Effect of hysteresis of soil-water characteristic curves on infiltration under different climatic conditions

Abstract

This paper presents results of a numerical modelling exercise that investigates the effects of hysteresis of the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) on the infiltration characteristics of soils subjected to four different climatic conditions — from very dry to wet — within the Canadian province of Alberta. Multi-year climate datasets from four different natural regions and subregions of Alberta are compiled, classified, and applied as the soil–atmosphere boundary condition in one-dimensional finite element unsaturated flow models using Hydrus-1D software. Multi-year simulations are carried out with and without consideration of the SWCC hysteresis. Simulation results are analyzed in terms of water balance at the ground surface and temporal distribution and storage of water within the soil domain. It is demonstrated that hysteresis of the SWCC can significantly affect the prediction of flow, redistribution, and storage of water in the unsaturated zone. It is found that for soils that exhibit hysteretic SWCC, consideration of hysteresis in unsaturated flow modelling results in the prediction of lower infiltration and less movement of water through the soil. It is also found that the use of wetting parameters results in the prediction of increased infiltration and movement of water compared with the predictions using drying or hysteretic parameters. It is concluded that, for soils that exhibit a greater degree of SWCC hysteresis, it is important to measure both the drying and wetting branches of the SWCC accurately and that accurate simulation of hysteretic behaviour requires climate datasets at appropriate resolution. The results presented in this paper highlight the importance of considering SWCC hysteresis for a wide range of geotechnical problems, such as soil cover design, prediction of groundwater recharge, contaminant transport through unsaturated soils, soil erosion, slope stability, and swelling–shrinkage of expansive soils.