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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-673
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-673
23 Aug 2022
 | 23 Aug 2022

Semi-continuum modelling of unsaturated porous media flow to explain the Bauters' paradox

Jakub Kmec, Miloslav Šír, Tomáš Fürst, and Rostislav Vodák

Abstract. In gravity-driven free infiltration of a wetting liquid into a homogeneous unsaturated porous medium, the flow pattern is known to depend significantly on the initial saturation. Point-source infiltration of a liquid into an initially dry porous medium produces a single finger with an oversaturated tip and an undersaturated tail. In an initially wet medium, a diffusion-like plume is produced with a monotonic saturation profile. We present a semi-continuum model based on a proper scaling of the retention curve which is discrete in space and continuous in time. We show that the semi-continuum model is able to describe this transition and to capture the experimentally observed dependence of the saturation overshoot and the finger velocity on the initial saturation.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

24 Mar 2023
Semi-continuum modeling of unsaturated porous media flow to explain Bauters' paradox
Jakub Kmec, Miloslav Šír, Tomáš Fürst, and Rostislav Vodák
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1279–1300, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1279-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1279-2023, 2023
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When rain falls on the ground, most of the water subsequently flows through the soil. The...
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