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 Mohanty, B. P. Articles by Everts, C. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Mohanty, B. P. Articles by Everts, C. J. Agricola Articles by Mohanty, B. P. Articles by Everts, C. J.

Comparison of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Measurement Methods for a Glacial-Till Soil

USDA-ARS, U.S. Salinity Lab., 4500 Glenwood Dr., Riverside, CA 92501

R. S. Kanwar

Dep. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011

C. J. Everts

ES&E Inc., 300 Hamilton Blvd., Ste. 330, Peoria, IL 61602

*Corresponding author (bmohanty{at}ucrvms.bitnet).

ABSTRACT

Hydraulic conductivity is the single most important hydraulic parameter for flow and transport-related phenomena in soil, but the results from different measuring methods vary under different field conditions. To evaluate the performance of four in situ saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) measuring methods, K_s measurements were made at four depths (15, 30, 60, and 90 cm) and five locations on a glacial-till soil of Nicollet (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Aquic Hapludoll)-Clarion (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludoll) association. The four in situ methods were: (i) Guelph permeameter, (ii) velocity permeameter, (iii) disk permeameter, and (iv) double-tube method. The K_s was also determined in the laboratory on undisturbed soil cores collected from all the five sites and four depths. The Guelph permeameter method gave the lowest K_s values, possibly because of small sample size, whereas the disk permeameter and double-tube methods gave maximum values for K_s with minimum variability, possibly because of large sample size. Maximum variability in K_s values for soil cores at shallow depths may have occurred because of the presence or absence of open-ended macropores. Estimates of K_s, however, are most comparable for the velocity permeameter and the laboratory method using a constant-head permeameter.

Contribution of Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Exp. Stn. Journal Paper no. J-15146.

Received for publication January 22, 1993.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. B. Jaynes, S. I. Ahmed, K.-J. S. Kung, and R. S. Kanwar Temporal Dynamics of Preferential Flow to a Subsurface Drain Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., September 1, 2001; 65(5): 1368 - 1376. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.A. Gomez, J.V. Giraldez, and E. Fereres Analysis of Infiltration and Runoff in an Olive Orchard under No-Till Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., March 1, 2001; 65(2): 291 - 299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]