A generalized stochastic solute transport model for multiscale dispersion in porous media

Abstract

We have developed a generalized stochastic solute transport model for any given velocity covariance, and the dimensionless form of the model is used to investigate the scale dependency of the model parameter. The generalized model is a significant improvement to the work we published in this journal in 2008, addressing the reported weaknesses in our approach. In this paper, we develop the mathematical and computational frameworks for the model in such a way that any velocity covariance can be incorporated. The model can be used to understand and predict the hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media without resorting to Fickian assumptions from laboratory scale to field scale, and the model effectively has only one parameter which is scale independent. The model results compare favorably with the field-scale dispersivities reported in literature.