Assessment of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity at VFSTR campus using DRI method

Abstract

Study of soil hydraulc conductivity is the most important parameter for fluid flow and molecules transportation phenomena through the soil profile. The water reaches in the land surface in the form of precipitation and irrigation can flow over the ground, which eventually reaches in surface water body and flows through soil surface, contributes groundwater recharge. Estimation and evaluation of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) are soil hydraulic properties that effect fluid flow ability through the soil medium which help to understand transmission properties and water balance in soils. The Green-Ampt (GA) model is best suited for infiltration on homogeneous, initially dry, rough and rough soils. The study is conducted to estimate steady state infiltration rate by using in-situ method named Double Ring Infiltrometer (DRI) and finding the spatial variation of infiltration rate and to estimate saturated hydraulic conductivity by using the Green-Ampt (G-A) model for 6 plots, having area 15m x 15m each at Vadlamudi willage, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh (India). The experiment conducted areas A1, A2, A6 is having more bulk density because of organic compounds in that area having comparatively less infiltration rate than A3, A4, A5. Point A1 having less moisture content with soil bulk density 1.95 g/cm 3 and having a maximum infiltration rate of 4.2 cm/h. The average estimated Ks was found 0.95 cm/h from the experiment plot.