fyamgactions.

A m e r i c a n G e o p h y s i c a l Union Volume 3 6 , Number 1 February 1 9 5 5

NON-STEADY RADIAL F L O W IN A N INFINITE LEAKY AQUIFER

M . S. Hantush and C . E . Jacob

A b s t r a c t — T h e n o n - s t e a d y d r a w d o w n distribution n e a r a w e l l d i s c h a r g i n g f r o m an
infinite leaky aquifer i s p r e s e n t e d . V a r i a t i o n of d r a w d o w n with t i m e and distance c a u s e d
by a w e l l of constant d i s c h a r g e in confined s a n d of u n i f o r m thickness and u n i f o r m p e r m e ­
ability is obtained. T h e d i s c h a r g e i s s u p p l i e d by the reduction of s t o r a g e through e x p a n ­
sion of the w a t e r and the concomitant c o m p r e s s i o n of the s a n d , and a l s o by l e a k a g e through
the confining b e d . T h e l e a k a g e i s a s s u m e d to b e at a r a t e p r o p o r t i o n a l to the d r a w d o w n at
any point. S t o r a g e of w a t e r in the confining b e d is n e g l e c t e d . T w o f o r m s of the solution
are developed. One i s s u i t a b l e f o r computation f o r l a r g e v a l u e s of t i m e and the other s u i t ­
able f o r s m a l l v a l u e s of t i m e . T h i s solution i s c o m p a r e d with e a r l i e r solutions f o r slightly
different b o u n d a r y conditions.

Introduction--The d i f f e r e n t i a l equation f o r r a d i a l f l o w in an elastic a r t e s i a n aquifer w i t h l i n e a r

leakage has b e e n given by J A C O B [ 1 9 4 6 ] . H e a l s o obtained the n o n - s t e a d y d r a w d o w n distribution
produced by a w e l l of constant d i s c h a r g e situated in the c e n t e r of a c i r c u l a r r e g i o n w h o s e outer
boundary is maintained at constant h e a d . T h e h e a d distribution in his p r o b l e m i s initially u n i f o r m .

In this paper the solution i s obtained f o r the p r o b l e m in w h i c h the outer b o u n d a r y i s r e m o v e d

to infinity.

Statement of the p r o b l e m — T h e p r o b l e m i s to d e t e r m i n e the v a r i a t i o n w i t h t i m e of the d r a w ­

down induced by a w e l l steadily d i s c h a r g i n g f r o m an infinite leaky aquifer in which the initial head
is uniform. L e a k a g e into the aquifer i s a s s u m e d v e r t i c a l and p r o p o r t i o n a l to the d r a w d o w n . Stated
mathematically the b o u n d a r y - v a l u e p r o b l e m i s

2 2 2
a s/3r + (1/r) ds/8r - s/B = ( S / T ) Bs/dt (1)

s(r,0)=O r £ 0 (2a)

s(oo,t)=0 t£0 (2b)

l i m r d s ( r , t ) / 8 r = - Q/27T T t > 0 (2c)

t - > 0

where

s ( r , t) is the d r a w d o w n at any t i m e and any distance f r o m the w e l l ,

r is the distance to any point m e a s u r e d f r o m the a x i s of the w e l l .
S is the s t o r a g e coefficient of the a r t e s i a n a q u i f e r ( a n o n - d i m e n s i o n a l constant) defined as
'the p r o d u c t of the thickness of the a r t e s i a n b e d and the r e l a t i v e v o l u m e of w a t e r r e l e a s e d
f r o m s t o r a g e by a unit decline of head* [ J A C O B , 1 9 4 6 ] ,
K and K ' a r e the h y d r a u l i c conductivities ( o r ' p e r m e a b i l i t i e s ' ) of the a r t e s i a n sand and c o n ­
fining b e d , r e s p e c t i v e l y . T h e y h a v e the d i m e n s i o n L / t .
b and b ' a r e the t h i c k n e s s e s of the a r t e s i a n sand and confining b e d , r e s p e c t i v e l y .
2 f
T = Kb is the t r a d m i s s i b i l i t y (of d i m e n s i o n L / t ) of the a r t e s i a n s a n d . T h e r a t i o K ' / b may
be t e r m e d 'specific leakage* or l e a k a n c e [ H A N T U S H , 1 9 4 9 , p . 8 ] . It h a s the d i m e n s i o n l / t .
2 2
The t r a n s m i s s i b i l i t y divided by the leakance (of dimension L ) is s y m b o l i z e d by B .
Q is the d i s c h a r g e of the w e l l .

