Modeling discontinuous flow through porous media using ODEs with Preisach operator

A model for predicting the dynamics of the soil-moisture content in a slab of soil was studied. It consisted of an ODE with a time derivative of the Preisach operator. Rainfall data taken from the lower Feale watershed in Co. Kerry, Ireland was converted into a piecewise-constant function and used as the input on the right-hand side of the ODE. This model was verified by comparing its solution to the soil-moisture data obtained at the same site. The model reproduced many of the qualititative characteristics of the soil-moisture data. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.