,oL.

12.

NO.

WATER RESOURCES

RESEARCH

DECEMBER

1976

A Single-Potential Solution for Regional Interface Problems

in Coastal Aquifers
O. D. L. Srna,cr
Departnrcnt of Ciail and lIineral Engineering, nioersity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

An analytic technique for solving three-dimensional interface problems in coastal aquifers is presented
cases of steady state flow with homogeneous isotropic permeability
where the vertical flow rates can be neglected in relation to the horizontal ones (the Dupuit-F'orchheimer
assumptron). The aquifer is divided into zones defined by the type olflow occurring. These types offlow
may be either confined, unconfined, confined interface, or unconfined interface flow, where the interfaces
separate freshwater from salt water at rest. The technique is based upon the use ofa single potential which
is defined throughout all zones of the aquifer. This potential in each zone can be represented in a way
similar to that suggested by Girinskii in 1946 and 1947. The potential introduced in this paper is single
valued and continuous throughout the multiple-zone aquifer, and its application does not require that the
boundaries between the zones be known in advance. The technique thus avoids the difficulties that result
lronr the discontinuity of both the velocity gradients and the Girinskii potentials at the boundaries
between the zones and from the unknown locations of these boundaries. The use of the single-valued
potential is illustrated in this paper for an analytic technique, but it may be used with some advantage in
numerical methods such as finite difference or finite element techniques. Applications discussed in this
paper involve two interface flow problems in a shallow coastal aquifer with a fully penetrating well. The
first problem is one ol unconfined interface flow where the upper boundary is a lree water table. The
second is one of confined interface flow where the upper boundary is horizontal and impervious. Each
problem involves two zones. One zone is adjacent to the coast and is bounded below by an interlace
between freshwater and salt water at rest. The other zone is bounded below by an impervious bottom. It is
shown that saltwater intrusion in the well occurs when the discharge of the well surpasses a certain value
for which the interface becomes unstable. The conditions that must be met to prevent such saltwater
intrusion are established for each problem and are represented graphically.

in this paper. Restriction is made to

Ixrnopucttox

types

An important class of groundwater flow problems involves

.:eady state confined, unconfined, or interface flow in homo::neously isotropic coastal aquilers. Although well-developed
.:chniques exist for problems ofthis class, these have not been
::adily applicable to three-dimensional problems with two or
-:ore of these flow types in a single coastal aquifer. However,
rost problems ol practical importance involve three-dimenflow which olten can be treated in two dimensions by
'.onal
-:glecting flow in the vertical direction.
The Dupuit-Forchheimer assumption, which dates back to
.re end of the previous century [Dupuit, 1863; Forchheimer,
i86], has led to simple approximate techniques lor solving
.:eady state confined and uncontined flow problems. This as,:mption, which states that equipotentials can be approxi...ated by vertical surfaces, often appears to be sufficiently
-:alistic. I'or example, the cases of steady state confined and
-nconfined flow may be handled in this fashion. A lormula
:esulting lrom the investigations of Badon Ghyben [1888] and
lerzberg [901] combined with the Dupuit-Forchheimer as-

,lmption has led to a treatment of interface problems

in
:oastal aquifers fcf . Bear, 1972] similar to that lor problems of
-nconTined flow.

The techniques nrentioned above for problems of confined

,nd unconfined flow and confined and unconlined interface

iow involve some additional approximations that are

men.:oned here for the sake of completeness. For unconfined flow

.ie actual transition zone between water and air is approxirated by a groundwater table, and an impervious base forms
.he lower boundary of the aquifer. For unconfined and con,ned interlace flow the upper boundaries are a free water table

,nd a horizontal impervious stratum, respectively. For both

Copyright @ 1976 by the American Geophysical Union.

of interface flow the salt and fresh groundwater are

to be separated by an interface rather than by a

assumed

transition zone. Furthermore. the flow rates in the saltwater

region are assumed to be negligible in relation to the flow rates

in the freshwater region.

L.ach of the four flow types mentioned above (confined,
unconfined, confined interflace, and unconfined interface) is
usually associated with its own method of solution. The use of

the potential lunctions introduced by Girinskii in 1946 and

1947 for confined, unconfined, and unconfined interface flow
reduces the mathematical differences between these three types
of problems to differences in the expressions of the potential in
terms ol the head. The advantage of the use of these potentials
is that the potential as a lunction of spatial coordinates is the
same for problems of different flow types and the same bound-

ary conditions.

