Comparison of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Measurement Methods for a Glacial-Till Soil
1994
Mohanty, B. P. | Kanwar, R. S. | Everts, C. J.
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 (Kₛ) measuring methods, Kₛ 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 Kₛ 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 Kₛ values, possibly because of small sample size, whereas the disk permeameter and double-tube methods gave maximum values for Kₛ with minimum variability, possibly because of large sample size. Maximum variability in Kₛ values for soil cores at shallow depths may have occurred because of the presence or absence of open-ended macropores. Estimates of Kₛ, 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.
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