Steady Infiltration into Two-Layered Soils with a Root-Water Uptake

This paper investigates steady infiltration problems involving periodic channels in two-layered soil with the presence of root-water uptake. The problems are governed by a set of Richards’ equations accompanied by boundary interface conditions. To address these problems, we transform the system of Richards’ equations, along with the corresponding boundary conditions, into a set of steady diffusion-convection equations with transformed boundary conditions. The mathematical model is then tackled through a numerical approach utilizing the Iterative Dual Reciprocity Method (IDRM). Through this numerical method, we obtain solutions that describe the distribution of soil water potential and hydraulic conductivity within the soil. The outcomes of this study shed light on the influence of soil texture and saturated hydraulic conductivity on the values of soil water potential and hydraulic conductivity