Parameter identification and analysis of soluble chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff

Abstract. A two-layer mathematical model is used to predict the chemical transfer from the soil into the surface runoff with ponding water. There are two incomplete infiltration-related parameter γ and runoff-related parameter α in the analytical solution to the model, which were assumed to be constant in previous studies (Tong et al., 2010). In this study, experimental data are used to identify the variable γ and α based on the analytical solution. The soil depth of the mixing zone is kept to be constant in different experiments, and the values of γ and α before the surface runoff occurs are constant and equal to their values at the moment the runoff starts. From the study results, it is found that γ will decrease with the increase of the surface runoff time, the increase of the ponding-water depth, h_p, or with the decrease of the initial volumetric water content. The variability of γ will decrease with the increase of the initial volumetric water content. Similarly, α will decrease with time for the initially unsaturated experimental soils, but will increase with time for the initially saturated experimental soils. The larger the infiltration, the less chemical concentration in the surface runoff is. The analytical solution is not valid for experimental soil without any infiltration if α is expected to be less or equal to 1. The results will help to quantify chemical transfer from soil into runoff, a significant problem in agricultural pollution management.