International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, Volume 3(2), ISSN: 2394-9333

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Study of Infiltration Capacity of Different Soils
O Sarva Mangala, Pratibha Toppo and Shraddha Ghoshal
Civil Engineering Department, Shri Shankaracharya Group of Institution (FET), Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India
Abstract: Infiltration is a process that continuously affects the  Mostly available soil in India (about 43%) which covers
magnitude and distribution of surface runoff. Field an area of 143 sq.km.
measurement of infiltration is often a tedious task and the  Widespread in northern plains and river valleys.
infiltration rates can be estimated from the proposed models.  In peninsular-India, they are mostly found in deltas and
Single-ring and Double-rings are used to estimate the estuaries.
infiltration rate of different soils. The main aim of the study is  Humus, lime and organic matters are present.
to analyse the importance of infiltration.  The porosity and texture provide good drainage and
other conditions favourable for bumper crops.
Keywords: Infiltration, Factors affecting infiltration, Types of  The chemical composition of the alluvial soils makes
Soil, Textural Classification, Single Infiltrometer, Double this group of soils as one of the most fertile in the world.
Infiltrometer, Physical Based Model The proportion of nitrogen is generally low, but potash,
I. INTRODUCTION phosphoric acid and alkalies are adequate, while iron
oxide and lime vary within a wide range.
Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground  Highly fertile.
surface enters the soil. Infiltration is the downward entry of
 Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain
water into the soil. The velocity at which water enters the soil
etc are examples.
is infiltration rate. Infiltration rate in soil science is a measure
 They are depositional soil – transported and deposited by
of the rate at which soil is able to absorb rainfall or irrigation.
rivers, streams etc.
It is measured in inches per hour or millimeters per hour. The
rate decreases as the soil becomes saturated. If the precipitation  Sand content decreases from west to east of the country.
rate exceeds the infiltration rate, runoff will usually occur  New alluvium is termed as Khadar and old alluvium is
unless there is some physical barrier. It is related to the termed as Bhangar.
saturated hydraulic conductivity of the near-surface soil. The  Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey.
rate of infiltration can be measured using an infiltrometer. It is  Texture: Sandy to silty loam or clay.
different from the term percolation because percolation means  Rich in: potash
movement of water in the soil mass. From the definition it  Poor in: phosphorous.
follows that the process of infiltration will stop unless  Wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed etc are
percolation removes infiltrated water. Thus although the two cultivated mainly.
phenomenon viz. infiltration and percolation are different they
are closely related. B. Black Soils
Infiltration is caused by two forces: gravity and capillary  Regur means cotton – best soil for cotton cultivation.
action. During the rain, infiltration loss occurs quickly almost  Most of the Deccan is occupied by Black soil.
exclusively from the water that has reached the ground surface.  Mature soil.
The water infiltrating into the soil moves downward through  High water retaining capacity.
larger soil pores under the force of gravity. The smaller surface  Swells and will become sticky when wet and shrink
pores take in water by capillarity. The downward moving water when dried.
is also sucked in by capillary pores.  in the hot dry season, the moisture evaporates, the soil
The gravitational water moves towards the ground water shrinks and is seamed with broad and deep cracks, often
following the path of least resistance. When the capillary pores 10 to 15 cm wide and upto a metre deep. This permits
at the surface are filled and intake capacity reduced infiltration oxygenation of the soil to sufficient depths and the soil
rate decreases. As a trend the rate of infiltration is high in the has extraordinary fertility.
beginning. It decreases rapidly in the initial stages and then  Some of the major crops grown on the black soils are
slowly till it approaches a nearly constant rate in about 30 to 90 cotton, wheat, jowar, linseed, Virginia tobacco, castor,
minutes depending upon the type of soil. sunflower and millets. Rice and sugarcane are equally
important where irrigation facilities are available. Large
A. Factors Affecting Infiltration varieties of vegetables and fruits are also successfully
grown on the black soils.
 Soil Texture and Structure  Self-ploughing is a characteristic of the black soil as it
 Conditions at Soil Surface develops wide cracks when dried.
 Soil-Moisture Content  Rich in: Iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum and
 Type of Vegetative Cover magnesium.
 Soil Temperature  Deficient in: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and organic matter.
 Human Activities on Soil Surface  Colour: Deep black to light black.
 Soil Density  Texture: Clayey.
 Biological crusts
C. Red Soils
II. STUDY OF DIFFERENT SOILS
 Seen mainly in low rainfall area.
A. Alluvial Soils  Also known as Omnibus group.

