INFILTRATION
Abandeño, Joshua
Arroyo, Mark Bryan
Balgos, Kristine
Banes, Daniel
Basito, Christian Paul
Blanco, Liezel
Castillo, Syra Mea
Condes, Novy
Hurtal, Patricia
INFILTRATION CONTENTS
DEFINITION OF INFILTRATION GREEN – AMPT MODEL
0 1. 0
FACTORS AFFECTING
INFILTRATION & INFILTRATION 4. PONDING TIME
02 MEASUREMENTS
0
. HORTON’S MODEL & PHILLIP’S 5. FITTING INFILTRATION MODELS
TO INFILTRATION DATA USING
EQUATION
0 0 EXCEL
3. 6.
INTRODUCTION
LIEZEL BLANCO
Definition of Infiltration
Infiltration is the process of water entry into a soil from
rainfall, or irrigation.
Infiltration is also defined as a downward entry of water
into the soil. The velocity at which water enters the soil is
called infiltration rate.
• Infiltration Rate
It is the rate at which the water actually infiltrates through the
soil during a storm and it must be equal the infiltration
capacities or rainfall rate, which ever is lesser.
• Infiltration Capacity
The maximum rate at which a soil in any given condition is
capable of absorbing water.
Definition of Infiltration
Difference between Infiltration and Percolation
Infiltration - The entry of water into the soil
through the soil surface
Percolation - The process of downward movement
of water into soil once water enters into the soil.
NOTE: When Percolation Stop, Infiltration also stop. When
Infiltration Stop, Percolation is continuing.
FACTORS
AFFECTING
INFILTRATION
LIEZEL BLANCO
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Infiltration rates vary widely. It is dependent
on the condition of the land surface (cracked,
crusted, compacted etc), land vegetation cover,
surface soil characteristics (grain size &
gradation), storm characteristics (intensity,
duration & magnitude), surface soil and water
temperature, chemical properties of the water and
soil.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Precipitation
The greatest factor
controlling infiltration is the
amount and characteristics
(intensity, duration, etc.) of
precipitation that falls as rain
or snow.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Soil
Characteristics
Some soil, such as
clays, absorb less water at a
slower rate than sandy soils.
Soils absorbing less water
result in more runoff
overland into streams.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Vegetative Cover
Some land covers have a
great impact on infiltration
and rainfall runoff. Vegetation
can slow the movement of
runoff, allowing more time for
it to seep into the ground.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Slope of the Land
Water falling on a
sleepy-sloped land runs off
more quickly and infiltrates
less than water falling on
flat land.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Soil Saturation
Like a wet sponge, soils
already saturated from
previous rainfall can't absorb
much more, thus more rainfall
will become surface- runoff.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Evapotranspiration
Level
Evapotranspiration is the
sum of all processes by which
water moves from the land
surface to the atmosphere via
evaporation and transpiration.
Factors Affecting Infiltration
Human Activities
If the soil surface gets
compacted due to
construction of roads,
operation of tractors and
other farm implements and
machinery the porosity of the
soil is decreased.
INFILTRATION
MEASUREMENTS
DANIEL BANES
Infiltration Measurements
Infiltration is a very complex process, which can vary temporally
and spatially. Selection of measurement techniques and data
analysis techniques should consider these effects, and their
spatial dimensions can categorize infiltration measurement are
described below.
Areal
Measurement
Hyetograp Hydrograp
h h
Point Infiltration Measurement
Point infiltration measurement are normally made by applying water at
a specific site to a finite area and measuring the intake of the soil.
Infiltrometer is a device used to measure the rate of water infiltration into
soil. There are types of infiltrometer:
1.Rainfall Infiltrometer
2.Flooding Infiltrometer
A. Basin Infiltrometer
B. Ring– Type Infiltrometer
b. Single & Double Ring
Rainfall
Infiltrometer
Basically a rainfall infiltrometer
simulates rainfall with the use of special
spray nozzles set a certain distance
(usually 2 to 3 m) above the soil surface.
The soil surface tested is usually enclosed
so that once runoff commences it can be
collected at an opening and the volume
measured with time. The difference
between the application rate and the
runoff rate is taken to be the infiltration.
Rainfall Infiltrometer
With the help of rain simulator, water is
sprinkled at a uniform rate in excess of the
infiltration capacity, over a certain experimental
area. The resultant runoff R is observed, and
from that the infiltration f using f= (P-R)/t.
where:
P= Rain Sprinkled
R= Runoff Collected
t= Duration of rainfall
Flooding Infiltrometer
Flooding infiltrometers enclose an area
and pond water to a specified depth. The
infiltration rate is calculated from the drop
in water level per unit time or the amount
of water required to maintain the
•Basin infiltrometer
specified depth or head of water per unit
which uses earth retaining walls; and
time. Flooding infiltrometers measure the
maximum rate of entry of water into the • Ring infiltrometer which uses metal rings
soil. They do not simulate raindrop inserted into the ground to retain the
activity; they measure water penetration water.
rather than rainfall infiltration. Basically
there are two types of flooding
infiltrometers;
Types of Ring Infiltrometer:
•Single Ring Infiltrometer •Double Ring Infiltrometer
Example 1. A USGS rain-simulator infiltrometer experiment was conducted on a
sandy loam soil. Rainfall was simulated at the rate of 20 cm/hr. The rainfall and
runoff data are given in the table.
a.) Find and Plot the mass- infiltration curve from the experimental data
b.) Plot an infiltration rate curve.
Table EX.1. Rain- simulator Infiltrometer Data and infiltration capacity
calculation
Solution. The measured data are given in column 1, 3, 4. Cumulative infiltration
F is calculated by subtracting the cumulative runoff from the cumulative
rainfall. Infiltration rate is determined by driving the F by the total duration of
infiltration. The result is placed in figure below.
