Infiltration Theory for Hydrologic Applications

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 15. Here is your state-of-the-art guidebook through soil infiltration theory in response to hydrologic problems. By focusing on the theoretical basis of physically based infiltration functions and their application, Infiltration Theory for Hydrologic Applications presents an in-depth review of current issues and concerns. For scientists wishing concise and robust equations that can be applied in models for a variety of objectives.

Table of Contents:
Preface  vii 1. Introduction  1 Brief History  1 Runoff Mechanisms  3 Engineering and Scientific Approaches to Hydrology  4 Objective and Scope of this Work  5 2. Basic Porous Media Hydraulics  7 Capillary Properties of Soil Water  7 Porous Media  9 Darcy's Law  12 Hydraulic Characteristics of Porous Media  13 Steady Flow Soil Water Relations  14 Functional Representation of Hydraulic Characteristics 18 3. Some Essentials of One-Dimensional Porous Media Dynamics  25 Introduction  25 Absorption: Gravity-Free Intake  27 Infiltration: Vertical Flow  31 Mathematical Approximations for Soil Water Flow  34 Approximations for Soil Hydraulic Characteristics 36 4. A Realistic Integrable Nonlinear Model for Transient Unsaturated Flow 41 Introduction  41 Integrable Forms of Richards' Equation' 43 Solution of Nonlinear Diffusion Equation  46 Required Forms for Soil Characteristics 49 Solution of the Integrable Form  55 Discussion and Summary 60 5. Absorption and Infiltration Relations and the Infiltrability-Depth Approximation 63 Introduction  63 Absorption 65 Infiltration  73 Stability of Flux-ConcentrationR elation  85 6. Infiltrability Models: Comparisons and Application  97 Introduction  97 Timing of Pending 98 Time Explicit Approximations 108 Applying the Infiltrability Models to Variable Rainfall Patterns 114 7. Applying Infiltration Models in Layered Soils and Redistribution Cases 119 Introduction  119 Redistribution and Reinfiltration  119 Layered Soils  122 8. Field Measurements of Infiltration Parameters  135 Introduction  135 Drip Infiltrometers 136 Ring Infiltrometers  138 Permeameters  141 9. Infiltration and Runoff on a Hillslope  159 Introduction  159 General Surface Flow and Infiltration Interaction  160 Effect of Surface Relief on Surface Water Losses  162 Infiltration Heterogeneity and Runoff  164 Appendices 185 I. Derivation of the Infiltration Integral from Richards' Equation  185 II. Attenuation of Characteristic Kinematic Shock in Soil Water Flow 187 III. Finite Difference Solution Method for Richards' Equation  190 List of Symbols and Abbreviations 199 References  203 Index  211