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 (14) 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

II. Four Methods to Determine Sorptivity and Conductivity

^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, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1

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

In Vandervaere et al. (2000) it was shown that the transient regime of axisymmetric infiltration can be described by a two-term equation with one term proportional to the square root of time and the other term proportional to time. The two corresponding coefficients, C₁ and C₂, are functions of the hydraulic conductivity, K, and the sorptivity, S. In this paper we propose four different methods to achieve the determination of S and K. The four methods differ by the number of disk radii and the number of supply pressure head values which are utilized. We show that the accuracy of a given method is highly dependent on the combination of S and K values obtained. Three situations can be distinguished, depending on the disk radius: (i) the flow is dominated by the lateral capillary term; (ii) the flow is dominated by the gravity term; (iii) lateral capillary and gravity terms have equivalent weights. The seven model soils tested here all correspond to the first situation with usual disk radius values. This tends to show that a precise estimation of K is unlikely from disk infiltrometer data. We introduce a new time scale, t_stab, which generalizes the concepts corresponding to the two well known time scales t_grav and t_geom. We propose a guideline for the investigator to choose between all existing methods of analysis that use steady or transient flow. Finally, the four new methods are tested against numerically simulated tests with Grenoble sand and Yolo light clay.

Abbreviations: GS, Grenoble sand • MP, multi-potential • MR, multi-radii, MS, multi-sorptivity • MS1, MS method with a one-disk experiment • MS2, MS method with a multi-radii experiment • Sc, Scotter • ST, single test • WS, White and Sully • 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]

				P. Castiglione, P. J. Shouse, B. P. Mohanty, and M. Th. van Genuchten Analysis of Temperature Effects on Tension Infiltrometry of Low Permeability Materials Vadose Zone J., June 9, 2005; 4(3): 481 - 487. [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]

				J.-P. Vandervaere, M. Vauclin, and D. E. Elrick Transient Flow from Tension Infiltrometers: I. The Two-Parameter Equation Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., July 1, 2000; 64(4): 1263 - 1272. [Abstract] [Full Text]