Girinskii's 11946, 19471 potentials are capable of incorporating a permeability that varies in the vertical direction,
an aspect that will not be explored further in this paper, where
the permeability is taken to be a constant. The Girinskii potentials for confined and unconfined flow can be applied to mixed
confined-unconfined aquifers and together represent a function that is single valued and continuous throughout the flow
region [cl. Arauin and Nunterou, 1965, pp. 291-296). The potential introduced by Girinskii U947) for unconfined interface
flow, however, does not combine with the potentials for confined and unconfined flow to produce a single-valued function.
Various authors have studied two-dimensional problems in
coastal aquilers. Exact analytic solutions lor two-dimensional
flow in the vertical plane of deep aquifers involving horizontal
drains were presented, for instance, by Ackermann and Chang
ll97ll, Bear and Dagan l96al, De Josselin de Jong 11965l,
and Strack U972, 1973). The influence of the drain on the form
and position of the interface, being of considerable practical

I 165

Srnecr: Coesut AeurFERs

I 166

rmportance, was determined by these authors. It was shown by

Bear and Dagan |964a1 and Strack [1972, 1973) that instability of the interface, leading to saltwater intrusion in the
drain, occurs il the discharge of the drain reaches a certain
value. Bear and Dagan [964] and Henry ll959l presented
exact solutions for problems of two-dimensional interlace flow
without wells or drains in shallow coastal aquifers where the
lower boundary is formed partly by an interface and partly by

a horizontal impervious stratum.

Combinations of vertical wells with a shallow coastal aquifer lead to three-dimensional problems. A simple method of
solving such problerns is presented in this paper. The solution
is described in terms of a single-valued potential which is
continuous and harmonic throughout the aquifer. In zones of
confined, unconflned, and unconfined interface flow the potential is equal to the appropriate Girinskii potential plus a constant, determined from the condition that the potential be
single valued throughout the aquifer. Girinskii did not define a

potential lor zones

Casewherea:0

e,: - fiw*ot
it is

U/(2a)1k(a

confined flow, and unconfined interface flow these pote:: -l

are special cases of functions introduced by Girinskii t'.-t

1947], which are valid for the general case that k is a ful:-. :.:

of the vertical coordinate. Arauin and Numerou [1953.

By delining the potential

Casewherea

A:ka(+13/a),+C
Casewherea=0

olflow and having a magnitude

equal to the discharge flowing

through a surface perpendicular to the direction of flow, of

unit width and of a height equal to the thickness of the flow
region. According to this definition the components ol the
discharge vector are found by the multiplication of the corresponding components of the specific discharge vector by the
thickness of the flow region.

If the vertical component of the specific discharge vector is

neglected, according to the Dupuit-Forchheimer assumption,
and if q, and q, represent the two horizontal components ol
the specific discharge vector, Darcy's law lor a homogeneous

it is seen from (4) th.: -:r

discharge vector equals minus the gradient of ,D; i.e.,

Q,: -i:/ax

Qy: -a/ay

The difference between Girinskii potentials for homoge:=: -.ti

permeability and the lunction iD is the occurrence of the ::-stant C. It will be shown below that introduction of s-:: .
constant is a necessary condition for single-valuedness ;: -::c
potential when one is dealing with cases in which dii:-::^
types of flow occur in the same aquifer.
The governing differential equation for the potentltr. i h
obtained from the continuity equation in terms of the :--ponents of the discharge vector, which is

isotropic aquifer reads

t
;--!-A- ='

Q,

,a
,=-K

ax

qn=-k,

(l

av

where k is the permeability, 6 is the head, and x and y are

Cartesian coordinates in the horizontal plane. (The specific
discharge vector points in the direction of flow and has a
magnitude equal to the discharge flowing through a unit area.)
Representing the components o[ the discharge vector as Q,
and Qn and the thickness of the aquifer as ,, one obtains

Q,: hQ,: -0, *

Q":

hQn: *oo

(3)

Examples of such types offlow are unconfined flow, where the

head @ is equal to the elevation of the phreatic surface above
the impervious base , and confined flow, where ft is equal to a
constant, H. In the former case, constants a and p are one and
zero, respectively, and in the latter case, a is zero, and p is 11.

Substitution of (3) for h in (2) yields, in considering separately the case where a equals zero,

Casewhereaf0

*Woar*l

Qn: -

where 1 represents some constant influx into the aquier '-:"r:

either above or below. The differential equation in tern:. , r
is readily obtained from (6) and (7) to be

az +2 __r
x2 ' y'
DrscnrprroN or e SHer-low Coe.srel Aqurren

(2)

Restriction will be made in this paper to types of flow where

the thickness of the aquifer may be represented as a linear
function of the head:

h:a+

where C stands for a constant,

The discharge vector is defined as pointing in the direction

--

as

=ka+c
DrscuencE Vrcron AND DISCHARce PorrNueL

.;'

discussed these functions, referring to them as Girinskii p,:::'rtials, for cases of conflned and unconfined flow.

sented.

Q,

- fiwrot

noted that k is a constant. The expres. -::.

