Modeling Subsurface Flow and Heat Transport at Variable Scales in Heterogeneous Media

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydraulics and Hydrodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2016) | Viewed by 28574

Special Issue Editor

Hydrologic Research Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Interests: mathematical modeling of integrated hydrologic-atmospheric processes at global, continental, country and watershed scales for the simulation and prediction of hydrologic water balances and hydrologic extremes toward quantifying phenomena such as floods and droughts; mathematical modeling of hydrologic processes at regional, watershed and hillslope scales; mathematical modeling of unsaturated flow, groundwater flow and solute transport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the heterogeneity of porous media and to the scaling of subsurface characteristics with spatial scales, the modeling of subsurface flow and heat transport in subsurface media has been a great challenge to hydrologists. The modeling problem is further complicated by the change in the climate during the 21st century, and by the complexity of the economic and social characteristics of the study region. Hence, the focus of this Special Issue is to address the above-mentioned modeling topics, both in the soil vadose zone, as well as in groundwater aquifers. Papers that address the above issues are being invited to contribute to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. M. Levent Kavvas
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • soil water modeling
  • groundwater modeling
  • heterogeneity
  • scaling
  • climate change

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

2204 KiB  
Article
Modeling Coupled Water and Heat Transport in the Root Zone of Winter Wheat under Non-Isothermal Conditions
by Rong Ren, Juanjuan Ma, Qiyun Cheng, Lijian Zheng, Xianghong Guo and Xihuan Sun
Water 2017, 9(4), 290; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w9040290 - 21 Apr 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4637
Abstract
Temperature is an integral part of soil quality in terms of moisture content; coupling between water and heat can render a soil fertile, and plays a role in water conservation. Although it is widely recognized that both water and heat transport are fundamental [...] Read more.
Temperature is an integral part of soil quality in terms of moisture content; coupling between water and heat can render a soil fertile, and plays a role in water conservation. Although it is widely recognized that both water and heat transport are fundamental factors in the quantification of soil mass and energy balance, their computation is still limited in most models or practical applications in the root zone under non-isothermal conditions. This research was conducted to: (a) implement a fully coupled mathematical model that contains the full coupled process of soil water and heat transport with plants focused on the influence of temperature gradient on soil water redistribution and on the influence of change in soil water movement on soil heat flux transport; (b) verify the mathematical model with detailed field monitoring data; and (c) analyze the accuracy of the model. Results show the high accuracy of the model in predicting the actual changes in soil water content and temperature as a function of time and soil depth. Moreover, the model can accurately reflect changes in soil moisture and heat transfer in different periods. With only a few empirical parameters, the proposed model will serve as guide in the field of surface irrigation. Full article
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1994 KiB  
Article
Effective Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity for Representing Field-Scale Infiltration and Surface Soil Moisture in Heterogeneous Unsaturated Soils Subjected to Rainfall Events
by Richa Ojha, Corrado Corradini, Renato Morbidelli and Rao S. Govindaraju
Water 2017, 9(2), 134; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w9020134 - 20 Feb 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5894
Abstract
Spatial heterogeneity in soil properties has been a challenge for providing field-scale estimates of infiltration rates and surface soil moisture content over natural fields. In this study, we develop analytical expressions for effective saturated hydraulic conductivity for use with the Green-Ampt model to [...] Read more.
Spatial heterogeneity in soil properties has been a challenge for providing field-scale estimates of infiltration rates and surface soil moisture content over natural fields. In this study, we develop analytical expressions for effective saturated hydraulic conductivity for use with the Green-Ampt model to describe field-scale infiltration rates and evolution of surface soil moisture over unsaturated fields subjected to a rainfall event. The heterogeneity in soil properties is described by a log-normal distribution for surface saturated hydraulic conductivity. Comparisons between field-scale numerical and analytical simulation results for water movement in heterogeneous unsaturated soils show that the proposed expressions reproduce the evolution of surface soil moisture and infiltration rate with time. The analytical expressions hold promise for describing mean field infiltration rates and surface soil moisture evolution at field-scale over sandy loam and loamy sand soils. Full article
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2265 KiB  
Article
Groundwater Modeling in Support of Water Resources Management and Planning under Complex Climate, Regulatory, and Economic Stresses
by Emin C. Dogrul, Charles F. Brush and Tariq N. Kadir
Water 2016, 8(12), 592; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w8120592 - 13 Dec 2016
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 11394
Abstract
Groundwater is an important resource that meets part or all of the water demand in many developed basins. Since it is an integral part of the hydrologic cycle, management of groundwater resources must consider not only the management of surface flows but also [...] Read more.
Groundwater is an important resource that meets part or all of the water demand in many developed basins. Since it is an integral part of the hydrologic cycle, management of groundwater resources must consider not only the management of surface flows but also the variability in climate. In addition, agricultural and urban activities both affect the availability of water resources and are affected by it. Arguably, the Central Valley of the State of California, USA, can be considered a basin where all stresses that can possibly affect the management of groundwater resources seem to have come together: a vibrant economy that depends on water, a relatively dry climate, a disparity between water demand and availability both in time and space, heavily managed stream flows that are susceptible to water quality issues and sea level rise, degradation of aquifer conditions due to over-pumping, and degradation of the environment with multiple species becoming endangered. Over the past fifteen years, the California Department of Water Resources has developed and maintained the Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) to aid in groundwater management and planning under complex, and often competing, requirements. This paper will describe features of IWFM as a generic modeling tool, and showcase several of its innovative applications within California. Full article
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7613 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study on the Permeability of the Hydraulic-Stimulated Fracture Network in Naturally-Fractured Shale Gas Reservoirs
by Zhaobin Zhang, Xiao Li and Jianming He
Water 2016, 8(9), 393; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w8090393 - 09 Sep 2016
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5979
Abstract
As hydraulic fracturing is a fluid-rock coupling process, the permeability of the hydraulic-stimulated fracture network in the initial stage has great effects on the propagation of the hydraulic fracture network in the following stages. In this work, the permeability of the hydraulic-stimulated fracture [...] Read more.
As hydraulic fracturing is a fluid-rock coupling process, the permeability of the hydraulic-stimulated fracture network in the initial stage has great effects on the propagation of the hydraulic fracture network in the following stages. In this work, the permeability of the hydraulic-stimulated fracture network in shale gas reservoirs is investigated by a newly-proposed model based on the displacement discontinuity method. The permeability of the fracture network relies heavily on fracture apertures, which can be calculated with high precision by the displacement discontinuity method. The hydraulic fracturing processes are simulated based on the natural fracture networks reconstructed from the shale samples in the Longmaxi formation of China. The flow fields are simulated and the permeability is calculated based on the fracture configurations and fracture apertures after hydraulic fracturing treatment. It is found that the anisotropy of the permeability is very strong, and the permeability curves have similar shapes. Therefore, a fitting equation of the permeability curve is given for convenient use in the future. The permeability curves under different fluid pressures and crustal stress directions are obtained. The results show that the permeability anisotropy is stronger when the fluid pressure is higher. Moreover, the permeability anisotropy reaches the minimum value when the maximum principle stress direction is perpendicular to the main natural fracture direction. The investigation on the permeability is useful for answering how the reservoirs are hydraulically stimulated and is useful for predicting the propagation behaviors of the hydraulic fracture network in shale gas reservoirs. Full article
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