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Small-Scale Features of Gravity-Driven Flow in Unsaturated Fractures

Grace W. Su*,a, Jil T. Gellera, James R. Huntb and Karsten Pruessa

a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Berkeley, CA 94720
b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720



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Fig. 1. Cross section of a blob advancing down an inclined parallel plate fracture.

 


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Fig. 2. Schematic of experimental apparatus.

 


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Fig. 3. Photograph of the aperture pattern in the obscure–glass plate combination. Dyed water was injected between the plates for this photograph. The brighter regions indicate smaller apertures and the darker regions indicate larger apertures.

 


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Fig. 4. (a)–(c) Liquid distribution on three different surfaces, Q = 5 mL h–1 and ß = 85°. Before drainage (t1) and after drainage (t2). (d) Liquid distribution in sandblasted plates, Q = 2 mL h–1, ß = 15°. The saturated regions appear brighter than the films surrounding it since the water was not dyed.

 


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Fig. 5. Plots of the advancing front as a function of time on the (a) glass and acrylic plates and (b) glass and obscure plates. Q = 5 mL h–1 and ß = 85°.

 


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Fig. 6. Plot of the contact angle hysteresis as a function of the nondimensionless velocity.

 


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Fig. 7. Plots of measured and predicted rivulet widths as a function of flow rate on glass and acrylic plates (b = 0.25 mm) for inclination angles of (a) 20° and (b) 85°.

 


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Fig. 8. Schematic of a rivulet cross section on a strongly wetting vs. an intermediate wetting surface. The corner flow regions are larger in the rivulet on a strongly wetting surface.

 


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Fig. 9. Plan view of the liquid distribution in a wedge fracture.

 


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Fig. 10. Rivulet dynamics in a wedge fracture and the corresponding liquid distribution from the side and across the aperture.

 





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