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Dynamic Simulation of Water Storage in Fallow Soil as Affected by Mulch of Hydrophobic Aggregates
Author(s) -
Hillel D. I.,
Bavel C. H. M.,
Talpaz H.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1975.03615995003900050015x
Subject(s) - surface runoff , infiltration (hvac) , mulch , environmental science , soil water , soil science , evaporation , water balance , hydrology (agriculture) , soil horizon , water storage , plastic mulch , agronomy , geology , materials science , geotechnical engineering , ecology , meteorology , inlet , biology , physics , geomorphology , composite material
A mechanistic numerical model, based on fundamental physical principles and written in IBM S/360 CSMP language, was designed to compute the dynamic balance of water in a fallow soil through repeated cycles of infiltration and evaporation. The necessary inputs are: (i) hydraulic characteristics of the soil and of the surface crust or mulch layer; (ii) duration and intensity characteristics of rainstorms or irrigations; and (iii) the potential evaporation rate as it varies diurnally and from day to day. The output provides time‐dependent rates and cumulative quantities of infiltration, runoff, surface detention, evaporation, internal drainage, and changes in water content of different layers and of the profile as a whole. Computations carried out for a 4‐day simulation (including two rainstorms and four evaporation cycles) illustrate the use of the model for uniform, crusted, or mulched soil; and predict that the presence of a mulch of hydrophobic aggregates, several centimeters thick, can greatly increase the quantity of water absorbed and retained in the profile. This finding accords with previously‐published experimental results and indicates a promising approach to soil management for water conservation in dryland and irrigated farming.