Spatial variability of water infiltration in the soil

Abstract

Data of infiltration of water in soil were obtained in several points of a rectangular grid of an agricultural parcel of Experimental Farm of EMEPA-PB, Brazil, with the objective of characterizing the spatial variability of the infiltration and the hydrodynamic parameters of the soil. Data were fitted both to the Green & Ampt and Philip equations for the adjustment of the values obtained. Granulometric, soil density and soil moisture measurements were performed just before and after the infiltration tests. Classical statistics and geostatistics were used to describe the spatial variability of infiltration parameters given by the fitting to the theoretical laws. Suction parameter of Green & Ampt equation was shown to be the more sensitive to the soil spatial variability of the parcel. No correlation between infiltration parameter and soil texture was found.