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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Banton, O. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Banton, O. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Banton, O.

Field- and Laboratory-Determined Hydraulic Conductivities Considering Anisotropy and Core Surface Area

INRS-Eau, Université du Québec, 2800 rue Einstein, CP 7500, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada G1V 4C7

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

The influence of the measurement method on the values of the mean and standard deviation of saturated hydraulic conductivities, K_s, has not been extensively studied. This study examines the dependence of these statistical characteristics of K_s on the sampled soil volume. Statistical characteristics of K_s for a sandy loam soil determined by field and laboratory techniques differed greatly. However, if anisotropy in hydraulic conductivity induced by soil structure and macropores is considered, the mean of field vertical K_s (Kv_s) approaches that of laboratory K_s. Furthermore, geostatistical variograms of log(K_s) and the regression analysis (field/laboratory) demonstrate the spatial independence of K_s. Thus, when generating K_s values for larger soil cores, standard deviation approaches field Kv_s. When the investigated areas are the same for both methods, mean and scattering of field-and laboratory-measured values become closer. These results show that the method as well as the measurement area greatly affect the representativeness of measured K_s values and their scattering.

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Received for publication August 27, 1991.