5 KILOMETERS

Big Lost

River

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:24,000 and 1:100,000

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection Standard parallels 42°50’N and 

44°10’N, central meridian 113°00’W

Datum is North American Datum of 1927

43°30'

43°35’

43°40'

0 5 MILES

0

26

20

LOST RIVER RANGE

33

EXPLANATION

Idaho Natinonal Laboratory boundary

Boreholes providing core samples in this study

Radioactive Waste

Management Complex

boreholes have been drilled and core samples obtained which 

give an opportunity to directly measure Ksat and other relevant 

properties of sedimentary materials, such as particle-size 

distribution and bulk density (ρbulk). This report includes Ksat

and bulk properties measured on 10 minimally disturbed core 

samples, and particle size distributions for 77 samples from 4 

boreholes within the INL (fig. 2). Ksat also was estimated for 

all samples using the site-specific property-transfer model of 

Winfield (2005) and the simple linear relation between the 

logarithm of Ksat and ρbulk identified by Pudney (1994).
4 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

The Winfield model uses bulk physical-property data, 

including ρbulk and particle-size statistics [median particle 

diameter (d50) and uniformity coefficient (Cu)], to estimate Ksat

using a multiple linear-regression equation. Winfield (2005) 

describes the available data, data selection and processing, 

multiple linear-regression assumptions and approach, and 

regression equations. A simple linear relation between Ksat

and ρbulk, as identified by Pudney (1994), also was tested for 

comparison to the Winfield model. The Pudney (1994) data set 

includes samples from depths greater than 250 m; whereas, the 

Winfield (2005) model includes samples from depths less than 

80 m. 

Methods

Samples were selected primarily based on condition of 

the core as well as the representative nature of the material in 

the overall aquifer profile. Boreholes with available sediment 

included M1823, M2050a, M2051, and USGS133 (fig. 2). 

Most core samples were unlined; therefore, a technique was 

developed to create a liner and water-inflow reservoir as 

one composite unit that would prevent annular flow along 

the sample edge during the falling-head measurement of Ksat 

(fig. 3). The samples were first trimmed carefully using hand 

Figure 3. Experimental setup for falling-head, saturated 

hydraulic conductivity measurements in the laboratory.

Inflow

Liner

Water-inflow

 reservoir

Sample

Casting

 epoxy

Perforated

 support

Outflow

Table 1. Samples used for measuring saturated hydraulic 

conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho. 

Hole Depth 

(meters) Description

M1823 221.4 brown, silty

M1823 223.7 tan with basalt flecks

M1823 284.0 orange red, crumbly

M2050a 320.3 orange red, porous

M2050a 362.7 orange red, hard

M2050a 396.2 sandy

M2050a 229.0 orange red, hard

M2051 214.5 orange red, very porous

USGS133 193.5 orange red w/basalt gravel

USGS133 240.9 brown, silty

tools for determination of ρbulk where the sample volume must 

be known (ρbulk = mass of solid/total volume). High-density 

polyethylene liners, with a diameter several centimeters 

larger than the core samples, were cut to provide a 5–10 cm 

reservoir at the top of the sample. The core samples were 

placed within the prepared liners and the annular space was 

filled with a moderately viscous epoxy that could be poured 

easily, but that would minimally penetrate the sample pore 

spaces. Before assembly, the liners were abraded on the inner 

surfaces to ensure good adhesion with the epoxy. Samples 

used for Ksat measurement are listed in table 1 with a brief 

visual description. 

The standard falling-head method for obtaining Ksat

was used for most samples (Reynolds and others, 2002). For 

samples with low saturated conductivity, inferred a priori 

based on the time for the sample to saturate completely 

from the bottom up, a modification of the standard method 

was performed in a centrifuge with Ksat calculated using the 

following equation (Nimmo and Mello, 1991; Nimmo and 

others, 2002):

K la A ∆tg

gz r gz r

sat

f

= −( )

+ +

 2

 ,

where

2

b

2

i

2

b

2

[ / ( )]

ln [( ) / ( )]

ρ

ω ω

l

a

is sample length,

is the cross-sectional area of the inflow reservoir,

A is the cross-sectional area of the sample,

ρ is the density of the fluid used,

is time,

is gravitatio

t

g nal acceleration,

z is the height of water in the reservoir (initial

and final),

is the radius of rotation at the sa br mple bottom, and

ω is angular speed.

