Interface Flow With Vertically Varying Hydraulic Conductivity

We present an approach for solving problems of saltwater intrusion in aquifers with an hydraulic conductivity that varies in the vertical direction. The approach is based on the concept of a comprehensive potential, whose gradient exactly represents the vertically integrated discharge, which is, by definition, a two-dimensional vector. We apply the approach to an island in Sweden and use it to estimate maximum allowable pumping rates of wells that recover part of the infiltration on the island.