Simulation of a Multilayer Leaky Aquifer with Stream Depletion

Abstract

Semianalytic formulas are obtained for flow to a well screened in a leaky aquifer that was overlain by an aquitard and phreatic aquifer and underlain by a second aquitard and leaky aquifer. Formulas are also obtained for the scenario in which the phreatic aquifer is hydraulically connected to a rectilinear stream. Adaptive mesh refinement is used to obtain highly resolved simulations for a meandering stream depletion problem that is both numerically challenging and has physically interesting features. The associated inverse problem is also considered, and a simple example is presented of synthetic pumping test data, which demonstrates that it can be very difficult to quantify the actual effects of pumping. The conclusion is that a framework for uncertainty quantification of aquifer parameters is necessary for objective determination of the parameters.