Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model
Obtaining accurate values of saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat</sub></i>) is very important for managing all natural or artificial processes involving water flow into soils. Double-ring infiltration (DRI) is one of the easiest-to-work-with techniques commonly use...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/10/12/235 |
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| author | Amadou Keïta Malicki Zorom Moussa Diagne Faye Djim Doumbe Damba Yacouba Konaté László G. Hayde Bruno Lidon |
| author_facet | Amadou Keïta Malicki Zorom Moussa Diagne Faye Djim Doumbe Damba Yacouba Konaté László G. Hayde Bruno Lidon |
| author_sort | Amadou Keïta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Obtaining accurate values of saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat</sub></i>) is very important for managing all natural or artificial processes involving water flow into soils. Double-ring infiltration (DRI) is one of the easiest-to-work-with techniques commonly used for <i>K<sub>sat</sub></i> determination. Unfortunately, when improperly used, it leads to important variations and inaccurate results. This study was designed to investigate the necessary conditions to reach the true-value or real-world saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat-real-world</sub></i>) in the field. For this purpose, the effects of two factors—namely, the measured infiltration data type (cumulative, instant rate, and average rate) and the related non-linear regression equation type—were analyzed. Measurements with DRI were performed with samples from 106 locations in three West African countries, namely, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Cote d’Ivoire. The soils were composed of loam, sandy loam, and sandy clay loam. The results show that when infiltration rates are used rather than cumulative infiltration non-linear regression curves, the variability between the measured <i>K<sub>sat</sub></i> and the real-world saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat-real-world</sub></i>) could reach from 2.2% to 58.8%. This variability was caused by the approximate amplification—according to the procedure used—of time-increment measurement errors. Extending the test duration to more than 4 h, especially when clay soils were involved, and using the exponential one-phase decay non-linear regression of the cumulative infiltration data based on a clear measurement protocol provided the <i>K<sub>sat</sub></i> values that were closest to <i>K<sub>sat-real-world</sub></i>. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:42:40Z |
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| id | doaj.art-571d208d3ae942408d08066d07850ea3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-5338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:42:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-571d208d3ae942408d08066d07850ea32023-12-22T14:12:59ZengMDPI AGHydrology2306-53382023-12-01101223510.3390/hydrology10120235Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay ModelAmadou Keïta0Malicki Zorom1Moussa Diagne Faye2Djim Doumbe Damba3Yacouba Konaté4László G. Hayde5Bruno Lidon6Institut International d’Ingénierie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (2iE), Ouagadougou 01 01 BP 594, Burkina FasoInstitut International d’Ingénierie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (2iE), Ouagadougou 01 01 BP 594, Burkina FasoInstitut International d’Ingénierie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (2iE), Ouagadougou 01 01 BP 594, Burkina FasoInstitut International d’Ingénierie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (2iE), Ouagadougou 01 01 BP 594, Burkina FasoInstitut International d’Ingénierie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (2iE), Ouagadougou 01 01 BP 594, Burkina FasoIHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The NetherlandsIndependent Researcher, 1 rue Croix Saint Etienne, 58180 Marzy, FranceObtaining accurate values of saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat</sub></i>) is very important for managing all natural or artificial processes involving water flow into soils. Double-ring infiltration (DRI) is one of the easiest-to-work-with techniques commonly used for <i>K<sub>sat</sub></i> determination. Unfortunately, when improperly used, it leads to important variations and inaccurate results. This study was designed to investigate the necessary conditions to reach the true-value or real-world saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat-real-world</sub></i>) in the field. For this purpose, the effects of two factors—namely, the measured infiltration data type (cumulative, instant rate, and average rate) and the related non-linear regression equation type—were analyzed. Measurements with DRI were performed with samples from 106 locations in three West African countries, namely, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Cote d’Ivoire. The soils were composed of loam, sandy loam, and sandy clay loam. The results show that when infiltration rates are used rather than cumulative infiltration non-linear regression curves, the variability between the measured <i>K<sub>sat</sub></i> and the real-world saturated hydraulic conductivity (<i>K<sub>sat-real-world</sub></i>) could reach from 2.2% to 58.8%. This variability was caused by the approximate amplification—according to the procedure used—of time-increment measurement errors. Extending the test duration to more than 4 h, especially when clay soils were involved, and using the exponential one-phase decay non-linear regression of the cumulative infiltration data based on a clear measurement protocol provided the <i>K<sub>sat</sub></i> values that were closest to <i>K<sub>sat-real-world</sub></i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/10/12/235exponential one-phase decayinfiltrationnon-linear regressionsaturated hydraulic conductivityWest Africa |
| spellingShingle | Amadou Keïta Malicki Zorom Moussa Diagne Faye Djim Doumbe Damba Yacouba Konaté László G. Hayde Bruno Lidon Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model Hydrology exponential one-phase decay infiltration non-linear regression saturated hydraulic conductivity West Africa |
| title | Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model |
| title_full | Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model |
| title_fullStr | Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model |
| title_short | Achieving Real-World Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Practical and Theoretical Findings from Using an Exponential One-Phase Decay Model |
| title_sort | achieving real world saturated hydraulic conductivity practical and theoretical findings from using an exponential one phase decay model |
| topic | exponential one-phase decay infiltration non-linear regression saturated hydraulic conductivity West Africa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/10/12/235 |
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