Particulate transport through heterogeneous porous media; numerical studies using finite element method

The complexity of natural systems often prohibits our understanding of governing principles of the systems. The prediction of flow and solute transport through large-scale geological systems is challenging, since accurate predictions involves a detailed characterization of the spatial distribution of hydrologic parameter values. For simplicity reasons, most of the past studies of groundwater flow and solute transport assumed homogeneous aquifers. Numerical methods of estimating hydrologic properties of aquifers used the homogeneity assumption because of mathematical challenges associated with the heterogeneity of aquifers. In the present work we investigate the transport processes in watersheds using a two-dimensional model for flow and particulate transport in the subsurface system. The study reveals that the particle dispersion depends strongly on the heterogeneity of the aquifer. Thus, the particles exhibit a slower speed in the regions of low conductivity. Moreover, the particles exhibit a preferential path, following the path of minimum resistance.