Soil Hydrology: Hydrodynamic Properties

UniLaSalle – Spring semester in Water and Environmental Management March 2020
Soils “SPONGE ROLE”
Yes, it's true
Soil Hydrology I can store water

(very convenient
to avoid flooding!)
I also
filter and
enriched it
And return it all with
year long !! minerals
Hydrodynamic
Properties
Cheers !
Carolina Ugarte
Assistant professor in soil science
carolina.ugarte@unilasalle.fr La B.D. du sol https://www.lappeldusol.fr/
Soil Hydrology 1
Detailed program
Introduction
Soil hydrology in agroecosystems : soil agroecosystem services, water cycle and vadose zone
Soil physics basic concepts
a. Texture and structure
b. Soil-water relationships
c. Soil water potential
d. Plant available water
Hydrodynamic properties
a. Water retention
b. Hydraulic conductivity
c. Air permeability
Infiltration
a. Infiltration process
b. Factors affecting infiltration
c. Infiltration models
Conclusions
Take home messages
2
Soil Hydrology
a. Water retention
Root
Mineral particle
Water
Air
(Après B.K. Bellingham)
Matric potential Water content

h (m or Pa) W (g g-1) ou  (cm3 cm-3)
Water retention characteristic

Water retention curve
Matric potential vs. water content
3
Soil Hydrology
➢ Description of the water retention curve
Undisturbed soil clod
1. Undisturbed soil clod at saturated conditions (matric potential = 0, absence of

meniscus)
Source : Mooc de l’Université Catholique de Louvain « L’eau et les sols. Hydrodynamique des milieux poreux » (2016)
4
Soil Hydrology
2. The water in the soil sample is under pressure, but the water content does not
decrease
• There is an increase in suction (absolute value of matric potential) without changing

the water content
• Water is retained in the sample by capillarity
• Water content will decrease when the air entry point is reached
• The air entry point |hae| = suction value of every porous medium
• It is the suction value corresponding to the radius of the largest pores present in the
sample
5
Soil Hydrology
3. Water suction continues to increase (matric potential decreases) and thus the water
content in the soil sample continues to decrease
✓ Soil pores will continue to empty following the Jurin's law
2 𝜎 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛼
ℎ=
𝜌𝑔𝑟
6
Soil Hydrology
4. Water suction continues to increase until the water content cannot longer decrease
• The water that remains in the pores is trapped in the smaller pores of the clay
particles, it is the residual water content θr
• The relation between h and θ is strongly nonlinear !
7
Soil Hydrology
• The logarithmic scale is used for the suction axis, pF = log | h |

• The retention curve pF vs. θ has a characteristic S shape
• It allows the calculation of the plant available water in the soil (RU in French)
Suction |h| (cm)

100000
Permanent wilting point
|h| = 15000 cm
10000
Water available for plants
1000
|h| = 100 cm 100 Field capacity
10 Drained water by gravity
Saturation
1
Wpfp Wcc Wsat
Water content ( g g-1, cm3 cm-3)
Soil Hydrology 8
➢ Soil properties affecting the water retention curve

✓ Soil texture and structure !
Silty
soil
Clayey
soil
Sandy soil
Hopkins. Physiologie Végétale, 2ème édition (de Boeck)
Courbes de rétention typiques de sols argileux,

limoneux et sableux (d’après Bruand and Coquet
Soil Hydrology (2005)).
➢ Methods of characterization
ISO standard 11274 Determination of the water retention characteristic - Laboratory
methods (direct measurement)
General principle
1. Prior saturation of soil samples
2. Progressive desaturation through the application of suction or constant

pressure
The desaturation is done in steps at known suction levels
3. For each suction level, water content is measured. The measured water
content at equilibrium allows the determination of the couple (θ, h)
4. Resuming steps 2 and 3 by increasing suction or applied pressure
10
Soil Hydrology
Sand box devise : from saturation to h = -100 cm

Sand box
(Saturation jusqu’à -100 cm)
Principle AFNOR X 31-505
➢ Suction is apply to the fine sand contained in a box

(table)
➢ Desaturation: Soil samples in the table will loose

water from their pores until they reach the sand
pressure in the tank (equilibrium)
➢ The equilibrium is checked by regularly weighing

the samples
➢ Measurement of water content at equilibrium : Once the equilibrium is reached, the water
content can be measured with the gravimetric method
11
Soil Hydrology
Pressure plate devise : from |h| =500 cm to |h| = 15000 cm

