Simplified numerical model for clarifying scaling behavior in the intermediate dispersion regime in homogeneous porous media

Abstract The dispersion of solute in porous media shows a non-linear increase in the transition from diffusion to advection dominated dispersion as the flow velocity is raised. In the past, the behavior in this intermediate regime has been explained with a variety of models. We present and use a simplified numerical model which does not contain any turbulence, Taylor dispersion, or fractality. With it, we show that the non-linearity in the intermediate regime nevertheless occurs. Furthermore, we show that the intermediate regime can be regarded as a phase transition between random, diffusive transport at low flow velocity and ordered transport controlled by the geometry of the pore space at high flow velocities. This phase transition explains the first-order behavior in the intermediate regime. A new quantifier, the ratio of the amount of solute in dominantly advective versus dominantly diffusive pore channels, plays the role of ‘order parameter’ of this phase transition. Taylor dispersion, often invoked to explain the supra-linear behavior of longitudinal dispersion in this regime, was found not to be of primary importance. The novel treatment of the intermediate regime paves the way for a more accurate description of dispersion as a function of flow velocity, spanning the whole range of Peclet numbers relevant to practical applications, such as ground water remediation.