Measuring the effect of structural connectivity on the water dynamics in heterogeneous porous media using speedy neutron tomography

The temporal and spatial distribution of water within a porous medium is affected by the medium’s structure, i.e., the spatial arrangement of its constituents. To analyze structural effects on the fluid dynamics, we measured the 3D water content distribution in a heterogeneous sand column during two drainage-wetting cycles using neutron transmission tomography. The sample with a volume of 105 cm³ contained 101 cubes of fine and 49 cubes of coarse sand with particles ranging from 0.01 to 0.05 and 0.03 to 0.09 cm, respectively. The pressure at the lower boundary was determined by the water reservoir positioned between 7 and 39 cm below the top of the column. The duration of one complete 3D scanning with a spatial resolution of 127 μm was 56 s. The signal to noise ratio of the measurements was low due to the short exposure time in the neutron beam, but it was possible to quantify the water content in the individual cubes and hence the effect of structure on macroscopic water distribution. Continuous structures of coarse sand drained faster than coarse sand without connection to the upper boundary. During the initial wetting phase, cubes of coarse sand material completely embedded in the fine material remained water unsaturated due to air entrapment. The effect of the coarse sand connectivity was analyzed in two-dimensional numerical simulations based on Richards equation. In contrast to the measurements, no effect of structure connectivity was found. The coarse sand cubes embedded within the fine matrix drain as quickly as the coarse sand cubes arranged in a continuous channel due to the model assumption of a continuous air phase.     

Multi-step and two-step experiments in heterogeneous porous media to evaluate the relevance of dynamic effects

The determination of hydraulic properties in non-stationary experiments is suspected to be affected by dynamic effects. This is based on thermodynamic considerations on the pore scale displacement of wetting and non-wetting phase. But also macroscopic heterogeneities at the continuum scale may influence the dynamics of water during drainage and wetting. In this paper we investigate both aspects. Firstly, we present the results of typical multi-step outflow experiments in heterogeneous sand columns which are compared with two-step outflow experiments covering the same pressure range. The discrepancies caused by pressure steps of different size reveal the impact of dynamic effects due to the non-stationarity of the experiments.     

Reprint of “Multi-step and two-step experiments in heterogeneous porous media to evaluate the relevance of dynamic effects”

The determination of hydraulic properties in non-stationary experiments is suspected to be affected by dynamic effects. This is based on thermodynamic considerations on the pore scale displacement of wetting and non-wetting phase. But also macroscopic heterogeneities at the continuum scale may influence the dynamics of water during drainage and wetting. In this paper we investigate both aspects. Firstly, we present the results of typical multi-step outflow experiments in heterogeneous sand columns which are compared with two-step outflow experiments covering the same pressure range. The discrepancies caused by pressure steps of different size reveal the impact of dynamic effects due to the non-stationarity of the experiments.     

Inverse modelling techniques for determining hydraulic properties of coarse-textured porous media by transient outflow methods

A series of multi-step outflow experiments was carried out to identify the unsaturated hydraulic properties of two homogeneous coarse-textured porous media (glass beads and sand). Because of the measured sharp fronts of water content decrease during these experiments the hydraulic functions are assumed to be represented by the complete van Genuchten–Mualem closed-form expressions with variable coefficients α, n, m and θ_r. The values of θ_s and K_s were measured directly. A sensitivity analysis with respect to α, n, and m shows that conditions of local identifiability are satisfied if measurements of water content at some inner points inside the column are considered. The inverse modelling technique consists of two steps: first, computation of objective function values based on water content data responses to obtain initial parameter estimations, and second, a more detailed parameter determination using a Levenberg–Marquardt scheme. In both steps a numerical model incorporating the hydraulic functions is utilized to simulate theoretical pressure head and water content distributions along the column. For both porous media unique solutions of the inverse problem could be obtained, and afterwards, the corresponding hydraulic functions were verified from additional drainage experiments.©1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved     