Solution of the p r o b l e m — A f t e r s e p a r a t i n g the v a r i a b l e s , it can b e s h o w n that

2 2
J 0 ( a r / B ) exp [ - ( a + 1) Tt/SB ] and ^ (r/B)

are particular solutions of ( 1 ) , w h e r e J and K Q a r e r e s p e c t i v e l y the B e s s e l function of the f i r s t

0

kind of z e r o o r d e r and the modified B e s s e l function of the second kind of z e r o o r d e r , and w h e r e

a is any r e a l constant.

95
96 H A N T U S H and J A C O B [ T r a n s . A G U , V . 31 - i[

D u e to the l i n e a r i t y and homogeneity of ( 1 ) , the a b o v e p a r t i c u l a r solutions c a n b e combined

l i n e a r l y to obtain the f o l l o w i n g solution

-00
2 2
s = c [/ A (a) J 0 ( a r / B ) exp [ - ( a + 1) T t / S B ] d a + K Q ( r / B ) ]
^o

in w h i c h c i s an a r b i t r a r y constant, and in which A ( a ) i s a function depending upon oc alone and

h e n c e constant or independent of the v a r i a b l e s of ( 1 ) .

That (3) s a t i s f i e s condition (2b) is seen i m m e d i a t e l y . R e c a l l i n g that

l i m K o ( r / B ) = - 0.5772 - l n ( r / 2 B )
r ->0

and applying condition ( 2 c ) , the v a l u e of c is found to b e Q/27TT. T h e function A ( a ) may befoul

b y using condition (2a) a s f o l l o w s . W h e n t = 0, s = 0 and (3) b e c o m e s

/.CO
r.00
0 = KQ (r/B) + / A (a) J 0 (ar/B) da
"o

U s i n g the i n t e g r a l r e l a t i o n [ W A T S O N , 1944, p . 425]

2
( r / B ) = f* [a/(a + 1)] J 0 (ar/B) da

E q . (4) r e d u c e s to

2
f°° J 0 (af/B) [A(a) + a / ( a + 1)] d a = 0

whence

2
A (a) = ~ a / ( a + 1)

Substituting the v a l u e s of c and A ( a ) thus o b t a i n e d , the f o r m a l solution of the p r o b l e m is

*co
oo
2 2
[a/(a + 1)] J ( a r / B ) exp [ - p ( a + 1)] d a
/"o 0

where

2
p = Tt/SB

A s pumping continues indefinitely, that i s , a s t—•oo, the i n t e g r a l in (6) b e c o m e s z e r o and the

d r a w d o w n i s r e p r e s e n t e d by s / ( Q / 2 i r T ) = K Q ( r / B ) , w h i c h i s the s t e a d y - s t a t e solution of the
p r o b l e m [ J A C O B , 1946],

T o evaluate the infinite i n t e g r a l of ( 6 ) , h e r e a f t e r r e p r e s e n t e d b y I , one p r o c e e d s a s follows.

2
T h e i n t e g r a l r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of l / ( a + 1) is

2
exp [ - ( a + 1) x ] dx
/
2
T h u s , replacing l / ( a + 1) by its i n t e g r a l f o r m and changing the o r d e r of i n t e g r a t i o n , one obtains

OO * CD

/ 2
exp [ - ( p + x ) ] dx / J ( a r / B ) exp [ - ( p + x ) a
0 ] a da
 [Hydrology] N O N - S T E A D Y RADIAL F L O W IN A N INFINITE LEAKY AQUIFER 97

Reversing the o r d e r of integration is j u s t i f i e d , s i n c e the i n t e g r a l I is c o n v e r g e n t [ B R O M W I C H ,

1947, p. 504]. Integration with r e s p e e t to a g i v e s [ W A T S O N , 1944, p . 394]/

2 2 2
J ( a r / B ) e x p [ - (p + x ) a ] a
0 d a = [ 1 / 2 ( p + x ) ] exp [ - ( r / B ) / 4 ( p + x ) ]

Hence, (7) b e c o m e s

-00
2 2
I = (1/2)J [ l / ( p + x ) ] e x p [- p - x - ( r / B ) / 4 (p + x ) ] dx
o

and upon the substitution of y f o r ( p + x ) , it b e c o m e s

2 2
I = (1/2) / ( 1 / y ) exp [- y - ( r / B ) / 4 y ] dy (8)

