Infiltration of Water into Soil with Cracks

Abstract

This paper presents the physical basis of the FRACTURE submodel for simulating infiltration of precipitation/irrigation water into relatively dry, cracked, fine-textured soils. The FRACTURE submodel forms part of the HYDRUS-ET variably saturated flow/transport model. Infiltration into the soil matrix is formally divided into two components: (1) Vertical infiltration through the soil surface; and (2) lateral infiltration via soil cracks. The first component is described and solved using the 1D Richards' equation. Excess water that does not infiltrate through the soil surface is either considered to be runoff, if no soil cracks are present, or routed into soil cracks from where it may laterally infiltrate into the soil matrix. Horizontal infiltration from soil cracks into the soil matrix is calculated using the Green-Ampt approach and incorporated as a positive source/sink term Sf in the Richards' equation describing flow in the matrix. In addition to the hydraulic properties of the soil matrix, the FRACTURE submodel requires parameters characterizing the soil cracks, notably the specific crack length per surface area lc and the relationship between crack porosity Pc and the gravimetric soil water content w. An example problem shows that infiltration from soil cracks can be an important process affecting the soil water regime of cracked soils. A comparison with the more traditional approach, involving surface infiltration only, indicates important differences in the soil water content distribution during a rainfall/irrigation event. This extension of the classical approach to include crack infiltration significantly improves the identification and prediction of the soil water regime.