1. Infiltration and unsaturated flow (Mays p 310-321)
Learning objective
Be able to calculate infiltration, cumulative infiltration and time to ponding using the Green- Ampt method as given in Mays Section 7.4
The rate at which water can infiltrate is important for determining the partition between whether rainfall infiltrates or becomes runoff that flows overland to streams.

2. The class of problem we need to solve
Consider a soil of given type (e.g. silty clay loam) and given an input rainfall hyetograph, calculate the infiltration and the runoff. Rainfall rate 2 cm/hr, for 3 hours Initial soil moisture content 0.3

3. Key Concepts If 𝑖< 𝑓 𝑐 𝑓=𝑖 Else 𝑓= 𝑓 𝑐 𝑟=𝑖−𝑓
(a) Infiltration rate = rainfall rate which is less than infiltration capacity
(b) Runoff rate = Rainfall intensity – Infiltration capacity. 𝑖 𝑖 𝑟 𝑓 𝑓
𝑓 𝑐
Surface runoff occurs when surface water input exceeds infiltration capacity
Infiltration capacity varies with time (and the amount of water infiltrated)
Cumulative infiltration F is the accumulated amount of water infiltrated since the start of an event 𝐹= 0 𝑡 𝑓 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 , 𝑓= 𝑑𝐹 𝑑𝑡
Ponding is the condition when 𝑖> 𝑓 𝑐
Ponding time t p is that time when 𝑖= 𝑓 𝑐
Cumulative infiltration at ponding F p
is the amount of water that has infiltrated
at the ponding time
Runoff = Rainfall Excess is the rainfall that is not infiltrated or retained on the land surface
If 𝑖< 𝑓 𝑐
𝑓=𝑖
Else
𝑓= 𝑓 𝑐
𝑟=𝑖−𝑓

4. Example 7.4.3
Use the Green-Ampt method to evaluate the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration depth for a silty clay soil at 0.1 hr increments up to 6 hr from the beginning of infiltration. Assume an initial effective saturation of 20% and continuous ponding
ℎ 1 = ℎ 0
ℎ 2 =−𝐿−𝜓
𝐹=𝐿∆𝜃
Wetting front in a sandy soil exposed after intense rain (from Dingman, 1994).
𝑓 𝑐 =−𝑞=𝐾 ℎ 1 − ℎ 2 𝑧 1 − 𝑧 2
=𝐾 ℎ 𝑜 − −𝐿−𝜓 𝐿
=𝐾 𝐹+𝜓∆𝜃 𝐹 for ho = 0
From Mays, 2011, Ground and Surface Water Hydrology

5. Table Green – Ampt infiltration parameters for various soil classes (Rawls et al., 1983). The numbers in parentheses are one standard deviation around the parameter value given.
Soil Texture
Porosity n
Effective porosity e
Wetting front soil suction head  (cm)
Hydraulic conductivity K (cm/hr)
Sand
0.437
( )
0.417
( )
4.95
( )
11.78
Loamy sand
( )
0.401
( )
6.13
( )
2.99
Sandy loam
0.453
( )
0.412
( )
11.01
( )
1.09
Loam
0.463
( )
0.434
( )
8.89
( )
0.34
Silt loam
0.501
( )
0.486
( )
16.68
( )
0.65
Sandy clay loam
0.398
( )
0.330
( )
21.85
( )
0.15
Clay loam
0.464
( )
0.309
( )
20.88
( )
0.1
Silty clay loam
0.471
( )
0.432
( )
27.30
( )
Sandy clay
0.430
( )
0.321
( )
23.90
( )
0.06
Silty clay
0.479
( )
0.423
( )
29.22
( )
0.05
Clay
0.475
( )
0.385
( )
31.63
( )
0.03

6. Infiltration capacity – Depth Function

7. Delayed Ponding and Green-Ampt Infiltration after Ponding
At ponding
𝑓=𝐾 1+ 𝜓∆𝜃 𝐹
𝑖=𝐾 1+ 𝜓∆𝜃 𝑖 𝑡 𝑝
Time of ponding
After ponding
𝑡 𝑝 = 𝐾𝜓∆𝜃 𝑖 𝑖−𝐾
𝐹− 𝐹 𝑝 −𝜓∆𝜃 ln 𝐹+𝜓∆𝜃 𝐹 𝑝 +𝜓∆𝜃 =𝐾 𝑡− 𝑡 𝑝
From Mays, 2011, Ground and Surface Water Hydrology

8. Modified Example 7.4.3
For the same silty clay soil used in example evaluate the runoff generated for a 1.5 hour storm with rainfall rate 0.8 cm/h.