Nonlinear aspects of phreatic water filtration

Horizontal gravity filtration of groundwater in soil is considered. Under Boussinesq approximation, the problem is reduced to a one-dimensional nonlinear parabolic equation in phreatic water level. The problem of linearizing the original equation is discussed. The comparison of gravity-filtration problem solutions in the nonlinear and linearized formulations shows considerable discrepancies to exist between the solutions, especially, for boundary problems with mixed boundary conditions, when the value of the function is not fixed on the right boundary. An analytical solution is obtained for steady-state flow from a water body into the soil with subsequent leakage into underlying beds. Two regimes are shown to exist: one with an infinite exponential tail, and another in the form of a finite groundwater mound. A new approach is proposed to the linearization problem—quasilinearization with the use of the Burgers equation.