Water Cycle:

INFILTRATION HYDROLOGY CE 412

CONTENTS
01 DEFINITION OF INFILTRATION
02 RATE OF INFILTRATION
03 INFILTRATION MEASUREMENT DEVICES
04
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUNOFF AND INFILTRATION

05 FACTORS AFFECTING INFILTRATION

06 INFILTRATION MODELS
 DEFINITION
OF
INFILTRATION
The topic
viability.

INFILTRATION is the downward

movement of water into the
soil. It occurs when precipitation
or surface water penetrates the
soil surface.
 RATE OF
INFILTRATION
RATE OF INFILTRATION
Infiltration rate is the velocity or speed
at which water enters into the soil. The
higher the infiltration rate the faster
the infiltration.

It is usually measured by the depth (in

mm) of the water layer that can enter
the soil in one hour.

Example: An infiltration rate of 10

mm/hour means that a water layer of
10 mm on the soil surface will take one
hour to infiltrate.
RATE OF INFILTRATION

The maximum amount of rainwater

that can enter a soil in a given time is
called the soil’s infiltration capacity.

When the maximum infiltration rate is

reached, the soil becomes saturated.
RATE OF INFILTRATION
BASIC INFILTRATION RATES FOR
VARIOUS SOIL TYPES
Soil Type Basic Infiltration Rate
(mm/hour)

Sand less than 30

Sandy Loam 20 - 30

Loam 10 - 20

Clay Loam 5 - 10

Clay 1-5
INFILTRATION
MEASUREMENT
DEVICES
 INFILTRATION MEASUREMENT
DEVICES

SINGLE-RING DOUBLE-RING DISC

I N F I LT R O M E T E R I N F I LT R O M E T E R PERMEAMETERS
 SINGLE-RING
INFILTROMETER
A single-ring infiltrometer involves driving
a ring into the soil and supplying water in the
ring either at constant head or falling head
condition.

Falling head refers to condition where

water is supplied in the ring, and the water is
allowed to drop with time. The operator
records how much water goes into the soil for a
given time period.

INFILTRATION MEASUREMENT DEVIC

 DOUBLE-RING
INFILTROMETER
A double ring infiltrometer requires two
rings: an inner and outer ring. The purpose is
to create a one-dimensional flow of water from
the inner ring.

An inner ring is driven into the ground,

and a second bigger ring around that to help
control the flow of water through the first ring.
Water is supplied either with a constant or
falling head condition, and the operator
records how much water infiltrates from the
inner ring into the soil over a given time
period.

INFILTRATION MEASUREMENT DEVIC

DISC PERMEAMETER
The disc permeameter is mainly used to
provide estimates of the hydraulic conductivity
of the soil near saturation.

The bubbling tower is connected to the

reservoir and is open to air. The bubbling
tower controls the potential h0 applied to the
membrane by adjusting the water height in the
air-inlet tube. So essentially the soil pores need
to have energy equivalent to h0 to overcome
water that is held under tension in the
reservoir.

INFILTRATION MEASUREMENT DEVIC

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
RUNOFF AND
INFILTRATION
RUNOFF VS. INFILTRATION

R unoff is w ater that moves across the surface of the land w hile
infiltration is w ater that seeps into the soil.
INFILTRATION
FACTORS
 FACTORS
AFFECTING
INFILTRATION
FACTORS AFFECTING
INFILTRATION
1. PRECIPITATION LEVEL
2. SOIL CHARACTERISTICS
3. SOIL SATURATION
4. LAND COVER
5. SLOPE OF THE LAND
6. EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
Precipitation Level

High intensity , duration

and amount of precipitation
will lead to greater infiltration.

Factors Affecting Infiltration

Precipitation Level

High Precipitation = Greater Infiltration Low Precipitation = Less Infiltration

Soil Characteristics

The rate of infiltration on

the soil surface is largely
dependent on the porosity and
permeability of the soil profile.

Factors Affecting Infiltration

Soil Characteristics

High Permeability and Porosity = Greater Infiltration

Soil Saturation

Soil become saturated

whenever it reaches its
infiltration capacity. Once this
maximum level is reached,
water can’t absorb much more
thus more rainfall will become
surface runoff.

Factors Affecting Infiltration

Soil Saturation

More Saturation = More Runoff and Less Infiltration

Land Cover

Vegetative Impervious
Cover Surface
Vegetation coverage protects the soil surface from
the impact of raindrops so it takes time to
infiltrate, but, vegetation root system and organic
matter crumbles soil structure and improves its
permeability. In this case, the infiltration rate is
increased.

Impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, roads,

and developments, act as a "fast lane" for rainfall -
right into storm drains that drain directly into
streams.

