An assessment of an approximate analytic method for predicting breakthrough curves for steady state longitudinal dispersion of solute in soil with non‐uniform water distribution

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SUMMARY: Breakthrough curves have been determined using an analytic solution of the dispersion equation for constant water content—set equal to the mean water content—and compared with those obtained for the actual water distribution using an analysis developed by Wilson & Gelhar (1981). Numerical analysis of selected examples confirmed the validity and accuracy of the latter method.The error in using the mean water content could become unacceptably large when the water content range was large or changed abruptly with distance, but was other‐wise small and probably negligible for many applications. It was not possible to devise simple criteria, but the method of Wilson & Gelhar is simple to apply, and it is unnecessary to consider alternative approximate methods.

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: