Synonyms
Definition
Percolation can be defined as the flow of fluids through a porous media (filter). Infiltration rate may be defined as the meters per unit time of the entry of water into the soil surface regardless of the types or values of forces or gradients. Water entry into the soil is caused by matric and gravitational forces. Infiltration normally refers to the downward movement (Kirkham 2004).
Context
The rate of infiltration is influenced by the physical characteristics of the soil such as soil hydraulic conductivity (K(θ), LT−1), initial water content (θ i, m3 m−3), residual water content (θ r, m3 m−3), saturated water content (θ s, m3 m−3), soil cover (i.e., plants), soil temperature, and rainfall intensity (Kirkham 2004; Essig et al. 2009). Numerical results have elucidated the role of gravity, capillary forces, and slope angle on infiltration over various periods.
The degree of infiltration very much depends on the soil type and thickness. Sandy soils allow...
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References
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Parvizi, S., Eslamian, S., Ostad-Ali-Askari, K., Yazdani, A., Singh, V.P. (2018). Percolation. In: Bobrowsky, P., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_216-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_216-1
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