* )' and k are, by definition, potentia.s :f
the discharge vector for cases where a is unequal to zert' ,:u!
equal to zero, respectively. For the cases of unconfined -, o
where

ol

conflned interface flow, and a new

expression for the potential applicable to such zones is pre-

e" =

filia"r. l

Problems of interface flow often occur in coastal aq- 'rwhere fresh groundwater flows from land to coast abo\3 irrl
groundwater that is in direct connection with the sea. A :r: :-,r
unconfined coastal aquifer is represented in Figure 1. ,i::':
the upper and lower boundaries of the flow region are lo:-..r
by a phreatic surface (a possible capillary zone is negle;-::
and an interface, respectively.
The treatment of problems of interface flow discussed :: -:i
paper is based upon the lollowing simplifying ssflpi---,:
mentioned in the introduction.
l. The flow rates in the saltwater zone are small in;:::parison with those in the freshwater zone and can be negle;::

2. An interface

rather than a transition zone sepa::=

lresh groundwater from salt groundwater.

3. The flow rates in the vertical direction are negligi:.: ri
relation to those in the horizontal direction. The head ..::I
any one vertical can then be taken to be constant and eq;. .r
the head at the point of the phreatic surface on that ver:.-:

Stnecr: Coesrll AeutFERs

n6'7

li
gorl ulace

f\t
L

1"

'it

intuface

lebl
6lt lvtlA,wfer
^t

ZONE OF I]N60I'JFINED INTEHCE

Fig.

PotrNrre.l

l.

FoR UNCoNFTNED INTERFACE

By denoting the specific masses of freshwater

-ind salt water by l, and 1", respectively, the well-known Ghyoen-Herzberg formula may be written with this notation as
(10)

lr))

'.see

Badon Ghyben, 1888i Herzberg, l90ll. If the head @ is

neasured in relation to some impervious base that lies a dis:ance ll, below sea level, one may write (see Figure I )

g:fu*H,

(lt)

:hus taking into account that the head is constant along a

:ertical and is equal to the height of the water table. The
:ollowing relations between h and hl and between h and hu are
:ound from (9) and (10):

hrll,/(l,

lr)l

: h"(l"/lr)

Erpressing r/ in terms ofd and 11, by the use

:ubstituting the result in (12), one obtains

ll"/(t,

lr\l

v"/(1"

(12)

of(ll)

- lr))H,

and

(13)

This equation becomes identical with the general relation (3)

retween and h if a and B are chosen as

l"/(1"

- lr)

= -ll"/(1" - lr)lH"

(14)

for unconfined interface flow is obtained lrom

5) by the use of (14) for a and B, which yields

The potential

a = lkll"/(l" .,r'here

lr)l@

H")z

Cui

(ts)

the subscript ui in the constant C,r relers to unconfined

:nterface flow.

PorpNuel

FoR UNCoNFTNno

Flow

For unconfined flow the well-known relation between the

read d and the thickness ofthe flow region, &, is, by taking the
rtmospheric pressure acting at the water table as the zero
:eference and adopting the Dupuit-Forchheimer assumption
'

cf. Figure I ),

:h

now are one and zero, respectively:

a:l

l6)

0:0

(17)

The potential ,D for unconfined flow is obtained from the

general equation (5) by taking a and B from (17); i.e.,

= lkf, + Cu

(9)

l).

h"= hrVr/(1"-

FLoW

This equation again is a special case of (3) in which a and 0

FLow

h=h1 *h"
Figure

ZA$e oF UNcoNFrNg,

Interface flow in a shallow coastal aquifer.

The distances from sea level to the phreatic surface and the
:nterface are represented as y and 1", respectively (see Figure
I ), both of which vary with position in the horizontal plane.
The total height ofthe flow region, being the sum olr and ,,
:s equal to h; i.e.,

,see

FLOW

(18)

The index u in Cu refers to unconfined flow.

Exe.uplr or Mrxno Uucounrurp-UwcoNntNrn

INrrnrncr Flow
Cases in which both unconfined flow and unconfined interface flow occur in one aquifer can now be described by the use
of a single potential iD. For an appropriate choice of constants

