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Analysis of groundwater flow and travel times for a landfill site in an arid region with a thick vadose zone
Author(s) -
Lee SangIl,
Kitanidis Peter K.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.3360070404
Subject(s) - vadose zone , groundwater , arid , groundwater flow , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental science , geology , groundwater model , aquifer , soil science , geotechnical engineering , paleontology
Groundwater flows and travel times were analyzed under a landfill site characterized by a thick unsaturated zone, in an arid environment, using two‐dimensional models. Transport in the unsaturated zone is important in arid environments with thick vadose zones and usually determines the travel time of groundwater from the landfill site to the regulatory compliance surface. The combined use of a parallel flow (Dupuit‐Forchheimer) areal model and vertical cross‐sectional model is explored at a site typical in the utility industry. Flow paths and travel times to the compliance zone are obtained for use in landfill site design or environmental impact assessments. Sensitivity analysis shows that boundary conditions are important factors influencing the entire analysis and thus need to be confirmed with field measurements.