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• Stream-function-based (SFB) method is developed for 2D particle tracking along exact streamlines. • The branch cut effect of multivariable stream function around wells is avoided. • Unlike existing methods, the SFB method does not lead to accumulative errors in the particle position. Particle tracking is an essential process in analyzing groundwater flow and solute transport in aquifers. A drawback of existing particle tracking methods, which are based on approximate estimations of the velocity in a time step, is the accumulative errors of numerous time steps would lead to deviation of particles away from the exact streamlines, especially when pumping and injecting wells exist. In this study, to improve the accuracy of particle tracking for the two-dimensional (2D) steady-state flow around wells, we propose a stream-function-based (SFB) particle tracking method in which a particle is traced along the exact streamline with a given value of the stream function, and the branch cut effect caused by the multivalued stream function around a well is eliminated. Three synthetic cases are used to demonstrate the advantages of the SFB method over the existing Pollock method and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. In the cases of a single pumping well and an injecting-pumping well pair, the Pollock and Runge-Kutta methods yield pathways that may be far away from the exact streamline, but the SFB method performs much better. In the case with a pumping well and two injecting wells, the SFB method successfully delineated a narrow capture zone of the pumping well, which requires a high accuracy particle tracking process. Moreover, the accuracy of particle positions obtained by the SFB method is insensitive to the step-travel distance. The study would be useful for accurate investigation of flow fields in aquifers disturbed by wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straightforward solutions have long been expected for the analysis of multiwell aquifer tests. In this paper, we derive series analytical solutions of steady-state groundwater flow in a rectangular-shaped aquifer with pumping/injection wells for both confined and unconfined conditions. Double Fourier Transform (DFT) technique is applied to deal with different combinations of impermeable and specified head boundaries on sides. The obtained solutions are compact and concise in mathematics and flexible in terms of well number, well locations, and pumping/injection rates. Hatoucaidang, a groundwater resource field in the Ordos Plateau, Northwestern China, is introduced as a field case study, where a multiwell aquifer test was conducted. One of the analytical solutions derived herein is used to estimate hydraulic conductivities by applying a direct calculation method and a least square estimation method regarding observed versus calculated drawdowns. By comparing with nearby single-well pumping tests, the reliability of the derived analytical solutions is proven. This study facilitates utilizing the multiwell aquifer test to analyze the general behavior of groundwater movement in aquifer systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater sampled at the outlets of uncased flowing wells in a thick unconfined aquifer, which has undergone mixing, has been found to have hydrochemistry similar to deep groundwater in discharge areas. To identify the hydrodynamic causes, transient models of groundwater flow and age in a three-dimensional homogeneous unit basin with flowing wells are constructed to obtain flow rates in wells and groundwater mean age around wells. Inflow of groundwater to the well in the deep part leads to mixing of groundwater from different sources, and the finally mixed groundwater is found to have the same age as groundwater in the aquifer at a specific depth, termed the equivalent position (EP). EP is always found in the lower half of the flowing well, indicating that a mixed sample at the outlet could represent deep groundwater. Outflow from the well to the unconfined aquifer in the shallow part results in aging of groundwater around the well. For fully penetrating flowing wells in confined aquifers, EP is found in the upper half of the aquifer. The different relative depths of EP to the screen interval in the two types of flowing wells are mainly due to the profiles of horizontal velocity in the inflow segment, which is basically uniform in a confined aquifer but increases from zero to a maximum value in unconfined aquifers. Thus, groundwater at the outlets of topography-controlled flowing wells is a window of the deep part of a basin, and existing long-screen wells could have the potential for groundwater sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Badain Jaran Desert (BJD) in China is a desert with impressive sand dunes and a groundwater situation that has attracted numerous researchers. This paper gives an overview of the mysteries of groundwater in the BJD that are exhibited as five key problems identified in previous studies. These problems relate to the origin of the groundwater, the hydrological connection between the BJD and the Heihe River Basin (HRB), the infiltration recharge, the lake-groundwater interactions, and the features of stable isotope analyses. The existing controversial analyses and hypotheses have caused debate and have hindered effective water resources management in the region. In recent years, these problems have been partly addressed by additional surveys. It has been revealed that the Quaternary sandy sediments and Neogene-Cretaceous sandstones form a thick aquifer system in the BJD. Groundwater flow at the regional scale is dominated by a significant difference in water levels between the surrounding mountains and lowlands at the western and northern edges. Discharge of groundwater from the BJD to the downstream HRB occurs according to the regional flow. Seasonal fluctuations of the water level in lakes are less than 0.5 m due to the quasi-steady groundwater discharge. The magnitude of infiltration recharge is still highly uncertain because significant limitations existed in previous studies. The evaporation effect may be the key to interpreting the anomalous negative deuterium-excess in the BJD groundwater. Further