Challenges in matching permeability observed in macroporous soil with lattice Boltzmann and image analysis methods using segmented pore structures

Authors: RAHMATIL, MEHDI - Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh; WEIHERMULLER, LUTZ - Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh; VANDERBORGHT, JAN - Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh; Pachepsky, Yakov; MAO, LILI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; MOOSAVI, NILOOSAFAR - Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh; MONTZKA, KARSTEN - Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh; LOOY, KRIS VAN - Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh

Submitted to: Earth System Science Data
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2018
Publication Date: 7/10/2018
Citation: Rahmatil, M., Weihermuller, L., Vanderborght, J., Pachepsky, Y.A., Mao, L., Moosavi, N., Montzka, K., Looy, K. 2018. Challenges in matching permeability observed in macroporous soil with lattice Boltzmann and image analysis methods using segmented pore structures. Earth System Science Data. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2018-11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2018-11

Interpretive Summary: Infiltration is the major process determining the role of soils in biospere. The number of measurements of infiltration in soil is truly colossal. Yet no attempt was made so far to summarize global trends and spatial patterns related to infiltration in soil. This work is the first step in this direction. Data from different countries are collected in the format that allows their retrieval and analysis. Results are expected to be used globally in many countries by the wide range of researchers and professionals dealing with infiltration in their work.

Technical Abstract: In this paper, we present and analyze a global database of soil infiltration measurements, the Soil Water Infiltration Global (SWIG) database, for the first time. In total, 5023 infiltration curves were collected across all continents in the SWIG database. These data were either provided and quality checked by the scientists who performed the experiments or they were digitized from published articles. Data from 54 different countries were included in the database with major contributions from China and the U.S. In addition to its global spatial coverage, the collected infiltration curves cover a time span of research from 1976 to late 2017. Basic information on measurement location and method, soil properties, and land use were gathered along with the infiltration data, which makes the database valuable for the development of pedo-transfer functions for estimating soil hydraulic properties, for the evaluation of infiltration measurement methods, and for developing and validating infiltration models. Soil textural information (clay, silt, and sand content) is available for 3842 out of 5023 infiltration measurements (~76%) covering nearly all soil USDA textural classes except for the sandy clay and silt classes. Information on the land use is available for 76% of experimental sites with agricultural land use as the dominant type (~40%). We are convinced that the SWIG database will allow for a better parameterization of the infiltration process in land surface models and for testing infiltration models. All collected data and related soil characteristics are provided online in *.xlsx and *.csv formats for reference, and we add a disclaimer that the database is for use by public domain only and can be copied freely by referencing it. Supplementary data are available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.885492. Data quality assessment is strongly advised prior to any use of this database. Finally, we would like to encourage scientists to extend/update the SWIG by uploading new data to it.