Numerical simulation of groundwater age distributions in the hierarchical subsurface flow system: a case study of Jinan in northern China

Groundwater age distributions in Jinan, northern China, reveal a hierarchical subsurface flow system influenced by topography and aquifer lithology. This study identifies nested local, intermediate, and regional flow systems from Mount Taishan's piedmont to the Qiguang Fault, with groundwater age increasing along flow paths and abruptly near stagnation points—a key boundary between different flow hierarchies. Using a coupled groundwater flow and age transport model, researchers simulated these dynamics, providing critical insights for aquifer management and rational groundwater resource development in Jinan.

Wang, J. L., Jin, M. G., Wang, Z. G., & Jia, B. J. (2018). Numerical simulation of groundwater age distributions in the hierarchical subsurface flow system: a case study of Jinan in northern China. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 191, 12105. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/191/1/012105