Bayesian estimation of the hydraulic and solute transport properties of a small-scale unsaturated soil column

• Autor(a) principal: Moreira, Paulo Henrique da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Van Genuchten, Martinus Theodorus, Orlande, Helcio Rangel Barreto, Cotta, Renato Machado
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFRJ
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/11422/8425
• topic: Markov Chain Monte Carlo method; Metropolis-Hastings algorithm; Hydraulic parameters; Transport parameters; Soil column experiment; CNPQ::CIENCIAS EXATAS E DA TERRA::FISICA::AREAS CLASSICAS DE FENOMENOLOGIA E SUAS APLICACOES::DINAMICA DOS FLUIDOS

In this study the hydraulic and solute transport properties of an unsaturated soil were estimated simultaneously from a relatively simple small-scale laboratory column infiltration/outflow experiment. As governing equations we used the Richards equation for variably saturated flow and a physical non-equilibrium dual-porosity type formulation for solute transport. A Bayesian parameter estimation approach was used in which the unknown parameters were estimated with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method through implementation of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Sensitivity coefficients were examined in order to determine the most meaningful measurements for identifying the unknown hydraulic and transport parameters. Results obtained using the measured pressure head and solute concentration data collected during the unsaturated soil column experiment revealed the robustness of the proposed approach.