Some global properties of flow in a heterogeneous isotropic porous medium (Q1977296)

The authors consider global properties of flow paths given by Darcy law for a heterogeneous porous medium. The main point is the study of stability of basic solution to the problem \(\text{div}(K(h)\text{ grad }h)= Sh_t\), where \(K\) is the spatial hydraulic conductivity, and \(h\) is the hydraulic head. Let us assume that \(h(x,y,z,t)= H(x,y,z,t)+ f(x,y,z)\cdot\exp(-at)\), where \(H\) is the basic flow head. The authors derive an equation for \(f\), \(\text{div}(K\text{ grad }f)+ aSf= Q\), with \(K\) and \(S\) being positive, and use a well-known result of the Sturm-Liouville theory to obtain that \(a>0\). Unfortunately, a term is missing in the stability equation. Namely, we have \(K(h)= K(H)+ K_h(H)\cdot f\cdot\exp(-at)\) at the first-order, and then the correct equation for \(f\) is \(\text{div}(K(H)\text{ grad }f)+ \text{div}(K_h(H)f\text{ grad } H)+ afS= 0\). Therefore we cannot use the general Sturm-Liouville theorem, and the final stability result is not correct, at least for Bachmatian flows, where \(K\) is function of \(h\).