Abstract
The aim of this work is to compare the use of the inverse solution approach in the estimation of soil hydraulic properties with traditional tension disk infiltrometer (TDI) data analysis, field retention data and commonly used pedotransfer functions (PTFs). Field data were collected in an experimental plot located at Bahía Blanca, Argentina. Field infiltration under saturated conditions was measured by the inverse auger hole method and infiltration under unsaturated conditions were carried out with TDI. Field retention data (θ(h)) were also collected periodically. The HYDRUS 2D/3D software was used to optimize soil hydraulic parameters by inverse solution according to TDI data. The saturated hydraulic conductivity measured by inverse auger hole method (5.53 cm.h-1) and calculated by Wooding analytical approach (5.35 cm.h-1) and inverse numerical simulations (5.36 cm.h-1) showed very close values. According to macroporosity estimates infiltrated water is mainly conducted through soils micro and mesopores. Macropores only channeled 15.9% of total infiltrated flow. Soil water retention curves (SWRC) predicted by PTFs did not represented correctly field retention data. The best adjustment between water content at specific pressure heads predicted by SWRCs and field measured water content was reached by the TDI inverse solution approach (RMSE: 0.050 cm3.cm-3). The inverse solution approach probed to be a simple and practical method to obtain an accurate estimate of both, SWRC and hydraulic conductivity curve.
Highlights
Unsaturated soil hydraulic properties estimation is a fundamental requirement to successfully predict water movement in soil. These properties consist of the soil water retention curve (SWRC), which relates the volumetric water content (θ) to the soil water pressure head (h), and the hydraulic conductivity curve, which relates the conductivity (K) to h or θ (Ramos et al, 2006)
The Soil water retention curves (SWRC) can be obtained in field by simultaneous measurement of water contents related to different pressure heads at the same soil depth (Rianna et al, 2014; Zhang, 2015; Yan and Zhang, 2015)
The aim of this work is to compare the use of inverse solution approach in the estimation of soil hydraulic properties with traditional tension disk infiltrometer (TDI) data analysis, field retention data and commonly used pedotransfer functions
Summary
Unsaturated soil hydraulic properties estimation is a fundamental requirement to successfully predict water movement in soil These properties consist of the soil water retention curve (SWRC), which relates the volumetric water content (θ) to the soil water pressure head (h), and the hydraulic conductivity curve, which relates the conductivity (K) to h or θ (Ramos et al, 2006). The SWRC can be obtained in field by simultaneous measurement of water contents related to different pressure heads at the same soil depth (Rianna et al, 2014; Zhang, 2015; Yan and Zhang, 2015). These experiences do not fully represent the SWRC. Response time of changes in hydrological parameters during field meteorological events is faster than variations measured in laboratory controlled conditions (Bordoni et al, 2017)
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