AIR-WATER INTERFACIAL AREA AND CAPILLARY PRESSURE: POROUS-MEDIUM EXTURE EFFECTS AND AN EMPIRICAL FUNCTION

J Hydrol Eng. 2012 Jul 1;17(7):10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000515. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000515.

Abstract

The relationship between air-water interfacial area and capillary pressure under higher water-content conditions is investigated for four natural porous media. The results show that the magnitude of the air-water interfacial area increases with increasing capillary pressure, consistent with the decrease in water saturation. The maximum observed air-water interfacial areas are dependent upon the magnitude of residual water saturation, which itself is condition dependent. The more well-sorted porous medium exhibited a greater rate of change of air-water interfacial area with capillary pressure than the more poorly-sorted porous media. The observed relationship between air-water interfacial area and capillary pressure was quantified by coupling an empirical equation describing the air-water interfacial area vs. water saturation relationship with the van Genuchten equation relating water saturation and capillary pressure. This equation produced reasonable simulations of the measured data.