KGS Home Geohydrology Home Reports

Kansas Geological Survey, Open-file Report 1994-8


Approximate Methods for the Simulation of Groundwater Contamination Processes

by
Hillel Rubin

KGS Open File Report 1994-8

Abstract

This report presents improvements in the classical boundary layer (CBL) approximation method to obtain simple but robust initial characterizations of aquifer contamination processes. Contaminants are considered to penetrate into the groundwater through the free surface of the aquifer. By specifying concentration values for the boundary of the "region of interest" (ROI) simulated as a boundary layer (BL), the CBL method is improved to obtain the "top specified boundary layer" (TSBL) method. By use of the TSBL the ability to predict the development of concentration profiles over both space and time is greatly improved. The TSBL approach developed in this study can be useful for cases in which the contaminant concentration is prescribed at the aquifer's free surface as well as for cases in which the contaminant mass flux is prescribed at the surface.

In the framework of this study the usage of a hierarchy of approximate methods, leading to the TSBL approach, is presented and evaluated. It is considered that such a presentation provides all information needed for the adoption of the TSBL application in various cases and phenomena of groundwater contamination.

The complete text of this report is available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

Read the PDF version (738 kB)


Kansas Geological Survey, Geohydrology
Placed online Oct. 16, 2013
Comments to webadmin@kgs.ku.edu
The URL for this page is http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Hydro/Publications/1994/OFR94_8/index.html