C,; and C, the potential

<D will be a continuous harmonic

function of the spatial coordinates throughout the flow region,
even though it has more than one representation in terms of
the head. This will be demonstrated lor the flow problem

indicated in Figure 2. The figure shows a vertical cross section

through a shallow coastal aquifer. There is no rainfall, and a

fully penetrating well with discharge Q intercepts part of a
steady flow toward the sea. Two different zones can be distinguished in the aquifer. In zone I, adjacent to the coast, unconfined interlace flow occurs. The lower boundary ofzone I is an
interface separating the flowing freshwater from salt water at
rest. The upper boundary is the phreatic surface. Zone 2 is a
zone of unconfined flow. The lower boundary is horizontal
and impervious, while the upper boundary again is a phreatic
surface. For zone I the potential is represented by (15), valid
for unconfined interface flow, and for zone 2, is given by
( I 8). Figure 3 gives a top view of the coastal aquifer of Figure
2 with the well W intercepting part of the flow from land to
sea. The location in the horizontal plane of the tip of the
saltwater tongue, where the interface touches the impervious
bottom (see Figure 2), is indicated in Figure 3 by a dotted
curve. The coast is assumed to be infinitely long, and the
aquifer is the right half ol the x, 1, plane.
Throughout the flow region the potential must fulfill the
differential equation (8), which for the case of no rainfall (1 :
0) reduces to Laplace's equation

a:o

az

ari+ i

In zone

the potential

(le)

is given by (15):

a =Lk-L,tr-H"fz+cui
ls lt
-

(20)

Stnecr: Coesrnl Aqurrrns

I 168

Z.Or,o

l^pffica ,ffe+w
Lt4

Fig.

In zone 2,

<D

2.

ol s|i|^ta$

equals (18):

e=tk,+C"

(21)

Along the tip ol the salt\r/ater tongue, is given by both (20)

and (21). In order for iF to be a single-valued function, both
representations must reduce to the same expression there. The
tip of the tongue occurs where the interface touches the impervious base (see Figure 2), i.e., where ft, equals the distance
between sea level and the impervious bottom. The latter distance is represented by the constant 11,, and the location olthe
tip of the tongue is defined by the condition

hr:

H,

(22)

: 'i!u" + n": n"

f

#rl

Cui

= *a",

Cu

li
l1

Q3)

c'

(24)

and

a:rkt$r:*c,

(25)

Fig.

3. Top view

lor

iD

(l:

thus become

,,*

J:-1q - n
"1,
ls - lr

(l

Zone 2

T ,'*'"'*

(l-

Hence the difference between Cut and C, must be equal to .

certain constant amount. One may choose either C,, or C, a:
zero without violating (27). ChoosinE Cut = 0, one obtains

r)'n", + c.,

(16

or

Zone

Along the tip of the tongue, (20) and (21) become, with (23),

tip of th:

+'i '+rH"2 + cut = *t$n"'+ c'

Expressions (20) and (21)

=hr+H,:'h,*H"
l1

respectively. For iD to be single valued along the

tongue, (24) and (25) must be equal;i.e.,

Cur:O , = -lkH"'?
ly

or, with (10) and (ll),

I _t

a -+

fiw

Interface flow in a shallow coastal aquifer with a well.

Lk,

_ tkH"r l:

(3t

l1

The mixed unconfined-unconfined interface flow problem nou

reduces to the determination of a function iD, harmonic an;

continuous throughout the flow region and satisfying th:

boundary conditions. The boundary conditions are readilj
established in terms of the head d and are then obtained i:
terms of iD by the use ol (29) and (30). Note that the particula:
choice for Cu, - Cu, equation (27), renders iD continuoui

of a shallow coastal aquifer.

Srucr: Co.lsul

I 169

Aeurrpns

elong the tip ol the tongue, while the harmonicity of iD

:hroughout the flow region follows from the continuity equa:ion (7) and the relation between the discharge vector and the

l.a35a

f-

:otential, equation (6).

The boundary condition along the coast is that the head @ is
:qual to the elevation of sea level above the impervious base
see

r1"

t,

ve, t:aa?c" a

Figure 2),

:H'

-@<Y(*

x=0

l-

(31)

t__

* here, as is indicated in Figure 4, the y axis coinbides with the

:oast and the x axis points toward the land. The expression for
along the coast, belonging to zone 1, is given by (29) with d
:rom (31); i.e.,

I
I

O=0

x=0

_(y(*-

(32)

The potential that is harmonic, fulfills boundary condition

and represents flow from land (infinity) toward the coast
. given by the following linear function of x:

Fig.

: Q,ox

(33)

The constant Q,o represents the discharge flowing into the sea
rer unit length of coast.
The presence ofa well can be incorporated readily by the use
rl the method of images as follows. If a well of discharge Q is
.ccated at a point on the x axis at a distance x, from the coast,
:tre potential for a well at x
xu, _y 0 and a recharge well at
i = -xw, _y 0 will make the coast an equipotential. One thus

rbtains, for the complete solution for flow from land to

,nd toward the well, the following expression:
Q

= Q.ox +

ffnlg;ffi)'''

sea

,: e,ox. + finl{1

: lkH,2':'alt
It lr

(35)

:lence the tip of the tongue corresponds to an equipotential,

.re equation of which is lound by setting (34) for equal to
::1e constant kH"2l"(1" - lr)/lr', a procedure which yields

;r,rl+7

:Q..x+ffnlx;ffi),,,

(36)

his equation enables one to determine the location of the tip

plane.

