0000000000052997
AUTHOR
Jian-bin Lai
Accuracy of Saturated Soil Hydraulic Conductivity Estimated from Numerically Simulated Single‐Ring Infiltrations
The single-ring pressure infiltrometer (PI) method is widely used to determine saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, K s , directly in the field. The original and still most common way to analyze the data makes use of the steady-state model developed by the Canadian School in the 90s and two (two-ponding-depth, TPD, approach) or more (multiple-ponding-depth, MPD, approach) depths of ponding. The so-called Wu method based on a generalized infiltration equation allows analysis of the transient infiltration data collected by establishing a single ponding depth of water on the infiltration surface. This investigation, making use of simulated infiltration runs for initially unsaturated sand to …
Testing steady-state analysis of single-ring and square pressure infiltrometer data
Testing reliability of the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks, estimated by applying the steady-state single-ring (SR) model to the quasi steady-state infiltration rates obtained with a single-ring pressure infiltrometer (PI) increases confidence in the estimated Ks values. Determining a means to estimate Ks from infiltration data collected with a square infiltrometer allows the use of sources of different shapes. Using numerically simulated infiltration rates for six homogeneous soils ranging in texture from sand to silty clay loam, this investigation suggested an overall good performance of the SR model, with estimated Ks values differing by not more than 25% from the true values f…
Field and Numerical Tests of the Two-Ponding Depth Procedure for Analysis of Single-Ring Pressure Infiltrometer Data
Abstract The two-ponding depth (TPD) analysis procedure of single-ring infiltrometer data can yield invalid results, i.e., negative values of the field-saturated soil hydraulic conductivity or the matric flux potential, denoting failure of the two-level run. The objective of this study was to test the performance of the TPD procedure in analyzing the single-ring infiltrometer data of different types of soils. A field investigation carried out in western Sicily, Italy, yielded higher failure rates (40%) in two clay loam soils than in a sandy loam soil (25%). A similar result, i.e., fine-textured soils yielding higher failure rates than the coarse-textured one, was obtained using numerically …