Impact of the buried-valley geometry on the groundwater flow: a finite-element numerical model

Abstract

Wpływ geometrii pogrzebanych dolin na przepływy wód podziemnych: model numeryczny metodą elementów skończonych A theoretical analysis of the groundwater flow, undertaken on the basis of a numerical model using the finite-element method, reveals a strong variability of the velocity and residence time within the aquifers of the buried Pleistocene valleys in the Gdańsk region. The estimation of a unit water-portion trajectory allows one to obtain local residence times of groundwater, to spot the places where the oldest water can be found, as well as to describe a vertical change of the groundwater flow in the cross-section of an aquifer.