Water Infiltration into Stratified Soil

Miller, D. E.; Gardner, Wayne A.

doi:10.2136/sssaj1962.03615995002600020007x

Cited by 102 publications

(61 citation statements)

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“…The results confirm our understanding of the effect of surface soil layers [e.g., Whisler et al, 1972;Miller and Gardner, 1962], and are consistent with the general theory for infiltration through a surface layer presented earlier [Smith, 1990]. However, one apparent result suggested in this manuscript is misleading, which I wish to clarify here.…”

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confidence: 90%

Comment on “Effect of Rainfall‐Induced Soil Seals on Soil Water Regime: Wetting Processes” by Y. Mualem, S. Assouline, and D. Eltahan

Smith¹

1995

Water Resources Research

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In their paper, Mualem et al. [1993] have provided an interesting exposition of the effects of a surface layer on infiltration and wetting profiles resulting therefrom. The results confirm our understanding of the effect of surface soil layers [e.g., Whisler et al., 1972;Miller and Gardner, 1962], and are consistent with the general theory for infiltration through a surface layer presented earlier [Smith, 1990]. However, one apparent result suggested in this manuscript is misleading, which I wish to clarify here.In Figure 1, Mualem et al. [1993] show a simulated infiltration pattern in which surface infiltration rate q0 is plotted as a function of cumulative rainfall, R, for two soils.In the abstract and the subsequent discussion, it is suggested that the presence of a seal or surface layer would cause the final infiltration rate, qf, to be larger for a larger application rate I (the symbol convention of the authors is adopted here). In their equation (1), qf is used conventionally as an asymptotic rate, but in the discussion (p. 1655) this "final rate" is arbitrarily defined as the rate after 50 mm of rainfall. Normally, final rate is an asymptotic rate, and this distinction is significant in the points to be made here. For this discussion I define the asymptotic rate as q•. The theoretical value of q• is a function only of the properties of the soil, including the relative properties of the surface layer and the underlying soil if there is a surface layer [Smith, 1990]. The suggestion that the "final" infiltration rate is a function of rainfall I is misleading and apparently a result of the choice to plot q0 against cumulative rainfall, R. After ponding, for as long as I > q0, q0 is only controlled by conditions within the profile, and is independent of I or R. This is inherent in the definition of ponding. By choosing to plot q0(R), the authors inadvertently distort each curve proportional to the value of I. The infiltration rate occurring after a certain depth of rainfall, qf, will always be larger for larger constant rainfall rates, regardless of the presence or absence of a surface seal. Thus their discussion in this regard is misleading with respect to the effect of a

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confidence: 90%

Comment on “Effect of Rainfall‐Induced Soil Seals on Soil Water Regime: Wetting Processes” by Y. Mualem, S. Assouline, and D. Eltahan

Smith¹

1995

Water Resources Research

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“…In some cases, a continuous variation in soil hydraulic properties can be observed due to overburden, natural soil reconsolidation, or mechanical compaction. Several studies have proposed solutions for infiltration in layered soil systems [Colman and Bodman, 1945;Hanks and Bowers, 1962;Philip, 1967;Childs and Bybordi, 1969;Miller and Gardner, 1962;Zaslavsky, 1964;Raats, 1983;Warrick and Yeh, 1990]. Chu and Marino [2005] presented a solution for determining ponding conditions and simulating infiltration into a layered soil profile Figure 7.…”

Section: Infiltration In Heterogeneous Soil Profilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infiltration into soils: Conceptual approaches and solutions

Assouline

2013

Water Resources Research

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[1] Infiltration is a key process in aspects of hydrology, agricultural and civil engineering, irrigation design, and soil and water conservation. It is complex, depending on soil and rainfall properties and initial and boundary conditions within the flow domain. During the last century, a great deal of effort has been invested to understand the physics of infiltration and to develop quantitative predictors of infiltration dynamics. Jean-Yves Parlange and Wilfried Brutsaert have made seminal contributions, especially in the area of infiltration theory and related analytical solutions to the flow equations. This review retraces the landmark discoveries and the evolution of the conceptual approaches and the mathematical solutions applied to the problem of infiltration into porous media, highlighting the pivotal contributions of Parlange and Brutsaert. A historical retrospective of physical models of infiltration is followed by the presentation of mathematical methods leading to analytical solutions of the flow equations. This review then addresses the time compression approximation developed to estimate infiltration at the transition between preponding and postponding conditions. Finally, the effects of special conditions, such as the presence of air and heterogeneity in soil properties, on infiltration are considered.

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“…Unstable wetting fronts during infiltration into soils have been first observed in the field by Deecke (1906) and later in the laboratory by Tabuchi (1961) and Miller and Gardner (1962). The phenomenon has been investigated systematically by Hill and Parlange (1972) who had conducted experiments on fingering at the interface between two soil layers with different textures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%