Integrating the Equation of Hydrostatics for Groundwater under Non-isothermal Conditions

Megan A. Levine, University of South Florida

Publication Year

2019

Abstract

Groundwater is an important area of study for several scientific fields and is relevant to many problems in our everyday life. One way the study of groundwater has become different in this age of technology is through modeling. Modeling is used in numerous fields to visualize complex problems and view inaccessible areas, such as under the Earth. An essential part of groundwater modeling is to know water pressure at any depth underground. The difficulty in calculating this is that there are several variables that affect water pressure, all of which are affected by one another and all are calculated by a different equation. In this paper we combine and integrate the Equation of Hydrostatics, the Geothermal Gradient equation, and the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion equation to develop a single formula for water pressure that already accounts for the change in temperature and density as you get deeper in the Earth. Another important component of groundwater modeling is that is has to be relevant to the location that you are making a model of. This is why the geothermal gradient and thermal expansion coefficients are important; they are specific to a region. The presented formula makes groundwater modeling easier, faster, more accurate and more geographically relevant, thereby making groundwater modeling even more useful in many fields.

Recommended Citation

Levine, Megan A. (2019) "Integrating the Equation of Hydrostatics for Groundwater under Non-isothermal Conditions," Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/2326-3652.10.1.4911
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/ujmm/vol10/iss1/6