Groundwater - Isohypes and equipotential lines

13 important questions on Groundwater - Isohypes and equipotential lines

What do equipotential lines show?

They connect points with equal hydraulic heads.

What are flow lines and how do you derive them from isohypses and equipotential lines?

The path waterdroplets take. If the soil is isotropic (the same in all directions) the flow lines are perpendicular to the equipotential lines. Water droplets follow the steepest decrease in hydraulic head.

What is a flow path?

A flow tube: the area between two flow lines
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What is a flow net?

A network of equipotential lines and flow lines

Subtype: curvilinear flow net: has the advantage of having the same volume of water flowing through each flow path

What are the Dupuit-Forchheimer assumptions?

The assumptions that flow in aquifers can be simplified to horizontal flow and flow through aquitards can be simplified to vertical flow

How can the flow velocity be derived from curvilinear square flow nets?

Every square transports the same amount of water, so it the square is smaller the water has to flow faster.

How are flow lines derived?

When the soil is isotrophic, the flow lines are perpendicular to equipotential lines because water follows the steepest decrease in hydraulic head.
When the soil is anisotrophic, the flow lines differ from this rule because water will follow the route of the least resistance.

What causes spatial veriability in infiltration and seepage?

The differences in elevation and soil composition.

What causes temporal variability in infiltration and seepage?

The wet and dry periods.

Why does groundwater mainly flow horizontally?

Horizontl distances are much larger than the vertical distances.

Why is vertical groundwater flow still important if it's flux isn't so high?

For areas with upward seepage that have vegeation depending on the chemistry of this seepage water.

What do the Depuit assumtions state?

Flow in aquifers can be simlified to horizontal flow and flow through aquitards can be simplified to vertical flow.

What does the size of the vertical component of groundwater flow tell about the permeability of the soil?

That it is low.

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