Derivation of the

Advection-Dispersion Equation (ADE)

Assumptions
1. Equivalent porous medium (epm)
(i.e., a medium with connected pore space
or a densely fractured medium with a single
network of connected fractures)

2. Miscible flow
(i.e., solutes dissolve in water; DNAPLs and
LNAPLs require a different governing equation.
See p. 472, note 15.5, in Zheng and Bennett.)

3. No density effects

Density-dependent flow requires

a different governing equation. See
Zheng and Bennett, Chapter 15.
Figures from Freeze & Cherry (1979)

Derivation of the
Advection-Dispersion Equation (ADE)
Darcys law:

h1

h 2 h1
Q = KA
s

h2

q = Q/A
advective flux
fA = q c
f = F/A

How do we quantify the

dispersive flux?

h1
h2

fA = advective flux = qc
f = fA + fD

FDiff
How about
Ficks law of diffusion?

c 2 c1
= DdA
s

where Dd is the effective

diffusion coefficient.

Dual Porosity
Domain

Figure from Freeze & Cherry (1979)

Ficks law describes diffusion of ions on a

molecular scale as ions diffuse from areas of
higher to lower concentrations.

We need to introduce a law to describe

dispersion, to account for the deviation of
velocities from the average linear velocity
calculated by Darcys law.

Average linear velocity

True velocities

We will assume that dispersion follows

Ficks law, or in other words, that dispersion
is Fickian. This is an important assumption;
it turns out that the Fickian assumption is not
strictly valid near the source of the contaminant.

porosity

c 2 c1
fD = D
s
where D is the dispersion coefficient.

Porosity ()
Mathematically, porosity functions as a kind of
units conversion factor.

for example:
qc=vc
Later we will define the dispersion coefficient
in terms of v and therefore we insert now:

c 2 c1
fD = D
s

Case 1

and a line source

Assume 1D flow

Case 1

porosity
Advective flux

Assume 1D flow

h 2 h1
fA = qxc = [ K
]c = vxc
x

Dispersive flux

c 2 c1
fD = Dx
x
D is the dispersion coefficient. It includes
the effects of dispersion and diffusion. Dx is sometimes
written DL and called the longitudinal dispersion coefficient.

Assume 1D flow

Case 2

and a point source

Advective flux

fA = qxc
c 2 c1
)
fDx = Dx (
x

Dispersive fluxes

c 2 c1
fDy = Dy (
)
y

c 2 c1
fDz = Dz (
)
z
Dx represents longitudinal dispersion (& diffusion);
Dy represents horizontal transverse dispersion (& diffusion);
Dz represents vertical transverse dispersion (& diffusion).

Continuous point source

Average
linear
velocity

Instantaneous point source

center of mass

Figure from Freeze & Cherry (1979)

Instantaneous
Point Source
Gaussian

longitudinal dispersion
transverse
dispersion

Figure from Wang and Anderson (1982)

Derivation of the ADE for

1D uniform flow and 3D dispersion
(e.g., a point source in a uniform flow field)

vx = a constant
vy = vz = 0

f = fA + f D

c 2 c1
fDx = Dx(
)
x
c 2 c1
fDy = Dy(
)
y
c 2 c1
fDz = Dz (
)
z

Mass Balance:
Flux out Flux in = change in mass

Porosity ()
There are two types of porosity in transport problems:
total porosity and effective porosity.
Total porosity includes immobile pore water, which contains
solute and therefore it should be accounted for when
determining the total mass in the system.
Effective porosity accounts for water in interconnected pore
space, which is flowing/mobile.

In practice, we assume that total porosity equals effective

porosity for purposes of deriving the advection-dispersion eqn.
See Zheng and Bennett, pp. 56-57.

Definition of the Dispersion Coefficient

in a 1D uniform flow field
vx = a constant
vy = vz = 0

Dx = xvx + Dd
Dy = yvx + Dd
Dz = zvx + Dd

where x y z are known as dispersivities. Dispersivity is

essentially a fudge factor to account for the deviations of
the true velocities from the average linear velocities
calculated from Darcys law.
Rule of thumb: y = 0.1x ; z = 0.1y

ADE for 1D uniform flow

and 3D dispersion
2c

2c

2c

c
c
Dx 2 + Dy 2 + Dz 2 v
=
x
t
x
y
z
No sink/source term; no chemical reactions

Question: If there is no source term, how does

the contaminant enter the system?

Simpler form of the ADE

2c

c
c
=
D 2 v
x
t
x
Uniform 1D flow; longitudinal dispersion;
No sink/source term; no chemical reactions
Question: Is this equation valid for both point
and line sources?

There is a famous analytical solution to this form of the

ADE with a continuous line source boundary condition.
The solution is called the Ogata & Banks solution.

Effects of dispersion on the concentration profile

no dispersion

dispersion

t1

t2 t3 t4

(Freeze & Cherry, 1979, Fig. 9.1)

(Zheng & Bennett, Fig. 3.11)

Effects of dispersion on the

breakthrough curve

Instantaneous
Point Source
Gaussian

Figure from Wang and Anderson (1982)

Breakthrough
curve

Concentration
profile

long tail

Microscopic or local scale dispersion

Figure from Freeze & Cherry (1979)

Macroscopic Dispersion
(caused by the presence of heterogeneities)

Homogeneous aquifer

Heterogeneous
aquifers

Figure from Freeze & Cherry (1979)

Dispersivity () is a measure of the

heterogeneity present in the aquifer.

A very heterogeneous porous medium

has a higher dispersivity than a slightly
heterogeneous porous medium.

Dispersion in a 3D flow field

global

local
z
x

Kxx Kxy Kxz

K=

Kx 0

Kyx Kyy Kyz

Ky

Kzx Kzy Kzz

Kz

[K] = [R]-1 [K] [R]

h
h
h
Kxz
Kxy
qx = Kxx
z
y
x
h
h
h
Kyy
Kyz
qy = Kyx
x
y
z
h
h
h
Kzy
Kzz
qz = Kzx
x
y
z

Dispersion Coefficient (D)

D = D + Dd
D represents dispersion
Dd represents molecular diffusion
Dxx Dxy Dxz
D =

Dyx Dyy Dyz

Dzx Dzy Dzz

In general: D >> Dd

c
c
c
fDx = Dxx
Dxy
Dxz
x
y
z
c
c
c
fDy = Dyx
Dyy
Dyz
x
y
z
c
c
c
fDz = Dzx
Dzy
Dzz
x
y
z

In a 3D flow field it is not possible to simplify the dispersion

tensor to three principal components. In a 3D flow field,
we must consider all 9 components of the dispersion tensor.
The definition of the dispersion coefficient is more
complicated for 2D or 3D flow. See Zheng and Bennett,
eqns. 3.37-3.42.

Recall, that for

1D uniform flow:

Dx = xvx + Dd
Dy = yvx + Dd
Dz = zvx + Dd

General form of the ADE:

Expands to 9 terms

Expands to 3 terms

(See eqn. 3.48 in Z&B)