(1)
Results and Discussion 5

Errors in measured Ksat values commonly arise from 

annular flow between the sample and liner (which was 

eliminated by casting the samples with epoxy), mechanical 

error, precision of the device used to measure length, and 

operator error. The calculated maximum error in Ksat due to 

these effects is about 10 percent (Nimmo and others, 2002). 

A Coulter LS-230 Particle Size Analyzer was used to 

characterize particle-size distributions by optical diffraction 

(Gee and Or, 2002). The range of measurement for this 

particular device is 0.04–2,000 μm, which is divided into 

116-μm size bins. Any particles greater than 2,000 μm were 

sieved out and later integrated into the size-distribution results. 

The fraction less than 2,000 μm was disaggregated carefully 

using a mortar and rubber-tipped pestle, and then split with a 

16-compartment spinning riffler to obtain appropriate random 

samples for analysis. The material was sonicated in suspension 

for 60 seconds prior to each run; an average of two runs was 

calculated for each sample. 

Two property-transfer models were evaluated in this 

study. Winfield (2005) formulated the following propertytransfer equation for Ksat using particle-size statistics [median 

particle diameter (d50) and uniformity coefficient (Cu)] and ρbulk 

as input:

log( ) . .

. log( ) . log( )

K

d C

sat bulk

u

= − +

+ −

1 7690 0 0794

1 7507 0 3274 50

ρ

. (2)

In an earlier study (Pudney, 1994), the following 

empirical relation was found between Ksat and ρbulk:

log(K ) . . . sat = −4 66 2 ρbulk + 67 (3)

The root-mean-square error (RMSE), also referred to as 

the standard error of the estimate, is used in this study as a 

goodness-of-fit indicator between measured and estimated Ksat

values. The RMSE is calculated as:

2

1

( ) ˆ

 ,

where

is the measured value,

ˆ is the estimated value of the dependent variable, 

and,

is the number of observations.

n

j j

j

j

j

y y

RMSE n

y

y

n

=

−

=

∑

(4)

Small RMSE values indicate the estimated value is closer 

to the measured value of the variable. Ksat values span several 

orders of magnitude, thus, in effect, unequally weighting 

points in the RMSE calculation. Therefore, the Ksat values were 

transformed logarithmically prior to calculation. 

The average error (AE) also was calculated for 

comparison to highlight systematic over or under prediction as 

follows: 

( ) ˆ . j j y y AE n

− = ∑ (5)

For the data analyzed here, a negative AE value indicates 

under estimation and a positive AE value indicates over 

estimation.

Results and Discussion

Samples were selected to capture as wide a variety 

of materials (based on visual inspection) as was practical. 

Hence, measured core-sample properties were highly variable 

(table 2). Figure 4 shows the ranges in Ksat values measured 

in this study compared with those used in the development 

of the Winfield (2005) property-transfer model and measured 

by Pudney (1994), and those from Ackerman and others 

(2006), where horizontal Ksat values for each of the three 

hydrolgeologic units were estimated. These estimates are from 

(1) average linear ground-water velocities from numerous 

studies of atmospheric tracers, long term monitoring of 

contaminant movement in the aquifer, and knowledge of 

hydraulic gradients and effective porosities and (2) aquifer 

tests. 

