Chinese Academy of Sciences

Donghao Ma

Jiabao Zhang

Sicong Wu

Lianghong Chen

A method for quickly acquiring soil hydraulic properties in situ based on a ponded infiltration experiment is provided. The method adopts a novel derivation method, and is based on a Richards' equation and a Brooks-Corey model to derive an analytical solution that accurately describes one-dimensional infiltration into homogeneous soil under ponded conditions. The method, for the first time, provides a detailed description of a developing saturated zone in the soil water profile, which is the most vital infiltration characteristic during ponded infiltration. The method proposes an optimized estimation method for parameters based on an inverse process of the analytical solution. The method can quickly acquire soil hydraulic properties in situ field by measuring a cumulative infiltration amount and a length of a wetting front over time during one-dimensional ponded infiltration experiment through a time-domain reflectometer (TDR).

Method for quickly acquiring soil hydraulic properties in situ based on ponded infiltration experiment

The present disclosure relates to a method for predicting soil hydraulic properties based on an upward infiltration experiment of a cutting ring soil sample. According to the new design approach, based on an inverse process of one-dimensional water upward infiltration analytical solution of homogeneous dry soils under a boundary condition of a constant pressure, by recording the data regarding cumulative infiltration amounts and infiltration times during the upward infiltration process of the cutting ring soil sample and a time for the wetting front to reach the upper surface of the cutting ring soil sample, a saturated hydraulic conductivity of the cutting ring soil sample is measured, and the soil hydraulic properties are quickly obtained. The present disclosure overcomes the defects that the methods in the prior art for measuring soil hydraulic properties are time consuming, low in efficiency, and not suitable for rapid acquisition of large area in the field, avoids the problems of multiple solutions and non-convergence of parameters, and improves the efficiency of acquiring soil hydraulic properties, thereby providing an effective means for the investigation of soil hydraulic properties in a large area in the field.

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Nanjing, China

Donghao Ma