Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method

Abstract Numerical modeling of soil water dynamics and storage is generally based on the Richards equation. Its solution requires knowledge of the soil hydraulic properties (SHP): the soil water retention function and the hydraulic conductivity function. To determine SHP, laboratory evaporation expe...

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Main Authors: Leonardo Inforsato, Sascha Iden, Wolfgang Durner, Andre Peters, Quirijn De Jong van Lier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-09-01
Series:Vadose Zone Journal
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20267
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author Leonardo Inforsato
Sascha Iden
Wolfgang Durner
Andre Peters
Quirijn De Jong van Lier
author_facet Leonardo Inforsato
Sascha Iden
Wolfgang Durner
Andre Peters
Quirijn De Jong van Lier
author_sort Leonardo Inforsato
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Numerical modeling of soil water dynamics and storage is generally based on the Richards equation. Its solution requires knowledge of the soil hydraulic properties (SHP): the soil water retention function and the hydraulic conductivity function. To determine SHP, laboratory evaporation experiments are particularly popular because they provide data for both SHP functions. The evaluation by the simplified evaporation method (SEM) method, originally proposed by Schindler and subsequently improved by several authors, relies on linearization assumptions that allow for a relatively simple calculation scheme but result in biased conductivity data for some soils. The objective of this study is to propose and test an improved computational scheme for the hydraulic conductivity function. We present the new theory and show that it leads generally to higher accuracy of the conductivity function. The improvement is most pronounced for sandy soils and soil water pressure heads below −100 cm, where the original method provided data with bias.
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spelling doaj.art-71f8a8b41fdd49e9915e3001c744e6932023-09-12T09:49:24ZengWileyVadose Zone Journal1539-16632023-09-01225n/an/a10.1002/vzj2.20267Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation methodLeonardo Inforsato0Sascha Iden1Wolfgang Durner2Andre Peters3Quirijn De Jong van Lier4Centre for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA/USP) University of São Paulo PiracicabaBrazilDivision of Soil Science and Soil Physics Technische Universität Braunschweig BraunschweigGermanyDivision of Soil Science and Soil Physics Technische Universität Braunschweig BraunschweigGermanyDivision of Soil Science and Soil Physics Technische Universität Braunschweig BraunschweigGermanyCentre for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA/USP) University of São Paulo PiracicabaBrazilAbstract Numerical modeling of soil water dynamics and storage is generally based on the Richards equation. Its solution requires knowledge of the soil hydraulic properties (SHP): the soil water retention function and the hydraulic conductivity function. To determine SHP, laboratory evaporation experiments are particularly popular because they provide data for both SHP functions. The evaluation by the simplified evaporation method (SEM) method, originally proposed by Schindler and subsequently improved by several authors, relies on linearization assumptions that allow for a relatively simple calculation scheme but result in biased conductivity data for some soils. The objective of this study is to propose and test an improved computational scheme for the hydraulic conductivity function. We present the new theory and show that it leads generally to higher accuracy of the conductivity function. The improvement is most pronounced for sandy soils and soil water pressure heads below −100 cm, where the original method provided data with bias.https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20267
spellingShingle Leonardo Inforsato
Sascha Iden
Wolfgang Durner
Andre Peters
Quirijn De Jong van Lier
Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
Vadose Zone Journal
title Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
title_full Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
title_fullStr Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
title_full_unstemmed Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
title_short Improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
title_sort improved calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity with the simplified evaporation method
url https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20267
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AT wolfgangdurner improvedcalculationofsoilhydraulicconductivitywiththesimplifiedevaporationmethod
AT andrepeters improvedcalculationofsoilhydraulicconductivitywiththesimplifiedevaporationmethod
AT quirijndejongvanlier improvedcalculationofsoilhydraulicconductivitywiththesimplifiedevaporationmethod