Dye Infiltration Research Articles

Effect of antecedent soil moisture on preferential flow in a texture-contrast soil

The effect of soil moisture status on preferential flow in a texture-contrast soil was investigated by applying 25 mm Brilliant Blue dye tracer to soil profiles at high and low antecedent soil moisture. Differences in soil morphology and chemistry between soil profiles had little effect on the depth of dye infiltration and dye distribution down the profile. Antecedent soil moisture strongly influenced the type, depth and rate of dye tracer movement. In the wet treatment, the dye tracer infiltrated to depths between 0.24 and 0.40 m, at an average rate of 120 mm h−1. Whilst in the dry treatment, the same volume of dye tracer infiltrated to between 0.85 and 1.19 m depth at an average rate of 1160 mm h−1. In dry antecedent conditions, finger flow developed in the A1 horizon as a result of water repellency. In the wet treatment, the wetting front developed permutations but did not break into fingers. Despite similar particle size distributions, flow in the A2e was slower than the A1 horizon, due to the absence of macropores. In the dry treatment, the dye tracer ponded on the upper surface of the B21 horizon, which then spilled down the sides of the large clay columns as rivulets, at rates of between 2000 and 3000 mm h−1. The dye tracer accumulated at the base of the columns resulting in backfilling of the inter column shrinkage cracks, at an estimated rate of 750 mm h−1. In the subsoil, water movement occurred via shrinkage cracks which resulted in flow by-passing 99% of the soil matrix in the B21 horizon and 94% of the soil matrix in the B22 horizon. Evidence of rapid and deep infiltration in ‘dry’ texture-contrast soils has implications for water and solute management. This knowledge could be used to: (i) improve irrigation and fertilizer efficiency (ii) explain variations in crop yield (iii) reduce salinity through improved leaching practices, (iv) reduce the risk of agrochemicals contaminating shallow groundwater.

An experimental investigation to characterise soil macroporosity under different land use and land covers of northeast India

Saturated macropore flow is the dominant hydrological process in tropical and subtropical hilly watersheds of northeast India. The process of infiltration into saturated macroporous soils is primarily controlled by size, network, density, connectivity, saturation of surrounding soil matrix, and depthwise distribution of macropores. To understand the effects of local land use, land cover and management practices on soil macroporosity, colour dye infiltration experiments were conducted with ten soil columns (25 × 25 × 50 cm) collected from different watersheds of the region under similar soil and agro-climatic zones. The sampling sites included two undisturbed forested hillslopes, two conventionally cultivated paddy fields, two forest lands abandoned after Jhum cultivation, and two paddy fields, one pineapple plot and one banana plot presently under active cultivation stage of the Jhum cycle. Digital image analyses of the obtained dye patterns showed that the infiltration patterns differed significantly for different sites with varying land use, land cover, and cultivation practices. Undisturbed forest soils showed high degree of soil macroporosity throughout the soil profile, paddy fields revealed sealing of macropores at the topsoil due to hard pan formation, and Jhum cultivated plots showed disconnected subsoil macropores. The important parameters related to soil macropores such as maximum and average size of macropores, number of active macropores, and depthwise distribution of macropores were estimated to characterise the soil macroporosity for the sites. These experimentally derived quantitative data of soil macroporosity can have wide range of applications in the region such as water quality monitoring and groundwater pollution assessment due to preferential leaching of solutes and pesticides, study of soil structural properties and infiltration behaviour of soils, investigation of flash floods in rivers, and hydrological modelling of the watersheds.

Tunable Colors in Opals and Inverse Opal Photonic Crystals

AbstractColloidal photonic crystals and materials derived from colloidal crystals can exhibit distinct structural colors that result from incomplete photonic band gaps. Through rational materials design, the colors of such photonic crystals can be tuned reversibly by external physical and chemical stimuli. Such stimuli include solvent and dye infiltration, applied electric or magnetic fields, mechanical deformation, light irradiation, temperature changes, changes in pH, and specific molecular interactions. Reversible color changes result from alterations in lattice spacings, filling fractions, and refractive index of system components. This review article highlights the different systems and mechanisms for achieving tunable color based on opaline materials with close‐packed or non‐close‐packed structural elements and inverse opal photonic crystals. Inorganic and polymeric systems, such as hydrogels, metallopolymers, and elastomers are discussed.

