title: Evaluation of infiltration models in contaminated landscape.
abstract: The infiltration models of Kostiakov, Green-Ampt, and Philip (two and three terms equations) were used, calibrated, and evaluated to simulate in-situ infiltration in nine different soil types. The Osborne-Moré modified version of the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization algorithm was coupled with the experimental data obtained by the double ring infiltrometers and the infiltration equations, to estimate the model parameters. Comparison of the model outputs with the experimental data indicates that the models can successfully describe cumulative infiltration in different soil types. However, since Kostiakov's equation fails to accurately simulate the infiltration rate as time approaches infinity, Philip's two-term equation, in some cases, produces negative values for the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils, and the Green-Ampt model uses piston flow assumptions, we suggest using Philip's three-term equation to simulate infiltration and to estimate the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils.
authors.affiliation: Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. kouroush@eng.umd.edu
authors.forename: Kouroush
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sadegh Zadeh
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirmohammadi
authors.forename: Hubert J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Montas
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Felton
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D012987:Soil