HR: 0800h
AN: H51F-0846    [Abstracts]
TI: Hydraulic Similitude for Variably-Saturated Media
AU: * Li, H
EM: hailong@temple.edu
AF: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, 1947 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122,
AU: Boufadel, M C
EM: boufadel@temple.edu
AF: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, 1947 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122,
AB: We introduced a dimensionless formulation for water flow in variably-saturated media that provides a basis for similitude between domains of various sizes, anisotropy ratios, hydraulic conductivities, and capillary properties. The formulation indicated, for example, that short coarse-textured domains behave similarly to tall fine-textured domains. It also indicated that the hydraulics in a high conductivity beach subjected to a fast rising tide is similar to that in a low conductivity beach subjected to a slow rising tide. Measurements of water level and solutes (salt, nutrients) at two beaches in the Prince William Sound, Alaska, were modeled using the MARUN model, a 2D finite element code for flow in variably-saturated media, and were then generalized using the dimensionless formulation.
DE: 1875 Vadose zone
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting