Interpretation of ponded infiltration data using numerical experiments

AbstractPonded infiltration experiment is a simple test used for in-situ determination of soil hydraulic properties, particularly saturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity. It is known that infiltration process in natural soils is strongly affected by presence of macropores, soil layering, initial and experimental conditions etc. As a result, infiltration record encompasses a complex of mutually compensating effects that are difficult to separate from each other. Determination of sorptivity and saturated hydraulic conductivity from such infiltration data is complicated. In the present study we use numerical simulation to examine the impact of selected experimental conditions and soil profile properties on the ponded infiltration experiment results, specifically in terms of the hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity evaluation. The effect of following factors was considered: depth of ponding, ring insertion depth, initial soil water content, presence of preferential pathways, hydraulic conductivity anisotropy, soil layering, surface layer retention capacity and hydraulic conductivity, and presence of soil pipes or stones under the infiltration ring. Results were compared with a large database of infiltration curves measured at the experimental site Liz (Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic). Reasonably good agreement between simulated and observed infiltration curves was achieved by combining several of factors tested. Moreover, the ring insertion effect was recognized as one of the major causes of uncertainty in the determination of soil hydraulic parameters.

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Characterization of stony soils' hydraulic conductivity using laboratory and numerical experiments

SOIL ◽

10.5194/soil-2-421-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 421-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Eléonore Beckers ◽

Mathieu Pichault ◽

Wanwisa Pansak ◽

Aurore Degré ◽

Sarah Garré

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Water Flow ◽

Predictive Models ◽

Laboratory Experiments ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Rock Fragments ◽

Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

The One ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Determining soil hydraulic properties is of major concern in various fields of study. Although stony soils are widespread across the globe, most studies deal with gravel-free soils, so that the literature describing the impact of stones on the hydraulic conductivity of a soil is still rather scarce. Most frequently, models characterizing the saturated hydraulic conductivity of stony soils assume that the only effect of rock fragments is to reduce the volume available for water flow, and therefore they predict a decrease in hydraulic conductivity with an increasing stoniness. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of rock fragments on the saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. This was done by means of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations involving different amounts and types of coarse fragments. We compared our results with values predicted by the aforementioned predictive models. Our study suggests that it might be ill-founded to consider that stones only reduce the volume available for water flow. We pointed out several factors of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of stony soils that are not considered by these models. On the one hand, the shape and the size of inclusions may substantially affect the hydraulic conductivity. On the other hand, laboratory experiments show that an increasing stone content can counteract and even overcome the effect of a reduced volume in some cases: we observed an increase in saturated hydraulic conductivity with volume of inclusions. These differences are mainly important near to saturation. However, comparison of results from predictive models and our experiments in unsaturated conditions shows that models and data agree on a decrease in hydraulic conductivity with stone content, even though the experimental conditions did not allow testing for stone contents higher than 20 %.

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Wastewater Irrigation Impacts on Soil Hydraulic Conductivity: Coupled Field Sampling and Laboratory Determination of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Journal of Visualized Experiments ◽

10.3791/57181 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jack E. Watson ◽

Tyson Robb ◽

Danielle Andrews-Brown ◽

Melissa Miller

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Wastewater Irrigation ◽

Field Sampling ◽

Soil Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Laboratory Determination ◽

Coupled Field ◽

Soil Hydraulic

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Estimating hydraulic conductivity of a crusted loamy soil from beerkan experiments in a Mediterranean vineyard

10.5194/soil-2016-79 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Vincenzo Alagna ◽

Vincenzo Bagarello ◽

Simone Di Prima ◽

Fabio Guaitoli ◽

Massimo Iovino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Rainfall Event ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Insertion Depth ◽

Soil Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Soil Hydraulic ◽

The Impact

Abstract. In bare soils of semi-arid areas, surface crusting is a rather common phenomenon due to the impact of raindrops. Water infiltration measurements under ponding conditions constitute a common way for an approximate characterization of crusted soils. In this study, the impact of crusting on soil hydraulic conductivity was assessed in a Mediterranean vineyard (western Sicily, Italy) under conventional tillage. The BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) algorithm was applied to the infiltration data to obtain the hydraulic conductivity of crusted and uncrusted soils. Soil hydraulic conductivity was found to vary during the year and also spatially (i.e., rows vs. inter-rows) due to crusting, tillage and vegetation cover. A 55 mm rainfall event resulted in a decrease of the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks, by a factor close to two in the inter-row areas, due to the formation of a crusted layer at the surface. The same rainfall event did not determine a Ks reduction in the row areas (i.e., Ks reduced by a non-significant factor of 1.05) because the vegetation cover intercepted the raindrops and therefore prevented alteration of the soil surface. The developed ring insertion methodology on crusted soil, implying pre-moistening through the periphery of the sampled surface, together with the very small insertion depth of the ring (0.01 m) prevented visible fractures. Consequently, beerkan tests carried out along and between the vine-rows and data analysis by the BEST algorithm allowed to assess crusting-dependent reductions in hydraulic conductivity with extemporaneous measurements alone. Testing the beerkan infiltration run in other crusted soils and establishing comparisons with other experimental methodologies appear advisable to increase confidence on the reliability of the method, that seems suitable to allow simple characterization of crusted soils.

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The influence of channel network silting up at Žitný Ostrov to range of interaction between surface and groundwater

Acta Agraria Debreceniensis ◽

10.34101/actaagrar/1/3732 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 23-31

Author(s):

Renáta Dulovičová ◽

Yvetta Velísková

Keyword(s):

Surface Water ◽

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Water Levels ◽

Channel Network ◽

Undisturbed Samples ◽

The Impact ◽

Surface And Groundwater

The movement of water resources, especially the possibilities of their regulation by interaction between surface and groundwaters are the subject matter of attention particularly during the occurrence of extreme hydrologic situation. This work presents the overview of knowledge and results which were achieved at IH SAS in this question. It can show the ways how to optimize the adjudicated processes which emerge during the requirement of emergency intervention. The solution of this task was located at the Žitný Ostrov area because this territory with their existence of channel network is suitable for studying the surface and groundwater interaction. The channel network at Žitný Ostrov was built up for drainage and also to safeguard irrigation water. The water level in the whole channel network system has an effect on groundwater level on the Žitný Ostrov and vice versa. It was been necessary to judge the impact of the channel network silting up by bed silts on the interaction between channel network and groundwater on the Žitný Ostrov. The aim was to evaluate the changes of bed silt state of Žitný Ostrov channel network and consecutively their influence on interaction processes between groundwater and surface water along the channels in the period from 1993 to present. The measurements of bed silt thickness in Žitný ostrov channel network had been started from1993, later they continued at selected profiles of three main channels – channel Gabčíkovo-Topoľníky, Chotárny channel and Komárňanský channel (for checking of the silting up variability). From 2008 the detailed field measurements of cross-section profiles aggradations along these selected three channels have been started. The objective of detailed field measurements was the determination of the silt permeability which is expressed by parameter of saturated hydraulic conductivity. This parameter was determined by two ways – as the saturated hydraulic conductivity obtained from disturbed samples of silt Kp and as the saturated hydraulic conductivity obtained from undisturbed samples of silt Kn. In the first case the granularity of silts was determined as a first step and then was computed their Kp from the empirical formulas according Bayer-Schweiger and Spacek. From undisturbed samples of silts which were extracted along the channels from top, middle and bottom layer of silts, were determined the values Kn by the laboratory falling head method. The valid values Kp on channel Gabčíkovo-Topoľníky ranged from 4,33 10-7 to 4,46.10-5 m s-1, on Chotárny channel from 5.98 10-5 to 2.14 10-6 m s-1 and on Komárňanský channel fluctuated from 1.93 10-6 – 6.09 10-5 m s-1. The valid values Kn on on channel Gabčíkovo-Topoľníky ranged from 5.21 10-8 – 4.18 10-3 m s-1 , on Chotárny channel ranged from 8.54 10-8 – 2.70 10-4 m s-1 and on Komárňanský channel fluctuated from 4.72 10-7 – 1.26 10-5 m s-1. The remarkable results were noticed by comparison of values of saturated hydraulic conductivity from disturbed and undisturbed samples Kp and Kn. On Chotárny channel the values of silt saturated hydraulic conductivity from undisturbed samples Kn approximately hundredfold decreased (from 10-6 to 10-8 m s-1). On Komárňanský channel the comparison of values Kp and Kn shown that the values Kn from undisturbed samples approximately tenfold descended against Kp. Simultaneously, the bed silts‘ impact on the groundwater recharge (saturated hydraulic conductivity of silt) was also examined. Determination of the total recharge amount was done by numerical simulation (model SKOKY) and by the so-called method of interaction formulas. These two approaches were applied at the Žitný Ostrov channel network. There were field measurements performed in monitored three main channels and adjacent to obtain correct input data. These characteristics were used for simulation and computation of total recharge along the channels. The total recharge amount was calculated for four alternatives of the surface water levels in the channel and the surroundings groundwater respectively. We chose four simplified variants with the same geological conditions in surroundings area of channels, only water levels of groundwater and in channels were modified. The results of the simulations seem to show greater impact of the silt in the case of outflow from the channels to the surroundings than the inflow into the channel from the surroundings.

