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Automatic Weather Station (AWS)

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Rainfall on 1 September 2022

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• 1.8 mm rain
on 1 Sep 2022

• Depression
Storage
• Wet ground,
i.e., increased
moisture

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Interception losses
because of 1.8 mm rain
on 1 Sep 2022
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Depression storage

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Infiltration
A small stream disappearing into Russel cave, Alabama, US

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Some water that
infiltrates will
remain in the
shallow soil layer,
and some may
infiltrate deeper,
recharging
groundwater
aquifers

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Infiltration
• Infiltration is the process through which water enters the subsurface
• Soil moisture deficiency, if any, will be met, and then moves vertically downwards

• Infiltration capacity is the maximum rate at which a given soil at given time
can absorb the water
• 𝑓𝑝 is infiltration capacity, 𝑓 is actual infiltration capacity, 𝑖 is rainfall intensity

𝑓 = 𝑓𝑝 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 ≥ 𝑓𝑝
𝑓 = 𝑖, 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 < 𝑓𝑝

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Factors affecting infiltration capacity
• Depth of surface detention (d) and thickness of saturated layer (L)
• Combined influence of capillary- and gravity- forces
• Driving head ~ L + d, resistance to flow ~ L
• Soil characteristics
• Type of soil and its texture, structure and permeability
• Soil moisture
• Infiltration starts with higher capacity for the dry soil as compared to the wet soil
• Compaction
• Compaction reduces pore sizes and porosity, thereby 𝑓𝑝
• Surface cover conditions
• Dense canopy increases 𝑓𝑝 ; snow surface & paved urban areas will have low or zero 𝑓𝑝

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Distribution of soil
moisture in the
infiltration process
• Does it vary with the
time and rainfall

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Infiltration capacity and cumulative infiltration

𝑡
Cumulative infiltration, 𝐹𝑐 𝑡 = ‫׬‬0 𝑓𝑐 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
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Infiltration curves – assign the curve appropriately

Bare soil
Crop grown soil
Grass covered soil

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Infiltration curves

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Measurement of infiltration
Infiltration capacity of a soil at a given location can be estimated
• Flooding type infiltrometers
• Rainfall simulator
• Hydrograph analysis
• Empirical equations

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Flooding type infiltrometers
• Simple (tube-type) infiltrometer
• Metal cylinder, 30 cm diameter and 60 cm long, open
at both ends
• Water is poured into the top part to a depth of 5 cm
• Monitor the infiltration by adding water from a
burette so that water level is maintained at 5 cm
water level above the surface is maintained
• Develop infiltration capacity vs. time
• Repeat the experiment till a uniform rate of
infiltration is seen
• Perforated disc to prevent turbidity formation
• Infiltered water spreads at the outlet from the tube,
thus tube area and area of infiltration do not match

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Flooding type infiltrometers
• Double ring infiltrometer
• Two sets of concentrating rings with diameter of 30 cm
and 60 cm, minimum length 25 cm
• Water is applied into the both rings to maintain a constant
depth of 5 cm
• The out ring provides water jacket so that spreading of the
infiltration from the inner ring is prevented
• Water depths in both rings are maintained at the same
level, however, measurements of water volume are done
only in the inner ring
• Repeat the experiment till a uniform rate of infiltration is
seen
• Perforated disc to prevent turbidity formation
Limitations: Impact of raindrop, disturbance in the soil
structure, influence of the size of the infiltrometer

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Double ring infiltrometer

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 Rainfall
simulator

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 Rainfall
simulator

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 Rainfall
simulator

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Rainfall simulator
• Series of nozzles and a few arrangements to collect and measure the surface
runoff
• Raindrops fall from a height of 2 m via specially designed nozzles
• For various combination of rainfall intensities and durations, surface runoff
rates and volumes are measured
• Application of water budget equation on volume of rainfall, infiltration and
surface runoff yields infiltration capacity.
• If the rainfall intensity is higher than the infiltration rate, infiltration capacity
values are obtained
• Measured values are smaller as compared to the infiltrometers because of
effect of rainfall impact (compacts and decrease in fp) and turbidity
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Infiltration capacity and cumulative infiltration capacity

Cumulative infiltration capacity 𝐹𝑝 𝑡 is

defined as the accumulation of infiltration
volume over a time period since the start
of the process, and it is given by
𝑡
Cumulative infiltration, 𝐹𝑝 𝑡 = ‫׬‬0 𝑓𝑝 𝑡 𝑑𝑡

Thus, the curve 𝐹𝑝 𝑡 vs time is the mass curve

of infiltration

The above equation can be written as

𝑑𝐹𝑝
𝑓𝑝 𝑡 =
𝑑𝑡

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Horton’s equation
• Horton expressed the infiltration capacity with time as an exponential decay,
i.e.,
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑓𝑐 + 𝑓𝑜 − 𝑓𝑐 𝑒 −𝐾ℎ 𝑡
𝑓𝑝 - infiltration capacity at any time t from the start of the rainfall (mm/h)
𝑓𝑜 - initial infiltration capacity at time t =0 (dry soil condition)
𝑓𝑐 - final steady-state infiltration capacity
𝐾ℎ - Horton’s decay coefficient, depends upon soil characteristics and canopy
cover, (h-1)
𝑡 – time since start of the rainfall (h)
Assumption: Ponded conditions, rainfall intensity >= infiltration capacity

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Horton’s equation
Accumulated infiltration after a specified time T after the start of the rainfall is

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Horton’s equation

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Philip’s equation
• Philip’s equation for 𝐹𝑝 has two terms, i.e.,
𝐹𝑝 = 𝑠𝑡 1/2 + 𝐾𝑡
𝐹𝑝 - Accumulated infiltration after time t
𝑠 – a function of soil suction potential called sorptivity
𝐾 – Darcy’s hydraulic conductivity
𝑡 – time since start of the rainfall (h)
Infiltration capacity could be expressed as
1 −1/2
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑠𝑡 +𝐾
2

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Kostiakov’s equation
• Kostiakov’s equation models 𝐹𝑝 as below mentioned, i.e.,
𝐹𝑝 = 𝑎𝑡 𝑏
Where 𝑎 > 0 & 0 < 𝑏 < 1
𝐹𝑝 - Accumulated infiltration after time t
𝑡 – time since start of the rainfall (h)

Infiltration capacity could be expressed as

𝑓𝑝 = (𝑎𝑏)𝑡 (𝑏−1)

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Green – Ampt method
• The equation as follows, i.e.,
𝜂𝑆𝑐
𝑓𝑝 = 𝐾 1 +
𝐹𝑝
𝑓𝑝 - infiltration capacity at any time t from the start of the rainfall (mm/h)
𝐾 – Darcy’s hydraulic conductivity
𝑆𝑐 - Capillary suction at the wetting front
𝐹𝑝 - Accumulated infiltration after time t
𝑡 – time since start of the rainfall (h)
𝑛
𝑓𝑝 = 𝑚 +
𝐹𝑝
𝑚 and 𝑛 are Green-Ampt Parameters of the model
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Example

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Solution:

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Solution

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Example

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