Factors Affecting Infiltration

Land Cover

Vegetative Surface = Greater Infiltration Impervious Surface = Less Infiltration

Slope of the Land

Infiltration is faster in areas

with flat land surfaces
compared to steeply-sloped
surface where the water will
run off quickly

Factors Affecting Infiltration

Slope of the Land

Steeper Slope = More Runoff and Less Infiltration

Evapotranspiration

Plants need this shallow

groundwater to grow, and, by
the process of
evapotranspiration, water is
moved back into the
atmosphere.

Factors Affecting Infiltration

Evapotranspiration

Impervious Surface = Less Infiltration

INFILTRATION
MODELS
 4 INFILTRATION
MODELS
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
PHILIP’S EQUATION
GREEN – AMPT MODEL
PONDING TIME
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL

Horton defined infiltration capacity as “the maximum rate at which a given soil can
absorb rainfall when the soil is in a specified condition”.
Horton’s equation is a viable option when measuring ground infiltration rates or
volumes. It is an empirical formula that says that infiltration starts at a constant rate, and is
decreasing exponentially with time. After some time when the soil saturation level reaches
a certain value, the rate of infiltration will level off to the rate.

Where:
𝒇𝒕 – is the infiltration rate at time t;
𝒇𝒐 – is the initial infiltration rate or
maximum infiltration rate;
𝒇𝒄 – is the constant or equilibrium
Eq. 1 infiltration rate after the soil has
been saturated or minimum
infiltration rate;
k – empirical constant that says
something how long it takes for
rain to force the soil from its initial to its final
infiltration capacity.
t – time
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL

The other method of using Horton’s equation is as below. It can be used to find the
total volume of infiltration, F, after time t.

Eq. 2
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
SAMPLE PROBLEM

Given an initial capacity 𝑓𝑜 of 2.9 in./hr and a time constant 𝑘 of 0.28 ℎ𝑟¯¹ derive an
infiltration capacity for those time given versus time curve if the equilibrium capacity 𝑓𝑐 is
estimated as 0.50 in./hr. For the first 8 hrs, find the total volume of water infiltrated in
inches over the watershed.

Given Time
Required:
0 5.00 values of infiltration capacity 𝑓 at a
0.10 6.00 given time (𝑡)
make a time curve
0.25 7.00 total volume of water infiltrated in
0.50 8.00 inches for the first 8 hours
1.00 9.00 Given:
2.00 10.00 𝑓𝑜 = 2.9 𝑖𝑛./ℎ𝑟
3.00 15.00 𝑘 = 0.28 ℎ𝑟¯¹
𝑓𝑐 = 0.50 𝑖𝑛./ℎ𝑟
4.00 20.00
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
HORTON’S INFILTRATION MODEL
PHILIP EQUATION
Philip’s Equation (1957a)
For cases of vertical infiltration, Philip’s solution of Richard’s equation was of the form of
physically-based converging power series which described cumulative infiltration (F) as a function of
time (t) thus,

(𝑡) = 𝑆𝑡1/2 + (𝐴2 + 𝐾0) + 𝐴3𝑡3/2 + 𝐴4𝑡2 + ⋯ + 𝐴𝑛𝑡1/2

Philip’s Equation (1957b)

Philip’s further showed that a truncated form of the previous equation with just two fitting
parameters is sufficient for all practical purposes to describe the time dependence of cumulative
infiltration as,

(𝑡) = 𝑆𝑡1/2 + 𝐴𝑡
PHILIP EQUATION

For cases of vertical infiltration, Philip’s solution of

Richard’s equation was of the form of physically-based
converging power series which described cumulative infiltration
(F) as a function of time (t) thus, where:

(𝑡) = 𝑆𝑡1/2 + (𝐴2 + 𝐾0) + 𝐴3𝑡3/2 + 𝐴4𝑡2 + ⋯ + S = sorptivity

𝐴𝑛𝑡1/2 A terms = transmissivity
𝐾𝜃 = hydraulic conductivity
t = time
Philip’s further showed that a truncated form of the
previous equation with just two fitting parameters is sufficient
for all practical purposes to describe the time dependence of
cumulative infiltration as,

(𝑡) = 𝑆𝑡1/2 + 𝐴𝑡
PHILIP EQUATION
Philip observed that for long intervals for which the infinite
series of the equation

(𝑡) = 𝑆𝑡1⁄2 + (𝐴2 + 𝐾0) + 𝐴3𝑡3⁄2 + 𝐴4𝑡2 + ⋯ + 𝐴𝑛𝑡1⁄2

does not converge, the equation
(𝑡) = 𝑆𝑡1/2 + 𝐴𝑡 where:

can be approximated by: S = sorptivity

A terms = transmissivity
(𝑡 ) = 𝑆𝑡 1/2 + 𝐾𝜃𝑡 𝐾𝜃 = hydraulic conductivity
t = time

