29. Modelling Infiltration Capacity
Infiltration is a critical process impacting the hydrological cycle, influencing runoff, groundwater recharge, and soil moisture dynamics. Understanding and modeling infiltration capacity is vital for effective hydrologic design, flood forecasting, and watershed management. This chapter explores various factors affecting infiltration, different empirical and conceptual models for modeling infiltration processes, and the recent advances that enhance the accuracy of these models.
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Sections
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429.2 Factors Affecting Infiltration
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529.3 Infiltration Capacity And Rate
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629.4 Methods Of Measuring Infiltration
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7.129.5.1 Horton’s Infiltration Model
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7.229.5.2 Philip’s Equation
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8.129.6.1 Richards’ Equation
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8.229.6.2 Numerical Techniques
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929.7 Model Parameter Estimation
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1029.8 Infiltration Modelling In Watershed Hydrology
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1129.9 Infiltration In Urban And Agricultural Settings
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1229.10 Recent Advances In Infiltration Modelling
What we have learnt
- Infiltration is the movement of water through the soil surface into the subsurface soil layers.
- Factors such as soil properties, surface conditions, moisture content, and land use significantly affect infiltration.
- Empirical models like Horton’s and Phillips are based on observed data, while models like Richards’ equation incorporate physical laws.
Key Concepts
- -- Infiltration Capacity
- The maximum rate at which soil can absorb rainfall under specific conditions.
- -- Infiltration Rate
- The actual rate of infiltration, which may be less than the infiltration capacity depending on rainfall rate.
- -- Horton’s Infiltration Model
- An empirical model that assumes infiltration capacity decreases exponentially over time.
- -- Richards’ Equation
- An equation governing unsaturated flow in soils, integrating Darcy's law with the continuity equation.
- -- Erosion
- The process by which soil and rock material are removed from the Earth's surface and transported elsewhere.
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