ABSTRACT
Clogging is one of the most troublesome phenomena concerning Artificial Recharge. Different approaches exist in dealing with clogging, such as the measurement of specific parameters and determination of correlations, as well as empirical models. More sophisticated models have also been suggested in order to overcome the limitations of more simplistic methods. However, because clogging is affected by several mechanisms, a comprehensive model was not previously available.
A new generic model is presented in this paper, which includes five fundamental processes: accumulation of suspended sediments, bacterial growth, chemical reactions (precipitation/dissolution), generation of gas, and compaction. As well as the mathematical framework, a brief description on the numerical implementation is given. An application of the model to a synthetic example, where a limestone confined aquifer is recharged by more acidic water that contains suspended sediments, is presented. This example shows how two processes, both of a very different nature, can modify the aquifer’s effective porosity and, hence its permeability. Other issues, such as the validity of the conceptual model, its limitations and future work, are briefly discussed.