investigations are expected to reveal the hydrogeological conditions in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordos Basin is one of the most intensively studied groundwater basins in China. The Ordos Plateau, located in the north part of the Ordos Basin, is ideal to study the pattern of regional groundwater circulation induced by water-table undulations due to the wavy topography and the relatively simple aquifer systems with macroscopically homogeneous sandstone. In catchments located near the first-order divide, the water table is found to be a subdued replica of the topography, and the nonclosed water-table contours in topographic highs of a catchment are indicative of regional groundwater outflow to other catchments. In topographic lows, groundwater-fed lakes/rivers, topography-driven flowing wells, water-loving and/or salt-tolerant vegetation, and soap holes are all indicative of discharge areas. In discharge areas, although groundwater inflow from recharge areas is relatively stable, seasonal variations in groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration lead to significant seasonal fluctuations in the water table, which can be used to estimate groundwater inflow and evapotranspiration rates based on water balance at different stages of water-table change. In the lowest reaches of a complex basin, superposition of local flow systems on regional flow systems has been identified based on groundwater samples collected from wells with different depths and geophysical measurements of apparent resistivity, both of which can be used for characterizing groundwater flow systems. This study enhances understanding of the pattern of regional groundwater circulation in the Ordos Plateau, and also tests the  effectiveness of methods for groundwater flow-system characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The occurrence of flowing wells in basins has been found to be closely related to the discharge area with an upward hydraulic gradient. Unfortunately, previous studies on upward gradient induced wellbore flow with equaling total inflow (Qin) in the deep and total outflow (Qout) in the shallow could not explain the occurrence of flowing wells. By representing wells using the MNW2 Package imbedded in MODFLOW 2005, we obtain the exchange of groundwater between the aquifer and the well in the discharge area of 3D unit basins and identify three scenarios: Qin = Qout, Qin > Qout > 0 and Qin > Qout = 0. The relationship of Qin > Qout well explains why flowing wells only develop in a limited part of the discharge area. Sensitivity analysis shows that well location, water table undulation, and basin length–depth ratio do not change the profile of the ratio of cumulative flow rate in a flowing well to total inflow (Qv/Qin) versus the relative elevation in the inflow segment, zin*, but could significantly change the length of the inflow segment; well depth could change both the length of the inflow segment and the profile of Qv/Qin versus zin*. Based on the numerical results in homogeneous and isotropic basins with different basin length–depth ratios in the current study, the ratio of inflow in the lower half part of a flowing well to the total inflow is found to be at least 67% and could be close to 100%, indicating that water at the outlets of flowing wells with long open sections is mainly from the deep part of the well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slug tests are a widely used technique to estimate aquifer hydraulic parameters and the test data are generally interpreted with analytical solutions under various assumptions. However, these solutions are not convenient when slug tests are required to be analyzed in a three-dimensional model for complex aquifer-aquitard systems. In this study, equivalent well blocks ( EWB) are proposed in numerical modeling of slug test data with MODFLOW. Multi-well slug tests in partially penetrating wells with skin zones can be simulated. Accuracy of the numerical method is demonstrated by benchmarking with analytical solutions. The EWB method is applied in a case study on slug tests in aquitards in the Pearl River Delta, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quasi-analytical solutions of depth to water table (DWT) in unconfined aquifer. • Amplitude of DWT correlates with that of precipitation linearly and positively. • Amplitude of DWT correlates with that of evapotranspiration (ET) parabolically. • The phase of ET is in advance of DWT lags in arid area. • The ET and precipitation affect the phase of DWT in synchrony in humid area. Depth to water table (DWT) for an unconfined aquifer affects a wide range of hydrological, ecological, and agricultural problems such as soil salinization, plant type, and crop output. In a world without human impacts, DWT in shallow groundwater zones is mainly driven by evapotranspiration and precipitation. In the real-world however, human impacts on groundwater hydrological processes are ubiquitous, which hinders one to fully understand the natural groundwater hydrological rule. The purpose of this study is to derive an analytical solution of precipitation-evapotranspiration driven DWT irrespective of the human impacts. Through pretreatment of practical data to eliminate human impacts, we show that the proposed method is efficient in dealing with the real-world problems. Specifically, we establish a mathematical model describing impacts of periodic evapotranspiration and precipitation on DWT. An innovative quasi-analytical solution using the Fourier series is developed and analyzed in detail based on the model. This study indicates that the amplitude of DWT is correlated linearly with the amplitude of precipitation and quadratically with the amplitude of potential evapotranspiration. The phase position of DWT is subject to the phase lag between the precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. In arid regions, the evapotranspiration has a greater influence on the phase of DWT than the precipitation. This quasi-analytical solution is limited for a shallow groundwater situation in which DWT is less than the extinction depth of groundwater evapotranspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise and fall of the groundwater level can drive air flow in the vadose