Shallow water substrate mapping using hyperspectral remote sensing

During April 2004 the airborne hyperspectral sensor, HyMap, collected data over a shallow coastal region of Western Australia. These data were processed by inversion of a semi-analytical shallow water optical model to classify the substrate. Inputs to the optical model include water column constituent specific inherent optical properties (SIOPs), view and illumination geometry, surface condition (based on wind speed) and normalised reflectance spectra of substrate types. A sub-scene of the HyMap data covering approximately 4 km² was processed such that each 3×3 m² pixel was classed as sand, seagrass, brown algae or various mixtures of these three components. Coincident video data were collected and used to estimate substrate types. We present comparisons of the habitat classifications determined by these two methods and show that the percentage validation of the remotely sensed habitat map may be optimised by selection of appropriate optical model parameters. The optical model was able to retrieve classes for approximately 80% of all pixels in the scene, with validation percentages of approximately 50% for sand and seagrass classification, and 90% for brown algae classification. The semi-analytical model inversion approach to classification can be expected to be applied to any shallow water region where substrate reflectance spectra and SIOPs are known or can be inferred.     

Solute dilution under imbibition and drainage conditions in a heterogeneous structure: Modeling of a sand tank experiment

This study aims at modeling the transport of a conservative tracer in two dimensions, as experimentally observed in a strongly heterogeneous medium under conditions of variable water saturation during drainage and imbibition. Solute transport experiments were conducted in a sand tank containing an artificial packing of three quartz sands of different particle sizes. The packing was characterized by the presence of numerous homogeneous layers (0.5 × 5 × 5 cm) inclined at 45° and randomly distributed in a tank. Six different stationary flow conditions were sequentially established during imbibition and drainage. When a stationary flow regime was reached, several solute pulses were applied at different positions at the upper surface of the sand structure. The transport regime was studied by monitoring the tracer plumes injected as point-like pulses at the surface, as they travelled through the sand bedding.     

Hyporheic and total transient storage in small,sand‐bed streams

Key processes in stream ecosystems are linked to hydraulic retention, which is the departure of stream flow from ideal ‘plug flow’, and reflects fluid movement through surface and hyporheic storage zones. Most existing information about hyporheic exchange is based on flume studies or field measurements in relatively steep streams with beds coarser than sand. Stream tracer studies may be used to quantify overall hydraulic retention, but disaggregation of surface and hyporheic retention remains difficult. A stream tracer approach was used to compute the rates at which stream water is exchanged with water in storage zones (total storage) in short reaches of two small, sand‐bed streams under free and obstructed flow conditions. Tracer curves were fit to the one‐dimensional transport with inflow storage model OTIS‐P. Networks of piezometers were used to measure specific discharge between the stream and the groundwater. In the sand‐bed streams studied, parameters describing total retention were in the upper 50% of data compiled from the literature, most of which represented streams with beds coarser than sand. However, hyporheic storage was an insignificant component of total hydraulic retention, representing only 0·01–0·49% of total exchange, and this fraction did not increase after installation of flow obstructions. Total retention did not vary systematically with bed material size, but increased 50–100% following flow obstruction. Removal of roughness elements, such as large wood and debris dams, is detrimental to processes dependent upon transient storage in small, sand‐bed streams. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inverse modeling of a radial multistep outflow experiment for determining unsaturated hydraulic properties

Modeling flow and solute transport in the unsaturated zone on the basis of the Richards equation requires specifying values for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and water potential as a function of saturation. The objectives of the paper are to evaluate the design of a transient, radial, multi-step outflow experiment, and to determine unsaturated hydraulic parameters using inverse modeling. We conducted numerical simulations, sensitivity analyses, and synthetic data inversions to assess the suitability of the proposed experiment for concurrently estimating the parameters of interest. We calibrated different conceptual models against transient flow and pressure data from a multi-step, radial desaturation experiment to obtain estimates of absolute permeability, as well as the parameters of the relative permeability and capillary pressure functions. We discuss the differences in the estimated parameter values and illustrate the impact of the underlying model on the estimates. We demonstrate that a small error in absolute permeability, if determined in an independent experiment, leads to biased estimates of unsaturated hydraulic properties. Therefore, we perform a joint inversion of pressure and flow rate data for the simultaneous determination of permeability and retention parameters, and analyze the correlations between these parameters. We conclude that the proposed combination of a radial desaturation experiment and inverse modeling is suitable for simultaneously determining the unsaturated hydraulic properties of a single soil sample, and that the inverse modeling technique provides the opportunity to analyze data from nonstandard experimental designs.     

