Aquifer Response to Stream-Stage Fluctuations: Field Tests and Analytical Solution for a Case Study of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, China

Yanmin Liu,Hao Wang,Yungang Wu,Xingwei Ren,Yuan Zhao

doi:10.3390/w13172388

Abstract

In this paper, field hydrological monitoring tests and an analytical solution for the aquifer response (i.e., the groundwater head) to stream-stage fluctuations are presented through a case study of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, China. A sinusoidal equation for the stream water level over time is proposed and is verified by the monitoring results. Based on the classical 1-D solution of ground water flow equations, a new flow model was proposed to analyze the confined aquifer response to stream-stage fluctuations. The groundwater head of the confined aquifer can then be calculated by embedding the proposed sinusoidal equation of the stream-stage fluctuation into the new flow model. Field monitoring data of the three hydrological years from 2017 to 2019 were compiled to evaluate the proposed model. The results show that the predicted groundwater head of the confined aquifer matches well with the monitoring data. The prediction error of the proposed model (about 8%) is much lower than that of the previous model (about 26%). This paper presents an improved analytical model with a satisfying capability to predict the response of the groundwater head of the confined aquifer to stream-stage fluctuation. This model can be applied into groundwater flow models (such as MODFLOW, FEFLOW, etc.). The results of this study provide a valuable hydrological resource for underground practical engineering in the riverside area, especially in the first terrace of the Yangtze River, and for the dewatering design of a foundation pit in a riverside area.

Highlights

Surface water and groundwater do not exist in isolation in the hydrologic cycle; rather, all surface water is often hydraulically connected to groundwater
Profile 1 and Profile 2 were used as examples to analyze the dynamic changes of the confined water level of the first terrace with the distance and the fluctuation of the Yangtze
In combination with field hydrological monitoring tests and theoretical analysis, the response of the confined groundwater head to stream-stage fluctuations was studied at the Yangtze River in Wuhan, China

Summary

Introduction

Surface water and groundwater do not exist in isolation in the hydrologic cycle; rather, all surface water is often hydraulically connected to groundwater. Over the past few decades, with population growth, human water demand has grown, and the importance of water utilization and conservation has been gradually realized. Many scientists have come to recognize that the effective management of limited water resources cannot be implemented without realistically quantifying the interaction between surface water and groundwater [1,2,3]. Hydrological units such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and streams are not isolated. Groundwater is inextricably linked to river development, with the flow of rivers being the result of a complex process that relies on the interaction of hydrological, geological, ecological, and human factors. The river–aquifer interface represents a vital location for the exchange of mass, energy, and chemicals between surface water and groundwater

Objectives

Results

Conclusion