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Steady‐State Lateral Movement of Water Through the Unsaturated Zone of an Unconfined Aquifer a
Author(s) -
Mobasheri F.,
Shahbazi M.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1969.tb01669.x
Subject(s) - aquifer , vadose zone , hydraulic conductivity , geology , steady state (chemistry) , flow (mathematics) , volumetric flow rate , geotechnical engineering , water flow , soil science , mechanics , groundwater , soil water , chemistry , physics
ABSTRACT In a steady‐state condition the lateral flow rate through the unsaturated zone of an unconfined aquifer increases with a decreasing rate as the depth of the unsaturated zone increases while hydraulic gradient is kept constant. This flow rate reaches a maximum as the depth of the zone is increased. This maximum flow rate is computed by various methods such as an aquifer model, graphical integration of the characteristic hydraulic conductivity curve and a flow net diagram. Based on these calculations a simple method is outlined for estimation of steady‐state flow rate through the unsaturated zone of an unconfined aquifer. It is also concluded that in shallow unconfined aquifers the contribution of the flow through the unsaturated zone to the total lateral flow can be significant.