For a horizontal column of soil, gravity effects are

considered negligible and the contribution of the term is
also negligible. And the equation for horizontal soil column
are reduce to this equation:

(𝑡 ) = 𝑆𝑡 1/2
PHILIP EQUATION
SAMPLE PROBLEM

A small tube with a cross-sectional area of 40 𝑐𝑚² is filled with soil and laid horizontally.
The open end of the tube is saturated, and after 15 minutes, 100 𝑐𝑚³ of water have
infiltrated into the tube.
PHILIP EQUATION
SAMPLE PROBLEM

A small tube with a cross-sectional area of 40 𝑐𝑚² is filled with soil and laid horizontally.
The open end of the tube is saturated, and after 15 minutes, 100 𝑐𝑚³ of water have
infiltrated into the tube.
PHILIP EQUATION
SAMPLE PROBLEM

If the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil is 0.4 cm/hr. determine how much
infiltration would have taken place in 30 minutes if the soil column had initially been
placed upright with its upper surface saturated.
PHILIP EQUATION
SAMPLE PROBLEM

If the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil is 0.4 cm/hr. determine how much
infiltration would have taken place in 30 minutes if the soil column had initially been
placed upright with its upper surface saturated.
GREEN – AMPT MODEL
Green and Ampt arrived at their simplified theory of infiltration by considering the
wetting front as a precipitous border between wetted and nonwetted soils.
GREEN – AMPT MODEL
In the GA model, the potential infiltration rate is computed as:

Green-Ampt equation for accumulative infiltration is:

Mein and Larson (1973) modified the Green-Ampt equation for two-stage
infiltration by evaluating the time period prior to ponding (tp) as:

*where i = constant precipitation rate

GREEN – AMPT MODEL
The cumulative infiltration before ponding begins is:

The Green-Ampt equation for cumulative two-stage infiltration after ponding is:
GREEN – AMPT MODEL
GREEN-AMPT PARAMETERS

1. Hydraulic conductivity, K (cm/hr),

2. Wetting front capillary pressure head, ψ (cm),
3. Change in moisture content, ∆θ, which is a difference between porosity, η, and initial soil
water content, θi.

The effective saturation also can be expressed as the ratio of the available moisture, θi -θr
(for initial condition) to the maximum possible moisture content or effective porosity, θe:
GREEN – AMPT MODEL
GREEN-AMPT TABLE
GREEN – AMPT MODEL
SAMPLE PROBLEM
PONDING TIME
Ponding time (tp) is the time from the beginning of rainwater infiltration until surface
runoff occurs, starting from the beginning of the rain occurs until the water begins to
puddle on the soil surface.

Ponding Time Formula:

PONDING TIME
SAMPLE PROBLEM

A Silty-Loam soil, 25% effective saturation, rainfall 6 cm/hr intensity. What is the
ponding time?
Given:
𝜃𝑒 = 0.486
𝝍= 16.7 cm
K = 0.65 cm/hr
Se = 0.25
PONDING TIME
SAMPLE PROBLEM

A Silty-Loam soil, 25% effective saturation, rainfall 6 cm/hr intensity. What is the
ponding time?
Given:
𝜃𝑒 = 0.486
𝝍= 16.7 cm
K = 0.65 cm/hr
Se = 0.25
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
How is infiltration important
to the water cycle?
How is infiltration important to the
water cycle?

Infiltration is important in the water cycle because

it recharges ground water. Plant roots reach into the
ground for water; People draw much of their water
from wells reaching into the ground water; and this
store of water creates a base flow for rivers and
streams.
Is infiltration a part of the
water cycle?
Is infiltration a part of the water
cycle?

Yes, infiltration is part of the water cycle. It is what

happens to the water after it comes down as
precipitation and some of the water will infiltrate down
into the ground where it can stay for long periods of
time.
What is the process of
infiltration?
What is the process of infiltration?

Infiltration is the speed at which rainwater can be

absorbed into the ground and travel down towards the
water table. It is usually expressed in inches per hour.
 Where does infiltration
happen in the water cycle?
Where does infiltration happen in the
water cycle?

Infiltration happens after the water falls from the

sky as precipitation and lands on the ground. The
water then seeps into ground where it can stay for a
long period of time before being taken up by plants or
making its way back to the surface as surface water.
What step is infiltration in the
water cycle?
What step is infiltration in the water
cycle?

Since the water cycle is a continuous cycle there is

no true starting or stopping point, infiltration falls after
precipitation. Some water will be absorbed by the soil
and remain in the ground until it is taken up and used
by plants or animals or makes its way to the surface
and becomes runoff, flowing in rivers and streams.
What is the role of infiltration
in the water cycle?
What is the role of infiltration in the
water cycle?

Infiltration stores water in the earth to be a source

of water for plants and animals and to recharge streams
and rivers.
 THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING!