Infiltration & Soil Water

Definitions
Infiltration: process by which water enters the soil
surface
Infiltration capacity: maximum rate at which
water can enter the soil
Percolation (Soil Hydraulic Conductivity):
movement of water through soil (saturated and
unsaturated flow)
Soil Water: water held in soil pores
Plant available water
Factors which affect infiltration:
Soil type
Texture
Depth
Initial soil moisture content
Rainfall
Intensity
Amount/duration/distribution
Quality of water
Factors which affect infiltration:
Biological factors-
Vegetation
Type (forb, grass, shrub, trees, etc.)
Distribution
Shrublands
Grasslands
type of grass
Factors which affect infiltration:
How does management influence infiltration
process and soil moisture??
Management Impacts
Infiltration Capacity
Diminishes over time during an infiltration event
Pore size generally decreases with depth
Decrease in matric potential
Air entrapment at depth
Influence of pore size:
Where:
R = pore radius
p = pressure drop
= viscosity
L
p R
Q
q
t
8
4
A
=
Some Important Soil Characteristics
Some Important Soil Characteristics
Some Important Soil Characteristics
Some Important Soil Characteristics
Saturated vs. Unsaturated Conditions
Potential Gradient
Saturated soil: moving force is the gradient of
a positive pressure potential
Unsaturated: moving force is the direction of a
negative matric potential
Saturated vs. Unsaturated
Hydraulic Conductivity
Saturated:
conductivity is maximal and constant.
Most conductive are soils with large, continuous
pores. Least: those with micropores
Unsaturated:
conductive portion of the soil decreases (A)
increased tortuosity
Ks decreases more steeply for sandier soils than for
clayey soils
Darcys Law (1856)
Experimental
findings using a soil
column
Discharge rate (Q) is
proportional to the
cross-sectional area
and to the hydraulic
drop (H)
Q is inversely
proportional to the
length of the column
L
H
KA Q
A
=
Hydraulic Conductivity in Soils
Representative Texture Ks (mm/h)
Sand 210.0
Loamy Sand 61.0
Fine Sandy Loam 26.0
Loam 13.0
Sandy Clay Loam 4.3
Clay Loam 2.3
Clay 0.6
Graph of infiltration rate
Cumulative Infiltration
Thinking About Infiltration Rates
When does
infiltration occur?
When does
infiltration rate =
infiltration capacity?
When does ponding
or runoff occur?
Hortons Infiltration Capacity f
Horton (1933 - 1940)
studied the response of
different soils to
application of water at
varying rates
Rate of rainfall must
exceed the rate of
infiltration and
antecedent condition is an
important parameter
Sand > Silt > Clay
Hortons Infiltration Concept
f(t) = Rate of water loss into soil
f = f
c
+ (f
o
- f
c
) exp (-kt)
f
c
= final rate value
f
o
= initial rate value
K = decay rate
Can integrate to get
F(t) = Vol of infiltration
Hortons Eqn

Vol = Area fdt =
}
A [ f
c
}
+ ( f
0
f
c
)e
kt
]dt
F
Determination of infiltration
Although infiltration changes with time
during a storm, it is accepted as constant
for hydrograph analysis problems.
The W index method
(Total precipitation surface runoff)/duration of
rainfall
Determination of infiltration
The index method gives the average
value above which the rainfall equals the
surface runoff.
Runoff of 75 mm
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1 2 3 4 5
Rainfall mm/hr
Rainfall mm/hr
How to Measure Infiltration?
Double-ring infiltrometer
Inner = 30cm
Outer = 50cm
Measure the inner; maintain
a head
Issues??
Disc Permeameter and
Tension Infiltrometer
Water held under tension
Passes through disc at soil
surface; measure rate
Wilkipedia.com
http://www.cig.ensmp.fr
Double Ring Infiltrometer
Measure rate of fall in inner ring
Infilration
http://www.alwi.com/wastewater.php
How to Measure Infiltration?
Rainfall Simulators:
measures infiltration under rainfall
conditions
Drop formers
Rotating boom
Variable Intensity
Computer Controlled
Intensities:
13 178 mm/hr
2m by 6m plot
Oscillating boom
4 VeeJet nozzles
Rainfall energy close
to natural rainfall
Variable Intensity Rainfall Simulator
Walnut Gulch Rainfall Simulator
Multiple Intensities
0
50
100
150
200
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
time (min)
r
a
t
e

(
m
m
/
h
r
)
Rainfall
Runoff
Infiltration = rainfall - runoff
When multiple
rainfall rates are
applied,
the steady state
infiltration rate
frequently increases
with increasing
rainfall rate
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 50 100 150 200
intensity (mm/hr)
i
n
f
i
l
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
m
/
h
r
)
Intensity - Infiltration
Sandy Loam Upland Deep
Loamy sand
Good condition
High variability
Ecological
Site

f
(mm/hr)
ave (range)
SLUD 80 (55-125)
Intensity - Infiltration
Clay Loam Upland
Cobbley clay loam
Fair condition
Much Less Variability
Ecological
Site

f
(mm/hr)
ave (range)
SLUD 80 (55-125)
LiS 64 (40-85)
CLU 24 (18-36) SLUD (Sandy Loam Upland Deep)
LiS (Limey Slopes)
CLU (Clay Loam Upland)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 50 100 150 200
intensity (mm/hr)
i
n
f
i
l
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
m
/
h
r
)