Do effective properties for unsaturated weakly layered porous media exist? An experimental study

A. Bayer (1) , H.-J. Vogel (1) , O. Ippisch (2) , K. Roth (1)

1 IUP - Institute of Environmental Physics [Heidelberg]
2 IWR - Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing

In a multi-step outflow experiment we found that a weak heterogeneity within a sand column prevents the estimated effective hydraulic parameters from being unique. We compared vertical water content profiles calculated from these parameters with profiles measured by x-ray attenuation. A layered material model based on x-ray data was able to reproduce the outflow curve and also the water content distribution inside the column. We also calculated effective parameters for the layered model turned upside down and obtained large differences to the set of values of the original sample.

Domaines: Interfaces continentales, environnement; Océan, Atmosphère; Sciences de la Terre

A. Bayer, H.-J. Vogel, O. Ippisch, K. Roth. Do effective properties for unsaturated weakly layered porous media exist? An experimental study. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2005, 9 (5), pp.517-522. ⟨hal-00304862⟩