Chinese Science Bulletin

, Volume 59, Issue 16, pp 1880–1884 | Cite as

A thermodynamic hypothesis regarding optimality principles for flow processes in geosystems

Article Geology
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

This paper proposes a new thermodynamic hypothesis that states that a nonlinear natural system that is not isolated and involves positive feedbacks tends to minimize its resistance to the flow process through it that is imposed by its environment. We demonstrate that the hypothesis is consistent with flow behavior in saturated and unsaturated porous media, river basins, and the Earth-atmosphere system. While optimization for flow processes has been previously discussed by a number of researchers in the literature, the unique contribution of this work is to indicate that only the driving process is subject to optimality when multiple flow processes are simultaneously involved in a system.

Keywords

Unsaturated flow Minimization of energy expenditure rate Maximum entropy production 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgement

We are indebted to Drs. Lianchong Li and Dan Hawkes at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for their critical and careful review of a preliminary version of this manuscript. The constructive review comments from Dr. John Nimmo, the other anonymous reviewer, and the Associated Editor are appreciated. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), under DOE Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

References

  1. 1.
    Rodriguez-Iturbe I, Rinaldo A, Rigon A et al (1992) Energy dissipation, runoff production and the three-dimensional structure of river basins. Water Resour Res 28:1095–1103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Rinaldo A, Rodriguez-Iturbe I, Rigon R et al (1992) Minimum energy and fractal structures of drainage networks. Water Resour Res 28:2183–2191CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Liu HH (2011) A note on equations for steady-state optimal landscapes. Geophys Res Lett 38:L10402. doi: 10.1029/2011GL047619 Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    Liu HH (2011) A conductivity relationship for steady-state unsaturated flow processes under optimal flow conditions. Vadose Zone J 10:736–740CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Buckingham E (1907) Studies on the movement of soil moisture. Bulletin 38. USDA Bureau of Soils, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Paltridge GW (1975) Global dynamics and climate—a system of minimum entropy exchange. Q J R Met Soc 101:475–484CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Ozawa H, Ohmura A, Lorenz R et al (1018) The second law of thermodynamics and the global climate system: a review of the maximum entropy production principle. Rev Geophys 2003:41. doi: 10.1029/2002RG000113 Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Nieven RK (2010) Minimization of a free-energy-like potential for non-equilibrium flow systems at steady state. Phil Trans R Soc 365:1213–1331CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Bejan A (2000) Shape and structure, from engineering to nature. Cambridge University Press, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Martyushev LM, Seleznev VD (2006) Maximum entropy production principle in physics, chemistry and biology. Phys Rep 426:1–45CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Sonnino G, Evslin J (2007) The minimum rate of dissipation principle. Phys Lett A 365:364–369CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Weinstock R (1974) Calculus of variations. Dover Publication, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Prigogine I (1955) Introduction to thermodynamics of irreversible processes. Interscience Publishers, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Li GA (2003) Study on the application of irreversible thermodynamics in the problems of porous medium seepage. Dissertation for Doctoral Degree, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (in Chinese)Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    Paltridge GW (1978) The steady-state format of global climate. Q J R Met Soc 104:927–945CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Clausse M, Meunier F, Reis AH et al (2012) Climate change, in the framework of the constructal law. Int J Glob Warm 4:242–260CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Malkus WVR, Veronis G (1958) Finite amplitude cellular convection. J Fluid Mech 4:225–260CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Koschmieder KL (1993) Benard cells and Taylor vortices. Cambridge University Press, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Getling AV (1998) Rayleigh Benard convection: structures and dynamics. World Scientific, SingaporeCrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Earth Sciences DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUSA

Personalised recommendations