Paper Details

Groundwater flow through pores and fractures is driven by both pressure and hydraulic head. Upon this, different models have been developed. In the models, some parameters influencing the pressure and hydraulic head are embedded. An examination of the flow behaviour of water in pores and fractures must take cognizance of their roles. This paper studies the groundwater flow through a fractured aquifer using the Forchheimer model, to check the sustainability of any water project that may depend on the groundwater flow. The problem is solved using the Separation of Variables and Perturbation approaches. Solutions of the hydraulic head are obtained and presented quantitatively and graphically. The analysis of results shows that the increase in themagnitude of the specific discharge does not affect the hydraulic head in the flow through the fractured unconfined aquifers, but causes fluctuation in the hydraulic headin the flow through the fracture running from the confined to the unconfined aquifer. Furthermore, the increase in the thickness of the sub-layers of the aquifer increases the hydraulic head in the fractured unconfined aquifers, but causes fluctuation in the hydraulic head structure in the flow through the fracture running from the confined to the unconfined aquifer.