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Soil Water Diffusivity Estimates from One‐Dimensional Absorption Experiments
Author(s) -
Warrick A. W.
Publication year - 1994
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/sssaj1994.03615995005800010010x
Subject(s) - thermal diffusivity , vadose zone , soil science , water content , absorption of water , range (aeronautics) , absorption (acoustics) , soil water , parametric statistics , function (biology) , sorption , environmental science , mathematics , thermodynamics , statistics , materials science , chemistry , geology , geotechnical engineering , physics , adsorption , biology , composite material , organic chemistry , evolutionary biology
A method to estimate soil water diffusivity from experimental absorption data was explored. The purpose was to directly match measured sorption curves (water content vs. distance or the Boltzmann transform variable) to scaled forms of the solutions and thus provide consistent hydraulic properties. Evaluation of such parameters is critical to prediction of water and solute transport within the vadose zone. The method is relevant to several, if not most, of the commonly used hydraulic functional relationships. Generally, the results gave two independent relationships of the parameters. Ane xample was considered and calculations performed for three alternative models. The best choice of each model was easily found and the evaluated parameters were shown to be consistent. The soil water diffusivities were compared for the estimated parametric relationships. Individual models provide alternative shapes for the diffusivity function, but tend to converge for the wetter range of water contents.