:: the tongue in the x, y

lor a given discharge and a given

,--rength of the flow from land to sea, expressed by Q,o, is
'-rund as follows. Il the radius ol the well, r., is small in
::lation to ru, one may approximate the various algebraic
The head at the well

:rpressions involved in (34) as follows, where x and y denote

:oints of the well. The expression (x - x,)'* y'zis about equal
""-t r,2; (x i
xr)z * y' approximates 4x,2; and x is nearly x..

(37)

When it is assumed that the well lies in the unconflnerl zone,

zone 2, Q equals (30), so that the following expression for the
head at the well, @., is obtained:

r-:l+

H/t)',

:1"* * ln 1* ,:f)"

(38)

Whether the well indeed lies in the unconflned zone can be

established as explained below.

PnrvrNuoN on Salrwe,ren lNrnusroN INro

(34)

.: may be verified that this function is indeed harmonic, that it

:'rcorporates a well of discharge Q at x : xw, = 0, that
:oundary condition (32) is flulfilled, and that the solution
::duces to (33) in the absence of the well (Q : 0).
The curve that defines the tip of the tongue in the x, y plane
s found from (34) as follows. It is seen from Figure 2 that the
::p of the tongue is defined by points where &, equals 11" (cf.
l2)) and where d is given by (23). The corresponding ex:ression forD is lound by substituting (23) lor @ in either (29)
:r (30), a procedure which yields

Coordinate system.

Thus (34) reduces to

,12),

4.

rnr Wrlr,

It is not known belorehand whether a situation such as that

indicated in Figure 2 actually occurs. It will in fact only exist
for certain values of the flow parameters. For exampk-, if the
discharge of the well in Figure 2 is gradually increased, the tip
of the tongue will shift inland until the interface reaches the
fully penetrating well. Brackish water will then occur in the
well, as is indicated in Figure 5. (Note that brackish water does
not necessarily occur if the well is not fully penetrating. F'or
the conditions for which brackish water will occur for the twodimensional case of a drain point, see Strack ll973l.) For
reference, situations in which the saltwater region does not
reach the well will be relerred to as one-fluid flow cases,
whereas cases such as the one indicated in Figure 5 will be
called two-fluid flow cases. It is of some practical interest to
determine the range of values of the flow parameters that
correspond to the one-fluid case for which the capturing of
brackish water is unlikely. It is noted that the solution expressed by (3a) is not valid lor the two-fluid flow case, since it
violates the assumption that the salt water is at rest.
An unstable interface occurs when the salt water is still at
rest while an infinitesimal increase of the discharge of the well
will cause the salt groundwater to flow. An unstable interface
is illustrated in Figure 6, where a cross section through the
aquifer perpendicular to the coast and passing through the
well is represented. That the interface is indeed unstable is seen
from the notion that the height of the phreatic surface has a
maximum vertically above the tip of the tongue, point M in
Figure 6. At the left of line MS the flow is toward the sca, and
to the right of MS the groundwater flows toward the well. The
slightest increase of the discharge of the well will now cause the
saltwater tongue to 'dash' toward the well. This is seen by
noticing that the head at the right of MS is not sufficiently high

Srnncx: Consr,qr. AeUTFERS

r 170

Fig.

5.

Well capturing brackish water

to prevent the
base. The

presence of salt water above the impervious

vertical MS in Figure 6 is a stagnation line; no flow

occurs across MS.

The unstable situation can be defined mathematically by
requiring that the stagnation point S correspond to the tip of
the tongue. Such a situation is indicated in the plan view in
Figure 7. Since the coordinates of the points of the x, / plane
corresponding to the tip of the tongue satisfy (36), the situation will be critical if the coordinates of the stagnation point
fulfill (36); the stagnation point will then correspond to the tip
of the tongue.
The coordinates of the stagnation point are found by setting
the two components of the discharge vector, Q, and Q", equal
to zero. According to (6), Q, and Q, are found by differentiating the potential of (34) partially with respect to x and y,
respectively. This yields

e.

and

-e.o

tlrl;*
al

- 6+#-l,,r,

.^

The coordinates of the stagnation point, x, and y", are lound

by setting Q, and Q, equal to zero; i.e.,

0,(;r,,.y"):0

Q"(x",y"):0

(41)

The second equation of (41) gives, with (40), the following two
possible solutions:

ls:0

x"lx*

x")0

(42)

and

lrom the sea. (lfx, equals zero, there aretwo stagnatior. r - -r,
at the coast: between them there is flow toward the rre. -*
elsewhere along the coast the flow is into the sea.) T:.: 'r
parmeters must therefore be chosen in such w\'tr:- -E
stagnation point lies inland of the coast, as is expres..: (42), x" ) 0,"y" : 0. Substitution of zero for y, in (J. ' :=
(39), gives, alter multiplication by a factor (x, - -r-- '
-

x*)',

- x*')' = -(Q/2r)l(x"2 - x.2)(x" * x.)