Modeling preferential water flow and solute transport in unsaturated soil using the active region model

Preferential flow and solute transport are common processes in the unsaturated soil, in which distributions of soil water content and solute concentrations are often characterized as fractal patterns. An active region model (ARM) was recently proposed to describe the preferential flow and transport patterns. In this study, ARM governing equations were derived to model the preferential soil water flow and solute transport processes. To evaluate the ARM equations, dye infiltration experiments were conducted, in which distributions of soil water content and Cl− concentration were measured. Predicted results using the ARM and the mobile–immobile region model (MIM) were compared with the measured distributions of soil water content and Cl− concentration. Although both the ARM and the MIM are two-region models, they are fundamentally different in terms of treatments of the flow region. The models were evaluated based on the modeling efficiency (ME). The MIM provided relatively poor prediction results of the preferential flow and transport with negative ME values or positive ME values less than 0.4. On the contrary, predicted distributions of soil water content and Cl− concentration using the ARM agreed reasonably well with the experimental data, with ME values higher than 0.8. The results indicated that the ARM successfully captured the macroscopic behavior of preferential flow and solute transport in the unsaturated soil.

Timeline of cardiac dystrophy in 3–18‐month‐old MDX mice

The dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mouse remains the most commonly used model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Mdx mice show a predominantly covert cardiomyopathy, the hallmark of which is fibrosis. We compared mdx and normal mice at six ages (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months) using in vivo assessment of cardiac function, selective collagen staining, and measures of TGF-β mRNA, Evans blue dye infiltration, macrophage infiltration, and aortic wall thickness. Clear temporal progression was demonstrated, including early fragility of cardiomyocyte membranes, which has an unrelated impact on cardiac function but is associated with macrophage infiltration and fibrosis. Aortic wall thickness is less in older mdx mice. Mdx mice display impaired responses to inotropic challenge from a young age; this is indicative of altered adrenoreceptor function. We draw attention to the paradox of ongoing fibrosis in mdx hearts without a strong molecular signature (in the form of TGF-β mRNA expression).

The impact of olive mill wastewater application on flow and transport properties in soils

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is the main waste product of the olive oil industry and is characterized by a high salinity and high organic matter content. Until today, in several olive oil producing countries untreated OMW is pumped onto agricultural land with possible adverse effects on soil properties. The main objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of OMW application on soil hydrophobicity, hydraulic conductivity and infiltration rate. In addition, the generation of transport patterns was studied using dye tracer tests. The results showed that the regular application of OMW for 5 and 15 years increased soil hydrophobicity and decreased the drainable porosity ( Φ < 30 μm), as a consequence of a rising organic matter content. OMW application furthermore reduced the soil hydraulic conductivity compared with a control site. Likewise, the infiltration rate decreased in the 5 years treatment compared with the control. The highest infiltration rate, however, was observed for the 15 years treatment because of the presence of large and deep shrinkage cracks that do not completely close upon rewetting. The dye infiltration depth in the control was small and homogeneous compared to the plots with OMW application, which fostered the generation of heterogeneous flux fields including preferential flow conditions. As a consequence, fields irrigated with OMW are more prone to groundwater contamination with substances either originating from the OMW itself or from agricultural chemicals.

Parameterization of Macropore Flow Using Dye-Tracer Infiltration Patterns in the SWAP Model

Preferential flow is known to influence infiltration, soil moisture content distribution, groundwater response, and runoff generation. Various model concepts are used to simulate preferential flow. Preferential flow parameters are often determined by indirect optimization using outflow or discharge measurements, thereby providing limited insight into model performance concerning soil moisture distribution. In this study, we used a physically based macropore concept, embedded in the SWAP model, in combination with dye infiltration patterns to parameterize macropore infiltration for three locations in a catchment: hilltop, hillslope, and valley bottom. The model with the calibrated macropore parameters was applied and validated under natural field conditions, using detailed data on soil moisture content, rainfall, and discharge. The results show that the macropore model parameters can be optimized well to reproduce the dye-tracer infiltration patterns. The simulations of the dye patterns show much better results when macropore flow is included. Using the tracer infiltration patterns, however, the optimized maximum depth of macropores depends completely on the maximum depth of the stained area, while the macropores are known to extend deeper into the soil. Therefore, for long-term simulations, the wetting of deeper layers is too slow for the simulations both with and without macropores. Runoff production was better simulated with macropores. For the simulations without macropores, a higher lumped saturated conductivity was used; despite the resulting increased infiltration into the soil matrix, runoff generation remained far too high

