On a recent solute transport laboratory experiment involving sandstone and its modeling

Abstract

We analyze and simulate laboratory data on flow and solute transport in a submeter scale sample of Massillon sandstone and we re-evaluate studies that have stated that these data indicate a failure of the advection-dispersion, and that nonlocal modeling approaches are necessary. Our examination reveals experimental issues including artificial edge effects in the data, as well as inconsistency in the measured solute injection rates. When the edge effects are removed the data no longer exhibit power-law tailing. Our simulations show that failure of the advection-dispersion equation has not been demonstrated and that nonlocal approaches are not necessary. ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.