Infiltration and Soil Moisture MG3

Infiltration and Soil Moisture;
Water Surface
By: Engr. Luz Mirasol B. Domondon

Infiltration
Infiltration is the process of the entry of water into the soil at the surface and
is a vital natural process. It is the dominant abstractions for individual rainfall
events.
Runoff is determined by subtracting from precipitation the abstractions that
occur in the catchment.
Infiltration Process
Soil is the weathered and fragmented layer of material on the surface of the
Earth, which is formed by disintegration and decomposition of rocks. Soil
depth can range from a few centimeters to hundreds of meters.
Soil and its Hydrologic Properties

Soil is a heterogeneous three-phase system. The solid phase constitutes the
soil matrix, the water with dissolved matter constitutes the liquid phase, and
empty space is the air phase.
Soil Profile
Air
Volume = Va
Volume of pores Mass = Ma = 0
Mass of pores
Vf = Va + Vw Mf = Mw
Total Volume Total Mass

Water
Vt = Vf + Vs Mt = Mw + Ms
Volume = Vw
= Va + Vw + Vs
Mass = Mw
Solids
Volume = Vs
Mass = Ms
Schematic depiction of a soil column showing the three phases

Soil Texture
Soil texture describes the range of soil particles. It is a way of telling whether the
soil is coarse and rough or fine and smooth. Traditionally, soil is said to be sand,
silt, or clay, depending on the size of particles.
Percolation – the process of water movement within the soil profile in the vertical
direction. Infiltration precedes percolation.
Infiltration Capacity, Fc – when the available water is not limiting factor, it is the
maximum rate of infiltration at any time of the soil.
Infiltration Rate – rate at which water enters into the soil surface. It is expressed as
volume per unit area per unit time, and has the dimensions of length per unit time
(L/T)/.
Cumulative Infiltration, F – the volume of water infiltrated from the beginning of
rainfall, To, to time, T.
Soil Texture
Soil Formula:
Density
𝑀𝑠 𝑀𝑠
ρs = =
𝑉𝑠 𝑉𝑠+𝑉𝑎+𝑉𝑤
Porosity – ratio of volume of fluids to the total volume of soil
𝑉𝑓 𝑉𝑎+𝑉𝑤
f= =
𝑉𝑡 𝑉𝑠+𝑉𝑎 +𝑉𝑤
Degree of Saturation – ratio of the volume of water present in the soil to the total
volume of pores
𝑉𝑤 𝑉𝑤
s= = *For completely dry soil, s=0. For completely saturated soil, s = 1
𝑉𝑓 𝑉𝑎+𝑉𝑤
Soil Texture
Field Capacity, FC – maximum amount of water that soil (or a field) can hold in storage.
Permanent Wilting Point (PWP) – The lower limit of water available in the soil for the use of
plant roots. The term applied to the soil moisture content at which plants cannot extract
water and permanently wilt.
Capillary potential – the hydraulic head caused by capillary forces. Always less than
atmospheric pressure. Other term for capillary pressure, pressure head, moisture suction.
Capillary Suction, S – the capillary potential with an opposite sign. A positive suction will
represent a negative hydraulic head.
Soil Moisture
The amount of water present in the soil in terms of mass or volume denotes soil wetness.
Mass wetness
𝑀𝑤
w=
𝑀𝑠
Volume wetness
𝑉𝑤 𝑉𝑤
θ= =
𝑉𝑡 𝑉𝑠+𝑉𝑎+𝑉𝑤
ρ𝑏
Relation between mass and volume wetness θ = w
ρ𝑤
Empirical Infiltration Models
A multitude of infiltration models are used in applied hydrology and soil
properties and soil science. Some of these models are theoretically based
while others are empirical or semiempirical. Since empirical models are more
or less based on experimental observations they represent the overall
infiltration process. These models compute infiltration capacity rate by using
soil parameters and time as inputs.
Empirical Infiltration Models
Kostiakov Model (empirical or semiempirical)
Infiltration equation
F = a𝑡 𝑏 and F = (ab)𝑡 𝑏−1
Where a > 0 and 0 < b < 1
F is very large and it tends to zero as time progresses.

T → 0, F → ∞, F → 0
The parameters of Kostiakov equation have no physical meaning and are

estimated from the data.
Sample Problem: Kostiakov
1. Monday and Wednesday conducted infiltration experiment on a soil and the
measurements are given below which corresponds to rainfall rate of 5.56 x 10−3 and
initial moisture Time, T (sec) F (cm) f (cm/h) X = t - to Ln (F) Ln (t)
X = t - 470
content 0.2 Porosity of the
472.2 2.62 20.02 2.2 0.9632 0.7885
soil is 0.518 and saturated
489.7 2.72 19.54 19.7 1.0006 2.9806
hydraulic conductivity is
−3 507.5 2.81 19.21 37.5 1.0332 3.6243
1.39 x 10 .
531.5 2.94 18.75 61.5 1.0784 4.1190
Compute the parameters of
559.8 3.08 18.32 89.8 1.1249 4.4976
the Kostiakov model. 582.3 3.19 17.60 112.3 1.1600 4.7212
609.4 3.32 17.00 139.4 1.2000 4.9373
A = 0.77 644.1 4.48 16.70 174.1 1.2470 5.1596
B = 0.092 682.9 3.66 16.42 212.9 1.2975 5.3608
FLC = 0.77 + 0.092 x 2.2 = 0.846 714.7 3.80 15.74 244.7 1.3350 5.5000
751.1 3.95 15.43 281.1 1.3737 5.6387
FLC = exp(0.846) = 2.33 cm 783.9 4.09 14.93 313.9 1.4085 5.7491
Water Surface
The terms watershed or catchment represent an area falling between ridges
that separate water flowing to different river basins. Ridges of catchment
divide and direct water to a particular river or water body enclosed by them.
CHANNEL NETWORKS
Ordering of river channel networks is important in studies dealing with their
evolution and watershed response. One of the earliest schemes for the
ordering of river channel networks was developed by Horton in 1945 which
was later modified by Strahler (1957). According to Strahler, the smallest
head water streams are called first order schemes.
Surface Water
Bifurcation Ratio (Rb)
𝑁𝑛
Rb = (ratio of a number of stream segments of a given order 𝑁𝑛 to the
𝑁𝑛+1
number of segments of the next higher order 𝑁𝑛+1 .
𝐿𝑛+1
RI = (stream length ratio by Horton’s law)
𝐿𝑛
𝐴𝑛+1
Ra = (drainage area ratio by Schumm)
𝐴𝑛
σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝐿
D= (drainage density)
𝐴
Surface Water
1. Use the drainage network laws to determine the bifurcation ratio, stream length
ratio, and drainage area ratio for a 730-ha fourth watershed.
Stream Number of Average Average Loge (Nn) Loge Loge
Order, n Streams, Stream Drainage (Ln)(m) (An)(ha)
Nn Length, Ln Area, An
(m) (ha)
1 85 400 5 4.44 5.99 1.61
2 16 1200 29 2.77 7.09 3.37
3 5 3300 150 1.61 8.10 5.01
4 1 8400 815 0.00 9.04 6.70

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Infiltration and Soil Moisture;

By: Engr. Luz Mirasol B. Domondon

Soil and its Hydrologic Properties

Total Volume Total Mass

Schematic depiction of a soil column showing the three phases

Porosity – ratio of volume of fluids to the total volume of soil

Where a > 0 and 0 < b < 1

F is very large and it tends to zero as time progresses.

The parameters of Kostiakov equation have no physical meaning and are

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