Convergent radial dispersion: A Laplace transform solution for aquifer tracer testing

Water Resources Research
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Abstract

A Laplace transform solution was obtained for the injection of a tracer in a well situated in a homogeneous aquifer where steady, horizontal, radially convergent flow has been established due to pumping at a second well. The standard advection-dispersion equation for mass transfer was used as the controlling equation. For boundary conditions, mass balances that account for mixing of the tracer with the fluid residing in the injection and pumped wells were used. The derived solution, which can be adapted for either resident or flux-averaged concentration, is of practical use only for the pumped well. This problem is of interest because it is easily applied to field determination of aquifer dispersivity and effective porosity. Breakthrough curves were obtained by numerical inversion of the Laplace transform solution. It was found that tracer mixing with fluid in the pumped and injection wells, especially in low-porosity aquifers, may have a significant influence on the shape of the tracer breakthrough curves.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Convergent radial dispersion: A Laplace transform solution for aquifer tracer testing
Series title Water Resources Research
DOI 10.1029/WR025i003p00439
Volume 25
Issue 3
Year Published 1989
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Contributing office(s) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 9 p.
First page 439
Last page 447
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