Gas diffusion-derived tortuosity governs saturated hydraulic conductivity in sandy soils

Abstract

Summary The saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is an essential effective parameter for the development of improved distributed hydrological models and area-differentiated risk assessment of chemical leaching. Basic soil properties such as the particle size distribution or, more recently, air permeability are commonly used to estimate Ksat. Conversely, links to soil gas diffusivity (Dp/Do) have not been fully explored even though gas diffusivity is intimately linked to the connectivity and tortuosity of the soil pore network. Based on measurements for a coarse sandy soil, potential relationships between Ksat and Dp/Do were investigated. A total of 84 undisturbed soil cores were extracted from the topsoil of a field site, and Dp/Do and Ksat were measured in the laboratory. Water-induced and solids-induced tortuosity factors were obtained by applying a two-parameter Dp/Do model to measured data, and subsequently linked to the cementation exponent of the well-established Revil and Cathles predictive model for saturated hydraulic conductivity. Furthermore, a two-parameter model, analogue to the Kozeny–Carman equation, was developed for the Ksat − Dp/Do relationship. All analyses implied strong and fundamental relationships between Ksat and Dp/Do.