FINITE DIFFERENCE CALCULATION OF UNSATURATED PERMEABILITY1

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Abstract
Unsaturated permeability was calculated for a drying soil from a finite difference approximation of a single-phase, 1-dimensional flow equation. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the effect of the other terms of the equation on the value of permeability. For example, for the time term, differences of permeability from 3-130% were found between steady-state and non-steady-state calculations. Overestimation of the time term led to larger errors than underestimation did. A sensitivity analysis of potential gradient and flow showed the former only slightly more significant for the steady-state case and the latter more significant for the time-varying case. Underestimation of potential gradient led to larger errors than overestimation. Uniform changes in potential affected permeability, essentially through changes in potential gradient.

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