2 2
ff, in the i n t e g r a l of ( 8 ) , exp [ - r / 4 B y ] i s r e p l a c e d b y the absolutely and uniformly c o n v e r g e n t
series

g (-P n 2
(r /4B ) 2 n

11
n=0 nj y

and if the o r d e r of integration and s u m m a t i o n a r e c h a n g e d , integration by p a r t s w i l l r e s u l t in

a
I = ( 1 / 2 ) exp ( - p ) E V (-D n + m
(° -»-!)! frW)
n = l m=0 ( | ) 2 pn-m
n

+ (1/2) f°°l[exj) ( ~ y ) ] / y l d y [ 2 ( r / 2 B )
* n
]
/ p i i n=0 (n\y

0 0 n 1 2 2 m n m + 1
9 9 i-lf** (n - m ) * (r /4B ) u "
2 2 1 } K )
I = -(1/2) e x p T - r / 4 B u ] 2 E — ' \ 0

1 z
n=0m=0 (n + 1 )

2 2
+ ( 1 / 2 ) [ - E i ( - r / 4 B u ) ] Io ( r / B ) (9)

where I o ( r / B ) i s the m o d i f i e d B e s s e l function of the f i r s t kind and z e r o o r d e r , and w h e r e

2 2 2
u = r / 4 B p = r S/4Tt
That the s e r i e s in (9) i s u n i f o r m l y and absolutely c o n v e r g e n t can b e s e e n b y applying the r a t i o
test for any g i v e n v a l u e of m . B e c a u s e of the absolute and u n i f o r m c o n v e r g e n c e of this double
series, then, s u m m a t i o n in any m a n n e r i s justified. Separating the f i r s t c o l u m n m = 0 and the
diagonal m = n f r o m the double s e r i e s , the s e r i e s of (9) b e c o m e s
2 n
© (-pn *+l u £ (r2/4B ) u | ® ^1 ( - 1 } n m + ( n - m ) { ^ m + 1

n=0 (n + 1) (n + iy[ n=l (n + 1) \ 2

n=2 m = l (n + 1 ) ! 2

(10)

Recognizing the f i r s t s e r i e s in (10) a s 0,5772 + In u + [ - E i ( - u ) ] , and ine second s e r i e s a s

2 2
• u + u [ I ( r / B ) - l ] / ( r / 4 B ) , and by changing the index of s u m m a t i o n f r o m n = 2 to n = 1 in the
0

third s e r i e s ; and then substituting in ( 9 ) , and then in ( 6 ) , one obtains

98 H A N T U S H and J A C O B [ T r a n s . A G U , V . 36 - 1 ]

2 2
s/(Q/47TT) = 2 KQ ( r / B ) - I 0 ( r / B ) [~ E i ( - r / 4 B u)]

2
+ [exp ( - r / 4 B u ) ] 2
|o.5772 + I n u + [- Ei ( - u ) ] - u + u [IQ ( r / B ) - 2
l]/(r /4B ) 2

m
- „ » £ 2 (-ir (n-m l)! + ( r 2 / 4 B 2 ) m u n - m |
2
n =lm=l (n + 2 ) l

T h e s e r i e s of (11) i s r a p i d l y c o n v e r g e n t f o r the v a l u e s r / 2 B ^ 1 and u < 1. O n l y a few terms

a r e r e q u i r e d to obtain r e s u l t s a c c u r a t e to f o u r d e c i m a l p l a c e s . W h e n r / 2 B < 0.10 and u < 1, the
solution can b e r e d u c e d to

2 2
s/(Q/47T ^ = 21^ (r/B) - I Q ( r / B ) [- E i ( - r / 4 B u)]

2 2 2
+ [ e x p ( - r / 4 B u ) ] [0.5772 + l n u + [ - E i ( - u ) ] + ( u / 4 ) ( r ^ B ) (1 - u / 9 ) ] . . . . (1|

•which g i v e s v a l u e s of the d r a w d o w n a c c u r a t e to f o u r d e c i m a l p l a c e s .

F o r the r a n g e of v a l u e s r / 2 B < 0.10 and u < 0.10, the solution m a y b e a p p r o x i m a t e d by

s / ( Q / 4 i r T ) = 2^/3) - ^(r/B) [-Ei(- r /4B u)]2 2

2 2 2 2 3
+ [exp(-r /4B u)][(u/4) ( r ^ B ) (1 - u / 9 ) + u - u /2.2J + u / 3 . 3 ! ] . . . . (13f

Solution f o r s h o r t t i m e s — A solution that i s m o r e convenient f o r computations w h e n t is small

c a n b e d e v e l o p e d a s f o l l o w s . Making u s e of the i n t e g r a l r e l a t i o n [ W A T S O N , 1944, p . 183]