zone. In turn, the air flow can interact with the water flow. When the unconfined aquifer is covered by a low-permeability media, the coupling of the water flow and the air flow is more obvious. In this study, a conceptual model is established for coupling of air flow and water flow in the vadose zone in response to rapid fluctuations of the water table. Water injection and drainage experiments are conducted in a double-layered sand column with a thick layer (80.5 cm) of coarse sand and a thin layer of fine sand as a low-permeability cap. Different cap thickness (2 cm, 5 cm, 7.5 cm) and different thickness of the vadose zone (30 cm, 40 cm) are set for the experiments. Negative pressure (NP)/positive pressure (PP) of the air in the vadose zone is observed in the drainage/injection experiments, with higher pressure in experiments of thicker cap layer. In each experiment, NP or PP increases rapidly to reach a maximum in the early stage, and gradually becomes zero in the late stage. Analytical solutions on three subdivided stages indicate the permeability and thickness of the cap layer, as well as permeability and porosity of the media in the vadose zone are the key controlling factors on the process of coupling of air flow and water flow. The solutions also reveal the formation mechanism of air pressure in the vadose zone with a low-permeability cap. This study has both theoretical significance and engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The groundwater divide within a plane has long been delineated as a water table ridge composed of the local top points of a water table. This definition has not been examined well for river basins. We developed a fundamental model of a two-dimensional unsaturated–saturated flow in a profile between two rivers. The exact groundwater divide can be identified from the boundary between two local flow systems and compared with the top of a water table. It is closer to the river of a higher water level than the top of a water table. The catchment area would be overestimated (up to ~50%) for a high river and underestimated (up to ~15%) for a low river by using the top of the water table. Furthermore, a pass-through flow from one river to another would be developed below two local flow systems when the groundwater divide is significantly close to a high river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract:Unconfined aquifers beneath piedmont pluvial fans are widely distributed in front of mountains and proper for water supply with pumping wells. However, the catchment zone and capture zones of a pumping well in such an unconfined aquifer is not well known. We develop a conceptual model of the flow between a segmental inflow boundary and a discharge boundary of constant head. The catchment zone is delineated from dimensionless numerical results via MODFLOW and MODPATH. Sensitive analyses are conducted with lumped parameters. The shapes of the catchment zone are classified into 4 types according to different connections to the boundaries and quantitatively analyzed with typical shape factors. Capture zones with respect to special travel times are identified from travel time distribution in the catchment zone. The modeling results are compared with previous analytical solutions for special simple cases. As indicated, the size of a capture zone is not larger than that of the same travel time but in an infinite confined aquifer with uniform regional flow. Keywords: Water table, piedmont pluvial fans, catchment zone, travel time, numerical modeling [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We summarize field observations of 14C age showing obvious GW aging in two basins. • Pumping causes not only rejuvenation, but also aging of GW in layered basins. • Although GW rejuvenation is larger in area, aging is greater in magnitude. • We identify two new mechanisms of pumping-induced GW aging in layered basins. • Topography-driven flow is the main cause of GW aging in the discharge area. As an indicator of the renewability of a groundwater basin, the spatial distribution of groundwater age has attracted intensive research. As reported in the literature, 3H measurements in 74 US aquifers showed pumping-induced groundwater rejuvenation, whereas 14C ages in two heavily developed aquifers in France and China indicated pumping-induced groundwater aging. Unfortunately, the mechanisms leading to the seemingly opposite behavior of pumping-induced aging and rejuvenation remain unclear. In this study, we conducted numerical simulations of groundwater age in layered aquifer-aquitard systems under different pumping scenarios and aquitard permeability to show that pumping-induced groundwater rejuvenation and aging always occur simultaneously. Groundwater rejuvenation widely occurs throughout the basin wherever the well is located, whereas groundwater aging mainly occurs to the downgradient parts of the basin. Although groundwater rejuvenation is larger in area, groundwater aging is greater in magnitude, and the magnitude of aging increases with pumping intensity and duration. Moreover, when pumping occurs in the discharge area, aging could occur in almost the entire aquifer to the downgradient of the pumping well, and the magnitude of aging is larger. The large area and large magnitude of aging in the discharge area is a direct result of upward leakage of old groundwater from underlying aquitards/aquifers, which is controlled by the topography-driven groundwater flow. By demonstrating the importance of topography-driven groundwater flow and underlying formations in groundwater age redistribution, this study has implications for determining the bottom of a groundwater flow and solute transport model and interpretation of various tracers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Groundwater in Beijing Plain has been severely depleted. • A pilot MAR indicates great potential to restore depleted storage. • A large-scale MAR is designed and simulated with multi-scale models. • Sustainable groundwater development can be achieved with the MAR operation. Intensive groundwater exploitation has depleted groundwater storage and led to a series of geo-environmental problems in Beijing Plain, China. