Premium
An Analytical Solution for Ground Water Transit Time through Unconfined Aquifers
Author(s) -
Chesnaux R.,
Molson J.W.,
Chapuis R.P.
Publication year - 2005
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.1745-6584.2005.0056.x
Subject(s) - aquifer , water table , groundwater , geology , boundary value problem , flow (mathematics) , hydraulic head , slug test , geotechnical engineering , head (geology) , mechanics , infiltration (hvac) , a priori and a posteriori , mathematics , mathematical analysis , physics , thermodynamics , geomorphology , philosophy , epistemology
An exact, closed‐form analytical solution is developed for calculating ground water transit times within Dupuit‐type flow systems. The solution applies to steady‐state, saturated flow through an unconfined, horizontal aquifer recharged by surface infiltration and discharging to a downgradient fixed‐head boundary. The upgradient boundary can represent, using the same equation, a no‐flow boundary or a fixed head. The approach is unique for calculating travel times because it makes no a priori assumptions regarding the limit of the water table rise with respect to the minimum saturated aquifer thickness. The computed travel times are verified against a numerical model, and examples are provided, which show that the predicted travel times can be on the order of nine times longer relative to existing analytical solutions.