Pressure plate
Principle
Richards divise
(-500 cm -15000 cm)
➢ Air pressure (compressed air) is applied in a closed AFNOR X 31-505
chamber. It is the air pressure that pushes the

water from the soil samples.
➢ Samples are put in the chamber on porous plates

having a given hae
➢ Desaturation: Pressure is applied until equilibrium

the samples and the plate is reached
➢ Measuring water content at equilibrium: Equilibrium is assumed when the pressure

chamber drains no more water
➢ The pressures applied depend on the characteristics (pore size) of the plates used
12
Soil Hydrology
+ points :
Sand box • Use of undisturbed and repacked soil samples
(Saturation jusqu’à -100 cm)
AFNOR X 31-505 • Simultaneous characterization of several samples
- points :
• Needs punctual measurements → low
representativeness
• The time needed to reach equilibrium can vary
Pressure plate between a few days and several weeks for each
Richards divise potential
(-500 cm -15000 cm)
AFNOR X 31-505 • Does not allow a continuous characterization of the
curve
Applications
• Assessment of the soil water state

• Management of crop water requirements
• Input data of water transfer and solute transport
models
13
Soil Hydrology
➢ Pedotransfert functions
✓ Mathematical equations for calculating physical parameters
✓ The equations proposed by Rawls (1982) allow the calculation of water content at field capacity
(W330) and water content at wilting point (W15000) from soil texture and organic matter
content data
Rawls, W., D. Brakensiek and K. E. Saxton (1982). "Estimating Soil Water Retention from Soil Properties."
J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 108: 166-171.
Source : UVED. Bilan hydrique.

14
Soil Hydrology
Is the soil capacity to

transfer water
Ks is the saturated
hydraulic conductivity
or the hydraulic
conductivity at
saturated conditions
 When all the soil
pores are full of
water
15
Soil Hydrology
Darcy’s Law (1856)

∆ℎ
Darcy, French scientist (1803-1858) 𝑄 = 𝐾𝑠 𝐴
𝐿
Q : volume flux or discharge (m3s-1)

∆ℎ/𝐿 : hydraulic gradient (-)
A : area perpendicular to the water
flow (m²)
Ks : saturated hydraulic conductivity
(ms-1)
Darcy square at Dijon-France Henry Darcy
Source : Collin (2004). Les eaux souterraines:

connaissance et gestion
Soil Hydrology 16
➢ Characterization of hydraulic conductivity

General principle
1ère step: Infiltration tests at the field
With the tension disc With the single ring devise

infiltrometer devise
© C. UGARTE, disc infiltrometer device
Source : wikipedia
17
Soil Hydrology
2nd step : Application of axysimetric infiltration equations for the

determination of Ks
➢ Hypothesis for using infiltration equations
• Soil is a homogeneous and isotropic medium
• No stratifications close to the surface

• Conductivity is the same in all directions
• Homogeneous initial water content
Infiltration test conducted on

Hypothesis are valid only on an homogeneous soil sample
“homogeneous soil” using a tension disc
18
Soil Hydrology infiltrometer devise
➢ The single ring devise method for characterizing Ks

under field conditions
Single ring devise at

the field
19
Soil Hydrology
1st step : Infiltration test

Principle : Determine the infiltration rate by measuring the time
required for the water to infiltrates a constant level of 1 cm
r : Rayon de l’anneau
L : épaisseur de la lame d’eau
D : profondeur d’enfoncement de l’anneau dans
L’écoulement est tridimensionnel le sol
Soil Hydrology 20
➢ Description the flow of water in the ring
Soil Hydrology 21
2nd step : Determine Ks using the Wooding (modified) equation
Equation de Wooding (1968)
Unknown variables are:
φm : the potential of Kirchoff

G : form factor of the Wooding equation
Soil Hydrology 22
2nd step : Determine Ks using the Wooding (modified) equation
Equation de Wooding (1968)
➢ The potential of Kirchoff can be ➢ G is the form factor defined

approximated to the following expression : by Wooding as :
Soil Hydrology 23
➢ Ksat can be calculated from:
Q : water flow into the ring (m3/h)

L et r : ring dimensions/characteristics (m)
G: form factor
alpha : defined by Elrick et al. 1989 according to the texture of the soil
Texture Alpha (m-1)