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) has been endorsed to mitigate the groundwater storage depletion and achieve groundwater sustainability. A pilot MAR has been tested in the Chaobai River catchment since 2015. An innovative large-scale MAR consisting of 9 cascade terraced infiltration ponds was proposed and its effectiveness was assessed in this study using an integrated modelling approach. The integrated model coupled the regional and local transient flow and transport processes. The transient regional flow model simulated historical groundwater level declines and storage depletion in the Beijing Plain from 1995 to 2018. The coupled regional and local flow model was used to simulate the pilot MAR test in the Chaobai River from 2015 to 2018. A significant groundwater level increase was observed nearby the pilot MAR since 2015. The transport model results indicate that approximately 40% of the infiltrated water was captured by pumping wells in the No.8 well field. The models were further used to assess the long-term effects of the large-scale MAR from 2020 to 2050. The simulation results show that the groundwater system will reach a new equilibrium state under the implementation of the large-scale MAR scheme. Almost 91% of the abstracted water in the No. 8 well field will come from the MAR infiltration. The proposed large-scale MAR is very effective in restoring the depleted aquifer storage and maintaining the groundwater abstraction in the No.8 well field. However, with the increase of the groundwater level, the infiltration rate of several ponds will decrease. Therefore, it is important to maintain a dynamic balance between artificial recharge and groundwater abstraction in order to achieve a sustainable long-term MAR operation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We separate the roles of upward discharge and aquitards in flowing artesian zone. • Basinal flow are coupled with well hydraulics to examine hydraulics of flowing wells. • A low K aquitard causes a large flowing artesian zone but low stable discharge rate. • Baseflow reduction is the main source of groundwater derived in flowing wells. Causes and water sources of flowing artesian wells attracted the interest of many hydrogeologists throughout history, however, a quantitative model that satisfactorily considers the roles of topography, groundwater recharge/discharge and aquitards on hydraulics of flowing wells is still lacking. In this study, a three-layer river-valley basin with a recharge boundary is used to obtain the basinal flow field, spatial distribution and transient discharge rates of flowing wells. Even if there is an aquitard separating the unconfined and the confined aquifers, groundwater discharge to the river still plays a critical role in occurrence of flowing wells. An aquitard with lower permeability would enlarge the zone with flowing wells, implying that flowing wells are more likely to occur in basins with continuous aquitards. By comparing flowpaths and inter-aquifer leakages before and after numerically installing a flowing well in a three-layer basin, we find decreased upward leakage in the discharge limb plays a much larger role than increased downward leakage in the recharge limb in the stable discharge rate of a flowing well. This recognition is different from previous studies where the stable discharge rate is supported only by downward leakage from the overlying aquifer. By considering well hydraulics in a basinal background flow field, this study improves understanding of the mechanisms of flowing artesian wells and the interaction of surface water and deep groundwater, indicating that flowing wells are valuable for sampling deep groundwater representative of deep and old groundwater in the discharge area of a basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three alternative conceptual models were constructed. • Each model was calibrated automatically and evaluated statistically. • Hydrogeological interpretations are the basis for the conceptualisation. • Modelling objectives determine the complexity of the conceptual models. Three alternative groundwater flow models were evaluated for Beijing Plain, China. The first model (AM1) was constructed with the "thin layer approach" in which all 9 model layers, including five aquifers separated by four aquitards, are continuously present in the same model area. The second model (AM2) was constructed with the "quasi-3D approach" in which the hydrogeological formations were classified into five aquifer units consisting of mixed permeable and semi-permeable layers at different depth ranges. The third model (AM3) was constructed with the "true layer approach" in which aquifers and aquitards were defined according to hydrostratigraphic properties, and model layers are absent in the area where corresponding hydrogeological formations intersect bedrocks. All 3 models were calibrated with the parameter optimization method under the steady state flow condition with the same hydrological stresses and observation data. All three models fit to observations well with the similar calibration criteria values. Furthermore, AIC and BIC information criteria could not distinguish three alternative models. Only KIC could identify AM3 as the best model. Major differences of the three alternative models were identified from a hydrogeological perspective. The AM1 model depicted an illusion through contour maps that groundwater was present everywhere in the deep aquifers. The model computed larger vertical leakages because more abstraction rates were assigned improperly in deep aquifers. The AM2 model was able to compute regional groundwater balances and depicted spatial groundwater level variations. However, the AM2 model computed longer groundwater travel times around the wellfield and should not be used for the delineation of the well field protection zones and contaminant transport simulation. The AM3 model could not only compute the regional groundwater balances and describe spatial groundwater distribution in deep confined aquifers, but also delineate the capture zone of the wellfield. It can therefore be used for simulating contaminant transport. Furthermore, the AM3 model is suitable to construct a coupled regional and local flow model for simulating a managed aquifer recharge scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]