Multiscaling analysis in a structured clay soil using 2D images

The spatial variability of preferential pathways for water and chemical transport in a field soil, as visualized through dye infiltration experiments, was studied by applying configuration entropy and multifractal analysis. After dye infiltration into a 4 m plot located on a Vertisol soil near Colle...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam) 2006-05, Vol.322 (1), p.236-246
Main Authors: Tarquis, A.M., McInnes, K.J., Key, J.R., Saa, A., García, M.R., Díaz, M.C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
clay soils
Configuration entropy
Dye tracer
dyes
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Flow-path
Hydrology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
image analysis
infiltration (hydrology)
mathematical models
mathematics and statistics
Multifractals
multiscaling analysis
soil transport processes
spatial variation
Vertisols
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Summary:The spatial variability of preferential pathways for water and chemical transport in a field soil, as visualized through dye infiltration experiments, was studied by applying configuration entropy and multifractal analysis. After dye infiltration into a 4 m plot located on a Vertisol soil near College Station, TX, horizontal planes in the subsoil were exposed at 5-cm intervals, and dye stain patterns were photographed. Each of the digitized high-resolution dye images obtained were analysed calculating the maximum configuration entropy ( H( L)), the characteristic length ( L), and the generalized dimensions ( D q ). The results indicate that H( L) and L are two useful descriptors that give an optimal scale of discrimination in the spatial arrangement of the dye tracer at each horizontal section. In addition, L can be used to choose the scale range at which the multifractal analysis should be applied. It has been showed that D q , being q>0, depend much more on the percentage of black pixels than on the image structure when a box-counting method is used. Finally, a multifractal analysis was applied to maximum dye infiltration depth and amount of dye pixels bellow the area studied, obtained by merging images from the 16 exposed planes. The results show a multiscaling structure and a consistent D q for both measures. This could be useful for statistically describing preferential flow path geometry and flow processes under field conditions.
ISSN:0022-1694
1879-2707
DOI:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2005.03.005