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Some Aspects of Approximating Aquifer Discharge
Author(s) -
Gundlach David L.
Publication year - 1974
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.1745-6584.1974.tb03012.x
Subject(s) - aquifer , electrical conduit , permeability (electromagnetism) , boundary value problem , mechanics , flow (mathematics) , point source , point (geometry) , volumetric flow rate , aquifer test , mathematics , geology , soil science , mathematical analysis , geotechnical engineering , groundwater , geometry , physics , computer science , chemistry , telecommunications , biochemistry , groundwater recharge , membrane , optics
Aquifers may serve as storage reservoirs, as treatment mediums, as discharge conduits, or in some combination of the various uses. If an aquifer serves as a conduit, the Darcy equation gives an accurate and simple solution for discharge provided the conduit is uniform; if nonuniform, the accuracy may be very poor unless special care is taken. Differential equations based on Darcy's equation and the equation of continuity give the steady‐flow discharge rate for confined aquifers in which the cross‐sectional area and permeability vary from point to point. For the general case the derived discharge expression is theoretically exact, whereas, for specific cases an approximate form can be used depending on the boundary conditions. Integration of the approximate form for a given aquifer length yields simplified solutions for discharge where the variation in cross‐sectional area and/or permeability with distance in the direction of flow can be described by some mathematical expression.