Saltwater Upconing in Unconfined Aquifers
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 111, Issue 3
Abstract
The need for skimming of fresh groundwater above a saline water body without producing an unacceptable contamination in the pumped water calls for the investigations carried out in this research work. Two axisymmetric models, namely the steady state and the transient upconing models, are developed with the assumption of an abrupt interface. Finite element method with an iterative scheme is employed in solving the steady state model whereas a method of finite element in space and finite differences in time is used with iterative schemes for the transient model. The models are calibrated with the analytical solutions for the case of radial flow to a fully penetrating well in an unconfined aquifer. A method of superimposing the effects of hydrodynamic dispersion on the upconing is discussed. The simulation results of both models, together with the technique of dimensional analysis, provide information for establishing design criteria for optimal pumping or choice of well depth or both.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Bear, J., Hydraulics of Groundwater, 1st Ed., McGraw‐Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., 1979.
2.
Bear, J., and Todd, D. J., “The Transition Between Fresh and Salt Water in Coastal Aquifers,” Water Resources Center Contrib. 29, University of California, Berkeley, Calif., 1960.
3.
Becker, E. B., “Lectures in EM 394F and EM 394G,” University of Texas, Austin, Tex., 1979.
4.
Becker, E. B., Carey, G. F., and Oden, J. T., Finite Element—An Introduction, 1st Ed., Vol. 1, Prentice‐Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1981.
5.
Dagan, G., and Bear, J., “Solving the Problem of Local Interface Upconing in a Coastal Aquifer by the Method of Small Perturbations,” Journal of Hydraulic Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1968, pp. 15–44.
6.
Karpus, W. J., “Water Coning Before Breakthrough—An Electronic Analog Treatment,” Transactions, AIME, Vol. 207, 1956, pp. 240–245.
7.
Mercer, J. W., Larson, S. P., and Faust, C. R., “Simulation of Salt‐Water Interface Motion,” Ground Water, NWWA, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1980, pp. 374–385.
8.
Muskat, M., and Wyckoff, R. D., “An Approximate Theory of Water‐Coning in Oil Production,” Transactions, AIME, 1935, pp. 114–144.
9.
Neuman, S. P., “Theory of Flow in Unconfined Aquifers Considering Delayed Response of the Water Table,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1972, pp. 1031–1045.
10.
Neuman, S. P., and Witherspoon, P. A., “Variational Principles for Confined and Unconfined Flow of Groundwater,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 6, No. 5, 1970, pp. 1376–1382.
11.
Neuman, S. P., and Witherspoon, P. A., “Analysis of Nonsteady Flow with a Free Surface Using the Finite Element Method,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1971, pp. 611–623.
12.
Panigrahi, B. K., Gupta, A. D., and Arbhabhirama, A., “Approximation for Salt Water Intrusion in Unconfined Coastal Aquifer,” Ground Water, NWWA, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1980, pp. 147–151.
13.
Pinder, G. F., and Cooper, H. H., “A Numerical Technique for Calculating the Transient Position of the Salt Water Front,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1970, pp. 875–822.
14.
Pinder, G. F., and Roger, H. P., “Finite Element Simulation of Salt Water Intrusion on the South Fork of Long Island,” Conf. on FEWR, Princeton University, New York, N.Y., 1976, pp. 2.51–2.69.
15.
Rubin, H., and Pinder, G. F., “Approximate Analysis of Upconing,” Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1977, pp. 97–101.
16.
Schmorak, S., and Mercado, A., “Upconing of Fresh Water—Sea Water Interface below Pumping Wells; Field Study,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 5, No. 6, 1969, pp. 1290–1311.
17.
Segol, G., and Pinder, G. F., “Transient Simulation of Saltwater Intrusion in Southeastern Florida,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1976, pp. 65–70.
18.
Wirojanagud, P., “Salt Water Upconing Due to Pumpage in Unconfined Aquifers,” thesis presented to the University of Texas, at Austin, Tex., in 1982, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
19.
Zienkiewicz, O. C., The Finite Element Method, 3rd Ed., McGraw‐Hill Book Co., Inc., 1977, New York, N.Y.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 111 • Issue 3 • March 1985
Pages: 417 - 434
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 ASCE.
History
Published online: Mar 1, 1985
Published in print: Mar 1985
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.