Theory 102/Soil Science
Infiltration Is a Crust Ratio
The claim
Infiltration rate is set by the ratio of crust conductivity to matrix conductivity, so a thin crust can dominate a permeable soil.
01The mechanism
Flow is limited by the least conductive layer; when the crust is orders of magnitude less conductive, the matrix is irrelevant.
02Predictions
- P1Infiltration should collapse with crusting.
- P2Breaking the crust should restore infiltration abruptly.
03Refutation
Infiltration tracking matrix conductivity would ignore the crust.