Infiltration rate

Water infiltration is the process of water entry into soil through the surface and the direction of entry may be either downward or lateral or both. Water infiltration may be from ponded water standing on the soil surface or flowing water over the surface. Infiltration
Infiltration or water intake rate of ponded water is measured in the field with the help of ring infiltrometer.
Infiltration rate is the distance travelled by water through a soil column and is usually expressed as cm h-1. It is initially high, but decreases with time; and then it tends to approach a steady infiltration rate.

Water entry into soil is essentially a surface process in which distribution of pores in the soil material is the determining factor. Any other processes that influence this distribution will be indirectly determining water infiltration into soil. For example, if the soil is dominant in montmorillonitic clay mineral, the pores will decrease on swelling. This thereby lowers the infiltration rate.
It is a surface characteristic and hence primarily influenced by the condition of the surface soil.
Texture, structure and initial water content of soil control infiltration rate.
Soil surface with vegetative cover has more infiltration rate than bare soil
Warm soils absorb more water than colder ones
Coarse surface texture, granular structure and high organic matter content in surface soil, all help to increase infiltration
Infiltration rate is comparatively lower in wet soils than dry soils

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse