scholarly journals A Steady-State Model to Simulate Groundwater Flow in Unconfined Aquifer

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Pagnozzi ◽  
Gianluca Coletta ◽  
Guido Leone ◽  
Vittorio Catani ◽  
Libera Esposito ◽  
...  

The hydraulic and hydrogeological features of the Caposele aquifer have been investigated by using a numerical groundwater flow model. In particular, groundwater flow simulations were performed for a multilayered, unconfined aquifer in steady-state conditions for different thicknesses of the aquifer’s saturated zone. The Caposele groundwater model was carried out starting from a generic model drained by a unique spring outlet in accordance with the geo-hydrological features of the study area. The conceptual model was built considering hydrogeological features of spring catchment, and was then implemented with the MODFLOW numerical code. A combined 2D-3D approach was adopted, and the model was calibrated on borehole data available for the time period 2012–2019. Different thicknesses of the aquifer were set, and a reliable relationship was found between the hydraulic head, saturated zone and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. Using the MODPATH package, the mean travel time (Darcian) of groundwater was computed for five different scenarios, corresponding to the model’s depths; the analysis that was performed shows that the travel time is higher for a greater and lower for a smaller thickness of the aquifer’s saturated zone, respectively. The Caposele aquifer model was zoned in different sectors, named flow pipe areas, that play different roles in groundwater recharge-discharge processes. A vector analysis was also carried out in order to highlight the ascendant flow near the spring zone.

2014 ◽  
Vol 1010-1012 ◽  
pp. 1023-1027
Author(s):  
Fouad Dimane ◽  
Issam Hanafi ◽  
Abdelouahad El Himri ◽  
Khadija Haboubi ◽  
Francisco Mata Cabrera ◽  
...  

Models of groundwater flow are widely used for a variety of purposes ranging from water supply studies to designing contaminant cleanup. In general, groundwater flow system can be divided into steady-state and transient. In the present work, we investigate the usefulness of finite element method in modelling of steady-state subsurface fluid flow and transient solute transport along a vertical cross section in an unconfined aquifer. Details are explained on numerical approximations leading to different numerical results. Extensions for pollutant transport are mentioned.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Fiorillo ◽  
Guido Leone ◽  
Mauro Pagnozzi ◽  
Vittorio Catani ◽  
Giovanni Testa ◽  
...  

The hydraulic phenomenon of upwelling groundwater flow affecting the karst area of the Grassano-Telese springs (southern Italy) has been investigated through piezometric measurements, discharge, and chemical–physical monitoring of springs, radon activity included. Locally, both large karst springs and sulfurous thermal springs are closely located, and raise several questions on their origin. In this study, the phenomenon of the upwelling flow is supported by different types of evidences: Amazing density of sinkholes connected to hypogenic speleogenesis processes, constancy of temperature, and hydraulic conductivity of spring water, change of radon activity during the hydrological year, increasing of the hydraulic head with depth. Numerical code provides an estimation of the upwelling phenomenon in an unconfined aquifer feeding the karst springs, using MODFLOW tools. Based on the results reached, the phenomenon of the upwelling flow is able to explain the hydrological processes observed in the Telese karst area.


Author(s):  
Ali Mohtashami ◽  
Seyed Arman Hashemi Monfared ◽  
Gholamreza Azizyan ◽  
Abolfazl Akbarpour

Abstract The complicated behavior of groundwater system in an arid aquifer is generally studied by solving the governing equations using either analytical or numerical methods. In this regard, analytical methods are just for some aquifers with regular boundaries. Numerical methods used for this aim are finite difference (FDM) and finite element methods (FEM) which are engaged for some simple aquifers. Using them in the complex cases with irregular boundaries has some shortcomings, depended on meshes. In this study, meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method based on the moving kriging (MK) approximation function is used to simulate groundwater flow in steady state over three aquifers, two standard and a real field aquifer. Moving kriging function known as new function which reduces the uncertain parameter. For the first aquifer, a simple rectangular aquifer, MLPG-MK indicates good agreement with analytical solutions. In the second one, aquifer conditions get more complicated. However, MLPG-MK reveals results more accurate than FDM. RMSE for MLPG-MK and FDM is 0.066 and 0.322 m respectively. In the third aquifer, Birjand unconfined aquifer located in Iran is investigated. In this aquifer, there are 190 extraction wells. The geometry of the aquifer is irregular as well. With this challenging issues, MLPG-MK again shows satisfactory accuracy. As the RMSE for MLPG-MK and FDM are 0.483 m and 0.566 m. therefore, planning for this aquifer based on the MLPG-MK is closer to reality.


