DNAPL invasion into a partially saturated dead-end fracture

摘要

The critical height for DNAPL entry into a partially watersaturated, dead-end fracture is derived and compared to laboratoryobservations. Experiments conducted in an analog, parallel-plate fracturedemonstrate that DNAPL accumulates above the water until the height ofthe DNAPL overcomes the sum of the capillary forces at the DNAPL-airinterface and at the DNAPL-water interface. These experiments also showthat DNAPL preferentially enters the water at locations where DNAPL haspreviously entered, and the entry heights for these subsequent entriesare lower than the heights measured for the initial invasion. The wettingcontact angle at the DNAPL-water interface becomes larger at thelocations where the DNAPL has already entered the water because ofresidual DNAPL on the fracture walls, which results in lowering thecritical entry height at those locations. The experiments alsodemonstrate that a DNAPL lens can remain nearly immobile above the waterfor a period of time before eventually redistributing itself and enteringthe water.