An experimental hydrometeorological investigation to address infiltration-redistribution modelling

Experimental evidence of the time evolution of the soil moisture vertical profile in homogeneous soils under natural conditions is given in order to address the corresponding simulation modelling. Each experiment was conducted over two adjacent plots with soils of silty loam and loam type. The water content profiles θ(z,t) were continuously monitored using the time domain reflectometry method. For each profile four buriable three-rod waveguides were inserted horizontally at different depth (5, 15, 25 and 35 cm). In addition, we used sensors of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and rain as supports for the application of a specific simulation model. The results indicate that, under natural conditions, very different trends of the θ(z,t) function can be observed in a given fine-textured bare soil, where because of the formation of a crust layer an adjustment of the commonly used simulation modelling is required. In addition, because of the considerable variations of the moisture content vertical profiles measured in different soils types a generalization of the existing models is needed.