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Saturated-unsaturated flow in unconfined aquifers

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Abstract

An asymptotic theory is developed for the saturated-unsaturated flow in unconfined aquifers. It is found that in the first approximation the flow is governed by a nonlinear parabolic equation which reduces to the Boussinesq equation when the terms associated with the unsaturated zone are omitted. By assuming certain hydraulic properties of the porous medium it will be shown that the effects of the unsaturated zone are significant in most practical cases of interest.

Zusammenfassung

Eine asymptotische Theorie für die gesättigte-ungesättigte Strömung in porösen, wassertragenden, auf der Landfläche sich befindenden Schichten wird entwickelt. Wir fanden, daß in der ersten Annäherung die Strömung von einer nicht linearen parabolischen Gleichung bestimmt wird, die zur Gleichung von Boussinesq zurückgeführt werden kann, wenn die Glieder für die ungesättigte Zone ausgelassen werden. Wenn man dem porösen Material gewisse Eigenschaften zuschreibt, dann läßt sich zeigen, dass der Einfluß der ungesättigten Zone in den meisten in der Praxis auftretenden Fällen von Bedeutung sind.

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Pantelis, G. Saturated-unsaturated flow in unconfined aquifers. Z. angew. Math. Phys. 36, 648–657 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960377

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960377

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