Percolation is the process by which water moves downward through the soil under gravitational forces. The rate of percolation depends on the water content and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil.
What Is Soil Percolation?
When water falls as rain or snow, a portion of it seeps into the ground. This process is called infiltration. The water that infiltrates the soil is called precipitation.
The amount of water that can infiltrate the soil depends on the type of soil, the amount of rainfall, and the intensity of the rainfall.
The water that does not seep into the ground runs off the land surface in a process called runoff. Runoff occurs when the infiltration capacity of the soil is exceeded by the amount of rainfall.
The water that runs off the land surface eventually finds its way into streams, rivers, and lakes. Soil percolation is the process by which water moves through the soil.
The rate at which water percolates through the soil depends on the type of soil, the amount of rainfall, and the intensity of the rainfall.
The rate of soil percolation is an important factor in the design of septic systems, sewer systems, and stormwater systems.
Soil percolation is also an important factor in the movement of water through the unsaturated zone and the groundwater system.
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