Bank storage characteristics of a finite aquifer due to sudden rise and fall of river level

Unsteady seepage flow in a two-dimensional water-table aquifer is analysed for recession/accretion due to a sudden rise or fall of water level in the adjoining river. Limiting solutions for long—thin and short—thick aquifers are deduced from the complete solution. The long—thin aquifer solution is similar to the usual one-dimensional solution. At small values of time, the complete two-dimensional solution is recommended for use because the one-dimensional solution usually gives inaccurate results due to neglect of vertical motion (implicit in the Dupuit assumptions upon which the one-dimensional solution is based).