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Field estimates of hydraulic conductivity from unconfined infiltration measurements
Field-Scale Water and Solute Flux in Soils
  • M. D. Ankeny, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • R. Horton, Iowa State University
  • T. C. Kaspar, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
1-1-1990
DOI
10.1007/978-3-0348-9264-3_11
Conference Title
Workshop on Field-Scale Water and Solute Flux in Soils
Conference Date
September 24-29, 1989
Geolocation
(46.1615793, 8.775013100000024)
Abstract

Soil water infiltration exhibits spatial variability due to both intrinsic soil properties and management effects (e.g. wheel traffic and tillage). The description or prediction of field scale water and solute movement, therefore, requires that the spatial distribution of hydraulic properties be known. Practical measurement of hydraulic properties of unsaturated soil requires both a rapid field technique to sample the necessary number of sites and a straightforward analytical technique for interpreting data. We have designed precision automated tension infiltrometers that enable rapid determination of soil water infiltration. Tension infiltrometers were used to obtain unsaturated infiltration data for chisel-plow, no-till, wheel-trafficked, and non-wheel trafficked management zones. This paper reports means and coefficients of variation for hydraulic conductivities at multiple tensions derived from unconfined infiltration measurements. Mean hydraulic conductivities decreased as tension increased. Trafficked sites had lower values of hydraulic conductivity than non-trafficked sites. The tension infiltrometer is a useful tool for obtaining spatial measurements of field infiltration and unsaturated hydraulic conductivities.

Comments

This proceeding was published as Ankeny, M. D., R. Horton, and T. C. Kaspar. 1990. Field estimates of hydraulic conductivity from unconfined infiltration measurements. Proceedings Monte Verita Workshop on Field-Scale Water and Solute Flux in Soils. pp. 95-100. doi: 10.1007/978-3-0348-9264-3_11.

Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
M. D. Ankeny, R. Horton and T. C. Kaspar. "Field estimates of hydraulic conductivity from unconfined infiltration measurements" Ascona, SwitzerlandField-Scale Water and Solute Flux in Soils (1990) p. 95 - 100
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert-horton/86/