Field evaluation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity models and parameter estimation from retention data

Nandagiri, Lakshman and Prasad, Rama (1996) Field evaluation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity models and parameter estimation from retention data. In: Journal of Hydrology, 179 (1-4). pp. 197-205.

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Abstract

Predictions of two popular closed-form models for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K) are compared with in situ measurements made in a sandy loam field soil. Whereas the Van Genuchten model estimates were very close to field measured values, the Brooks-Corey model predictions were higher by about one order of magnitude in the wetter range. Estimation of parameters of the Van Genuchten soil moisture characteristic (SMC) equation, however, involves the use of non-linear regression techniques. The Brooks-Corey SMC equation has the advantage of being amenable to application of linear regression techniques for estimation of its parameters from retention data. A conversion technique, whereby known Brooks-Corey model parameters may be converted into Van Genuchten model parameters, is formulated. The proposed conversion algorithm may be used to obtain the parameters of the preferred Van Genuchten model from in situ retention data, without the use of non-linear regression techniques.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Journal of Hydrology
Publisher:	Elsevier science
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Elsevier science.
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Civil Engineering
Date Deposited:	26 Apr 2011 05:27
Last Modified:	26 Apr 2011 05:27
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/37185

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