A FUNCTIONAL-MODEL OF SOIL POROSITY USED TO INTERPRET MEASUREMENTS OF GAS-DIFFUSION

A simple model was employed to interpret the results of a series of measurements of gas diffusion in soil cores. The model divides air-filled porosity into three functional categories: arterial, marginal and remote. Diffusion along the axis of the core occurs through arterial pores; marginal pores do not contribute to axial diffusion; remote pores are isolated from gas transport. Simulations based on the model closely resembled data acquired from real cores. Optimizing the fit between real and simulated data gave estimates of the three functional pore fractions which generally made sense (compaction or wetting of cores resulted in reduced arterial and increased marginal porosities, for example). Dividing the pores into the different classes specified by the model was functionally equivalent (i.e. observable results were identical) to the introduction of a tortuosity factor to represent pore convolution. In order to account for observed diffusion rates in terms of pore convolution alone it is sometimes necessary to invoke implausibly high tortuosities; the introduction of marginal porosity renders this unnecessary without in any way compromising the ability of the model to simulate real diffusion data.