Is chaotic advection inherent to porous media flow?

Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Oct 25;111(17):174101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.174101. Epub 2013 Oct 23.

Abstract

We show that chaotic advection is inherent to flow through all types of porous media, from granular and packed media to fractured and open networks. The basic topological complexity inherent to all porous media gives rise to chaotic flow dynamics under steady flow conditions, where fluid deformation local to stagnation points imparts a 3D fluid mechanical analog of the baker's map. The ubiquitous nature of chaotic advection has significant implications for the description of transport, mixing, chemical reaction and biological activity in porous media.