ABSTRACT
This chapter describes methods for handling two-dimensional groundwater flow problems including superposition, the method of images, and the potential and flow function. Superposition of solutions is valuable in several groundwater problems. For example, the case of groundwater flow due to simultaneous pumping from several wells can be solved by the superposition of the elementary solution for a single well. A special application of superposition is the method of images. This method can be used to solve problems involving the flow in aquifers of relatively simple geometrical form such as an infinite strip, a half plane, or a quarter plane. Nonsteady or transient flow in aquifers occurs when the pressure and head in the aquifer change gradually until steady-state conditions are reached. Determining the hydraulic properties of an aquifer generally involves applying field data obtained from a pumping test. Other techniques such as auger-hole and piezometer methods can be used to determine hydraulic conductivity where groundwater table or aquifers are shallow.
