On the Solution of Confined Aquifer Flow Equations: Finite Difference Approximations

Abstract

In general, groundwater flow in porous media on a microscopic level is three-dimensional. However, when considering regional flow problems ie groundwater flow on a macroscopic level, it is noted that because of the low ratio of aquifer thickness to horizontal length, the flow in the aquifer is practically horizontal [21]. Flow in confined aquifers is therefore described by a two-dimensional second order non-linear partial differential equation with variable coefficients on a finite domain. In this paper, we examine the case of a confined aquifer that is being pumped