Articles | Volume 20, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-733-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-733-2016
Research article
 | 
18 Feb 2016
Research article |  | 18 Feb 2016

An analytical model for simulating two-dimensional multispecies plume migration

Jui-Sheng Chen, Ching-Ping Liang, Chen-Wuing Liu, and Loretta Y. Li

Abstract. The two-dimensional advection-dispersion equations coupled with sequential first-order decay reactions involving arbitrary number of species in groundwater system is considered to predict the two-dimensional plume behavior of decaying contaminant such as radionuclide and dissolved chlorinated solvent. Generalized analytical solutions in compact format are derived through the sequential application of the Laplace, finite Fourier cosine, and generalized integral transform to reduce the coupled partial differential equation system to a set of linear algebraic equations. The system of algebraic equations is next solved for each species in the transformed domain, and the solutions in the original domain are then obtained through consecutive integral transform inversions. Explicit form solutions for a special case are derived using the generalized analytical solutions and are compared with the numerical solutions. The analytical results indicate that the analytical solutions are robust, accurate and useful for simulation or screening tools to assess plume behaviors of decaying contaminants.

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Short summary
A parsimonious analytical model for predicting the plume behavior of decaying contaminant is presented in this study. The analytical results indicate that the parsimonious analytical solutions are robust and accurate. The solutions are useful for serving as simulation or screening tools for assessing plume behaviors of decaying contaminants including the radionuclides and dissolved chlorinated solvents in groundwater systems.