<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Beerkan infiltration runs could provide an incomplete description of infiltration with reference to either the near steady-state or the transient stages. In particular, the process could still be in the transient stage at the end of the run or some transient infiltration data might be loss. The Wu1 method and the BEST-steady algorithm can be applied to derive soil hydrodynamic parameters even under these circumstances. Therefore, a soil dataset could be developed using two different data analysis methods. The hypothesis that the Wu1 method and BEST-steady yield similar predictions of the soil parameters when they are applied to the same infiltration curve was tested in this investigation. For a sandy-loam soil, BEST-steady yielded higher saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, <italic>Ks</italic>, microscopic pore radius, λ<italic>m</italic>, and depth of the wetting front at the end of the run, <italic>dwf</italic>, and lower macroscopic capillary length, λ<italic>c</italic>, as compared with the Wu1 method. Two corresponding means differed by 1.2–1.4 times, depending on the variable, and the differences appeared overall from moderate to relatively appreciable, that is neither too high nor negligible in any circumstance, according to some literature suggestions. Two estimates of <italic>Ks</italic> were similar (difference by &lt; 25%) when the gravity-driven vertical flow and the lateral capillary components represented the 71–89% of total infiltration. In conclusion, the two methods of data analysis do not generally yield the same predictions of soil hydrodynamic parameters when they are applied to the same infiltration curve. However, it seems possible to establish what are the conditions making the two methods similar.</p>
</abstract>

Beerkan infiltration runs could provide an incomplete description of infiltration with reference to either the near steady-state or the transient stages. In particular, the process could still be in the transient stage at the end of the run or some transient infiltration data might be loss. The Wu1 method and the BEST-steady algorithm can be applied to derive soil hydrodynamic parameters even under these circumstances. Therefore, a soil dataset could be developed using two different data analysis methods. The hypothesis that the Wu1 method and BEST-steady yield similar predictions of the soil parameters when they are applied to the same infiltration curve was tested in this investigation. For a sandy-loam soil, BEST-steady yielded higher saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks, microscopic pore radius, λm, and depth of the wetting front at the end of the run, dwf, and lower macroscopic capillary length, λc, as compared with the Wu1 method. Two corresponding means differed by 1.2–1.4 times, depending on the variable, and the differences appeared overall from moderate to relatively appreciable, that is neither too high nor negligible in any circumstance, according to some literature suggestions. Two estimates of Ks were similar (difference by < 25%) when the gravity-driven vertical flow and the lateral capillary components represented the 71–89% of total infiltration. In conclusion, the two methods of data analysis do not generally yield the same predictions of soil hydrodynamic parameters when they are applied to the same infiltration curve. However, it seems possible to establish what are the conditions making the two methods similar.

Estimation of hydrodynamic properties of a sandy-loam soil by two analysis methods of single-ring infiltration data

Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Beerkan infiltration runs could provide an incomplete description of infiltration with reference to either the near steady-state or the transient stages. In...

Estimation of hydrodynamic properties of a sandy-loam soil by two analysis methods of single-ring infiltration data

Published Online: May 19, 2022

Page range: 234 - 243

Received: Aug 30, 2021

Accepted: Jan 03, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2022-0005

Keywords
Soil hydrodynamic properties, Beerkan infiltration run, Data analysis methods, BEST methodology, Wu1 method

© 2022 Vincenzo Bagarello et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Estimation of hydrodynamic properties of a sandy-loam soil by two analysis methods of single-ring infiltration data

Published Online: May 19, 2022

Page range: 234 - 243

Received: Aug 30, 2021

Accepted: Jan 03, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2022-0005

KeywordsSoil hydrodynamic properties, Beerkan infiltration run, Data analysis methods, BEST methodology, Wu1 method

© 2022 Vincenzo Bagarello et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Soil hydrodynamic properties, Beerkan infiltration run, Data analysis methods, BEST methodology, Wu1 method