Maximum-likelihood estimation of unsaturated hydraulic parameters

Maximum-likelihood estimators properly represent measurement error, thus provide a statistically sound basis for evaluating the adequacy of a model fit and for finding the multivariate parameter confidence region. We demonstrate the advantages of using maximum-likelihood estimators rather than simple least-squares estimators for the problem of finding unsaturated hydraulic parameters. Inversion of outflow data given independent retention data can be treated by an extension to a Bayesian estimator. As an example, we apply the methodology to retention and transient unsaturated outflow observations, both obtained on the same medium sand sample. We found the van Genuchten expression to be adequate for the retention data, as the best fit was within measurement error. The Cramer–Rao confidence bound described the true parameter uncertainty approximately. The Mualem–van Genuchten expression was, however, inadequate for our outflow observations, suggesting that the parameters (, n) may not always be equivalent in describing both retention and unsaturated conductivity.     

Using a pore‐scale model to quantify the effect of particle re‐arrangement on pore structure and hydraulic properties

A pore‐scale model based on measured particle size distributions has been used to quantify the changes in pore space geometry of packed soil columns resulting from a dilution in electrolyte concentration from 500 to 1 mmol l^?1 NaCl during leaching. This was applied to examine the effects of particle release and re‐deposition on pore structure and hydraulic properties. Two different soils, an agricultural soil and a mining residue, were investigated with respect to the change in hydraulic properties. The mining residue was much more affected by this process with the water saturated hydraulic conductivity decreasing to 0·4% of the initial value and the air‐entry value changing from 20 to 50 cm. For agricultural soil, there was little detectable shift in the water retention curve but the saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased to 8·5% of the initial value. This was attributed to localized pore clogging (similar to a surface seal) affecting hydraulic conductivity, but not the microscopically measured pore‐size distribution or water retention. We modelled the soil structure at the pore scale to explain the different responses of the two soils to the experimental conditions. The size of the pores was determined as a function of deposited clay particles. The modal pore size of the agricultural soil as indicated by the constant water retention curve was 45 µm and was not affected by the leaching process. In the case of the mining residue, the mode changed from 75 to 45 µm. This reduction of pore size corresponds to an increase of capillary forces that is related to the measured shift of the water retention curve. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Respiration and denitrification in permeable continental shelf deposits on the South Atlantic Bight: Rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling from sediment column experiments

Nitrogen (N) cycling and respiration rates were measured in sediment columns packed with southeastern United States continental shelf sands, with high permeability (4.66×10⁻¹¹ m²) and low organic carbon (0.05%) and nitrogen (0.008%). To simulate porewater advection, natural shelf seawater was pumped through columns of different lengths to achieve fluid residence times of approximately 3, 6, and 12 h. Experiments were conducted seasonally at in situ temperature. Fluid flow was uniform in nearly all columns, with minimal dead zones and channeling. Significant respiration (O₂ consumption and ∑CO₂ production) occurred in all columns, with highest respiration rates in summer. Most (78–100%) remineralized N was released as N₂ in the majority of cases, including columns with oxic porewater throughout, with only a small fraction released as NO₃⁻ from some oxic columns. A rate of 0.84–4.83×10¹⁰ mol N yr⁻¹, equivalent to 1.06–6.09×10⁻⁶ mmol N cm⁻² h⁻¹, was calculated for benthic N₂ production in the South Atlantic Bight, which can account for a large fraction of new N inputs to this shelf region. Metal and sulfate reduction occurred in long residence time columns with anoxic outflow in summer and fall, when respiration rates were highest. Because permeable sediments dominate continental shelves, N₂ production in high permeability coastal sediments may play an important role in the global N cycle.     

