Groundwater for geophysics

Abstract

Saturated groundwater flow in aquifers. Analytical and numerical solutions to solve groundwater flow problems. Calibration of groundwater flow models. Transport of solutes in aquifers. Analytical and numerical methods to solve solute transport problems in saturated groundwater flow. Hetereogeneity of aquifer parameters and geostatistics. Practical examples with a focus on sustainability questions.

Objective

The students will have a basic understanding of groundwater flow in aquifers. They will be able to solve groundwater flow problems in idealized situations with help of simple analytical formulations. In addition, they will be able to set up a numerical groundwater flow model for somewhat more complicated groundwater flow problems, and understand the finite differences method that is used to solve numerically such groundwater flow problems. The students will understand what the inverse problem is, and interpret the results obtained from an inverse model calibration. In addition, they know the processes that govern the transport of solutes in aquifers and are able to solve solute transport problems with help of analytical methods or numerical models for simple situations. The students appreciate the need for stochastical approaches in groundwater modelling, and know how with geostatistical approaches a model of the spatial variability of a parameter can be built. The numerous computer exercises that are performed tend to focus on practical problems related to sustainability questions.

Content

- Introduction on aquifers, porous media, groundwater use and sustainability (ca. 3 hours, W. Kinzelbach). - Derivation of equation for saturated groundwater flow from Darcy’s law and continuity equation (ca. 5 hours, W. Kinzelbach). - Potential theory, stream functions, simple superpositions (ca. 4 hours, W. Kinzelbach). - Analytical solutions of groundwater flow equation (ca. 4 hours, W. Kinzelbach). - Finite difference method to solve groundwater flow equation numerically; Groundwater flow models (ca. 14 hours, H.J. Hendricks Franssen). - Inverse modelling of groundwater flow (ca. 6 hours, H.J. Hendricks Franssen). - Processes that govern solute transport in aquifers: dispersion, diffusion, adsorption, retardation (ca. 2 hours, W. Kinzelbach). - Derivation of solute transport equation (ca. 2 hours, W. Kinzelbach). - Analytical solutions of solute transport equation (ca. 4 hours, F. Stauffer). - Numerical solution of solute transport equation (ca. 4 hours, H.J. Hendricks Franssen). - Geostatistics (ca. 8 hours, H.J. Hendricks Franssen). - Density driven flow (ca. 2 hours, W. Kinzelbach). The hours include the time for exercises. In total ca. 24 hours will be dedicated to exercises, around 40% of the total time for the course.

Resources