Abstract

A generalized Kozeny-Carman equation was employed to relate saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) to effective porosity (φ_e) in clay profiles in Sweden with clay content >15% were analyzed. The value empirical constants. The term φ_e was defined as porosity (φ) minus soil-water content at −30 kPa. Around 500 horizons from 60 soil profiles in Sweden with clay content >15% were analyzed. The value of n was tested with two statistical methods. According to the first method, a regression test on the log-log relationship between K_s and φ_e with least-squares lines fitted through the data, the exponent n was found to lie around 2 for soils with high clay content (>40%), and 3 for soils with lower clay content (15–40%). The correlation coefficients were moderate, ranging from 0.51 to 0.71 for different clay soil groups. In the second method, the cumulative frequency distributions of scaling factors for K_s determined from measured values of K_s were compared with scaling factors for K_s determined from φ_e. Reasonable agreements were obtained with n = 4 to 5 for soils with clay content >40%, and with n = 5 to 6 for soils with clay content 15 to 40%. The second method gave n-values that correspond well with other recent published work. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of K_s is estimated reasonably well from φ_e values, whereas the individual values of K_s are not estimated as well.

Published in

Soil Science Society of America Journal
1989, Volume: 53, number: 3, pages: 665-668

SLU Authors

• Messing, Ingmar

  • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Soil Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1989.03615995005300030003x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/128578