Comparing hydraulic properties of different forest floors

The forest floor plays an important role in runoff rate, soil erosion and soil infiltration capacity by protecting mineral soils from the direct impact of falling raindrops. Forest floor consists of different kinds of litter with different hydraulic properties. In this study, the inverse method was used to estimate the hydraulic properties of three kinds of forest floor (broad‐leaved, needle‐leaved and mixed‐stand) at three replications in a completely random design. Forest floor samples were collected from the Gilan Province, Iran. The samples were piled up to make long columns 40.88 cm high with an inner diameter of 18.1 cm. Artificial rainfall experiments were conducted on top of the columns, and free drainage from the bottom of the columns was measured in the laboratory. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s), saturated water content and water retention curve parameters (van Genuchten equation) were estimated by the inverse method. The results showed that the K_s of needle‐leaved samples differed significantly (p < 0.05) from those of broad‐leaved and mixed‐stand samples, whereas the latter two did not differ in this regard. No significant differences emerged in the water retention function parameters of van Genuchten (θ_r, β and α) in the three forest floor samples. The saturated water content of mixed‐stand samples was significantly different (p < 0.05) from that of broad‐leaved and needle‐leaved treatments with the latter two samples showing no significant difference. The good agreement between simulated and observed free drainage for all forest floor samples in the validation period indicates that the estimated hydraulic properties efficiently characterize the unsaturated water flow in the forest floor. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiple pixel-scale soil water retention curves quantified by neutron radiography

The soil water retention function is needed for modeling multiphase flow in porous media. Traditional techniques for measuring the soil water retention function, such as the hanging water column or pressure cell methods, yield average water retention data which have to be modeled using inverse procedures to extract relevant point parameters. In this study, we have developed a technique for directly measuring multiple point (pixel-scale) water retention curves for a repacked sand material using 2-D neutron radiography. Neutron radiographic images were obtained under quasi-equilibrium conditions at nine imposed basal matric potentials during monotonic drying of Flint sand at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) Cold Guide (CG) 1D beamline at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. All of the images were normalized with respect to an image of the oven dry sand column. Volumetric water contents were computed on a pixel by pixel basis using an empirical calibration equation after taking into account beam hardening and geometric corrections. Corresponding matric potentials were calculated from the imposed basal matric potential and pixel elevations. Volumetric water content and matric potential data pairs corresponding to 120 selected pixels were used to construct 120 point water retention curves. Each curve was fitted to the Brooks and Corey equation using segmented non-linear regression in SAS. A 98.5% convergence rate was achieved resulting in 115 estimates of the four Brooks and Corey parameters. A single Brooks and Corey point water retention function was constructed for Flint sand using the median values of these parameter estimates. This curve corresponded closely with the point Brooks and Corey function inversely extracted from the average water retention data using TrueCell. Forward numerical simulations performed using HYDRUS 1-D showed that the cumulative outflows predicted using the point Brooks and Corey functions from both the direct (neutron radiography) and inverse (TrueCell) methods were in good agreement with independent measurements of cumulative outflow determined with a transducer. Our results indicate that neutron radiography can be used to quantify the point water retention curve of homogeneous mineral particles. Further research will be needed to extend this approach to more heterogeneous porous media.     

Experimental study on the hydrological performance of green roofs in the application of novel biochar

