Groundwater Flow Equations

Groundwater Flow Equations: Representative Elementary

Volume (REV) must include enough pores to allow a
meaningful average of properties.
• Conservation of Mass Conservation of Volume
• Inflow –Outflow = Change in Storage
• Darcy’s Law

• qx=-Kx(Dh/Dx)
• qy=-Ky(Dh/Dy)
• qz=-Kz(Dh/Dz) Dz

Dx
• Inflow –Outflow = Change in Storage
• Darcy’s Law

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
• Inflow –Outflow = Change in Storage
• Darcy’s Law

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
What if inflow balances outflow?
• Transient flow: Storage volume and hydraulic head change through
time

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
• Steady flow (also called Steady-State conditions)

𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ
𝐾𝑥 + 𝐾𝑦 + 𝐾𝑧 =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧
What if the aquifer is isotropic?

• Anisotropic

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
• Isotropic

𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕ℎ
𝐾 + 𝐾 + 𝐾 = 𝑆𝑠
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
What if the hydraulic conductivity is
homogeneous?
• Heterogeneous

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
• Homogeneous
𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕ℎ
𝐾𝑥 + 𝐾𝑦 + 𝐾𝑧 = 𝑆𝑠
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡

Change in dh/dx with x is the second derivative

𝜕2ℎ 𝜕2ℎ 𝜕2ℎ 𝜕ℎ
𝐾𝑥 2 + 𝐾𝑦 2 + 𝐾𝑧 2 = 𝑆𝑠
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
Further simplifications:

• Homogeneous and Isotropic

𝜕2ℎ 𝜕2ℎ 𝜕2ℎ 𝜕ℎ

𝐾 2 + 𝐾 2 + 𝐾 2 = 𝑆𝑠
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
• Which can also be written as:
𝜕 2 ℎ 𝜕 2 ℎ 𝜕 2 ℎ 𝑆𝑠 𝜕ℎ
2
+ 2+ 2 =
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝐾 𝜕𝑡
Groundwater Flow Equations:

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
Groundwater Flow Equations:

  h    h    h  h
 K x    K y    K z   S s
x  x  y  y  z  z  t
To solve groundwater flow problems:
• geometry
• K (or T)
• appropriate equation
• boundary conditions
• solution method
For transient problems:
• Ss (or S)
• initial conditions
Boundary conditions:
• specified head (Dirichlet)
• Examples: Rivers, lakes, ocean
Boundary conditions:
• specified flux (Neumann)
Examples
• Recharge
Boundary conditions:
• specified flux (Neumann)
Examples
• Recharge
• Pumping wells
Boundary conditions:
• specified flux (Neumann)
Examples
• Recharge
• Pumping wells
• Impermeable boundaries
Boundary conditions:
Groundwater divide
• specified flux (Neumann)
Examples
• Recharge
• Pumping wells
• Impermeable boundaries
• Groundwater divides
Boundary conditions:
• flux a function of head (Cauchy)
• example: a stream that is not fully
connected to the aquifer