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Nonlinear Flow in Karst Formations
Author(s) -
Chin David A.,
Price René M.,
DiFrenna Vincent J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2009.00574.x
Subject(s) - karst , hydraulic conductivity , nonlinear system , flow (mathematics) , reynolds number , geology , mechanics , geotechnical engineering , function (biology) , scale (ratio) , mathematics , turbulence , soil science , physics , paleontology , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , biology , soil water
The variation of effective hydraulic conductivity as a function of specific discharge in several 0.2‐m and 0.3‐m cubes of Key Largo Limestone was investigated. The experimental results closely match the Forchheimer equation. Defining the pore‐size length scale in terms of Forchheimer parameters, it is demonstrated that significant deviations from Darcian flow will occur when the Reynolds number exceeds 0.11. A particular threshold model previously proposed for use in karstic formations does not show strong agreement with the data near the onset of nonlinear flow.