HR: 1340h
AN: H13B-1242 [Abstracts]
TI: Three-Dimensional Flow Generated by a Partially Penetrating Well in a Two-Aquifer System
AU: * Sepulveda, N
EM: nsepul@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey - FISC, 12703 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826,
AB:
An analytical solution is presented for three-dimensional (3D) flow in a confined aquifer and the overlying storative
semiconfining layer and unconfined aquifer. The equation describing flow caused by a partially penetrating
production well is solved analytically to provide a method to accurately determine the hydraulic parameters in the
confined aquifer, semiconfining layer, and unconfined aquifer from aquifer-test data. Previous solutions for a
partially penetrating well did not account for 3D flow or storativity in the semiconfining unit. The 3D and two-
dimensional (2D) flow solutions in the semiconfining layer are compared for various hydraulic conductivity ratios
between the aquifer and the semiconfining layer.
Analysis of the drawdown data from an aquifer test in central Florida showed that the 3D solution in the
semiconfining layer provides a more unique identification of the hydraulic parameters than the 2D solution. The
analytical solution could be used to analyze, with higher accuracy, the effect that pumping water from the lower
aquifer in a two-aquifer system has on wetlands.
DE: 1822 Geomechanics
DE: 1828 Groundwater hydraulics
DE: 1847 Modeling
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting