Premium
Ground Water Development—The Time to Full Capture Problem
Author(s) -
Bredehoeft J.,
Durbin T.
Publication year - 2009
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.1745-6584.2008.00538.x
Subject(s) - thermodynamic equilibrium , groundwater , state (computer science) , environmental science , computer science , engineering , physics , geotechnical engineering , thermodynamics , algorithm
Ground water systems can be categorized with respect to quantity into two groups: (1) those that will ultimately reach a new equilibrium state where pumping can be continued indefinitely and (2) those in which the stress is so large that a new equilibrium is impossible; hence, the system has a finite life. Large ground water systems, where a new equilibrium can be reached and in which the pumping is a long distance from boundaries where capture can occur, take long times to reach a new equilibrium. Some systems are so large that the new equilibrium will take a millennium or more to reach a new steady‐state condition. These large systems pose a challenge to the water manager, especially when the water manager is committed to attempting to reach a new equilibrium state in which water levels will stabilize and the system can be maintained indefinitely.