Characterizing heterogeneous soil water flow and solute transport using information measures

Heterogeneous water flow and solute transport in soils are an important phenomenon and difficult to be characterized. The objectives of this study were to investigate the heterogeneity of solute transport related to heterogeneous soil water flow using dye infiltration experiments, and to characterize heterogeneous water flow and solute transport in soils using the information theory. Field experiments of dye infiltration were performed in four plots. Various information measures were applied to characterize information content and complexity of water flow and solute transport in soils. Information contents and complexities of the maximum and apparent infiltration depths, and the mean and standard deviation of concentrations in the vertical direction of the plots were calculated. More heterogeneous processes of soil water flow and transport result in higher information/complexity values. The probability distributions of mean concentration were similar to those of the corresponding apparent infiltration depths for the plots, indicating that heterogeneity of dye concentrations was closely related to that of soil water flow. However, the range of information entropy and complexity of the water flow sequences was much narrower than that of the sequences of the concentrations. The results suggested that the transport processes were more heterogeneous than the water flow processes. Compared with the probability distributions of flow parameters, the information measures appeared to be a more versatile tool to describe flow and transport heterogeneities in soils.

Complications of methylene blue dye infiltration for sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer.

Abstract Abstract #4140 Background: Isosulfan blue has proven invaluable for sentinel lymph node identification in breast cancer. However, an intermittent supply shortage of this agent over the last few years has led to alternative usage of methylene blue. Worldwide, methylene blue is traditionally viewed as a less expensive and safer equivalent to isosulfan, with few reports of significant side effects. Its increased usage has led to anecdotal reports of local skin reactions. This study serves to review the rate of local complications observed following subareolar infiltration of methylene blue for sentinel lymph node identification in breast cancer staging.&amp;#x2028; Material Methods: This is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data in a university based surgical oncology practice. Records of all patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer between August, 2007 and April, 2008 were reviewed (the switch from Isosulfan to Methylene blue was made in August of 2007). Local complication of fat necrosis was recorded. Tumor stage, neoadjuvant therapy, volume and dilution of dye used were analysed for association with fat necrosis.&amp;#x2028; Results: One hundred and three patients underwent sentinel node biopsy for breast cancer during the study period. Seven (7%) patients developed fat necrosis at the site of injection. The rate of injection site fat necrosis is associated with the volume of methylene blue [0% for &amp;lt;3cc and 7.2% for &amp;gt; 3cc (p = 0.0071)]; there was no association with tumor stage [3.2% for stage &amp;lt;1, 13.1% for stage 2 and 0% for stage 3 (p=0.343)] and tumor type [7.3% for invasive ductal cancer, 8.3% for invasive lobular and 0% for in situ cancer (p=1.000)].&amp;#x2028; Discussion: While methylene blue has typically been viewed as an inert agent for sentinel node biopsy, our study documents a 7% rate of fat necrosis. This is clinically significant in terms of painful symptoms and also the work-up that it may necessitate as a new mass in a breast cancer patient which has suspicious appearance on traditional imaging studies. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 4140.

Avaliação da infiltração coronária em próteses provisórias utilizando diferentes agentes cimentantes

Forty-five central maxillary incisors extracted from human beings were selected. After having undergone standard chemico-mechanical preparation, these incisors were filled with the calcium hydroxide dressing, together with saline solution, in 5mm apicals. After sectioning of the crowns, temporary restorations with intraradicular retainers were fixed with Dycal, Temp Bond and Lysanda. The entire external surface of the roots and crowns, except for a 2mm area near the cervical adaptation, was made impermeable. After being immersed in a 2% Rodamine B solution for 7 days, the specimens were longitudinally sectioned, and infiltrations were analyzed. All results were submitted to pertinent statistical analysis. None of the cements tested was capable of impeding dye infiltration.

