HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Russo, D. Articles by Bresler, E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Russo, D. Articles by Bresler, E. Agricola Articles by Russo, D. Articles by Bresler, E.

Effect of Field Variability in Soil Hydraulic Properties on Solutions of Unsaturated Water and Salt Flows¹

ABSTRACT

Using actual field variability data and the stochastic approach, effects of spatial variability of soil hydraulic properties on the predictions of water and salt flow distributions, and of correlation structure, are evaluated. The governing water and salt flow equations are solved numerically using actual field data of soil hydraulic conductivity and differential water capacity. These data, which had been obtained previously from measurements made in 30 different locations in a field, were the same as those obtained from a Monte-Carlo simulation that considered the correlations between the parameters of the hydraulic functions. Simulated values of pressure head (h), water fluxes (q), wetting front positions (Z_f), and solute concentration (c) for each of the 30 locations in the field were used to estimate distribution types (normal or log-normal) and its moments, for h, q, Z_f, and c. The two-point autocorrelation functions of pressure head, wetting front, and solute concentration have been calculated and used to estimate the integral scales of h, Z_f, and c. Distances in the field in which the horizontal flow components were negligibly small compared with the vertical flow components were calculated and found to be in the order of 10 cm and larger. Field dispersion of solutes was calculated from the simulated salt distribution results. Values of field scale dispersivity were estimated to be larger than the pore scale dispersivity and to increase with soil depth. An "equivalent" uniform porous medium, which was defined at the soil surface, exists for large infiltration time when a unit hydraulic gradient may be assumed.

¹ Contribution from the Agric. Res. Organization, the Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. no. 294-E, 1979 series. This research was partly supported by a grant from the U.S. – Israel Binational Agric. Res. and Development Fund (BARD).

² Graduate Research Assistant and Soil Physicist, respectively, Division of Soil Physics, ARO, Bet Dagan, Israel.

Received for publication December 14, 1979. Accepted for publication March 12, 1981.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H.M. van Es, C.B. Ogden, R.L. Hill, R.R. Schindelbeck, and T. Tsegaye Integrated Assessment of Space, Time, and Management-Related Variability of Soil Hydraulic Properties Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., November 1, 1999; 63(6): 1599 - 1608. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]