Irrigation experiments on 12 instrumented field plots were used to assess the impact of dynamic soil crack networks on
infiltration and run-off. During applications of intensity similar to a heavy rainstorm, water was seen being preferentially
delivered within the soil profile. However, run-off was not observed until soil water content...
A soil’s capillarity, associated with the parameter sorptivity, is a dominant control on
infiltration, particularly at the onset of rainfall or irrigation. Many mathematical models
used to estimate sorptivity are only valid for dry soils. This paper examines how sorptivity
and its capillary component (as wetting front potential) change with...
Liquid latex was used as a method to seal visible surface-connected preferential flow pathways (PFPs) in the field in an effort to block large surface-connected preferential flow and force water to move through the soil matrix. The proposed approach allows for the quantification of the contribution of large surface-connected cracks...
Shrinkage cracks in soil function as a dominant control on the partitioning and distribution of moisture fluxes in the vadose zone. Their dynamics influence moisture balance and control water availability for runoff, deep infiltration, and near-surface storage. We present a new low-cost field instrument to monitor the temporal change in...
Current laboratory methods for determining volume and bulk density of soil clods include dipping saran-coated clods in water (a destructive process due to the permanent coating), performing physical measurements on samples with well-defined geometries, or using expensive equipment and proprietary software (such as laser scanners). We propose an alternative method...