Comparison of flux-based and head-based methods for determination of near-surface saturated hydraulic conductivity

Abstract

ABSTRACT The saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s) plays a crucial role in understanding water entry, redistribution, and hydrological processes at the soil–atmosphere interface. This study compared head-based [mini disk infiltrometer (MDI), automated SATURO, and laboratory permeameter (PM)] and flux-based [rainfall simulator (RS)] methods for determining near-surface K s through controlled laboratory measurements. Results showed that K s from RS aligned well with SATURO and PM estimates. The empirical MDI method (MDI-emp) provided K s estimates one order of magnitude higher than other methods, while an inverse estimation procedure using MDI measurements (MDI-inv) yielded results consistent with other methods. Statistical tests endorsed these findings. Three key conclusions were derived: (i) SATURO, RS, and MDI-inv were consistent in determining near-surface K s, (ii) RS was sensitive to the mathematical formulation adopted for K s determination, and (iii) MDI-emp method was unreliable for K s estimation. These findings underscore the potential of SATURO and MDI-inv as handy methods for K s evaluation.