HORTON
INFILTRATION
MODEL
SYRA MEA D. CASTILLO
Horton Infiltration Concept
In general, for a given
constant storm, infiltration
rates tend to decrease
with time. The initial
infiltration rate is the rate
prevailing at the beginning
of the storm and is
maximum. Infiltration rates
gradually decrease in time
and reach a constant
value.
Horton observed the above facts and concluded that
infiltration begins at some rate fO and exponentially decreases
until it reaches a constant fc. He proposed the following
infiltration equation where rainfall intensity i greater than fp at all
time.
where:
f infiltration capacity (mm/hr)
f0 is the initial infiltration rate (mm/hr)
fcis the final (limiting) infiltration rate (mm/hr)
k is the coefficient of the exponential term (hr -1)
CUMULATIVE INFILTRATION VOLUME (Ft) :
The cumulative infiltration equation F(t) for the Horton method is found from the
relationship d(F(t) / dt) = f(t) = fp
Indicative values for fo, fc, and K are given in Table 2-3
SAMPLE PROBLEM:
The initial infiltration capacity fo of a watershed is estimated as 1.5
in./hr, and the time constant is taken to be 0.35 hr¹. The equilibrium capacity
fc is 0.2 in./hr. Use Horton's equation to find;
(a) the values of f at t = 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, and 6 hr, and
(b) the total volume of infiltration over the 6-hr period.
SAMPLE PROBLEM:
The initial infiltration capacity fo of a watershed is estimated as 1.5 in./hr, and the time constant is taken to be 0.35 hr¹. The equilibrium capacity fc
is 0.2 in./hr. Use Horton's equation to find;
(a) the values of f at t = 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, and 6 hr, and
(b) the total volume of infiltration over the 6-hr period.
t (hr) f (in/hr)
1/6 1.43
½ 1.29
GIVEN:
1 1.12
fo = 1.5 in/hr
SOLUTION:
2 0.85
k = 0.35 hr¹ (A) 6 0.36
fc = 0.2 in/hr
T1 = 10 min or 1/6 hr f = 0.2 in/hr + (1.5 in/hr - 0.2 in/hr) e - 0.35 hr -1 t GRAPH:
T2 = 30 min or 1/2 hr
At t = 1/6 hr
T3 = 1 hr
T4 = 2 hr f = 0.2 in/hr + (1.5 in/hr - 0.2 in/hr) e - 0.35 hr -1 (1/6hr)
T5 = 6 hr
f = 1.43 in/hr
SAMPLE PROBLEM:
The initial infiltration capacity fo of a watershed is estimated as 1.5 in./hr, and the time constant is taken to be 0.35 hr¹. The equilibrium capacity fc
is 0.2 in./hr. Use Horton's equation to find;
(a) the values of f at t = 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, and 6 hr, and
(b) the total volume of infiltration over the 6-hr period.
GIVEN: SOLUTION:
fo = 1.5 in/hr (B)
k = 0.35 hr¹
fc = 0.2 in/hr
t = 6 hr
PHILLIP’S
EQUATION
CHRISTIAN PAUL BASITO
Philip Equation (1957, 1969)
Philips Solution for Horizontal and Vertical Infiltration
John R. Philips (1957,1969) presented the first analytical
solution to Richards’ equation. It is based on a time expansion
method considering infiltration as a sorption process with a
perturbation generated by the presence of gravity.
Horizontal
Infiltration
For Horizontal infiltration Philip showed that the cumulative and instantaneous
infiltration rates are given by:
Cumulative: Rate:
Horizontal Infiltration
When a sharp wetting front exists, the sorptivity may be approximated by:
Vertical Infiltration
Vertical Infiltration
For practical purpose, the series in the previous equation is commonly
truncated and only the first two terms are retained:
Cumulative: Rate:
GREEN – AMPT
MODEL
PATRICIA HURTAL & NOVY CONDES
The Green-Ampt method
The Green-Ampt model is
an approximate model utilizing
Darcy’s law. The model is
developed with the assumption
that water is ponded on the
ground surface. Consider a
vertical column of soil of unit
horizontal cross-sectional area
and let a control volume be
defined around the wet soil
between the surface and
depth L.
o
Parameters in the Green-Ampt model
Table 2. USDA Soil Texture Green- Ampt
Infiltration Parameters (Maidment, 1993)
Note: that for bare ground cover conditions K = Ks/2, for the area which is bare under canopy the
effective hydraulic conductivity can be assumed to be equal to the saturated hydraulic conductivity
Ks of the soil.
The area which has ground cover is assumed to contain macroporosity, and the effective
hydraulic conductivity is equal to the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks times a macroporosity
factor A. For areas which don not undergo mechanical disturbance like range land macroporosity
factor A is determined from:
A = exp(2.82 - 0.099S [Eq. 9]
+1.94BD)
And for undisturbed agricultural areas A can be determined from
A = exp(0.96 - 0.032S + 0.04C - [Eq. 10]
0.032BD)
where;
S = Percent sand
C = percent clay
BD = bulk density of the soil (< 2 mm), g/cc, and A > 1.0.
PONDING TIME
MARK BRYAN ARROYO
Ponding Time
• Elapsed time between the time rainfall begins and the time
water begins to pond on the soil surface (tp)
• Up to the time of ponding, all rainfall has infiltrated (i =
rainfall rate)
FORMULA:
Example
Solution:
Example
Solution:
FITTING INFILTRATION
MODELS TO INFILTRATION
DATA USING EXCEL
JOSHUA ABENDANO & KRISTINE BALGOS
Thank you
very
much!