The values determined by Ackerman and others (2006) 

are much higher generally than the range of values for 

sediments because they represent the weighted average 

of sediment and basalt, and reflect a much larger scale of 

measurement. The ground-water flow model calibration 

process tends to assign lower values in areas where sediment 

proportions are greater than 11 percent in the upper part of the 

aquifer (Welhan and others, 2006). Welhan and others (2006) 

indicated that a more sophisticated scaling process based on 

sediment abundance would lead to improved estimates of 

horizontal Ksat values for the hydrogeologic units. This study 

provides data for deep aquifer sediments that can be used in 

scaling the composite Ksat values.

Laboratory-measured Ksat values vary over six orders of 

magnitude (fig. 4) with an average value of 8.78 × 10-5 cm/s 

and a standard deviation of 1.45 × 10-4. The average ρbulk was 

1.64 g/cm3 with a standard deviation of 0.28. One sample from 

hole M2051 at 214.5 m depth had an unusually low ρbulk value 

(1.02 g/cm3) and also the highest measured Ksat value (4.78 × 

10-4). Excluding this anomalous sample, the average ρbulk

was 1.71 g/cm3. The sample from hole M2050a at 362.7 m 

depth, which had a low Ksat value (1.25 × 10-9 cm/s), was too 

consolidated to be disaggregated for particle-size analysis. 
6 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

Table 2. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, and particle size statistics for aquifer core samples, Idaho National Laboratory, 

Idaho.

[Abbreviations: m, meter; cm/s, centimeter per second; g/cm3, gram per cubic centimeter; mm, millimeter; Ksat, saturated hydraulic conductivity; d50, uniformity 

coefficient]

Hole Depth 

(m) Description Ksat(cm/s)

Bulk density 

(g/cm3

)

Mean particle 

diameter 

(mm)

Standard 

deviation

Median particle 

diameter 

(d50, mm)

M1823 221.4 brown, silty 1.06 × 10-4 1.75 0.043 0.004 0.065

M1823 223.7 tan, basalt flecks 6.38 × 10-6 1.68 0.013 0.005 0.018

M1823 284.0 oxidized, crumbly 2.54 × 10-5 1.72 0.093 0.007 0.111

M2050a 320.3 oxidized, porous 6.48 × 10-5 1.30 0.053 0.004 0.076

M2050a 362.7 oxidized, hard 1.25 × 10-9 1.66 no data no data no data

M2050a 396.2 sandy 1.32 × 10-4 1.66 0.088 0.005 0.160

M2050a 229.0 oxidized, hard 2.07 × 10-10 1.77 0.032 0.004 0.052

M2051 214.5 oxidized, very porous 4.78 × 10-4 1.02 0.052 0.004 0.063

USGS133 193.5 oxidized w/basalt gravel 6.13 × 10-5 1.85 0.152 0.006 0.178

USGS133 240.9 brown, silty 4.68 × 10-6 1.98 0.009 0.004 0.010

1.0E-11

1.0E-10

1.0E-09

1.0E-08

1.0E-07

1.0E-06

1.0E-05

1.0E-04

1.0E-03

1.0E-02

1.0E-01

1.0E+00

1.0E+01

SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY, IN CENTIMETERS PER SECOND

Aquifer sediments (this study)

Unsaturated zone sediments (Winfield [2005])

Aquifer sediments (Pudney [1994])

Unit 1 (tracer data)

Unit 2 (tracer data)

Unit 3 (tracer data)

Unit 1 (aquifer tests)

Unit 2 (aquifer tests)Unit 3 (aquifer tests)

CORE-SCALE MEASUREMENTS FIELD-SCALE MEASUREMENTS

Figure 4. Ranges in saturated hydraulic conductivity measured in this study, used in the development of 

the Winfield (2005) property-transfer model, measured by Pudney (1994), determined based on contaminant 

movement for units 1–3 (Ackerman and others, 2006), and determined based on aquifer tests for units 1–3 

(Ackerman and others, 2006), Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho.
Results and Discussion 7

Particle-size distributions for nine of the core samples are 

shown in figure 5. Particle-size classes are listed in table 3 for 

the additional 67 bulk samples.

