Modeling of storm responses in conduit flow aquifers with reservoirs

In aquifers containing large voids, such as karst aquifers with caves or basaltic aquifers with lava tubes, hydrographs at wells or springs are used to analyze the structure and response of the hydrogeological system. Numerical modeling of hydrograph response is commonly based on either inverse techniques or postulated flow geometries. However, the range of mechanisms for generating hydrograph responses have not been fully investigated, Physical modeling of these complex non-Darcian systems permits better understanding of the storm responses that conduit systems may generate. Using a numerical model of conduit flow systems which incorporates turbulent flow, some of the mechanisms that can alter storm pulses were investigated by treating them as combinations of pipes that connect reservoirs. The results indicate that the response of a conduit-flow aquifer can range from what has been called 'diffuse' or 'steady' to 'conduit' or 'flashy', without employing a diffusive component. A full range of behavior can be the result of changes from phreatic to epiphreatic conditions in a conduit, changes in conduit geometry, or multiple springs draining the same system. The results provide a quantitative tool to assess spring and well hydrographs, and illustrate mechanisms that can generate observed responses, which have previously been qualitatively interpreted. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.