Formulation of Generalized Hillslope Leakage-Dependent Model for Groundwater Flow in N-Aquifer System within a Sedimentary Basin

Abstract

In this study, the recently derived Hillslope Leakage-dependent (HL-D) models for groundwater flow in leaky three-aquifer system have been generalized to obtain Generalized Hillslope Leakage-dependent, GHL-D equation that model groundwater flow in leaky n-aquifer system. This generalization extends the capability of Hillslope Leakage-dependent (HL-D) equations to modeling groundwater flow in any number of aquifers (n-aquifer system) of all configurations within a sedimentary basin. The formulated GHL-D Model was tested on some aquifer types and the results have shown that it can be used to obtain groundwater flow models for both hillslope (sloping) and horizontal single aquifer (unconfined and confined) as well as for multi-aquifer system containing any number of aquifers within a sedimentary basin. This unique feature of GHL-D equation to model most aquifers types and configurations makes it a more elegant groundwater flow modeling tool with potentials for wider applications than most of the existing groundwater flow models. The GHL-D Model, when use for simulations of groundwater flow in single or multi-aquifer system, will have the capability of giving better understanding of the groundwater flow dynamics in such systems. This is important because most of the sedimentary basins of the world are multi-aquifer in nature and accurate knowledge of groundwater flow within them is important to geoscientists in determining long time yield and water sustainability in such geological structures