FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF SWELLING/SHRINKAGE AND HYDROLOGY IN A PEATLAND SOUTH OF VENICE

摘要

Subsurface hydrology of soils characterized by a high organic matter content is often described by the classical Richards equation governing flow in variably saturated porous media with a mineral soil "equivalent" parameterization of the retention curves. This work deals with the application of an "adjusted" Richards-based model where the storage term is modified to take into consideration the reversible soil volume changes that take place during drying-wetting cycles. This phenomenon is believed to have a significant impact on the peatland hydrological regime that cannot be neglected. The modelling approach is validated with an experimental data set collected in a drained cultivated peatland located south of the Venice Lagoon.