Numerical simulation of the hydraulic parameters of an alluvial aquifer using a 3-D finite element computer model

The study of groundwater dates back to ancient times. Historically, however, groundwater utilization preceded the understanding of its origin, occurrence, and movement. Today, the management of groundwater resources includes the allocation of groundwater supplies to competing demands and the control of water quality. As population and industrial growth rates increase, the quantity of wastes generated by humans increases. This amount of wastes has become far greater than that which the natural environment can absorb. Contamination of the subsurface water sources has thus become an increasingly alarming problem. The phenomenon of contaminant transport in groundwater has been widely studied during the past two decades.