Three-Dimensional Semianalytical Solutions of Groundwater Flow to a Well in Fractured Wedge-Shaped Aquifers

Abstract

The three-dimensional Laplace domain solutions of groundwater flow to a well in fractured double porosity confined, unconfined, and leaky wedge-shaped aquifers are developed. Three wedge boundary configurations: (1) two constant head zero drawdown; (2) two impermeable; and (3) one constant head zero drawdown and one impermeable wedge boundary are considered. Dimensionless drawdowns are obtained for different wedge boundary configurations to investigate flow system behavior. Lateral boundary dimensionless flux at a representative line is also calculated for two constant head zero drawdown configuration and its sensitivity to the matrix hydraulic parameters are investigated. Results of our study are presented in the form of dimensionless flux-dimensionless time and dimensionless drawdown-dimensionless time, type curves. The results are useful for evaluating the role of matrix hydraulic parameters on lateral boundary depletion rate and investigation of flow system behavior in double porosity wedge-shaped aquifers with different lateral boundary configurations. The presented analytical solutions can also be used in parameter identification, stream depletion rate estimation and numerical models verification.