Er:YAG Laser Cavity Preparation and Semi-Direct Composite Resin Restoration: A Microleakage Study

This study was performed to assess the microleakage of composite resin restorations bonded in Er:YAG laser-prepared cavities using a semi-direct technique, in comparison with diamond bur-prepared cavities. Previous in vitro studies assessed the performance of total-etch and self-etch adhesive systems by investigating the microleakage of direct composite resin restorations. Class V cavities were randomly prepared in buccal and lingual surfaces of 20 human molars using a diamond bur and an Er:YAG laser (fluence 50 J/cm2). Composite resin inlays were bonded using a self-curing adhesive system and a composite resin luting cement. Microleakage was assessed using a methylene blue dye penetration method. The length of dye penetration along the occlusal margin, the length of dye penetration along the cervical margin, and the total length of the interface were recorded in millimeters. The total length of infiltration and the ratio of infiltration were then calculated. The ratio of dye infiltration was 0.20 +/- 0.22 for bur-prepared cavities and 0.27 +/- 0.30 for Er:YAG laser-prepared cavities, with no significant difference (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.77). In terms of microleakage, our results supported the use of the Er:YAG laser to remove carious tissues and prepare cavities in clinical practice.

Field study on colloid transport using fluorescent microspheres

SummaryUnderstanding colloid movement through the vadose zone is important, because colloids may facilitate transport of some less mobile contaminants. Experimental evidence of colloid transport in the vadose zone, especially at the field scale, is rare. We developed and tested a method to detect and quantify local concentrations of fluorescent microspheres (MS) with a diameter of 1 μm in unsaturated soil based on fluorescent microscopy. The detection limit was 400 × 106 MS kg−1 field‐moist soil for an automated counting method, and 20 × 103 MS kg−1 for manual counting. To test the method in the field, we applied a 40‐mm pulse with an input concentration of 14.6 × 109 MS litre−1 on two plots during 6 hours, together with bromide (Br−) and the food dye Brilliant Blue (BB). The concentrations of MS were determined on horizontal cross‐sections by a randomly distributed sampling scheme, either directly after application or 90 days after application and a rainfall of 100 mm. Mass recoveries for the MS of 85 and 65% were acceptable in view of the field conditions. Even after infiltration of particle‐free water, the largest MS concentrations were measured at the soil’s surface, which pointed at physical retention mechanisms. An additional selective sampling of hydrologically active preferential flow pathways, guided by the dye infiltration patterns, revealed that the MS were transported to similar depths as BB, that is 0.80 m directly after irrigation and 1.7 m after 90 days. This implies that also a small fraction of the particulate tracers was rapidly transported to larger depths, regardless of their physico‐chemical properties.

Tine-influenced infiltration patterns and informing timing of liquid amendment applications using brilliant blue dye tracers

Tillage associated with slurry applications, as well as soil physical properties at time of application, imparts strong control over resulting slurry application-induced infiltration patterns and contaminant flow pathways. This field-based study used Brilliant Blue-dyed water applied to tine-influenced silty-clay loam soil, at different antecedent soil water contents, to investigate the nature of infiltration patterns that might be expected to occur during a typical liquid manure or biosolid land application. The tines were associated with a furrow-based Kongskilde Vibro-Flex S-tine slurry application system and a soil pocket-forming AerWay ® SSD rolling aerator-type slurry application system. For the furrow-based approach, liquid was applied to a small furrow stretch at a nominal rate of 180,000 l ha −1 . For the AerWay treatment, a nominal liquid application rate of 180,000 l ha −1 was applied to individual soil pockets. Dye infiltration attributes were determined in 10 cm depth increments to over 1 m beneath the application area. Attributes included: dye infiltration depth, dye spread, and area coverage of dye. The attributes were determined for each depth via image processing software. Experiments were conducted at soil water conditions ranging from 15% v/v to 39% v/v. For furrow-based methods, dye was primarily absorbed above 30 cm depth (above a plough pan which, was approximately 20 cm depth) for all water content conditions. Dye spread:area ratios were generally larger below the pan than above it. Dye penetration depth for all water content conditions exceeded 60 cm depth. With the soil pockets caused by the AerWay treatments, the depth of dye penetration was non-linearly related to the soil water content where greatest dye penetration depth occurred at lower surface soil water contents ( 29% v/v). Overall, for the lower soil water content conditions, desiccation cracks and soil fractures facilitated by tillage action augmented bypass-based preferential flow to continuous sub-pan macropore networks. The greater infiltration depths achieved for the wetter soil conditions were due to greater intrinsic pore sizes that are operative at lower soil tensions and reduced dye sorption. The area covered by dye was greater above the plough pan; but beneath the pan, discrete macropore-based flow (e.g., worm burrows, root channels) dominated infiltration to the deepest observed depths as supported by observations of relatively higher dye spread:area ratios. This study underscores the importance of basing liquid amendment timing regulations not only on an upper water content limit but also on a lower limit as well. In addition, the study supports the impact of plough pans augmenting sorption in the tillage layer, thus minimising the degree of preferential flow to depth during a typical land application.

