Mixed finite elements for the Richards’ equation: linearization procedure

We consider mixed finite element discretization for a class of degenerate parabolic problems including the Richards’ equation. After regularization, time discretization is achieved by an Euler implicit scheme, while mixed finite elements are employed for the discretization in space. Based on the results obtained in (Radu et al. RANA Preprint 02-06, Eindhoven University of Technology, 2002), this paper considers a simple iterative scheme to solve the emerging nonlinear elliptic problems.