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The use of a dependent domain model of hysteresis in numerical soil water studies
Author(s) -
Lees S. J.,
Watson K. K.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr011i006p00943
Subject(s) - hysteresis , infiltration (hvac) , mechanics , mathematics , geotechnical engineering , materials science , geology , physics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
The analysis of intermittent soil water systems requires the inclusion of a capillary hysteresis model in the space‐time simulation of the flow process. Domain models of hysteresis are reviewed, and the approach of Poulovassilis and Childs (1971) selected as the basis for a numerical hysteresis program which is able to generate primary, secondary, and higher order scanning curves. The dependence of the pore draining pressure on the pressure at the previous reversal is restricted to reversals from the boundary curves. This enables the distribution function to be approximated by a series of regularly spaced, independent domain‐type distribution diagrams, each being derived from an experimental primary curve and a set of estimated secondary scanning curves. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by simulating the movement of water in a profile of #17 sand subject to intermittent infiltration‐redistribution sequences. In particular, the hysteretic path followed by the surface node is used to illustrate the generation of the necessary higher order scanning curves.