Uncertainty for solute movement in bounded heterogeneous porous media

Abstract

The main focus of the present study is to assess the impact of finite flow domain size on solute travel time statistics for a nonreactive conservative solute in a bounded three-dimensional statistically isotropic porous medium. This is accomplished by introducing a modified covariance function of log hydraulic conductivity, accounting for a finite sample size, into the evaluation of solute travel time statistics within the framework of stochastic theory and the spectral perturbation techniques. This study finds that the first two moments of solute travel time for advection-dominated solute movement increase with the size of flow domain.