Abstract

A laboratory infiltrometer system was used to evaluate the infiltration process through reconstructed surface mine profiles. Six different profiles were subjected to constant simulated rainfall intensities for selected test conditions. Surface runoff rates were monitored and transient soil moisture contents in the profiles were measured with a gamma density gauge. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity relationships were determined using Campbelfs method and the "zero-flux" procedure. The infiltration process was modeled by the SCS curve number method, a form of Holtan's equation, the Green-Ampt model and Richards' equation. SCS curve numbers were determined by fitting the method to the observed results. Richards' equation gave very good estimates of the infiltration process through the spoil profiles, but was only slightly better than the Green-Ampt model. None of the models worked well for the profiles where macropore flow occurred through a two layer, topsoil-over-spoil system.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1986

Notes/Citation Information

Published in Transactions of the ASAE, v. 29, issue 3, p. 785-793.

© 1986 American Society of Agricultural Engineers

The copyright holder has granted the permission for posting the article here.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.30230

Funding Information

The work reported in this paper was supported in part by funds provided by the Office of Water Research and Technology, United States Department of Interior, as authorized under the Water Resources Act of 1964, and in part by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with the approval of the Director of the Experiment Station as Journal Article No. 82-2-3-265.

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