Biochar has the potential to be a soil amendment in green roofs owing to its water retention, nutrient supply, and carbon sequestration application. The combined effects of biochar and vegetated soil on hydraulic performance (e.g., saturated hydraulic conductivity, retention and detention, and runoff delay) are the crucial factor for the application of the novel biochar in green roofs. Recent studies investigated soil water potential (i.e., suction) either on vegetated soil or on biochar-amended soil but rarely focused on their integrated application. With the purpose of investigating the hydraulic performance of green roofs in the application of biochar, the combined effect of biochar and vegetated soil on hydrological processes was explored. Artificial rainfall experiments were conducted on the four types of experimental soil columns, including natural soil, biochar-amended soil, vegetated natural soil, and vegetated biochar-amended soil. The surface ponding, bottom drainage and the volumetric water content were measured during the rainfall test. Simulation method by using HYDRUS-1D was adopted for estimating hydraulic parameters and developing modelling analysis. The results indicated that the saturated hydraulic conductivity of vegetated soil columns were higher than bare soil columns. The addition of biochar decreased the saturated hydraulic conductivity, and the magnitude of decrease was much significant in the case of vegetated soil. The influence of vegetation on permeability is more prominent than biochar. The vegetated biochar-amended soil has the highest retention and detention capacity, and shows a preferable runoff delay effect under heavy rain among the four soil columns. The results from the present study help to understand the hydrological processes in the green roof in the application of biochar, and imply that biochar can be an alternative soil amendment to improve the hydraulic performance.     

Validity limits for the van Genuchten–Mualem model and implications for parameter estimation and numerical simulation

The calculation of the relative hydraulic conductivity function based on water retention data is an attractive and widely used approach, since direct measurements of unsaturated conductivities are difficult. We show theoretically under which conditions an air-entry value for water retention data is definitely required when using the statistical approach of Mualem. Moreover we rigorously specify the conditions for which the classical van Genuchten–Mualem model leads to wrong predictions of relative hydraulic conductivity and, hence, an alternative formulation including an air-entry value should be used. Significant consequences are demonstrated for the inverse parameter estimation based on multistep outflow experiments. Furthermore it is shown that the use of a physically correct formulation of the water retention curve including an air-entry value and the derived hydraulic conductivity function influences not only the stability of numerical simulations but also their final results. This is especially grave as simulations with van Genuchten–Mualem parameters are frequently used to compare experiments and simulations and to draw conclusions on the correctness of Richards’ equation.     

Mechanism of Suspended Kaolinite Particle Clogging in Porous Media During Managed Aquifer Recharge

Managed aquifer recharge is an effective strategy for urban stormwater management. Chemical ions are normally retained in stormwater and groundwater and may accelerate clogging during the recharge process. However, the effect of water chemistry on physical clogging has not previously been investigated. In this study, we investigated the hydrogeochemical mechanism of saturated porous media clogging in a series of column experiments. The column was packed with river sand and added suspensions of kaolinite particles. Calcium chloride and sodium chloride are used as representative ions to study chemical effects. We found that an increase in ionic strength resulted in retention of kaolinite solids in the column, with a breakthrough peak of C/C₀ value of 1 to 0.2. The corresponding hydraulic conductivity decreased with increased solids clogging. Divalent cations were also found to have a greater influence on kaolinite particle clogging than monovalent cations. The enhanced hydrochemical-related clogging was caused by kaolinite solids flocculating and increasing the deposition rate coefficient by 1 to 2 times in high ionic strength conditions. Three clogging mechanisms of kaolinite solids are proposed: surface filtration, inner blocking, and attachment. This study further deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of solids clogging during aquifer recharge and demonstrates the significance of ionic strength on recharge clogging risk assessments.     

Spatial and temporal variability of seawater properties,current velocity and SPM concentration off Cassino Beach-Rio Grande-Southern Brazil

