Porous media flow models are applied in important areas of interest, including environmental studies or industrial applications. In this case, large-scale experiments are usually expensive, or even impossible, so computer simulations should replace them. Here we focus on the numerical simulation of a flow in an unsaturated, heterogeneous soil. We summarize briefly some results concerning the mo...

The stability of steady, vertically upward and downward flow of water in a homogeneous layer of soil is analyzed. Three equivalent dimensionless forms of the Richards equation are introduced, namely the pressure head, saturation, and matric flux potential forms. To illustrate general results and derive special results, use is made of several representative classes of soils. For all classes of s...

[1] Prediction of water flow and transport processes in soils susceptible to structural alteration such as compaction of tilled agricultural lands or newly constructed landfills rely on accurate description of changes in soil unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Recent studies have documented the critical impact of aggregate contact characteristics on water flow rates and pathways in unsaturated...

In order to obtain the soil water retention curve of an unsaturated soil which is defined as the relationship between water content and suction, extensive laboratory tests are essential. These laboratory tests are usually costly and time consuming. Moreover, for most practical problems, it has been found that approximate unsaturated soil properties are adequate for analysis. Thus, empirical pro...

As compared with mineral soils, there are few in situ measurements of the unsaturated hydraulic properties of peat soils available. We used parameter estimation (inverse) methods to estimate the water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions of drained peat soils from both laboratory and field data. The laboratory data were obtained on small cores using the traditional evaporation method,...

Saturated [K s ], field saturated [K fs ] and unsaturated [K(ψ)] SUMMARY There is increasing interest in the landspreading of slurries, sludges, effluents and fertilisers, resulting from the need to recycle increasing volumes of waste from high production agriculture units, old and new sewage treatment works and industrial facilities. Wastes should be spread only on suitable unsaturated soils a...

This work presents a rigorous numerical validation of analytical stochastic models of steady state unsaturated flow in heterogeneous porous media. It also provides a crucial link between stochastic theory based on simplifying assumptions and empirical field and simulation evidence of variably saturated flow in actual or realistic hypothetical heterogeneous porous media. Statistical properties o...