mini disk infiltrometer

• A low cost, portable infiltrometer for soil science researchers

• Accurately measure unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and infiltration rates on a range of soils

• Low volume of water makes the mini disk infiltrometer ideal for remote field sites

• Free Excel macro worksheet to assist with unsaturated hydraulic conductivity calculations

Water movement in soil is spatially variable. The Mini Disk Infiltrometer is a quick way to test unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and infiltration rates.

Small, and simple, the Mini Disk Infiltrometer is a true field instrument. It can be tossed into a backpack with a bottle of water. Adjustable suction and a porous stainless steel contact plate assure a reliable soil unsaturated hydraulic conductivity measurement.

Just fill the reservoir, set the suction, and start measuring infiltration. You don't have to pre-saturate the disk.

Enter the infiltration and elapsed time data in the included spreadsheet calculator to find unsaturated hydraulic conductivity.

Both scientists and technicians have used the Mini Disk Infiltrometer to design irrigation systems, demonstrate hydraulic conductivity, evaluate erosion hazard, and gauge the impact of forest fires. It's ideal for irrigation system design, classroom instruction, erosion hazard evaluation, burn severity studies, and many other applications.

how it works

The upper and lower chambers of the Mini Disk Infiltrometer are both filled with water.

The top chamber (or bubble chamber) controls the suction.

The lower chamber contains a volume of water that infiltrates into the soil at a rate determined by the suction selected in the bubble chamber. The lower chamber is labeled like a graduated cylinder with volume shown in mL.

The bottom of the Infiltrometer has a porous sintered stainless steel disk does not allow water to leak in open air. The small diameter of the disk allows for undisturbed measurements on relatively level soil surfaces.

Once you place the Mini Disk Infiltrometer on a soil, water begins to leave the lower chamber and infiltrate into the soil at a rate determined by the hydraulic properties of the soil.

As the water level drops, you record the volume at specific time intervals (like every 30 seconds for a silt loam soil).