0 0
r 2 2
2 K Q ( r / B ) =J ( 1 / y ) exp [- y - r / 4 B y ] dy
"o

2 2
c o m b i n i n g (8) w i t h (6) and m a k i n g the substitutions, r / 4 B y = Z , (6) r e d u c e s to

-CO
2 2
s/(Q/4irT) = / ( 1 / Z ) exp [- Z - r / 4 B Z ] dZ (U)
'u

where

2
u = r S/4Tt

It i s of i n t e r e s t to note that if B co, that i s , either w h e n l e a k a g e i s v e r y s m a l l o r w h e n the

t i m e is v e r y s m a l l s o that l e a k a g e d o e s not h a v e t i m e to enter the m a i n f l o w , (14) b e c o m e s

s/(Q/4irT) = / ( 1 / Z ) exp ( - Z ) d Z (15)

w h i c h i s the solution to the p r o b l e m if l e a k a g e i s not p r e s e n t [ T H E I S , 1935].

T h e i n t e g r a l of ( 1 4 ) , b e i n g s i m i l a r to that of ( 8 ) , c a n b e e v a l u a t e d in the s a m e w a y . T h e final

e x p r e s s i o n is

S / ( Q / 4 T T T ) = I o ( r / B ) [- E i ( - u ) ] - e " u
|o.5772 + ln(r /4B u) 2 2

2 2 2 2
+ [- E i ( - r / 4 B u ) ] - ( r / 4 B u ) ^ [ ^ ( r / B ) - l]/u)

+ (e-M S 2 H ) — ( n - m , l ) l ( r 2
/ 4 B 2
) n
„
2 n m
n=l m = l (n + 2)! u "

w h i c h i s in a f o r m convenient f o r computation with v a l u e s of u > 1. V e r y f e w t e r m s of the s e r i e s

n e e d b e u s e d w h e n r / 2 B £ 1 and u £ 1. F o r v a l u e s of u > 5 and v a l u e s of r / 2 B < 1, the s e r i e s
m a y b e safely n e g l e c t e d and r e s u l t s obtained a c c u r a t e to f o u r d e c i m a l p l a c e s . If r / 2 B ^ 0.10 and
u > 1, the solutions can b e a p p r o x i m a t e d by
 [Hydrology] N O N - S T E A D Y RADIAL F L O W IN A N INFINITE L E A K Y AQUIFER 99

u 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
s / ( Q / 4 w T ) = I o < r / B ) [- E i ( - u ) ] - e" [ ( r / 4 B ) (1/u - 1/36u ) + ( r / 4 B ) (1/4u - 1/4u )]

. (17)

D r a w d o w n at the w e l l — T h e d r a w d o w n at the f a c e of the w e l l i s found by substituting r for r w

in any of the p r e v i o u s solutions, r b e i n g the r a d i u s of the w e l l . H o w e v e r , if the r a t i o r / B < 0,01

w w

the drawdown at the f a c e of the w e l l w i l l , f o r a l l p r a c t i c a l p u r p o s e s , b e given by

S /(Q/4TTT)
W = - E K - U ^ ) (18)

which i s the d r a w d o w n at the w e l l if t h e r e is no l e a k a g e . E q . (18) i s obtained by making r / B v e r y

small in either (12) o r ( 1 7 ) .

Calculated e x a m p l e - - T a b l e s 1 and 2 w e r e p r e p a r e d to facilitate evaluation of (11) and ( 1 6 ) . It

gives a few coefficients of the double s e r i e s that a p p e a r s in both equations. T h e n u m b e r s in b r a c k e t s
in the body of the t a b l e a r e negative p o w e r s of ten b y which the other n u m b e r s a r e multiplied.

2
T a b l e 1 — V a l u e s of (n - m + 1)! / ( n + 2) | found in Equations (11) and (16)

m
n 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2.7778 [ - 2 ]

2 3.4722[-3] 1.7361 [ - 3 ]

3 4.1667[-4] 1.3889 [ - 4 ] 6.9444 [ - 5 ]

4 4.6296[-5] 1.1574 [ - 5 ] 3.8580 [ - 6 ] 1.9290 [ - 6 ]

5 4.7240[-6] 9.4481 [-7] 2.3620 [ - 7 ] 7.8734 [ - 8 ] 3.9367 [-8]

6 4.4287[-7] 7.3814 [-8] 1.4763 [ - 8 ] 3.6907 [ - 9 ] 1.2302 [ - 9 ] 6,1512[-10]

7 3.8274[-8] 5.4677 [ - 9 ] 9.1129 [-10] 1.8226 [-10] 4.5564 [-11] 1.5188 [-11] 7.5940 [-12]

