Premium
Viscous model study of groundwater flow in a wedge‐shaped aquifer
Author(s) -
Williams Dennis E.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr002i003p00479
Subject(s) - aquifer , flow (mathematics) , groundwater flow , groundwater flow equation , geology , hydraulic head , wedge (geometry) , groundwater , mechanics , geotechnical engineering , homogeneous , geometry , mathematics , physics , combinatorics
Groundwater flow in sands of nonuniform thickness is 2‐dimensional in nature, assuming, of course, that the flow has no significant component of velocity in the y ‐direction, so that its pattern in all vertical ( x‐z ) planes is the same. Rigorous expressions for the hydraulic head distribution in several such flow systems are available but, in general, they are relatively complicated and formidable to use. Analytical studies have revealed, however, that these expressions can be simplified considerably if the actual 2‐dimensional flow in such systems is replaced with unidirectional flow, that is, flow in which the vertical component of velocity can be assumed to be negligible. Theoretical analyses have shown that such an assumption can be safely made if the slopes of the confining beds in such systems are less than 20%. These analyses assume, of course, that the aquifer is homogeneous and that the hydraulic properties of the formation remain uniform in space and time. The approximate solutions thus obtained yield results that are in close agreement with those obtained from their rigorously derived counterpart. Such conclusions are here tested experimentally, using a viscous‐flow model in which 2‐dimensional flow is simulated. In general, the experimental results confirm the theoretical conclusions. (Key words: Groundwater; drainage; model study)