Water column profiles and near-bed time series of pressure, current velocity, suspended-particulate matter (SPM) concentration and seawater temperature and salinity were collected during three short cruises carried out in May 2005 in the shoreface and inner shelf area adjacent to Cassino Beach, southern Brazil. The measurements were part of the Cassino Experiment, a project conducted at an open, sandy coastal area known for the occurrence of patches of fairly large amounts of muddy sediments that are sporadically fluidized, transported onshore and eventually stranded on the beach. The study area is close to the Patos Lagoon mouth, being influenced by its water and suspended-sediment discharge. The presence of the Patos Lagoon outflow on the inner shelf was detected in one of the cruises (May 13) through measurements of near-surface salinity: while close to shore salinity was 29.4, a minimum value of 13.8 was measured at ∼10 km from the coast. Four days later, no trace of the plume was detected in the area. Regarding seawater temperature, no large temporal or spatial variability was documented with measured values ranging from 19.3 to 20 °C. Water column currents were prominently to N and NE, except at the outermost station, located ∼42 km from the coast, where NW-directed flows were observed at surface and mid-depth. Maximum near-bed current velocity oscillated between 18 and 42 cm s⁻¹ in the east–west direction and between 14 and 42 cm s⁻¹ in the north–south direction. Near-surface concentration of SPM oscillated between 11 and 99 mg L⁻¹, in general one order of magnitude lower than near-bed values. However, near-bed concentration of SPM showed large spatial variability: the highest value (2200 mg L⁻¹) was yielded by a water sample collected at ∼8 m water depth, at a station located ∼2 km away from the shoreline; two water samples collected 500 m, apart from this station, yielded SPM concentrations of 148 and 205 mg L⁻¹, one order of magnitude lower. Spectral analyses of near-bed current speed and SPM concentration indicate the relevance of oscillations in the low-frequency (<0.05 Hz) range. Detailed sampling of bottom sediment indicated that in May 2005 the mud patch was centered at ∼8.5 m water depth.     

The effects of controlled drainage on subsurface outflow from level agricultural fields

Daily outflow frequencies and recession curves were used to identify differences in storage–outflow relationships between two different drainage systems, conventional and controlled drainage. A three‐year (1996–1999) field drainage experiment was carried out on a loamy sand soil in southern Sweden. Plots with an area of 0·2 hectares were drained by conventional subsurface drainage (CD) or by controlled drainage (CWT1 and CWT2). The controlled drainage system allowed the groundwater level in the soil to be varied during the year. It was kept at least 70 cm below the soil surface during the growing season but allowed to rise to a maximum of 20 cm below the soil surface during the rest of the year. Measurements were performed to record precipitation, drain outflow and groundwater levels. Daily values of outflow were divided into 10 categories, based on the size of outflow. Recession curves of hourly measurement of outflow were selected. They behaved like single reservoirs and a linear storage–outflow model was applied. Least squares estimates of the parameters initial outflow, initial storage volume and retention constant were calculated. Controlled drainage had a significant effect on total drain outflow and outflow pattern during the three years of measurement. The total drain outflow was 70% to 90% smaller in CWT than in CD. The analysis revealed that the initial outflows were higher, the retention constant and the temporary storage lower in CWT. The hydrological impacts of the reduction in temporary storage were higher peak flow, shorter lag time and shorter recession time and these effects increased with an increased groundwater level. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling fluxes of water and sediment between Venice Lagoon and the sea

To describe the exchange of water and sediment through the Venice Lagoon inlets a 3-D hydrodynamic and sediment transport model has been developed and applied to a domain comprising Venice Lagoon and a part of the Adriatic Sea. The model has been validated for both current velocities and suspended particle concentration against direct observations and from observations empirically derived fluxes from upward-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler probes installed inside each inlet. The model provides estimates of the suspended sediment transport in the lower 3 m of the water column that is not detected by acoustic Doppler current profiler sensors. The bedload model prediction has been validated against measured sand transport rates collected by sand traps deployed in the Lido and Chioggia inlets. Results indicate that, in the Lido inlet, 87% of the total load is in suspension, while the rest moves as bedload.     

Fingered flow: The creator of sand columns in dune and beach sands

Sand columns, sand cones, sand mushrooms and other striking sand forms are frequently observed in the Dutch and German beach and dune sands. This paper aims to clarify the mechanism of sand column formation. Recently it has become evident that homogeneous beach and dune sands often become irregularly wetted by infiltrating rainwater. In otherwise dry sandy soils, wet preferential flow paths (‘fingers’) may develop. At two test sites the volumetric soil moisture content varied between 0·2 and 12·0 per cent. The wet fingers represent the premature state of sand columns. When the dry sand in between these fingers is blown away by the wind, the more resistant wet sand of the fingers will remain in its place and appear as sand columns at the surface. As a result of wind and erosive sand drifts, striking sand forms may be formed.