This image shows a hillside in southeastern Vermont where I participated in an aquifer test to determine whether a newly drilled well could supply sufficient water for a planned assisted living facility serving the surrounding rural community.
An aquifer test involves pumping water from a well, measuring flow rate and water levels, and using that data to evaluate long-term yield. In this image, a submersible pump connected to electrical cable and black polyethylene pipe extends down the well, while a pressure transducer housed in white PVC records changes in water level. Both are visible at the surface.
The well was drilled high on an undeveloped hillside above a valley floor where several residential homes rely on shallower wells. Unlike those valley wells, this one was drilled deeper to intersect bedrock fractures capable of producing greater quantities of water.
I was drawn to photograph this site because of its quiet, wooded setting and my years of experience working as a hydrogeologist. On a cold February afternoon, I set the camera on a tripod with a timer so that I could stand within the frame while collecting data.
No bedrock appears in this composition. In other works, I photograph exposed rock to construct the subsurface view, but here the rock remains unseen. The blank space reflects how much of the subsurface lies beyond everyday sight and direct observation.