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 Porous, friable structure.
 Absence of lime, kankar (impure calcium carbonate).
 In their chemical composition they are mainly siliceous
and aluminous; with free quartz as sand the alkali
content is fair, some parts being quite rich in potassium.
 The main parent rocks are acid granites and gneisses,
quartzitic and felspathic
 Deficient in: lime, phosphate, manganese, nitrogen,
humus and potash.
 Colour: Red because of Ferric oxide. The lower layer is
reddish yellow or yellow.
 Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.
 Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato etc are
cultivated
D. Laterite and Lateritic Soils A. Importance of Soil Texture

 Name from Latin word „Later‟ which means Brick.  Soil texture is one of the most important properties of
a soil, and it greatly affects land use and management.
 Become so soft when wet and so hard when dried.
 It affects the amount of water and nutrients that a soil
 In the areas of high temperature and high rainfall.
can hold and supply to plants.
 Formed as a result of high leaching.
 Soil physical properties such as structure and
 Lime and silica will be leached away from the soil.
movement of air and water through the soil are
 Laterite and lateritic soils have a unique distinction of
affected by texture.
providing valuable building material
 Organic matters of the soil will be removed fast by the
bacteria as it is high temperature and humus will be
taken quickly by the trees and other plants. Thus, humus
content is low.
 Rich in: Iron and Aluminum
 Deficient in: Nitrogen, Potash, Potassium, Lime, Humus
 Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide.
 Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts are cultivated
mainly.
E. Arid and Desert Soils:
 Seen under Arid and Semi-Arid conditions.
 Deposited mainly by wind activities.
 High salt content.
 Lack of moisture and Humus.
IV. STUDY OF METHODS FOR MEASUREMENT OF
 Kankar or Impure Calcium carbonate content is high INFILTRATION CAPACITY
which restricts the infiltration of water.
 Nitrogen is insufficient and Phosphate is normal. A. Field Method
 In large areas of desert soils, only the drought resistant Single-Ring Infiltrometer:
and salt tolerant crops such as barley, rape, cotton,
wheat, millets, maize and pulses are grown Single-ring Infiltrometer test was conducted using 15cm and
 Texture: Sandy 30 rings as shown in the figure. The ring is driven into the soil
 Colour: Red to Brown. approximately 12-14 inches into the soil. Then water is poured
into the ring that above the soil surface. In some cases the
III. SOIL TEXTURAL CLASSIFICATION above surface of the ring is covered to avoid evaporation. For
measuring the depth of water in ring we need hook gage, steel
Soil textural classification is being made because as tape or scale. We should take care of a ring while it is driving
the texture of a soil determines soil water-holding capacity, into the ground there may be chance of having hapless
permeability, and soil workability. Sand, silt, clay, and organic connections between the thin wall of a ring and soil. That
matter particles in a soil combine with one another to form hapless connection may cause leak of water and that leads to
larger particles. over estimation of a Infiltration rate.
Soil textures are classified by the fractions of each soil separate Double-Ring Infiltrometer:
(sand, silt, and clay) present in a soil. Classifications are
typically named for the primary constituent particle size or a Double-ring infiltrometer was well known technique for
combination of the most abundant particles sizes, e.g. "sandy measuring or estimating the infiltration rate of soils. Double
clay" or "silty clay". A fourth term, loam, is used to describe a ring infiltrometer are developed in reaction to fact that single-
roughly equal concentration of sand, silt, and clay, and lends to ring infiltrometer tends to estimate the over infiltration rates.
the naming of even more classifications, e.g. "clay loam" or This has been ascribed the fact that liquid in the cylinder is not
"silt loam". purely vertical but it also diverges laterally. Double ring
infiltrometer understate the standard errors affiliated with the
single-ring infiltrometer because the water in the outer ring
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 International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, Volume 3(2), ISSN: 2394-9333
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forces vertical infiltration of water inside the inner ring. We volume of water wanted to maintain the constant level of inner-
should take care of a ring while it is driving into the ground ring is measured. For measuring the depth of water in ring we
there may be chance of having hapless connections between need hook gage, steel tape or scale.
the thin wall of a ring and soil. A typical Double-ring
infiltrometer consists of 45cm diameter inner ring and 60cm Physically based model
diameter outer ring. Whereas there are two techniques used in These models describe in a simplified manner the water
double-ring one is constant head method and the other is movement in soils, especially at the humidity front level,
falling head method. In constant head method water is depending on certain physical parameters.
systematically added to both the inner and outer rings. The

CONCLUSION Different Soil Conditions And Comparison Of

Infiltration Models With Field Data” Published in
 Soil testing enables a successful and effective storm International Journal of Advanced Engineering
water management design that incorporates a suitable Technology, Volume-3, Issue-2, June-2012.
infiltration rate for design calculations. [2] Ieke Wulan Ayu1,2* Sugeng Prijono3 Soemarno,
 Soil Testing also helps investigate the subsurface “Assessment of Infiltration Rate under Different
conditions below existing surfaces/pavement, and Drylands Types in Unter-Iwes Subdistrict Sumbawa
identifies existing soil horizons (layers),as well as any Besar, Indonesia” Published in Journal of Natural
limiting features, historic conditions, etc. Sciences Research, Volume-3, Issue-10, Oct-2013.
[3] http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ijss.2012.168.176&org
References =10
[1] Jagdale Satyawan Dagadu1 , Nimbalkar P. T. [4] http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/soil/soils-of-india-
“Infiltration Studies Of Different Soils Under six-different-types-of-soils-found-in-india/12779/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_texture

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