The most versatile pathway element is the Cell pathway A transport pathway element that is mathematically equivalent to a finite difference node. Cells are commonly applied to simulate discrete compartments in an environmental system (such as ponds, lakes, shallow soil compartments, or the atmosphere).:
Cell pathways would typically be applied to simulate discrete, well-mixed environmental compartments such as ponds, lakes, shallow soil compartments, or the atmosphere. In some cases, a series of Cells may also be the best way to simulate features such as aquifers and rivers.
The properties dialog for a Cell pathway looks like this:
The primary input that must be defined for a Cell pathway is the quantity of each medium that is present in the pathway. The Reference Fluid A special type of Fluid element that provides a basis for defining partition coefficients between media for the various species in the model (i.e., the ratio of the species’ concentration in the medium to its concentration in the Reference Fluid at equilibrium). is automatically present in each new Cell. Media Materials (such as water, sand, clay, air) that constitute (are contained within) transport pathways. GoldSim provides two types of elements for defining media: Fluids and Solids. are added and deleted using the Add Medium and Delete Medium buttons. The number of separate media present in a pathway is unlimited, but most Cell pathways will typically include no more than two or three.
The output of a Cell pathway element includes the total mass of each species The chemical (or non-chemical, such as bacterial or viral) constituents that are stored and transported through an environmental system in a contaminant transport model. In GoldSim, the Species element defines all of the contaminant species being simulated (and their properties). in the pathway, and the concentration of each species in each medium in the pathway.