Jl
- (xr' - x*z)(x" - x,))
Division by the term x,2 - x*2, with x, I x, (see (42r . ; ,a
Q,o(x"'

after elaboration,

.. T
,"=lt--+^ 1,,,
xw L rVrox* Jl'" r'.=o

It follows that the stagnation point is located at the c:.. :'

Q/ftrQ,ox.) = l, since x, is then zero. In order for the s:.:::tion point to be inland of the coast, xs must be re. :riq
positive; this witl be the case

(43)

The case in which .r" = 0 must be excluded, since it corresponds to a stagnation point located at the coast which will
lead to the entrance of salt water into the flow region directly

if

Q/lQ,ox*l

I r

-h:

(see (45)).

As was mentioned above, an unstable interface occurs the coordinates of the stagnation point fulfill the equat:; the tip of the tongue, (36). Substituticn ofx" and y, fro: -:
lor x and y in (36) will therefore yield a condition for ti'.= ' !r
parameters corresponding to an unstable interlace. The :- L
ing equation may be written in the form

-r,=0 y"+0

t
= Zl r

-l'2,
tt, t-(lF/r)tz
[ln
l'- +
', , \l- t'',"
-;tnt+lt-tr/nY
1t-l

4-

where the dimensionless constants and

/"/"-1,

,_kH",
^e,"r, h
--->
rE
II

lfrpqtovi )trtutu

Fig.

6.

Instability of the interface at point

S.

p are defined :

Q
u:0,"-

il

zote

-{

.:r

Srnecx: Co,qsrel AeurEms

'Lip

Fig.

7.

ol

tah4ke

Critical situation in a plan view.

Since Q, Q,o, and xp are positive and since (47) must be

:ulfilled, p l= Q/(Q,ox.)l must be restricted to values between
zero and zr; i.e.,

0<p<r

(49)

Equation (47) is represented graphically in Figure 8a, where a

clot of the dimensionless quantities p -- Q/lQ,ox.l and :
iiH"'1"(1" - lr)/(lrQ,ox*) is represented. The ratio x"/x,, where
r= represents the unstable location ofthe tip ofthe tongue and
-tu. the location of the well, as a function of the dimensionless
quantity p = Q/lQ,ox,l is represented in Figure 8, obtained
rom (45). Points of the curve in Figure 8a correspond to
).-_

L:

instability of the saltwater tongue. Points to the left and to the

right of the curve correspond to one-fluid flow and two-fluid
flow, respectively. This may be illustrated by keeping all flow
parameters except Q, the discharge of the well, constant. (It
may be verified that any point to the left of the curve in Figure
8a corresponds to a head higher than the minimum value,
given by (35); i.e., such points correspond to a flow pattern of
one-fluid flow as indicated in Figure 2.) Starting at a point
corresponding to a critical situation and letting the discharge
decrease, one moves into the one-fluid zone. However, if one
lets the discharge increase, one moves into the two-fluid zone;
i.e., salt water will flow toward the well. The curves in the

s s-Q (\to)
e

Qtotn (f

lwo-flal- llow

\Ltublablo

vne

- ftttid- Ilw

Fig.

8.

117 I

Flow parameters for an unstable situation.

fi'|2

Srnncr: Coesrer- AeurFERs

plane corresponding to the tip of the tongue for four different In zone 2 the thickness of the flow region is constant and
situations, of which three are unstable, are represented in equal to H; i.e.,
Figure 9 as curves 1,2, 3, and 4. The corresponding points in
(54)
h=H
Figure 8 are labeled 1,2,3, and4, respectively. Note that only
the portions ofthe curves in the upper halfplaney > 0 are ThepotentialiDinzone2isfoundfrom(3),(5),and(54)tobe
represented; the complete curves are symmetric in relation to

:kH*C"

thexaxis.
Mrxeo CoNrINED-CoNFINEo INrrnrecn Flow
The results obtained above for the case of mixed unconfined-unconfined interface flow can be modified to apply to
the case of mixed confined-confined interface flow illustrated
in Figure 10.
This problem differs from the one illustrated in Figure 2
only in that the upper boundary of the aquifer now is formed
by a horizontal impervious layer. The expressions for the
potential in terms of the head g lor zone 1 (confined interface flow) and zone 2 (confined flow) are found, similarly to
the zones of the problem of Figure 2, as follows.
The head in zon I is f, with (see Figure l0)

=hrtH"

(50)

where h1 is the distance between piezometric and sea levels.

