Seepage Velocity Mapping Using ArcMap/GIS Software

Groundwater flows from high to low hydraulic head regions. This flow is controlled by Darcy velocity equation. Darcy velocity represents the flow velocity within the cross-sectional area of the soil. Actually, however, groundwater flows at a higher velocity than that of Darcy’s, called seepage velocity. Seepage velocity considers the real area (pores area) that is available for groundwater flow in calculations. There are many applications which are affected by the seepage/Darcy velocity, e.g., underground thermal energy storage systems and contaminants transfer in soil. In spite of the importance of Darcy/seepage velocity in many applications, there is no specific method to depict these velocities on a large-scale map. This paper proposed a tool that can be used to depict the seepage velocity on a large scale. The considered tool is offered by ArcMap/GIS software. To explain how this tool works, Babylon (Iraq) was considered as a study area.