Sableux 36
Limoneux 12
Argileux 4
Soil Hydrology 24
c. Air permeability
• Relationship between air permeability ka [L2] and air conductivity Ka [L T-1]
𝜌𝑎 𝑔
𝐾𝑎 = 𝑘𝑎
𝜂𝑎
ρa : air volumetric masse = 1,204 kg m-3 à 20°C

g : gravity
𝜂𝑎 : air dynamic viscosity = = 18,5 10-6 kg m-1s-1
• Darcy’s law can be apply to determine ka !
25
Soil Hydrology
Principle :
• Air flows through an undisturbed

soil sample of 100 cm3 volume
• The apparatus measured the soil

sample air flow
Darcy equation is then applied for
calculating the air permeability in um2
Darcy’s Law
𝑄 𝑘𝑎 Δℎ
=
𝐴 𝜂𝑎 Δ𝑥
Q : air flow in l min-1

A: surface crossed by the air in m2
ka: air permeability in m2
η𝑎: dynamic viscosity of the air = 18.5 10-6 kg m-1s-1
Δℎ: pressure in Pa (kg m-1s-2)
Δ𝑥: distance traveled by the air in m
26
Soil Hydrology
Application : Determine ka (um²), BD (g cm-3) and

W (g g-1)
Tillage or Test N°soil Masse Masse moist Masse dry soil Q (l/min)
NoTillage sample container (g) soil + + container +
container + cylinder (88,9
cylinder (88,9 g)
g)
NoTillage 2 110 3,5 250,7 218,5 1,1
Tillage 1 159 3,6 272,7 243,1 0,44
Soil Hydrology 27
Coming next …
Introduction
Soil hydrology in agroecosystems : soil agroecosystem services, water cycle and vadose zone
Soil physics basic concepts
a. Texture and structure
b. Soil-water relationships
c. Soil water potential
d. Plant available water
Hydrodynamic properties
a. Water retention
c. Air permeability
Infiltration
a.Infiltration process
b.Factors affecting infiltration
c. Infiltration models
Conclusions
Take home messages
28
Soil Hydrology

Soil Hydrology: Hydrodynamic Properties

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UniLaSalle – Spring semester in Water and Environmental Management March 2020

Soils “SPONGE ROLE”

Yes, it's true

Soil Hydrology I can store water

(Après B.K. Bellingham)

Matric potential Water content

Water retention characteristic

➢ Description of the water retention curve

Undisturbed soil clod

1. Undisturbed soil clod at saturated conditions (matric potential = 0, absence of

• There is an increase in suction (absolute value of matric potential) without changing

✓ Soil pores will continue to empty following the Jurin's law

• The relation between h and θ is strongly nonlinear !

• The logarithmic scale is used for the suction axis, pF = log | h |

Suction |h| (cm)

|h| = 100 cm 100 Field capacity

10 Drained water by gravity

Water content ( g g-1, cm3 cm-3)

➢ Soil properties affecting the water retention curve

Hopkins. Physiologie Végétale, 2ème édition (de Boeck)

Courbes de rétention typiques de sols argileux,

1. Prior saturation of soil samples

2. Progressive desaturation through the application of suction or constant

4. Resuming steps 2 and 3 by increasing suction or applied pressure

Sand box devise : from saturation to h = -100 cm

➢ Suction is apply to the fine sand contained in a box

➢ Desaturation: Soil samples in the table will loose

➢ The equilibrium is checked by regularly weighing

Pressure plate devise : from |h| =500 cm to |h| = 15000 cm

chamber. It is the air pressure that pushes the

➢ Samples are put in the chamber on porous plates

➢ Desaturation: Pressure is applied until equilibrium

➢ Measuring water content at equilibrium: Equilibrium is assumed when the pressure

• Assessment of the soil water state

Source : UVED. Bilan hydrique.

Is the soil capacity to

Darcy’s Law (1856)

Q : volume flux or discharge (m3s-1)

Darcy square at Dijon-France Henry Darcy

Source : Collin (2004). Les eaux souterraines:

➢ Characterization of hydraulic conductivity

1ère step: Infiltration tests at the field

With the tension disc With the single ring devise

© C. UGARTE, disc infiltrometer device

2nd step : Application of axysimetric infiltration equations for the

➢ Hypothesis for using infiltration equations

• Soil is a homogeneous and isotropic medium

• No stratifications close to the surface

Infiltration test conducted on

➢ The single ring devise method for characterizing Ks

Single ring devise at

1st step : Infiltration test

➢ Description the flow of water in the ring

2nd step : Determine Ks using the Wooding (modified) equation

Equation de Wooding (1968)

Unknown variables are:

φm : the potential of Kirchoff

2nd step : Determine Ks using the Wooding (modified) equation

Equation de Wooding (1968)

➢ The potential of Kirchoff can be ➢ G is the form factor defined

➢ Ksat can be calculated from:

Q : water flow into the ring (m3/h)

Texture Alpha (m-1)