Three-dimensional saltwater–freshwater fingering in porous media: contrast agent MRI as basis for numerical simulations

This study investigated miscible fingering phenomena in a saturated porous medium due solely to fluid density differences. The objective was to determine dissolved salt concentrations in the porous medium and, thus, local fluid density with high temporal resolution and covering substantial volume. A magnetic resonance imaging method, which can achieve this goal by adding Cu(II)SO4 to salt solutions, has been developed. This method was applied here to observe and quantify three-dimensional miscible fingering for the initial unstable layering of saltwater above freshwater. Additionally, characteristic properties were defined and evaluated to facilitate a more meaningful comparison with numerical simulations.