WHAT IS

PONDING
PONDING
TIME
TIME ?
PREPARED BY:
SHAINEE DELLE PALMERA
HYDROLOGY (CE 148)
WHAT IS
PONDING
TIME ?
PONDING TIME

• Is the elapsed time

between the time rainfall
begins and the time
water begins to pond on
the soil surface
 tp = ponding time
HYDROLOGY ////
• Mein and Larson ( 1973) presented a method for determining
the ponding time with infiltration into the soil described by the
Green- Ampt equation for rainfall of intensity (i) starting
instantaneously and continuing indefinitely.

• Three principles involved:

1) all of the rainfall is infiltrated
2) infiltration rate is a function of cumulative infiltration F
3) ponding occurs when the infiltration rate is </= to rainfall
intensity

HYDROLOGY ////
 K = hydraulic conductivity
Ψ= wetting front capillary pressure
head
Δθ = difference bet. the initial and final
moisture content of soil

HYDROLOGY ////
HYDROLOGY ////
 • Cumulative infiltration after ponding occurs

HYDROLOGY ////
HYDROLOGY ////
Application
 EXAMPLE NO. 1

Compute the ponding time and the depth of water

infiltrated at ponding for a silt loam soil of 30 % initial
effective saturation, subjected to rainfall intensities of
(a) 1 cm/hr (b) 5 cm/hr.
HYDROLOGY ////
HYDROLOGY ////
HYDROLOGY ////
 EXAMPLE NO. 2

The soil characterized below has an initial effective

saturation of 45 %
• For a rainfall intensity of 1.5 cm/hr, how long until
ponding occurs?
• What rainfall intensity will cause ponding after 20
minutes?
PARAMETERS VALUE
Θc (EFFECTIVE POROSITY) 0.423
Ψ ( SOIL SUCTION HEAD) 29.22 cm
K ( HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY) 0.05 cm/hr
 Solution:

(𝟐𝟗.𝟐𝟐)(𝟏−𝟎.𝟒𝟓)(𝟎.𝟒𝟐𝟑)
1.5 = 0.05( + 𝟏)
𝟏.𝟓(tp)
= 0.1563 hrs

HYDROLOGY ////
 Solution:

(𝟐𝟗.𝟐𝟐)(𝟏−𝟎.𝟒𝟓)(𝟎.𝟒𝟐𝟑)
i= 0.05( + 𝟏)
𝒊(0.33)
= 1.036 cm/hr

HYDROLOGY ////
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