Stagnitti, F.Li, L.Parlange, J.-Y.Brutsaert, W.Lockington, D. A.Steenhuis, T. S.Parlange, M. B.Barry, D. A.Hogarth, W. L.2005-12-092005-12-09200410.1029/2003WR002255https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/221190The profiles for the water table height h(x, t) in a shallow sloping aquifer are reexamined with a solution of the nonlinear Boussinesq equation. We demonstrate that the previous anomaly first reported by Brutsaert [1994] that the point at which the water table h first becomes zero at x = L at time t = tc remains fixed at this point for all times t > tc is actually a result of the linearization of the Boussinesq equation and not, as previously suggested [Brutsaert, 1994; Verhoest and Troch, 2000], a result of the Dupuit assumption. Rather, by examination of the nonlinear Boussinesq equation the drying front, i.e., the point x_f at which h is zero for times t ≥ t_c, actually recedes downslope as physically expected. This points out that the linear Boussinesq equation should be used carefully when a zero depth is obtained as the concept of an “average” depth loses meaning at that time.Drying frontNonlinear effectsSloping aquiferBoussinesq equationBlasius equationSudden drawdownHillslopeDrainagetext::journal::journal article::research article