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Kinematic Models for Soil Moisture and Solute Transport
Author(s) -
Charbeneau Randall J.
Publication year - 1984
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/wr020i006p00699
Subject(s) - water content , infiltration (hvac) , groundwater recharge , wetting , moisture , kinematics , soil science , geotechnical engineering , field capacity , richards equation , nonlinear system , kinematic wave , displacement (psychology) , mechanics , groundwater , flux (metallurgy) , soil water , sorption , geology , materials science , thermodynamics , chemistry , physics , classical mechanics , aquifer , surface runoff , psychotherapist , ecology , composite material , biology , psychology , quantum mechanics , adsorption , metallurgy , organic chemistry
The kinematic theory of soil moisture and solute transport in the vertical direction for unsaturated groundwater recharge is considered. The general theory of kinematic models is reviewed and applied for an isolated wetting event wherein the soil starts at and eventually drains to field capacity. Analytical expressions are developed for the water content and moisture flux as a function of depth and time. The approach is extended for an arbitrary sequence of surface flux or water content boundary conditions. The transport of a solute with a general nonlinear sorption isotherm is also considered. It is shown that for the general isotherm the vertical displacement of a solute isochore during an arbitrary wetting sequence depends only on the total depth of water infiltrated and not on how the infiltration rate varies with time.