| Abstract: | The determination of the hydraulic gradient of the wetting front and its relevance for clay detachment in soil As a result of some observations and experiments it must be supposed that clay migration does not only depend on the physico-chemical conditions but also on the water regime. Mechanical displacement of clay particles from its carrier can be the result of only rarely occuring high pore water velocities or of intensive changes of moisture suction at the wetting front, which can be quantified with the hydraulic gradient. A method how to determine the hydraulic gradient of the wetting front will be described. The determination and its importance for clay displacement will be explained by results of laboratory-experiments with sandy material packed into columns. |
