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

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (20) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vandervaere, J.-P. Articles by Elrick, D. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Vandervaere, J.-P. Articles by Elrick, D. E. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Vandervaere, J.-P. Articles by Elrick, D. E.

DIVISION S-1-SOIL PHYSICS

Transient Flow from Tension Infiltrometers

I. The Two-Parameter Equation

^a Lab. d'étude des Transferts en Hydrologie et Environ. (CNRS UMR 5564, INPG, IRD, UJF) BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
^b Dep. of Land Resource Sci., Univ. of Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

jean-pierre.vandervaere{at}hmg.inpg.fr

Tension disk infiltrometer experiments are generally conducted until apparent steady state is reached because most of the methods of analysis are based on Wooding's solution for steady state flux. However, the time necessary to reach steady state may be a penalizing aspect for soils with low permeability and the information contained in the transient stages is not utilized. Moreover, these methods assume homogeneous soil and a uniform initial water content, which may be unrealistic when a large volume of soil is sampled. In this series, we propose and compare several new methods of analysis that are based on the transient stage of axisymmetric infiltration. In the first part, we show that a two-parameter equation—one term linear in square root of time and one term linear in time—adequately describes the transient flow from the disk infiltrometer for both simulated and laboratory tests. The technique used for the determination of the two coefficients must meet two criteria; it must verify the validity of the two-term equation throughout the duration of the experiment, and it must account for the early-time perturbation that is induced by the sand-contact layer placed between the disk and the soil. We show that the best technique consists in linearizing the data by differentiating cumulative infiltration with respect to the square root of time. Direct nonlinear fitting on cumulative infiltration or infiltration flux is likely to lead to unacceptable errors, either because of the undetected invalidity of the two-parameter equation or arising from the influence of the contact layer.

Abbreviations: CI, cumulative influx • CL, cumulative linearization • DL, differentiated linearization • GS, Grenoble sand • IF, infiltration flux • YLC, Yolo light clay

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. D. Reynolds Tension Infiltrometer Measurements: Implications of Pressure Head Offset due to Contact Sand Vadose Zone J., November 20, 2006; 5(4): 1287 - 1292. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Alletto, Y. Coquet, P. Vachier, and C. Labat Hydraulic Conductivity, Immobile Water Content, and Exchange Coefficient in Three Soil Profiles Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., June 21, 2006; 70(4): 1272 - 1280. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Lassabatere, R. Angulo-Jaramillo, J. M. Soria Ugalde, R. Cuenca, I. Braud, and R. Haverkamp Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer Parameters through Infiltration Experiments--BEST Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., February 27, 2006; 70(2): 521 - 532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Bodhinayake, B. C. Si, and K. Noborio Determination of Hydraulic Properties in Sloping Landscapes from Tension and Double-Ring Infiltrometers Vadose Zone J., August 1, 2004; 3(3): 964 - 970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Bagarello and M. Iovino Field Testing Parameter Sensitivity of the Two-Term Infiltration Equation Using Differentiated Linearization Vadose Zone J., August 1, 2003; 2(3): 358 - 367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. C. Schwartz and S. R. Evett Estimating Hydraulic Properties of a Fine-textured Soil Using a Disc Infiltrometer Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., September 1, 2002; 66(5): 1409 - 1423. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-P. Vandervaere, M. Vauclin, and D. E. Elrick Transient Flow from Tension Infiltrometers: II. Four Methods to Determine Sorptivity and Conductivity Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., July 1, 2000; 64(4): 1272 - 1284. [Abstract] [Full Text]