A numerical simulation model for one dimensional infiltration

Abstract

The theory for transient isothermal flow of water into nonswelling unsaturated soil has been developed to a large extent in terms of solutions of the non-linear Richards equation. In the field, the description of infiltration is highly complicated since the initial and boundary conditions are usually not constant while the soil characteristics may vary with time and space. In this study, a model h:>~ been formulated for finite difference solution of the nonlinear Richards equation applicable to transient, one-dimensional water flow through the unsaturated porous medium. The simulated soil moisture profiles for explicit, Crank-Nicolson and implicit schemes have been compared with the quasi-analytical solution of Philip.