Simple Field Method for Determining Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Abstract

Wooding's equation for steady-state unconfined infiltration rates is used in calculating hydraulic conductivities. Hydraulic conductivities calculated with the new method are consistent with unit gradient laboratory measurements of saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. This simple field method is potentially valuable because it is faster than unit gradient laboratory methods, and it is less disruptive of pore continuity than other field infitration techniques. -from Authors