A Note to the Variable Sorptivity Infiltration Equation

A simplification for the variable sorptivity infiltration equation of Poulovassilis et al. (1989) is proposed. The resulting equation has three parameters S <Subscript>x</Subscript>, c and K <Subscript>0</Subscript>. From these, S <Subscript>x</Subscript> and c are considered as fitting parameters and K <Subscript>0</Subscript> as a physical one. The new empirical infiltration equation is tested for precision, parameter time-dependence and applicability for soil surveys. The test was carried out by comparison with reference solutions i.e. infiltration data obtainedexperimentally, analytically or numerically for two different head conditionsat the infiltration surface. A good agreement is observed for all examinedcases. The dependence of the fitting parameters S <Subscript>x</Subscript> and c on the initialand boundary conditions, as well as the error that arises by taking intoaccount different values of them, are examined. In fine textured soilsparameter c seems to be very small, so that one can easily suppose that the proposed equation reduces to the well-known Philip's infiltration equation (Philip, 1957). Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2003