2000 ◽  
Vol 42 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Rubin ◽  
A. Rabideau

This study presents an approximate analytical model, which can be useful for the prediction and requirement of vertical barrier efficiencies. A previous study by the authors has indicated that a single dimensionless parameter determines the performance of a vertical barrier. This parameter is termed the barrier Peclet number. The evaluation of barrier performance concerns operation under steady state conditions, as well as estimates of unsteady state conditions and calculation of the time period requires arriving at steady state conditions. This study refers to high values of the barrier Peclet number. The modeling approach refers to the development of several types of boundary layers. Comparisons were made between simulation results of the present study and some analytical and numerical results. These comparisons indicate that the models developed in this study could be useful in the design and prediction of the performance of vertical barriers operating under conditions of high values of the barrier Peclet number.


2002 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 13-1-13-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongbin Zhan ◽  
Vitaly A. Zlotnik

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqun Jiang ◽  
Ronglin Sun ◽  
Xing Liang

<p>Protection and management of groundwater resources demand high-resolution distributions of hydraulic parameters (e.g., hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss)) of aquifers. In the past, these parameters were obtained by traditional analytical solutions (e.g., Theis (1935) or Cooper and Jacob (1946)). However, traditional methods assume the aquifer to be homogeneous and yield the equivalent parameter, which are averages over a large volume and are insufficient for predicting groundwater flow and solute transport process (Butler & Liu, 1993). For obtaining the aquifer heterogeneity, some scholars have used kriging (e.g., Illman et al., 2010) and hydraulic tomography (HT) (e.g., Yeh & Liu, 2000; Zhu & Yeh, 2005) to describe the K distribution.</p><p>In this study, the laboratory heterogeneous aquifer sandbox is used to investigate the effect of different hydraulic parameter estimation methods on predicting groundwater flow and solute transport process. Conventional equivalent homogeneous model, kriging and HT are used to characterize the heterogeneity of sandbox aquifer. A number of the steady-state head data are collected from a series of single-hole pumping tests in the lab sandbox, and are then used to estimate the K fields of the sandbox aquifer by the steady-state inverse modeling in HT survey which was conducted using the SimSLE algorithm (Simultaneous SLE, Xiang et al., 2009), a built-in function of the software package of VSAFT2. The 40 K core samples from the sandbox aquifer are collected by the Darcy experiments, and are then used to obtain K fields through kriging which was conducted using the software package of Surfer 13. The role of prior information on improving HT survey is then discussed. The K estimates by different methods are used to predict the process of steady-state groundwater flow and solute transport, and evaluate the merits and demerits of different methods, investigate the effect of aquifer heterogeneity on groundwater flow and solute transport.</p><p>According to lab sandbox experiments results, we concluded that compared with kriging, HT can get higher precision to characterize the aquifer heterogeneity and predict the process of groundwater flow and solute transport. The 40 K fields from the K core samples are used as priori information of HT survey can promote the accuracy of K estimates. The conventional equivalent homogeneous model cannot accurately predict the process of groundwater flow and solute transport in heterogeneous aquifer. The enhancement of aquifer heterogeneity will lead to the enhancement of the spatial variability of tracer distribution and migration path, and the dominant channel directly determines the migration path and tracer distribution.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 926 (1) ◽  
pp. 012078
Author(s):  
D L Setyaningsih ◽  
K D Setyawan ◽  
D P E Putra ◽  
Salahuddin

Abstract Randublatung groundwater basin is one of the groundwaters basins with massive utilization of groundwater pumping. However, the knowledge of the comprehensive hydrogeological system in this groundwater basin is limited, so this research aims to determine a comprehensive hydrogeological conceptual model of the Randublatung groundwater basin. The methodology was conducted by collecting secondary and primary data of deep and shallow wells to evaluate boundaries of pattern and direction of groundwater flow and develop the aquifer system’s geometry. The result shows that the groundwater flow boundaries are Grogol River in the west, Wado River in the East, Bengawan Solo river in the South as a river boundary, and Rembang Mountains in the North as a constant head boundary. Therefore, groundwater flows from the hills area to the Bengawan Solo River and the north as the river’s flow. Based on the log bor evaluation, the aquifer system of the study area consist of an unconfined aquifer with a maximum thickness of 20 m and three layers of confined aquifers with thickness vary between 8 to 60 m. the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifers depends on the aquifer’s lithology range from sand, gravel, limestone, and sandstone. This hydrogeological conceptual model provides essential information for numerical groundwater models in the middle of the Randublatung groundwater basin.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 3227-3247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Aime Feulefack ◽  
◽  
Jean Daniel Djida ◽  
Atangana Abdon ◽  

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