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

^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

View larger version (30K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Cross section of a blob advancing down an inclined parallel plate fracture.

View larger version (11K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Schematic of experimental apparatus.

View larger version (111K): [in a new window]   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.

View larger version (27K): [in a new window]   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.

View larger version (13K): [in a new window]   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°.

View larger version (15K): [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Plot of the contact angle hysteresis as a function of the nondimensionless velocity.

View larger version (14K): [in a new window]   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°.

View larger version (23K): [in a new window]   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.

View larger version (47K): [in a new window]   Fig. 9. Plan view of the liquid distribution in a wedge fracture.

View larger version (42K): [in a new window]   Fig. 10. Rivulet dynamics in a wedge fracture and the corresponding liquid distribution from the side and across the aperture.