Ksat values for the 78 unsaturated zone sedimentary 

interbed samples used by Winfield (2005) in model 

development ranged from 1.1×10-8 to 8.2×10-2 cm/s with an 

average ρbulk of 1.46 g/cm3 (fig. 4). Ksat values for the seven 

deep samples used by Pudney (1994) ranged from 3.0×10-7 

to 1.4×10-5 cm/s with an average ρbulk of 1.85 g/cm3 (fig. 4). 

Generally, Ksat values, as well as particle size statistics, show 

no consistent trend with depth; however, deeper interbeds 

tend to have higher ρbulk values. Figure 6 shows the difference 

in ρbulk values for deep samples (greater than 200 m depth 

from this study and Pudney 1994), and shallow samples (less 

than 60 m depth from Perkins and Nimmo, 2000; Perkins, 

2003; and Winfield, 2003). The Man-Whitney rank-sum 

test (Zar, 1996) was used to determine that the difference 

in ρbulk between the shallow and deep samples statistically 

is significant. The calculated test statistic (Z) was 5.488, 

compared with the critical two-tailed value of 1.645 with 

an α level of 0.05. The samples from greater than 200 m 

depth indicate no strong linear trends between Ksat and bulk 

properties (ρbulk and median particle diameter); however, 

regression trends are slightly stronger for the Pudney (1994) 

data set than the data set from this study (fig. 7). 

Figure 5. Particle-size distributions for 9 of the 10 core samples, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho. 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1,000 10,000

PARTICLE DIAMETER, IN MICRONS

PERCENT FINER

M1823, 221.4 meters

M1823, 223.7 meters

M1823, 284.0 meters

M2050a, 229.0 meters

M2050a, 320.3 meters

M2050a, 396.2 meters

M2051, 214.5 meters

USGS133, 193.5 meters

USGS133, 240.9 meters
8 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

Table 3. U.S. Department of Agriculture textural size classes for 67 bulk aquifer samples, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho. 

[Abbreviations: m, meter; μm, micrometer; mm, millimeter. Symbols: <, less than; >, greater than]

Hole Depth 

(m)

Clay 

(<2 μm)

Silt 

(2–50 μm)

Sand 

(50 μm–2 mm)

Gravel 

(>2 mm)

M1823 221.7 3.00 23.36 73.64 0.00

222.5 10.40 54.22 35.38 0.00

223.7 7.57 48.37 44.03 0.00

223.7 10.59 60.05 29.35 0.00

224.2 12.70 65.91 21.40 0.00

224.5 12.76 65.72 21.53 0.00

225.2 10.92 71.08 17.99 0.00

276.8 2.64 20.95 75.64 0.83

285.0 9.59 66.78 23.63 0.00

330.3 4.29 41.56 54.21 0.00

330.9 10.62 75.41 13.97 0.00

332.1 3.09 20.52 76.38 0.00

332.2 4.26 33.50 62.24 0.00

332.4 19.10 63.58 17.30 0.00

332.8 4.87 35.55 59.55 0.00

333.2 14.18 56.28 29.52 0.00

333.6 1.87 8.53 89.62 0.00

334.1 6.00 41.04 53.00 0.00

334.7 17.88 74.17 8.00 0.00

335.1 7.22 45.62 47.21 0.00

335.6 14.85 76.05 9.10 0.00

335.9 4.85 29.57 65.33 0.24

336.8 15.99 63.24 20.75 0.00

337.4 2.66 17.88 79.45 0.00

337.7 18.28 68.74 12.96 0.00

341.1 6.99 31.50 61.44 0.00

USGS 133 192.3 1.73 10.65 83.82 3.83

192.9 3.84 32.38 63.77 0.00

194.4 7.43 57.88 34.68 0.00

212.8 8.49 57.13 34.39 0.00

238.5 2.29 19.61 78.11 0.00

245.5 12.41 52.41 35.21 0.00

247.5 10.96 54.00 35.05 0.00

Hole Depth 

(m)

Clay 

(<2 μm)

Silt 

(2–50 μm)

Sand 

(50 μm–2 mm)

