Improved measurement of conductivity on swelling clay soils using a modified disc permeameter method

Disc permeameters are the preferred method for measuring unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Kψ) in situ. However, in swelling clays, Kψ measured using 3-D measurement and analysis methods are often several orders of magnitude too high and are of no value for modelling internal drainage. During a series of experiments, the causes of inflated Kψ values were identified and a modified method developed to accurately measure Kψ. On a Black Vertosol, Kψ was strongly correlated with water content and measurement period, with higher flow rates occurring until the soil profile had fully wet up. Near-saturated Kψ measured under permeameters was up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than field-saturated conductivity (KFS) measured in ponded rings. This discrepancy was caused by residual capillarity and unrestricted swelling at the wetting front in unsaturated soils. In addition, lateral flow was common and surface depressions around permeameters filled with water, erroneously contributing to measured infiltration and invalidating assumptions in the 3-D analysis. To prevent this, permeameters were confined within rings to restrict flow to 1D, and measured Kψ (confined) was then compared with Kψ (unconfined) and KFS (ponded rings). Confining flow to 1D reduced Kψ by up to 2 orders of magnitude for a Black Vertosol and by a factor of 3 for a Red Ferrosol. Near-saturated Kψ from confined permeameters agreed well with KFS after similar short measurement durations (e.g. 0.5 h), but Kψ was still overestimated until steady-state flow was established. Therefore, to derive estimates of Kψ that reflect natural flow during internal drainage, we recommend (i) pre-wetting the soil and extending measurement time to attain steady-state flow, and (ii) confining permeameters within rings to restrict flow to 1 dimension. This method was used to compare lucerne ley and annual cropping treatments on 2 Black Vertosols (Bongeen and Waco). Kψ was similar between cropping treatments, suggesting that initial differences in structure and porosity were transient and related to soil moisture content. The Bongeen soil had a significantly lower Kψ (K–1 cm of 0.8 mm/h) than the Waco soil (2.0 mm/h).