8 3.0619[-9] 3 . 8 2 7 4 [ - 1 0 j 5.4677[-ll] 9.112g[-12] 1.8226[-12] 4 . 5 5 6 4 [ - 1 3 ] 1.5188[-13] 7.5940[-14]

2 2 m
T a b l e 2 — V a l u e s of ( r / 4 B ) f o r B = 20,000 ft

m
r r/2B
1 2 3 4

ft
1,000 0.025 6.25 [-4] 3.9062 [ - 7 ]

2,000 0.05 2.5 [-3] 6.25 [-6] 1.5625 [ - 8 ]

5,000 0.125 1.5625 [ - 2 ] 2.4414 [ - 4 ] 3.7903[-6] 5.9223 [ - 8 ]

10,000 0.25 6.25 [-2] 3.9062 [ - 3 ] 2.4414 [ - 4 ] 1.5259[-5]

20,000 0.50 2.5 [-1] 6.25 [-2] 1,5625 [ - 2 ] 3.9062 [ - 3 ]

50,000 1.25 1.5625 2.4414 3.7903 5.9223

D r a w d o w n v a l u e s f o r one set of a s s u m e d v a l u e s of the p a r a m e t e r s a r e given in T a b l e 3 and

are r e p r e s e n t e d g r a p h i c a l l y in F i g u r e 1. T h e factor B is taken to b e 20,000 ft. T h e a b s c i s s a is
2
4Tt/S = r / u and r e p r e s e n t s the t i m e multiplied by a constant. T h e straight line m a r k e d ' z e r o
leakage' s h o w s the t r e n d that the d r a w d o w n would take at a distance of 1000 ft if the leakage w e r e
zero ( B - * o o ) . T h e effect of l e a k a g e i s shown by the d e p a r t u r e of the d r a w d o w n c u r v e f r o m this
straight line a s t i m e i n c r e a s e s . T h e effect of l e a k a g e i s shown a l s o b y the d r a w d o w n c u r v e s f o r
the m o r e r e m o t e d i s t a n c e s .
100 H A N T U S H and J A C O B [ T r a n s . A G U , V . 36 - 1]

2
ft
F i g . 1 — V a r i a t i o n of d r a w d o w n with t i m e at different d i s t a n c e s
in an infinite leaky aquifer with B = 20,000 ft

T a b l e 3 - - V a l u e s of S / ( Q / 4 T T T ) f o r B = 20.000 ft

r (in feet)
u
1000 2000 5000 10,000 20,000 50,000

0.0002 6.217 ....

0.0005 6.082
.... .... ....
0.001 5.796 4.829
.... ....
0.002 5.354 4.708
.... ....
0.005 4.608 4.296 3.072
....
0.01
0.02
3.979
3.326
3.815
3.244
2.993
2.766
....
1.838
0.05 2.457 2.427 2.230 1.708
0.10 1.818 1.805 1.715 1,443 0.819
0.20 1.221 1.215 1.187 1.060 0.715
0.50 0.559 0.558 0.550 0.521 0.420
1.0 0.219 0.218 0.218 0.210 0.185 6.117
0.080

References

B R O M W I C H , T . J . , T h e o r y of infinite s e r i e s , M a c M i l l a n and C o . , 1947.

H A N T U S H , M . S . , P l a i n potential f l o w of g r o u n d w a t e r with l i n e a r l e a k a g e , d o c t o r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n ,
U n i v . of U t a h , 1949.
J A C O B , C . E . , R a d i a l f l o w in a leaky a r t e s i a n a q u i f e r , T r a n s . A m e r . G e o p h y s . U n i o n , v . 27,
p p . 198-205, 1946.
T H E I S , C . V . , T h e r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n the l o w e r i n g of the p i e z o m e t r i c s u r f a c e and the r a t e and dura­
tion of d i s c h a r g e of a w e l l using g r o u n d - w a t e r s t o r a g e , T r a n s . A m e r . G e o p h y s . U n i o n , v . 16,
p p . 519-524, 1935.
W A T S O N , G . N . , T h e o r y of B e s s e l functions, M a c M i l l a n and C o . , 1944.

C o l l e g e of E n g i n e e r i n g ( M . S. H . ) ,
Baghdad, Iraq

B r i g h a m Young University ( C . E . J . ) ,
P r o v o , Utah

( M a n u s c r i p t r e c e i v e d . J a n u a r y 25, 1954; p r e s e n t e d at the T h i r t y - F i r s t Annual M e e t i n g ,

W a s h i n g t o n , D . C , M a y 1, 1950; open f o r f o r m a l d i s c u s s i o n until July 1, 1955.)