Gravel 

(>2 mm)

M2051 146.0 1.76 6.41 91.80 0.00

146.2 4.03 14.22 79.64 2.08

146.3 8.64 34.80 52.35 4.22

148.7 6.57 27.03 62.85 3.61

188.1 6.08 27.54 66.32 0.00

188.7 8.42 32.40 58.76 0.43

189.7 14.75 60.94 23.88 0.41

194.6 3.54 25.15 71.29 0.00

214.3 4.65 42.60 52.74 0.00

337.1 5.14 35.53 59.32 0.00

337.4 10.96 53.21 35.87 0.00

337.7 3.77 26.20 69.79 0.24

338.0 2.50 25.91 71.44 0.11

M2050a 166.4 19.34 78.61 1.21 0.85

226.2 4.91 52.70 42.38 0.00

226.5 6.02 53.80 40.18 0.00

226.5 7.89 65.68 26.41 0.00

226.8 8.50 66.18 25.33 0.00

228.6 5.21 39.93 54.85 0.00

228.8 13.99 76.61 9.39 0.00

320.7 16.98 68.42 14.61 0.00

321.3 22.73 61.02 16.23 0.00

321.9 15.54 54.77 29.64 0.00

340.2 2.84 21.50 75.64 0.00

340.5 3.52 22.79 73.70 0.00

340.8 6.08 37.96 56.02 0.00

390.9 13.41 79.97 6.61 0.00

392.3 8.46 52.69 38.86 0.00

394.7 9.20 48.26 42.48 0.00

394.2 3.75 23.32 72.92 0.00

397.2 7.90 36.81 55.26 0.00

405.4 15.98 72.74 11.30 0.00

406.0 17.39 64.10 18.58 0.00

403.9 16.43 68.97 14.24 0.36
Results and Discussion 9

idtac08-0225_Figure 06

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

BULK DENSITY, IN GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER

PERCENTAGE OF SAMPLES

Greater than 200 meters depth

 Mean = 1.77

 Median = 1.81

 Standard deviation = 0.233

Less than 60 meters depth

 Mean = 1.37

 Median = 1.41

 Standard deviation = 0.113

Figure 6. Bulk density values for samples from greater than 200 meters depth and less than 60 meters depth, Idaho 

National Laboratory, Idaho.
10 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

idtac08-0225_Figure 07

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

LOG SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY

BULK DENSITY, IN GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER

0.02

0

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

0.20

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0

-12

MEDIAN PARTICLE DIAMETER, IN MILLIMETERS

A.

B.

y = -0.043x + 1.413

R2 = 0.111

y = -0.147x + 0.928

R2 = 0.818

This study

Pudney, 1994

Linear (this study)

Linear (Pudney, 1994)

y = 0.008x + 0.124

R2 = 0.093

y = 0.044x + 0.310

R2 = 0.758

-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0

Figure 7. Trends between saturated hydraulic conductivity and (A) bulk density and (B) 

median particle diameter for the data from this study and Pudney (1994), Idaho National 

Laboratory, Idaho. Lines represent ordinary least-squares linear fits to the data.
Results and Discussion 11

As shown in figure 8, with the exception of the lowest 

measured value, the Winfield model under predicts Ksat (AE

value of -0.1110). The Pudney model (based on a combination 

of surficial and deep samples) over and under predicts about 

equally (fig. 8) with slightly more under predictions (AE 

value of -0.0009). Also shown in figure 8 are the predictions 

based on a linear fit to the Ksat and ρbulk data for the 10 core 

samples used in this study (labeled linear fit 1) and a linear 

fit to the data from this study combined with the 7 deep 

samples (labeled linear fit 2) from Pudney (1994). The small 

measurement error associated with the Ksat values (about 10 

percent) has no influence on the relations examined here; 

error bars are imperceptible on figure 8. As listed in table 4, 

a linear fit to all available data from greater than 200 m gives 

the lowest RMSE value result, slightly lower than the Winfield 

and Pudney models. Predictions from the linear fit to the Ksat

and ρbulk data for the 10 core samples from this study gives the 

highest RMSE value. The systematic under prediction by the 

Winfield model indicates that an adjustment could be made 

for samples with higher ρbulk or other systematic differences. 