The thickness of the flow region in zone-l, , may

be

represented as follows (see Figure l0):

h:

h"

(H"

(51)

where 11 is the distance between the confining layers. By using

(50) and (51) in conjunction with the Ghyben-Herzberg formula ( l0) the lollowing expression for i in zone I is obtained:

(52)

It follows lrom (3), (5), and (52) that the expression for in
zone

is

* : o

ialr

- H"|

The boundary between the zones is at the tip of the tongue.

The head at the vertical surface through the tip ofthe tongue is

found from (52) by setting equal to

nt)' + c", (s3)

where the subscript ci in C"1refers to confined interface flow.

(Dti4non
nq | hlo cotihotn
unxtrblo
u

Plots representing the

(56)

The condition that (53) and (55) for be equal at the tip ofthe
tongue, wtrere (56) must hold, leads to the following condition:

c"

o'"; ,'- kHH"lf

- c"t: !llrtl
"

Il C"i is chosen to be zero, (57)

c'"i =

$7

becomes

- lr g, - kHH,l:
c": **1"
"11
2 lr

(5g

The boundary condition along the coast in terms of

lollows from (52) and (53) by setting equal to zero (see

=0

x=0

--<lr<

(59

where the coordinate system is as indicated in Figures l0 anc

4. It is noted that the boundary conditions (59) and (32) are

formally the same.
Ifthe discharge and location ofthe well and the strength Q,of the flow from land to sea are taken to be the same for the
problems of Figures l0 and 2, the potential iD as a function oi
the spatial coordinates wilt be the same for both problems.
This is seen by noticing that the potentials must fulfill the same
differential equation and the same boundary conditions for
both problems; the difference in the solutions only appears in
the representations of in the various zones. The function iD i:
thus given by (3a),

9.

a procedure which

Q: H"(1,/11)

't_

Fig.

.1,

yields

Figure I I ), which leads to

- H)

ll,
.
h=
TJ
l"- lr, _;L;H,+
l"- lr

(55)

xrt

atbto

@aL)+i0,5

tip of the saltwater tongue in the horizontal (x, l) plane. (Only the upper half plane
reproduced; the x axis is an axis of symmetry.)

is

Srucr:

tt73

Co,csreL Aqulrrns

?tezo^.e,+io

)eel ito lowq qviki.

l*n

C'A5L

rcel

lLu

I
Fig.

= Q.ox +

10.

H5

zore

,,"rn

Mixed confined-conflned interface flow.

fl nlg;ffif',"

illustrated in Figure 6, that interface instability occurs

(60)

,[, ^": L

The location of the tip of the tongue in the x, y plane is lound

H,(1,/l)
by setting iD equal to the value corresponding to
r see (56)). This value is found from either (53) or (55), with the
aid ol (58), and its substitution for in (60) yields

l1

1+(1 -tr/o)'''

a
U"u-=1- u: ffi

It may be noted that the left-hand side of this expression

differs lrom that of the expression obtained for the case of
Figure 2, equation (36), by a factor l(H/H")'zlr/1"). The reader
nay verify, by retracing the steps taken in the stability analysis
LFil

"

kN,

us 'f
cl

hAL r- t
Qror* e{

Lr,Lo-

-'*tnle.rlco lrowL ,4 q,

[= 0/(a;*1
2.O
L"/x*

2.5

and

(62)

(63)

Equation (62) is represented graphically in Figure 8c, as is seen

by noticing that Figure 8a is an illustration o(47), which has
the same form as (62). Note, however, that now is to be
replaced by " (see (63)) rather than by the expression indicated in the graph of Figure 8.
It may be of some practical interest to determine the location of the most inland point of the tip of the tongue. As is seen
lrom the sketch of the location of the tip of the tongue in the x,

(6r)

-l

7t

,l:- kH, l"-lr

n":

Q,ox

Q ,-f G-x,\'+Y'f"
,j;;tnl(x

[ln t-(l-tr/n)'''

where the subscript c in " refers to confined flow and where

lt

ikH,,+ :

4-.l"'+

7t)

if

Lu/x* as functions of the flow

parameters.

tt'74

Srnlcr: ColstnL Aqulrrns

y plane given in Figure 3, the most inland point ol the tip of

the tongue is at the ,r axis. For the mixed unconfined-unconfined interface flow case (cf. Figure 2) the ex-

benefit in numerical methods such as the finite element technique. The potential iD would then replace the head d as the
dependent variable throughout the aquifer, the necessity tc

pression for points ofthe tip ofthe tongue is given by (36). The
maximum distance from the coast to the tip of the tongue, L,,

zones, which are not known a priori, thus being avoided.

is iound by substituting Lu for

and zero for

y in (36),

procedure which yields, after some modification,

)\

2L+
xu

4 ln | (+,/x, - t)'1"
n LQ,t*.+)

Acknowledgments. The research reported in this paper develope:

from work done at the Delft University of Technology and ua.

