Flows in porous media is a research area focused on the theoretical, computational, and experimental characterization of fluid motion through heterogeneous porous structures, governed primarily by Darcy’s law and its extensions to multiphase, non-Newtonian, and reactive systems. It integrates continuum mechanics, transport theory, and pore-scale physics to describe pressure-driven and capillarity-driven flows, dispersion, and phase interactions in materials such as soils, rocks, biological tissues, and engineered porous media. Core topics include upscaling from pore to continuum scales, effective permeability and porosity, coupling with heat and mass transport, and numerical simulation for applications in hydrogeology, petroleum engineering, carbon sequestration, and environmental remediation.
From ketchup to quicksand, non-Newtonian fluids have long fascinated and puzzled scientists. Unlike ordinary fluids, their flow properties change depending on how much force is applied, but the precise mechanics governing ...
Plants need water, light, and air to thrive. But when they transport water from the soil up to their leaves, they defy gravity. Scientists describe this astonishing phenomenon as "negative water potential," a form of negative ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 23, 2026
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166
Soil is often perceived simply as "dirt," but in reality, it is a dynamic, living system that acts as Earth's natural sponge. Unfortunately, common agricultural practices—including deep plowing and the use of heavy machinery—can ...
Ecology
Mar 22, 2026
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436
In industrial plants around the world, tiny bubbles cause big problems. Bubbles clog filters, disrupt chemical reactions, reduce throughput during biomanufacturing, and can even cause overheating in electronics and nuclear ...
Soft Matter
Feb 26, 2026
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19
It is commonly assumed that tiny particles just go with the flow as they make their way through soil, biological tissue, and other complex materials. But a team of Yale researchers led by Professor Amir Pahlavan shows that ...
General Physics
Feb 19, 2026
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42
Ion channels are narrow passageways that play a pivotal role in many biological processes. To model how ions move through these tight spaces, pores need to be fabricated at very small length scales. The narrowest regions ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 18, 2026
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73
Viscous fingering occurs when a thinner fluid pushes a thicker, more viscous fluid in a porous medium, like underground rock, creating unpredictable, finger-like patterns. For decades, this intricate dance between fluids ...
Soft Matter
Nov 11, 2025
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51
A solution to a tricky groundwater riddle from Australia: Researchers at TU Wien have developed numerical models to simulate the movement of fluids in porous materials.
Soft Matter
Nov 4, 2025
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25
Dr. Seunghak Lee, Jaeshik Chung, and Sang Hyun Kim of the Water Resources Cycle Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) observed how oil and water interact in porous media under various conditions ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 4, 2025
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32
When water drains from the bottom of a vertical tube, it is followed by a thin film of liquid that can adopt complex and beautiful shapes. KAUST researchers have now studied exactly how these "fluted films" form and break ...
Soft Matter
Aug 20, 2025
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