Because the aquifer samples are affected by different 

processes by virtue of being deep as well as saturated, the 

addition of explanatory variables that include mechanical, 

chemical, and mineralogical parameters might yield better 

predictions. 

1.0E-10

1.0E-08

1.0E-06

1.0E-04

1.0E-02

1.0E+00

1.0E+02

1.0E-10 1.0E-08 1.0E-06 1.0E-04 1.0E-02 1.0E+00 1.0E+02

Winfield model

Pudney model 1

Linear fit 1

Linear fit 2 1:1 Line

OBSERVED SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY,

IN CENTIMETERS PER SECOND

PREDICTED SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY, 

IN CENTIMETERS PER SECOND 

Figure 8. Relation between predicted and observed saturated hydraulic conductivity for the Winfield model, 

the Pudney model, a linear model fit to the data from this study (linear fit 1), and a linear model fit to the data 

from this study and the deep samples from Pudney (1994) (linear fit 2), Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho. The 

line represents a 1:1 relation.

Table 4. Root-mean-square errors and average errors for the 

Winfield model, the Pudney model, a linear fit to the core-sample 

data from this study, and a linear fit to the combined data from this 

study and the deep core samples from Pudney, Idaho National 

Laboratory, Idaho. 

[Abbreviations: RMSE, root-mean-square error; AE, average error; Ksat, 

saturated hydraulic conductivity]

Winfield 

model 

(2005)

Pudney 

model 

(1994)

Linear fit 1

(10 samples)

Linear fit 2

(17 samples)

RMSE (in terms 

of log Ksat) 1.99 2.06 2.86 1.96

AE (in terms 

of Ksat) -0.1110 -0.0009 -0.0034 0.0001
12 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

Summary and Conclusions

Knowledge of Ksat and other parameters are required as 

input to the numerical models of saturated flow and transport 

which commonly are used as tools in risk assessment. Ksat

and bulk properties were measured for 10 core samples from 

sedimentary interbeds within the ESRP aquifer and estimated 

using the Winfield site-specific property-transfer model and 

a simple linear relation between Ksat and ρbulk. The multiple 

linear-regression property-transfer model for estimating Ksat

from more easily measured ρbulk and particle-size distributions 

originally was developed for sedimentary interbeds of the 

unsaturated zone at the INL. The Winfield regression model, 

which yielded estimates comparable to a simple linear relation 

between Ksat and ρbulk, systematically under predicted Ksat

likely due to ρbulk values being higher for the aquifer samples 

than for the samples from the unsaturated zone upon which 

the model was developed. Because the aquifer samples are 

affected by different processes than those from the unsaturated 

zone, such as greater overburden pressure and constant 

saturated flow, the addition of explanatory variables that 

include mechanical, chemical, and mineralogical information 

with a multiple linear-regression approach might yield better 

predictions. The data presented here provide information 

useful in refining the hydraulic influence of sediments in the 

current subregional scale ground-water flow model either by 

scaling existing values for each of the three units in the model 

or by explicit incorporation of sedimentary units. 

Acknowledgment

The author thanks Joseph Rousseau, Supervisory 

Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, for his continued 

support of this work. 

References Cited

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14 Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory

This page intentionally left blank.
Manuscript approved for publication, August 26, 2008

Prepared by the USGS Publishing Network

Robert Crist

Bill Gibbs 

Debra Grillo

Bobbie Jo Richey

Sharon Wahlstrom

For more information concerning the research in this report, contact the 

Director, Idaho Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey, 230 Collins Road

Boise, Idaho 83702

http://id.water.usgs.gov
Perkins—Laboratory-Measured and Property-Transfer Modeled Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, Idaho National Laboratory—Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5169