Excel Approach for Infiltration Capacity for Different Lands

This paper presents an Excel approach for infiltration capacity for different types of lands. That is to employ the popular Microsoft Excel software to represent the measured infiltration data graphically. Regression analysis is performed for the accumulated infiltration versus the time. Equations are obtained to predict the accumulated infiltration at required times.

Thirty one raw infiltration measurements from various sources are gathered, studied and analyzed applying this approach. Measurements include different types of soil textures and land covers. The infiltration rates are measured by the commonly used infiltrometer. Both single infiltrometer and double infiltrometer are employed.

It is concluded that the presented Polynomial infiltration model of Excel approach for the accumulated infiltration is associated with high accuracy, where the values of coefficient of determination (R2) range between 0.9850 and 0.9998. The obtained equations can help in irrigation processes.

All the gathered raw experimental infiltration measurements are also analyzed employing Horton and Kostiakov infiltration models. It is found that the Polynomial infiltration model of Excel approach has higher accuracy, followed by Kostiakov model, and finally Horton model. The values of different constants of Horton and Kostiakov infiltration models for all cases are obtained. The accuracy of the Polynomial, Horton and Kostiakov infiltration models are studied considering the types of soil texture and land cover.

Investigating the constants A, B and C of the obtained equation of the polynomial infiltration model of Excel approach, it is found that all A values are negative, all B values are positive, and all C values are positive except for sandy clay and sandy clay loam soils. There is no specific trend for the effect of the associated land cover on constants A, B, and C except for loamy sand soil, where B and C values for bare land are greater than their values for irrigated land.