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Rainfall infiltration into bare soils
Author(s) -
Morin Joseph,
Benyamini Yoram
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr013i005p00813
Subject(s) - infiltration (hvac) , loam , soil water , crust , soil science , moisture , water content , wetting , environmental science , geology , geotechnical engineering , materials science , geochemistry , composite material
Raindrop impact destroys the surface aggregates of soils and gradually forms a continuous crust. Infiltration rates of bare soils are determined by this process. A theoretical model presented previously was tested under field conditions with a sandy loam soil. The effect of the crust's structure was tested under three rainfall intensities and in wetting and drying cycles. The results of the tests confirmed the theoretical model. According to the model potential infiltration rates, in bare soils, can be predicted by the equation I t = ( I i ‐ I f ) · e −γ pt l + I f . The study demonstrated quantitatively that the major factor determining the reduction of infiltration rates is crust formation and not moisture regime.