Abstract

MACIAS, Julio; VARGAS, Asdrúbal  and  ARELLANO, Federico. Hydraulic conductivity in two sites of the Central Valley of Costa Rica: comparative analysis of three methodologies of testing in the vadose zone. Rev. Geol. Amér. Central [online]. 2018, n.59, pp.71-96. ISSN 0256-7024.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rgac.v59i0.34160.

This article presents a comparative analysis of 15 hydraulic conductivity field tests performed in the vadose zone at two sites in Central Valley of Costa Rica, characterized by silt and sandy-silt soils. Conductivity tests included Guelph permeameter (GP), Porchet (PM) and Double Ring (DR) methods. All three methods indicates higher field saturated conductivity (K fs ) values at sandy-silt soils as expected. Calculated K fs values show the same trend reported in various scientific publication were DR >PM>GP. Authors interpreted lower values of K fs obtained for GP as the result of: consideration of capillarity effects in the mathematical formulation, and more importantly the effects of short periods of pre-saturation and monitoring, during execution of PM and DR tests.

Keywords : hydraulic conductivity; vadose zone; Guelph permeameter; Porchet method; double ring method.

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