Analytical solutions for steady groundwater flow through aquifer folds and faults

Deformations of the earth’s crust create tortuous paths for groundwater flow, altering pressure distributions and flow lines. A solution for steady groundwater flow through a deformed aquifer is derived by applying the singular point method using a rectangular reference plane. The singular point method is used to develop conformal mappings with complex geometries using basic principles of groundwater mechanics including superposition, the method of images, and stagnation point analysis. The derived solution contains three parameters that can be chosen to simulate flow through a variety of deformed aquifers, including flow through a normal fault with a \(\hbox {90}^\circ \) ${\text{90}}^{\circ }$ dip, flow through a fold, and flow through a relay ramp.