Seepage flow in aquifers with open and closed boundaries

Abstract

At previous gully erosion conferences, the effect of surface seal development on gully formation and growth was analyzed (Prasad and Römkens, 2003) and the effect of hydrological conditions on gully growth was discussed (Römkens and Prasad, 2005). In the latter study, it was suggested that seepage forces, i.e., exit gradients, may appreciable affect gully growth and that solutions of Laplace’s equations for a quasi-steady state flow field might be helpful in assessing the effect of seepage on gully growth. In this presentation, seepage flow is discussed, based on selected studies that used conformal mapping procedures. These studies may be helpful in making assessments of the impact of seepage on gully erosion.