Estimation of Soil-Water Retention From Particle-Size Distribution: Fractal Approaches

Soil-water retention curve (SWRC) is one of the most important properties of porous media whose estimation is still under investigation by either physically based approaches or empirically developed models. In this short communication, the authors reviewed three well-known fractal approaches, that is, Kravchenko and Zhang, the pore-solid fractal, and Hunt and Gee methods, which estimate SWRC from particle-size distribution. The authors argue that the most reliable method is to use Hunt and Gee's approach to estimate SWRC, then modify the estimated equilibrium water content by the Hunt and Skinner algorithm for nonequilibrium conditions.