A note on benchmarking of numerical models for density dependent flow in porous media

Verification of numerical models for density dependent flow in porous media (DDFPM) by the means of appropriate benchmark problems is a very important step in developing and using these models. Recently, Infinite Horizontal Box (IHB) problem was suggested as a possible benchmark problem for verification of DDFPM codes. IHB is based on Horton–Rogers–Lapwood (HRL) problem. Suitability of this problem for the benchmarking purpose has been investigated in this paper. It is shown that the wavelength of instabilities fails to be a proper criterion to be considered for this problem. However, the threshold of instability formation has been found to be appropriate for benchmarking purpose.