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Determination of Soil-Water Diffusivity for Anisotropic Stratified Soils¹

ABSTRACT

The unsaturated soil-water diffusivity of an anisotropic soil can be described by a second-order tensor. In the particular case of a stratified soil, the diffusivity tensor is defined by the two values of the diffusivity in the principal directions, one normal and one parallel to the soil layer. The standard method of Bruce and Klute then requires the use of two soil columns, one for each direction, to define the diffusivity tensor. The present method makes use of a two-dimensional similarity solution first derived for an isotropic medium and extended here to a stratified soil. It is then possible to obtain the diffusivity tensor of the stratified soil from one experiment only. As an illustration of the method, the diffusivity tensor of a mica layer is measured and the result is used to analyze infiltration from a finite trench.

¹ Contribution from The Connecticut Agric. Exp. Stn., New Haven. Presented before Div. S-1, Soil Science Society of America, Chicago, Ill., 14 Nov. 1974.

² Associate Soil Chemist and Mathematician, respectively.

³ Senior Research Scientist. CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, P.O. Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia.

Received for publication April 29, 1975. Accepted for publication August 25, 1975.