Wavelet analysis in a structured clay soil using 2-D images

Abstract. The spatial variability of preferential pathways for water and chemical transport in a field soil, as visualized through dye infiltration experiments, was studied by applying multifractal and wavelet transform analysis (WTA). After dye infiltration into a 4 m² plot located on a Vertisol soil near College Station, Texas, horizontal planes in the subsoil were exposed at 5 cm intervals, and dye stain patterns were photographed. Box-counting methods and WTA were applied to all of the 16 digitalized high-resolution dye images and to the dye-mass image obtained merging all sections. The well-known Devil's staircase multifractal was also used to illustrate wavelet-based analysis. Our results suggest that wavelet methods can complement box-counting analysis in the context of multiscaling structure analysis.

Characterizing heterogeneity of soil water flow by dye infiltration experiments

The inherent heterogeneity of soil water movement, such as fingering flow, is still poorly understood. To address the flow heterogeneity issue, the objectives of this study are to: (1) investigate heterogeneity of soil water flow at different measurement scales and under different boundary conditions using dye infiltration experiments; (2) characterize the heterogeneity information included in different scales using the random cascade model, and (3) predict heterogeneous soil water flow over the measurement scales. Field experiments of dye infiltration included three measurement scales (three dye source surface areas of 25 × 25, 50 × 50, and 100 × 100 cm) and three hydraulic boundary conditions (three initial water ponding depths: 1.5, 2.5, and 5.0 cm at the soil surface). The random cascade model with a lognormal distribution was used to simulate the infiltration process in soils and different methods were applied to estimate the model parameters. Results based on the experimental data and the model simulations showed that the hydraulic boundary condition and the measurement scale were important factors to affect the flow patterns in soils. To accurately describe flow transport processes at different scales, it was necessary to consider heterogeneities in the vertical and horizontal directions. As the measurement scale increased, the effect of multi-dimensional heterogeneities on the flow processes in soils became more significant. Interdependency between flow paths also increased with the scale.

Persistent and improved functional gain in mdx dystrophic mice after treatment with L‐arginine and deflazacort

Although an increase in nitric oxide (NO) in muscle is reported to improve the outcome of deflazacort treatment for mdx mouse muscular dystrophy, the genetic homologue of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the impact such treatment on the functional outcomes of the disease, including fiber susceptibility to exercise-induced injury, is not established. Experiments were designed to test whether treatment with deflazacort and L-arginine (a substrate for NO synthase, NOS) would change the extent of fiber injury induced by 24 h of voluntary exercise. The impact of exercise-related injury to induce a secondary regenerative response by muscle was also examined as corroborating evidence of muscle damage. Dystrophic mdx mice were treated for 3 wk with placebo, deflazacort, or deflazacort plus either L-arginine or N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (a NOS inhibitor). Deflazacort, especially combined with L-arginine, spared quadriceps muscle from injury-induced regeneration (myf5 expression) compared with placebo treatment, despite an increase in membrane permeability immediately after exercise (assessed by Evans blue dye infiltration). Deflazacort alone prevented the typical progressive loss of function (measured as voluntary distance run over 24 h) that was observed 3 months later in placebo-treated mice. Therefore, combined deflazacort plus L-arginine treatment spared mdx dystrophic limb muscle from exercise-induced damage and the need for regeneration and induced a persistent functional improvement in distance run. Results suggest a potential new treatment option for improving the quality of life for boys with DMD.

Sealer penetration and marginal permeability after apicoectomy varying retrocavity preparation and retrofilling material

