Development of Analytical Solutions for Wave Propagation Characteristics along Rivers and for Verifying the Regional Simulation Model (RSM)

Wave propagation speeds and attenuation rates of flood waves or tidal waves traveling along canals depend on the hydraulic properties of the canal, the seepage parameters of the underlying aquifer, and the overbank flow parameters. Analytical solutions to this problem are useful when understanding the propagation of these waves along canals and rivers. These solutions are also useful when testing integrated hydrologic models. For coupled one-dimensional hydraulic and two-dimensional groundwater numerical models to be accurate: a) the numerical model of the St. Venant equation must be accurate; b) the numerical model for the two-dimensional groundwater model must be accurate; c) the internal boundary conditions of the one- and two-dimensional model interfaces must have the correct flow continuity and head compatibility conditions; and d) the discretization for the one- and two-dimensional models have to be adequate. The analytical solutions developed in this paper will be used to verify the accuracy of the regional simulation model (RSM) that is used to simulate complex hydrologic systems. Results of the analysis show that three-dimensionless parameters are responsible for the analytical solutions for wave propagation characteristics.