ABSTRACT
A powerful approach for estimating aquifer properties involves coupling nonlinear optimization methods with numerical groundwater ow and solute transport simulations. Such
numerical simulations overcome the diculties associated with incorporating highly heterogeneous aquifer properties into analytic solutions to the equations that govern groundwater ow and solute transport. e groundwater ow equation is used to solve for hydraulic head (h) given estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K) (and specic storage (Ss) for transient simulations)
S
h
t K h Ws
¶ ¶
= Ñ × ×Ñ -( ) (33.1)
where t is time ▿ is the gradient operator (∂/∂x, ∂/∂y, ∂/∂z), x, y, and z are
Cartesian coordinates W incorporates the source uid uxes
Darcy’s law can then be used to approximate the average linear velocity of the uid (V) given the calculated hydraulic head values as well as estimates of hydraulic conductivity and eective porosity (θ).