Apicoectomy failure is generally related to inappropriate marginal sealing of the retrocavity, which allows percolation of microorganisms and their products from root canal system to periapex. This study evaluated tubular penetration of canal sealers and marginal permeability after retrocavity irradiation with Er;Cr:YSGG laser and retrofilling with MTA or cyanoacrylate. Twenty-two single-rooted teeth were decoronated and endodontically treated, their apical 3 mm were resected and the root ends were retroprepared with a low-speed bur. Twenty roots were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n=5): GI and GII--retrofilling with MTA and cyanoacrylate, respectively; GIII and GIV--retrocavity irradiation with Er;Cr:YSGG laser (2.78 microm, 4 W, 20 Hz, 70.8 J/cm(2)) and retrofilling with MTA and cyanoacrylate, respectively. The remaining 2 roots served as positive and negative controls. The analysis of rhodamine B dye infiltration (p=0.05) demonstrated that laser irradiation and MTA retrofilling presented significantly higher permeability rates (p<0.05). Retrofilling with cyanoacrylate showed significantly lower permeability, either when laser was used or not on retrocavity. SEM analysis depicted more cyanoacrylate penetration through dentinal tubules when compared to MTA, suggesting a more efficient marginal sealing. Based on these results, it may be concluded that cyanoacrylate provided a less permeable retrofilling regardless of the retropreparation method, suggesting a more favorable condition to the establishment of the periapical healing.

Evaluation of soil compaction using hydrodynamic water content variation: Comparison between compacted and non-compacted soil

A simple method, allowing the evaluation of the effect of compaction on soil structure is presented. The method is based on soil moisture measurements via Time Domain Reflectrometry (TDR). The hydrodynamic variation of soil moisture has indicated two types of compaction: 1) Compaction by load traffic caused a reduction of structure in the top 0.10 m layer. Consequently, no water flow occurred downward. The TDR measurements suggest a poor continuity of pores between top and subsoil. This observation has been confirmed by the measurements of bulk density, macroporosity, and dye infiltration experiments. 2) Compaction by intensive stock trample in which micropores are reduced. Macropores on the contrary are well developed, and resistant to the vertical compression in compacted soil and therefore dominated infiltration. Moreover, in reconstructed soils, micropores carried most of the flow, as demonstrated by the modeling results. Macropores are not yet developed in these young soils.

Solute Transport Dynamics by High‐Resolution Dye Tracer Experiments—Image Analysis and Time Moments

Accurate measurements of solute concentration are needed to conduct studies of solute transport process in unsaturated soil. In this paper we present a method of obtaining accurate measurements in time and space using dye infiltration and image analysis. The soil color was related to the dye concentration in the soil (Cs) using 74 small calibration samples. The overall root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.057 g dm−3, however, for Cs &lt;0.75 g dm−3, the RMSE was only 0.032 g dm−3. Variability of the concentration estimates at the pixel scale could be reduced by using an average filter. We used the calibration relationship during four infiltration experiments in a 0.95 by 0.975 m large Plexiglas Hele‐Shaw cell to calculate dye concentration patterns. Using the first and second order time moments, the dispersivity λ was calculated for nine different artificial column widths, from 0.0014 (local‐scale) to 0.72 m (meso‐scale). The horizontally averaged λ proved to be identical for column widths from 0.0014 to 0.045 m. For larger scales, λ gradually increased. We noticed that the two experiments with higher flow (1 and 2) and the two experiments with lower flow (3 and 4) showed an almost identical variation of meso‐scale λ with depth. We concluded that above a specific critical value of θ (∼0.22 m3 m−3), solute mixing is enhanced, leading to a lower λ, and that solute transport can be described as a convective‐dispersive process. When θ is lower than this critical level, part of the porosity is deactivated and mixing between individual stream tubes decreases, which implies that transport then occurs as a stochastic‐convective process.

Multiscaling analysis in a structured clay soil using 2D images

The spatial variability of preferential pathways for water and chemical transport in a field soil, as visualized through dye infiltration experiments, was studied by applying configuration entropy and multifractal analysis. After dye infiltration into a 4 m plot located on a Vertisol soil near College Station, TX, horizontal planes in the subsoil were exposed at 5-cm intervals, and dye stain patterns were photographed. Each of the digitized high-resolution dye images obtained were analysed calculating the maximum configuration entropy ( H( L)), the characteristic length ( L), and the generalized dimensions ( D q ). The results indicate that H( L) and L are two useful descriptors that give an optimal scale of discrimination in the spatial arrangement of the dye tracer at each horizontal section. In addition, L can be used to choose the scale range at which the multifractal analysis should be applied. It has been showed that D q , being q>0, depend much more on the percentage of black pixels than on the image structure when a box-counting method is used. Finally, a multifractal analysis was applied to maximum dye infiltration depth and amount of dye pixels bellow the area studied, obtained by merging images from the 16 exposed planes. The results show a multiscaling structure and a consistent D q for both measures. This could be useful for statistically describing preferential flow path geometry and flow processes under field conditions.