For Confined Aquifer:

Assumptions:

1) Assume a very small part called the control volume with sides dx, dy, dz.

2) Assume the aquifer is homogeneous and isotropic

3) Assume movement of fluid in one direction through the control volume

Let
𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤
𝑞 =
𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
𝜌𝑤 = 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦

𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑥 = 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑥 − 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠

mass flux into control volume = 𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑥 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧

𝜕
mass flux going out = 𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑥 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 + 𝜕𝑥 (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑥 )𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧

net accumulation inside control volume due to flow parallel to x-axis =

𝜕
inflow - outflow = - (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑥 )𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧
𝜕𝑥

𝜕
due to flow parallel to z- axis = - 𝜕𝑧 (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑧 )𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑥
𝜕
due to flow parallel to y- axis = - 𝜕𝑦 (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑦 )𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧𝑑𝑥

𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
The total accumulation in the control volume = - ( (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑥 ) + (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑧 ) + (𝜌𝑤 𝑞𝑦 )) 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦

Let: Volume of water inside the control volume = n dxdydz, where n = porosity

therefore:

Initial mass of water = 𝜌𝑤 𝑛𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧

Volume of solid material = (1-n)dxdydz

𝜕𝑀 𝜕
The change of mass, M, of water wrt to time, t = 𝜕𝑡
= 𝜕𝑡
(𝜌𝑤 𝑛𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧)

As the pressure inside the control volume changes, so does the fluid density and porosity. The
compressibility of water 𝛽, is defined as rate of change in density with a change in pressure, P.
𝑑𝜌𝑤
𝛽𝑑𝑃 =
𝜌𝑤
The aquifer changes in volume too along with a change in pressure.
Another assumption at this point is that the only change is vertical. Thus, aquifer compressibility 𝛼:
𝑑(𝑑𝑧)
𝛼𝑑𝑃 =
𝑑𝑧
As the aquifer compresses or expands, porosity will change but the volume of solids will be constant.
Likewise, of the only deformation is in the z-direction, d(dx) and d(dy) will equal zero:

𝑑𝑉𝑠 = 0 = 𝑑[(1 − 𝑛)𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧]

Differentiating the equation above will yield to:

dzdn = (1-n) d(dz)

The pressure, P, at a point in the aquifer is equal to 𝑃𝑜 + 𝜌𝑤 𝑔ℎ , where Po is atmospheric pressure, a

constant, and h is the height of a column of water above the point. Therefore:

dP = 𝜌𝑤 𝑔𝑑ℎ

𝑑𝜌𝑤 = 𝜌𝑤 𝛽(𝜌𝑤 𝑔𝑑ℎ)

and d(dz) = dz𝛼(𝜌𝑤 𝑔𝑑ℎ) ---> dn = (1-n) 𝛼(𝜌𝑤 𝑔𝑑ℎ)

if dx and dy are constant, the equation for change of mass wrt to time in the control volume is:

substituting values of dP, 𝑑𝜌𝑤 , and dn:

The net accumulation of material expressed as:

Using Darcy's Law:

Substituting the values of qz. qx, and qy to the latest equation for net accumulation, yields to the main
equation of flow for a confined aquifer:

Multiplying both sides by aquifer width "b" :

 𝜕2 ℎ 𝜕2 ℎ 𝜕2 ℎ 𝜕ℎ
Kb(𝜕𝑥 2 + 𝜕𝑦 2
+ 𝜕𝑧 2
) = 𝑏(𝛼𝜌𝑤 𝑔 + 𝑛 𝛽𝜌𝑤 𝑔)( 𝜕𝑡 )

where kb = Transmissivity (T) and 𝑏(𝛼𝜌𝑤 𝑔 + 𝑛 𝛽𝜌𝑤 𝑔) is the storativity (S)

therefore:
𝜕2 ℎ 𝜕2 ℎ 𝜕2 ℎ 𝑆 𝜕ℎ
(𝜕𝑥 2 + 𝜕𝑦 2
+ 𝜕𝑧 2
) = (𝑇)( 𝜕𝑡 )

𝑆 𝜕ℎ
∇2 ℎ = ( )( )
𝑇 𝜕𝑡
For the unconfined aquifer:

Assumptions:

1) Assume flow is horizontal in any vertical profile

2) assume velocity qx is constant over the depth of flow z = h , where z is a function of x

3) Then velocity of the free surface can be expressed as:

water table

b1 𝜕ℎ
𝑞 = −𝑘 (𝜕𝑥 )
z=h
b2
𝜕ℎ
qx Q = -kh(𝜕𝑥 )

x Equation of flow becomes:

𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕ℎ
-[𝜕𝑥 (−𝑘ℎ 𝜕𝑥 ) + 𝜕𝑦
(−𝑘ℎ 𝜕𝑦 )] = (𝛼𝜌𝑤 𝑔 + 𝑛 𝛽𝜌𝑤 𝑔)( 𝜕𝑡 )

multiplying b to both sides:

𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕ℎ
kb[𝜕𝑥 (ℎ 𝜕𝑥 ) + 𝜕𝑦
(ℎ 𝜕𝑦 )] = 𝑏(𝛼𝜌𝑤 𝑔 + 𝑛 𝛽𝜌𝑤 𝑔)( 𝜕𝑡 )

where kb = Transmissivity T, and 𝑏(𝛼𝜌𝑤 𝑔 + 𝑛 𝛽𝜌𝑤 𝑔) = 𝑆𝑦

The equation for the unconfined aquifer will be:

𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 𝜕ℎ 𝑆𝑦 𝜕ℎ
[ (ℎ )+ (ℎ )] = ( )( )
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝑇 𝜕𝑡