Estimation of hydraulic conductivity from effective porosity data for some Indiana soils
1991
Franzmeier, D.P.
Hydraulic-conductivity data are needed to predict how soils will respond to various uses. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, however, has been determined for only a few soils. Ahuja et al. proposed a model by which saturated hydraulic conductivity can be estimated from effective porosity, the difference between total porosity and the volumetric soil water content at 33 kPa of suction. If this relationship were known, the saturated hydraulic conductivity could be predicted for many more soils using available water-retention information. Previously, the saturated hydraulic conductivity had been determined in saturated soil horizons by the piezometer method for a set of soils in Indiana. These data were summarized by soil classes, called lithomorphic classes, based on origin of parent material, kind of soil horizon, and soil texture. More recently, bulk-density and water-retention measurements were summarized using similar classes. In this study, the saturated hydraulic conductivity is related to effective porosity for some Alfisols and Mollisols of Indiana. The relationship is saturated hydraulic conductivity = 5.01 X 10(-3) X effective porosity(3.21), where the saturated hydraulic conductivity is in m/s and the effective porosity is in m3/m3. This compares favorably with the relationships found by Ahuja et al.
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