VOLUMETRIC SAMPLING OF SOIL-WATER FLOW USING WICKS

Wick samplers were installed on an undisturbed soil column to determin e if they would measure the volume of waterflowing vertically through the soil profile. The wicks intercepted about 45% of the vertically de scending water and caused the additional water to flow around the wick array. Tensiometer data were used to develop the flow nets which port ray this effect. The wicks were not found to be useful to measure desc ending water volumes. Caution is also advised in interpreting solute c oncentrations from wick data if it can be shown that solute concentrat ion is a function of flow velocity.