Computed tomography as a tool for non-destructive analysis of flow patterns in macroporous clay soils.

This article presents a review of applications of computed tomography in soil science and petroleum engineering. It also discusses the determination of quantitative expressions for soil structure. A case-study of an infiltration experiment in an undisturbed clay soil is presented. The clay sample was scanned in initially dry condition and after infiltration of water with a contrast agent using 150 adjacent slices in both cases. In three dimensions, the water content distributions in the macropore network and in the matrix were quantified and visualized by matching the dry and wet images