Soil Water Movement
Water is highly dynamic component in soil system. It moves in all the three phases viz. solid, liquid
and vapour.
In a flooded or saturated soil, soil water moves in liquid phase, while in a partially dry or
unsaturated soil, it moves in both liquid and vapour phases.
Movement in solid phase, commonly occurring in the frozen soil, takes place close to clay surface.
Movement of water within the soil influences water supply to roots and also contributes to
underground water table.
Water movement in the soil occurs in three distinct ways namely saturated flow, unsaturated flow and
vapour movement.
Saturated flow:
This flow occurs when the soil pores are completely filled with water. Water in liquid form flows
through water filled macro-pores under the influence of gravity.
It begins with infiltration, which is water movement into soil when rain or irrigation water is on
the soil surface. When the soil profile is wetted, the movement of more water flowing through
the wetted soil is termed percolation.
Unsaturated flow:
In this type of flow, water moves in thin films surrounding soil particles under the influence of surface
tension (matric forces) that are much stronger than gravity.
Even though the driving force is usually greater than for saturated flow, the resistance to flow is
enormous. Water will flow toward a lower (more negative) potential regardless of direction.
Vapour movement: In this water vapour moves through air filled pore spaces under the influence of vapour
pressure gradient.
Comparison of three types of water movement in soil:
[Link]. Particulars Saturated flow Unsaturated Vapour
flow movement
1 Major driving force Gravitational Matric potential Vapour pressure
difference gradient
2 Water form Liquid Liquid Vapours
3 Major direction of Downward All directions All directions
flow
4 Pore space used All pores Micropores All empty pores
5 Rate of flow Fast Slow -
(1-100 cm/day) (< 1 cm/day)