Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #213820
Title: Observing and Simulating Macropore Flow with Computed Tomography and Lattice Boltzmann Methods

Author
item SCHAAP, MARCEL - UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
item TULLER, MARKUS - UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
item Guber, Andrey
item Pachepsky, Yakov

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2007
Publication Date: 11/4/2007
Citation: Schaap, M., Tuller, M., Guber, A.K., Pachepsky, Y.A. 2007. Observing and Simulating Macropore Flow with Computed Tomography and Lattice Boltzmann Methods [abstract]. International Hydropedology Conference, Penn State, University Park, PA, July 28-31, 2008. Abstract 184-7. 2007 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Macropore flow in soils is a conceptually reasonably well understood phenomenon, but very hard to quantify exactly. Difficulties arise because of experimental complexities that require large samples, pore geometry and pore-network effects, and because of uncertainties in the interactions between macro-pores and the surrounding soil matrix. In this presentation we report on a dataset where saturated macropore flow was measured in soil columns of which pore geometry was subsequently observed with computed tomography (CT). Segmentation of the three-dimensional CT images into solid phase and pore-space allowed us to study the statistical properties of the pore-network. Finally, lattice Boltzmann simulations of Navier-Stokes flow in the pore network allowed us to compute saturated hydraulic conductivity and compare these results to the observed data.