HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Staple, W. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Staple, W. J. Agricola Articles by Staple, W. J.

Infiltration and Redistribution of Water in Vertical Columns of Loam Soil¹

ABSTRACT

A numerical method was used to compute infiltration and redistribution of water in vertical columns of air-dry Grenville silt loam. Hysteresis was taken into account in that drying tensions and hydraulic conductivities were interpolated from the appropriate scanning curves at each depth in the upper profile as redistribution continued into the dry soil below.

Although the computations were not confirmed by independent experiments, results from related measurements showed that the distribution curves were of the right magnitude. The moisture contents reached in the drying zone after 24 to 72 hours' redistribution were in agreement with field capacity data.

Computed moisture contents following redistribution in which hysteresis in both tension and conductivity were neglected differed considerably from the accepted hysteresis-dependent values. Computed moisture contents in which hysteresis in conductivities only were neglected were closer to the accepted values when conductivities for wetting were used.

¹ Contribution No. 182, Soil Research Institute, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario. The author gratefully acknowledges the help of A. Bickle in programming for the computer and of B. K. Dow in providing experimental data.

² Soil Physicist.

Received for publication January 28, 1966. Accepted for publication March 29, 1966.