• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.205-215
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• 2009

The conventional numerical models to analyze flow in subsurface porous media under the transient state usually generate numerical oscillation and unstability due to local flux domain for critical cases such as infiltration into initially dry soil during rainfall period. In this case, it is required refined mesh and small time step, but it decrease efficiency of computation. In this study, numerical unstability in discontinuity domain is removed by applying particle tracking algorithm to simulate unsteady subsurface flow with inflow boundary condition. Finally the hybrid LE FEM improving numerical stability is proposed. The hypothetical domains with unsteady uniform and nonuniform flow field were used to demonstrated algorithm verification. In comparison with analytic solution, we obtained reasonable results and conducted simulation of hypothetical 3-D recharge/pumping area. The proposed algorithm can simulate saturated/unsaturated porous media with more practical problems and will greatly contribute to accuracy and stability of numerical computation.