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A Note on the Apparent Conductivity of Stratified Porous Media in Unsaturated Steady Flow Above a Water Table

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Abstract

We aim at deriving the apparent unsaturated conductivity (AUC) K (ap), defined as the ratio between the mean flux and the mean head gradient in a stratified vadose zone above the water table. This is achieved for steady flow generated by a constant infiltrating flux applied at the soil surface. By adopting the first-order approximation in the two parameters of the conductivity curve, and under a few additional simplifying assumptions, we were able to analytically compute K (ap). It is shown that this latter varies between K (ap) ≡ K H (the harmonic mean) at the water table, and K (ap) ≡ K ef (the effective conductivity in gravitational flow) far above the water table. Profiles of the AUC are illustrated, and the impact of parameters values is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water Resources Management, University of Naples, Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy

    Gerardo Severino

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA, USA

    Gerardo Severino & Antonio Coppola

Authors
  1. Gerardo Severino
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  2. Antonio Coppola
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Correspondence to Gerardo Severino.

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Severino, G., Coppola, A. A Note on the Apparent Conductivity of Stratified Porous Media in Unsaturated Steady Flow Above a Water Table. Transp Porous Med 91, 733–740 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-011-9870-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-011-9870-2

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