(64)

with and p lrom (48).

A similar expression is obtained for the case of mixed confined-confined interface flow by the use of (6 I ),

^"=

r*+ r rn laa#:!"

(65)

with " and p rom (63). The distance from the coast to the
most inland point of the tip of the tongue is represented as I"
in (65). Equations (64) and (65) are represented graphically in
Figure ll. It may be noted that for the absence of thewell (Q
- 0), (64) and (65) reduce to the knowh expressions lor onedimensional flow [cf. Bear, 1972, pp. 562 and 563, equations
(9.7.5) and (9.7.9)1.

OrHrn AppLrcetloNs

The technique outlined in this paper is applicable to the

general class ol inultiple-zone aquifer problems, with the restriction that each zone must be either confined, unconfined,
unconfined interface. or confined interface flow. Constant
rainfall or evaporation may be incorporated into problems in
which the upper boundary ofthe flow region is a free surface.
Depending upon the complexity ol the problem, it may be
necessary to use more advanced techniques than the method of
images used in this paper. For example, one may use conlormal mapping techniques incorporating a single complex
potential O, defined as

0=+i
where

is the potential defrned above. The stream function

then is defined by the relations fGirinskii, 1946)

Q,-- -a/Y Q': +/ax

The problem can then be solved in terms oi the complex
potential, similarly to aquifer problems involving only one
type ol flow.

It

incorporate conditions along the boundaries between th:

may be noted that the technique is not restricted to

analytic methods of solution but may be used with some

supported by a grant from the Graduate School of the Universitl c'

Minnesota. I am indebted to Steven L. Crouch for his construclir.
comments.

RrpeneNces
Ackermann, N. L., and Y. Y. Chang, Salt water interlace dun:.;
ground-water pumping, J. Hydraul. Diu. Amer. Soc. Ciuil Eng.. -

223-23t,197r.
Aravin, V. I., and S. N. Numerov, Teoriya Duizheniya Zhidkoste:
Gazou u NedeJbrmiruemoi Poristoi Srede, Gosudarstvennoe lzi.tel'stvo Tekhniko-Teoreticheskoi Literatury, Moscow, 1953.
Aravin, V. I., and S. N. Numerov, Theory of Fluid Flow in Undefor""'
able Porous Media, Daniel Davey, New York, 1965.
Badon Ghyben. w., Nota in Verband met de Voorgenomen Putborr:;
Nabij Amsterdam, Tijdschr. Kon. Inst. Ing., 1888-1889, 8-22, 18:!
Bear, J., Dynamics of l-luids in Porous Media, Elsevier, New Yo:,.
t972.
Bear, J., and G. Dagan, Some exact solutions of interface problems :
means of the hodographic method, J. Geophys. Res., 64, 156:t572. 1964.

De Josselin de Jong, G., A many valued hodograph in an interf::.

problem, Water Resour. Res., 1(4), 543-555, 1965.
Dupuit, J., Etudes Thoretiques et Pratiques sur le Mouuement a=
Eaux dans les Canaux Dcouuerts et Traers les Terrains Pennt:'
bles, 2nd ed., Dunod, Paris, 1863.
Forchheimer, P., Uber die Ergiebigkeit von Brunnen-Anlagen u::
Sickerschlitzen, Z. Architekt. Ing. Ver. Hannooer, 32, 539-5t:
l 886.

Girinskii, N. K., Le potentiel complexe d'un courant surface lib:=

dans une couche relativement mince pour k = flz), Dokl. Akc:
Nau,t. S.SSR, 5 I (5\, 341-342, 1946.
Cirinskii, N. K., Kompleksnyi potentsial potoka presnykh vod ..
slabo naklonennymi struikmi, fiI'truyushchego v vodopronitsaen

tolshche morskikh poberezhii, Dokl. Akad. Noa&. ,S,S,SR, J8l:

559-56t, t947 .
Henry, H. R., Salt intrusion into freshwater aquifers, "/. Geophys. Re'
64, t9ll-19t9, t959.
Herzberg, A., Die Wasserversorgung einiger Nordseebaden, Z. Gc '
beleucht. Wasseruersorg., 44, 815-819, 824-844, 1901.
Strack, O. D. L., Some cases olinterface flow towards drains, "I. r.
M ath., 6, 175-191, 1972.
Strack, O. D. L., Many-valuedness encountered in groundwater flcr
doctoral thesis, Dellt Univ. of Technol., Delft, Netherlands, l9-:
(Received November 10, 1975;
revised May 14, 1976
accepted June l, 1976.)