Mixed formulation for an easy and robust numerical computation of sorptivity

2023

Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000938020600001

Lassabatere L., Peyneau P. E., Yilmaz D., Pollacco J., Fernandez-Galvez J., Latorre B., Moret-Fernandez D., Di Prima S., Rahmati M., Stewart R. D., Abou Najm M., Hammecker Claude, Angulo-Jaramillo R.

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2023, 27 (4), p. 895-915 ISSN 1027-5606

Sorptivity is one of the most important parameters for the quantification of water infiltration into soils. proposed a specific formulation to derive sorptivity as a function of the soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions, as well as initial and final soil water contents. However, this formulation requires the integration of a function involving hydraulic diffusivity, which may be undefined or present numerical difficulties that cause numerical misestimations. In this study, we propose a mixed formulation that scales sorptivity and splits the integrals into two parts: the first term involves the scaled degree of saturation, while the second involves the scaled water pressure head. The new mixed formulation is shown to be robust and well-suited to any type of hydraulic function - even with infinite hydraulic diffusivity or positive air-entry water pressure heads - and any boundary condition, including infinite initial water pressure head, h -> -infinity. Lastly, we show the benefits of using the proposed formulation for modeling water into soil with analytical models that use sorptivity.

Sciences fondamentales / Techniques d'analyse et de recherche [020] ; Hydrologie [062] ; Pédologie [068]

Fonds IRD [F B010087446]

fdi:010087446