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The impact of different tillage treatments on hydraulic conductivity of loamy soil

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis ◽

10.11118/actaun201260050109 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 60 (5) ◽

pp. 109-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ivana Kameníčková ◽

L. Larišová ◽

A. Stoklásková

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Reduced Tillage ◽

Loamy Soil ◽

Double Ring ◽

Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

The Impact

Water infiltration into the soil profile, surface runoff and soil erosion in arable lands depend on the conditions of the top layer. The tillage treatment of the top layer plays a key role in changes of the hydro-physical properties, mainly saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks of the surface layer. The aim of this study was to asses the impact of different tillage treatments on hydraulic conductivity in the locality Bohaté Málkovice. Field experimental works in this area were performed in 2009 and were repeted in 2011 on Haplic Chernozem, medium heavy loamy soil. The experimental area was divided into two parts; top layer of these plots was cultivated by applying conventional and reduced tillage treatment. Both these plots were sown with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). For the field measurement of water infiltration into the soil was used double-ring infiltrometer (2009, 2011) and Minidisk infiltrometer (2011). Near the point were the infiltration was measured, the soil samples were always collected for laboratory determination of basic physical properties of soil (bulk density, porosity, initial and saturated water content, aeration of the soil) and saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks. For laboratory determination of Ks was used permeameter with constant gradient.For evaluation of saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks using the double-ring infiltration method was used Philip’s three-parameter equation and for evaluation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity K(h) using Minidisk infiltrometer was used Zang’s method. After two years of using repeatedly applied different tillage treatments was significantly influenced saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks. The Ks value increased approximately six times for reduced tillage and more than three times for conventional tillage. Laboratory determined average values of Ks were compared with the average estimates of Ks from infiltration tests. The results were burdened by a number of errors (compaction, preferential flow). These mean values were higher for conventional and reduced tillage. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity K(−2cm) for reduced tillage was higher, for conventional tillage decreased approximately three times.

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Using Beerkan experiments to estimate hydraulic conductivity of a crusted loamy soil in a Mediterranean vineyard

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.2478/johh-2018-0023 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 191-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Vincenzo Alagna ◽

Vincenzo Bagarello ◽

Simone Di Prima ◽

Fabio Guaitoli ◽

Massimo Iovino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Rainfall Event ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Insertion Depth ◽

Infiltration Process ◽

Soil Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Soil Hydraulic ◽

The Impact

AbstractIn bare soils of semi-arid areas, surface crusting is a rather common phenomenon due to the impact of raindrops. Water infiltration measurements under ponding conditions are becoming largely applied techniques for an approximate characterization of crusted soils. In this study, the impact of crusting on soil hydraulic conductivity was assessed in a Mediterranean vineyard (western Sicily, Italy) under conventional tillage. The BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) algorithm was applied to the infiltration data to obtain the hydraulic conductivity of crusted and uncrusted soils. Soil hydraulic conductivity was found to vary during the year and also spatially (i.e., rows vs. inter-rows) due to crusting, tillage and vegetation cover. A 55 mm rainfall event resulted in a decrease of the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity,Ks, by a factor of 1.6 in the inter-row areas, due to the formation of a crusted layer at the surface. The same rainfall event did not determine aKsreduction in the row areas (i.e.,Ksdecreased by a non-significant factor of 1.05) because the vegetation cover intercepted the raindrops and therefore prevented alteration of the soil surface. The developed ring insertion methodology on crusted soil, implying pre-moistening through the periphery of the sampled surface, together with the very small insertion depth of the ring (0.01 m), prevented visible fractures. Consequently, Beerkan tests carried out along and between the vine-rows and data analysis by the BEST algorithm allowed to assess crusting-dependent reductions in hydraulic conductivity with extemporaneous measurements alone. The reliability of the tested technique was also confirmed by the results of the numerical simulation of the infiltration process in a crusted soil. Testing the Beerkan infiltration run in other crusted soils and establishing comparisons with other experimental methodologies appear advisable to increase confidence on the reliability of the method that seems suitable for simple characterization of crusted soils.

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A Simplified Falling-Head Technique for Rapid Determination of Field-Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Soil Science Society of America Journal ◽

10.2136/sssaj2004.0066 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 68 (1) ◽

pp. 66 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

V. Bagarello ◽

M. Iovino ◽

D. Elrick

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Rapid Determination ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

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Treated wastewater irrigation effects on soil hydraulic conductivity and aggregate stability of loamy soils in Israel

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.1515/johh-2015-0010 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 47-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Karsten Schacht ◽

Bernd Marschner

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Soil Aggregate Stability ◽

Irrigation Effects ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

The Impact

Abstract The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation becomes increasingly important in water stressed regions like the Middle East for substituting fresh water (FW) resources. Due to elevated salt concentrations and organic compounds in TWW this practice has potential adverse effects on soil quality, such as the reduction of hydraulic conductivity (HC) and soil aggregate stability (SAS). To assess the impact of TWW irrigation in comparison to FW irrigation on HC, in-situ infiltration measurements using mini disk infiltrometer were deployed in four different long-term experimental orchard test sites in Israel. Topsoil samples (0-10 cm) were collected for analyzing SAS and determination of selected soil chemical and physical characteristics. The mean HC values decreased at all TWW sites by 42.9% up to 50.8% compared to FW sites. The SAS was 11.3% to 32.4% lower at all TWW sites. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were generally higher at TWW sites. These results indicate the use of TWW for irrigation is a viable, but potentially deleterious option, as it influences soil physical and chemical properties.

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