Very intense pulse in the groundwater flow in fissurized-porous stratum

^*Department of Mathematics, University of California at Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720; and ^†Departaménto de Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain

Contributed by G. I. Barenblatt

Abstract

An asymptotic solution is obtained corresponding to a very intense pulse: a sudden strong increase and fast subsequent decrease of the water level at the boundary of semi-infinite fissurized-porous stratum. This flow is of practical interest: it gives a model of a groundwater flow after a high water period or after a failure of a dam around a collector of liquid waste. It is demonstrated that the fissures have a dramatic influence on the groundwater flow, increasing the penetration depth and speed of fluid penetration into the stratum. A characteristic property of the flow in fissurized-porous stratum is the rapid breakthrough of the fluid at the first stage deeply into the stratum via a system of cracks, feeding of porous blocks by the fluid in cracks, and at a later stage feeding of advancing fluid flow in fissures by the fluid, accumulated in porous blocks.