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Evaluation of a Capillary Bundle Model for Describing Solute Dispersion in Aggregated Soils
Author(s) -
Rao P. S. C.,
Green R. E.,
Ahuja L. R.,
Davidson J. M.
Publication year - 1976
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/sssaj1976.03615995004000060010x
Subject(s) - soil water , dispersion (optics) , capillary action , pore water pressure , mixing (physics) , soil science , bundle , mechanics , materials science , geology , hydrology (agriculture) , geotechnical engineering , physics , composite material , optics , quantum mechanics
A simple capillary bundle model was evaluated for describing solute dispersion in two well‐aggregated soils of Hawaii. The model enables the use of pore‐water velocity distribution rather than an average pore‐water velocity. The pore‐size distribution was calculated from the soil water characteristic data. The position and relative shape of the break‐through curves calculated by the capillary bundle model was dependent more on the pore‐water velocity distribution than on dispersion owing to mixing within a pore. The predicted breakthrough curves were extremely skewed and did not describe the measured curves. The mixing of solute between adjacent flow paths, a process not accounted for in the model, apparently resulted in failure of the model. A measure of pore accessibility and interconnectedness of pore sequences is essential for quantitative description of the influence of soil pore geometry on solute dispersion.