Infiltration

CIV641MD
Summary
Particle size measurement

Seives of progressively smaller size to get size

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 Soil Water Measurement
• Neutron scattering (attenuation)
• Measures volumetric water content (qv)
• Attenuation of high-energy neutrons by hydrogen nucleus
• Advantages:
• samples a relatively large soil sphere
• repeatedly sample same site and several depths
• accurate
• Disadvantages:
• high cost instrument
• radioactive licensing and safety
• not reliable for shallow measurements near the soil surface
• Dielectric constant
• A soil’s dielectric constant is dependent on soil moisture
• Time domain reflectometry (TDR)
• Frequency domain reflectometry (FDR)
• Primarily used for research purposes at this time
Soil Water Measurement
Neutron Attenuation
 Soil Water Measurement
• Tensiometers
• Measure soil water potential (tension)
• Practical operating range is about 0 to 0.75 bar of tension
(this can be a limitation on medium- and fine-textured
soils)
• Electrical resistance blocks
• Measure soil water potential (tension)
• Tend to work better at higher tensions (lower water
contents)
• Thermal dissipation blocks
• Measure soil water potential (tension)
• Require individual calibration
Tensiometer for Measuring Soil Water Potential
Water Reservoir

Variable Tube Length (12 in- 48 in)

Porous Ceramic Tip

Vacuum Gauge (0-100 centibar)

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Double Ring Infiltrometer
Measure rate of fall in inner ring

Infilration

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Modeling infiltration capacity
Distribution of soil moisture in the infiltration
process q

Saturation Zone
Transition Zone q

Transmission
Zone

Wetting Zone

Wetting Front

depth
Infiltration rate, f
• The infiltration rate f, expressed in inches per hour or centimeters per
hours is the rate at which water enters the soil at the surface.
• If water is ponded on the surface, the infiltration occurs at the
potential infiltration rate
• If the rate of supply of water at the surface, for example by rainfall, is
less than the potential infiltration rate then the actual infiltration rate
will also be less than the potential rate
• Most of the infiltration equations describe the potential rate.
Cumulative infiltration rate, F
• The cumulative infiltration F is the accumulated depth of water
infiltrated during a given time period and is equal to the integral of
the infiltration rate over that period
• Thus, infiltration rate in the time derivative of the cumulative
infiltration
Infiltration
• Infiltration rate
• Rate at which water enters the soil at the surface (in/hr or cm/hr)
dF (t )
f (t ) =
dt
• Cumulative infiltration
• Accumulated depth of water
infiltrating during given time period
t
F (t ) = ò f (t )dt
0
Horton’s equation
• Horton (1933, 1939) observed that infiltration begins at some rate fo
and exponentially decreases until it reached a constant rate fc
Hortonian Infiltration
3.5

3 f0

2.5
Infiltration rate, f

k1
2
k1 < k2 < k3
1.5
k2

1
k3

0.5 fc

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Time
Problem 1
• For Horton’s equation suppose fo = 5 cm/hr, fc = 1 cm/hr, and k = 2 hr-1
- Determine the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration after 0,
0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 hr.
- Plot the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration as functions of
time.
- Plot the infiltration rate as a function of the cumulative infiltration.
Assume continuously ponded conditions.
Problem 2
The infiltration rate at the beginning of a storm was fo = 4 cm/hr and it
decreased to 0.5 cm/hr after two hours. A total of 1.7 cm infiltrated
during these two hours. Determine the value of k for Horton’s
equation. Assume continuously ponded conditions.
Problem 3
• The infiltration rate as a function of time for an Alexis silt loam is as
follows:

• Determine the best values for the parameters fo, fc, and k for Horton’s
equation to describe the infiltration for Alexis silt loam.
Philips Equation
¶q ¶ æ ¶q ö
• Recall Richard’s Equation = çD + K÷
¶t ¶z è ¶z ø
• Assume K and D are
functions of q, not z
• Solution
• Two terms represent
F (t ) = St 1/ 2
+ Kt
effects of
• Suction head
• Gravity head 1 -1/ 2
• S – Sorptivity f (t ) = St +K
• Function of soil suction
potential
2
• Found from experiment
Problem 4
 L = Depth to Wetting Front
Green – Ampt Infiltration q i = Initial Soil Moisture

yf h0
Kt =LDq - Dqy f ln( ) Ponded Water
y f +L Ground Surface
q

Wetted Zone
F L
F = Kt + Dqy f ln(1 + )
Dqy f
Wetting Front

æ Dqy f ö qi Dq
f = K çç + 1÷÷
è F ø n
Nonlinear equation, requiring iterative solution.
z Dry Soil
 Soil Parameters
• Green-Ampt model requires
• Hydraulic conductivity, Porosity,
Wetting Front Suction Head

q -qr
se = Effective saturation
qe
Soil Class Porosity Effective Wetting Hydraulic
qe = n - qr Effective porosity
Porosity Front
Suction
Conductivity

Head
Dq = (1 - se )q e n qe y
(cm)
K
(cm/h)
Sand 0.437 0.417 4.95 11.78
Loam 0.463 0.434 9.89 0.34
Clay 0.475 0.385 31.63 0.03
Problem 5
For a sandy loam soil, calculate the infiltration rate
(cm/hr) and depth of infiltration (cm) after 1 hour if the
effective saturation is initially 40%, using the Green-
Ampt method. Assume continuously ponded conditions
and depth of ponding is negligible.
Ponding time
• Elapsed time between the time rainfall begins and the time water
begins to pond on the soil surface (tp)
Ponding Time Potential

Infiltration rate, f
Infiltration

• Up to the time of ponding, all Rainfall

rainfall has infiltrated (i = rainfall i

æ Dqy f ö
f = K çç + 1÷÷
Time
Accumulated
è F ø Rainfall
Infiltration

Infiltration, F
Cumulative
æ Dqy f ö
i=K ç + 1÷
ç i *t p ÷
è ø
Fp = i * t p
Dqy f
tp= K
i (i - K ) tp
Time
Example q e = 0.486
• Silty-Loam soil, 30% effective saturation, y = 16.7 cm
rainfall 5 cm/hr intensity
K = 0.65 cm / hr
Dq = (1 - se )q e = (1 - 0.3)(0.486) = 0.340
se = 0.30
yDq = 16.7 * 0.340

Dqy f 5.68
tp= K = 0.65 = 0.17 hr
i (i - K ) 5.0(5.0 - 0.65)(i - K )