Groundwater discharge
Volumetric flow rate of groundwater through an aquifer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Groundwater discharge is the volumetric flow rate of groundwater through an aquifer.
Total groundwater discharge, as reported through a specified area, is similarly expressed as:
where
- Q is the total groundwater discharge ([L3·T−1]; m3/s),
- K is the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer ([L·T−1]; m/s),
- dh/dl is the hydraulic gradient ([L·L−1]; unitless), and
- A is the area which the groundwater is flowing through ([L2]; m2)
For example, this can be used to determine the flow rate of water flowing along a plane with known geometry.