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A Limiting Flux Condition in Infiltration into Heterogeneous Porous Media
Author(s) -
Watson K. K.,
Perrens S. J.,
Whisler F. D.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1973.03615995003700010008x
Subject(s) - infiltration (hvac) , limiting , porous medium , hydraulic conductivity , flux (metallurgy) , wetting , pressure head , porosity , mechanics , boundary value problem , conductivity , materials science , thermodynamics , environmental science , soil science , chemistry , physics , soil water , mathematics , composite material , mathematical analysis , engineering , mechanical engineering , metallurgy
Infiltration into a porous medium in which the hydraulic conductivity increases with depth is shown to approach at quite early times a limiting flux condition. This condition is defined by a pressure head profile in the saturated zone becoming tangential to the water entry value profile. Equations are presented enabling the values of the limiting flux ( f l ) and the elevation of the point of contact ( z l ) to be calculated in terms of the material properties and the boundary conditions. Below z l an unsaturated zone exists and wetting up in this zone continues under the condition of limiting flux. A method is presented whereby the pressure and water content profiles for this zone can be determined.