Finite element modeling of variably saturated flows in hillslopes

This talk investigates numerically the dynamics
of water tables in partially saturated porous media and their role in the
genesis of surface runoff.
The water movement is modeled with Richards equation discretized by
finite elements.
The water table position being an unknown of the
problem, its intersection with the ground surface yields an unsteady
obstacle-type problem. Numerical results
are presented for a hillslope test case. Particular attention is given
to the
impact of both the soil water retention
curve and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function on model
results, especially near saturation.