Mathematical models of compaction, consolidation and regional groundwater flow

A 3-D theory of groundwater flow and consolidation that allows for compress ibility of the soil or sediment matrix is that due to Blot (1941). However, this theory is inapplicable to virgin consolidation tests, where the defor mation of the soil along the critical state surface is accomplished by elas tic-plastic flow. In fact, Blot's model cannot even be applied to overconso lidated soils where the deformation is elastic, as it does not conserve the mass of the solid. In this paper, we provide a modified version of the mod el, and show how it can be extended to allow for elastic-plastic deformatio n and large-amplitude deformations in elastic-plastic compaction. A particu lar example of the potential application of this theory is to the groundwat er flow induced by the compaction of sediments by an overriding ice sheet, and we show how the commonly used Dupuit approximation can be employed to s implify the theory.