<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>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.</p></abstract>

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.

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

DEM/PEM – Politécnica/COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Caixa Postal 68503, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil.

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

In this study the hydraulic and solute transport properties of an unsaturated soil were estimated simultaneously from a relatively simple small-scale...

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

Published Online: Jan 26, 2016

Page range: 30 - 44

Received: Nov 04, 2014

Accepted: Sep 15, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/johh-2016-0002

Keywords
Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, Hydraulic parameters, Transport parameters, Soil column experiment

© 2016 Paulo H. S. Moreira et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

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

Published Online: Jan 26, 2016

Page range: 30 - 44

Received: Nov 04, 2014

Accepted: Sep 15, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/johh-2016-0002

KeywordsMarkov Chain Monte Carlo method, Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, Hydraulic parameters, Transport parameters, Soil column experiment

© 2016 Paulo H. S. Moreira et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, Hydraulic parameters, Transport parameters, Soil column experiment