ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN A VERTICAL AQUIFER SECTION

Analytical solutions are developed for modeling solute transport in a vertical section of a homogeneous aquifer with steady uniform groundwa ter flow. The source is assumed to be located at the top (or the botto m) of the aquifer, and the initial concentration is assumed to be zero everywhere in the aquifer. Both constant-flux and constant-concentrat ion sources are treated. For cases of a constant-flux source, we prese nt exact analytical solutions considering the following transport mech anisms: advection in the horizontal direction, dispersions in both hor izontal and vertical directions, adsorption, and biodegradation. For c ases of a constant-concentration source, we present simplified analyti cal solutions by neglecting dispersion in the horizontal direction. Fo r both kinds of sources, the solutions for aquifers with a relatively large or small thickness are presented and compared. The solutions for the two different source conditions are also compared for similar cas es. The comparisons indicate that simpler solutions, used in appropria te cases, can give the same results as those given by more complex sol utions. Example calculations are given to show the movement of the con tamination front, the steady-state concentration profiles, and the app lications to determine dispersivities. The analytical solutions develo ped in this study can be useful in site characterization, groundwater monitoring, and remediation. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.