MODELING SPATIAL PATTERNS OF 3 INFILTRATION PARAMETERS

Infiltration experiments were conducted in a conventionally-tilled fie ld to model the stochastic structure of spatially-variable infiltratio n parameters (i.e. saturated hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity, and i nfiltration rate). The experimental data and the Philip's infiltration equation were employed to compute these parameters. The saturated hyd raulic conductivity possessed the greatest degree of spatial variabili ty as compared to the sorptivity and the steady-state infiltration rat e. The spatial patterns of all three parameters have been described by means of deterministic-stochastic models. These models describe the s patial structures of the parameters quite well and can therefore be us ed to describe the infiltration process in a field having spatially-va rying infiltration characteristics.