Field saturated hydraulic conductivity—why is it so difficult?
Inaccurate saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) measurements are common due to errors in soil-specific alpha estimation and inadequate three-dimensional flow buffering.
Hydrology
Spend less time on busywork and more time moving the needle. METER hydraulic conductivity solutions are easy-to-use, automated instruments for making more accurate measurements—faster.
Measurement Insights
Lab vs. field instruments—why you should use both
Lab and field instruments used together can provide researchers a symphony of information and can be used as powerful tools in understanding data and predicting a soil’s behavior over time.
Even better together— The HYPROP and the KSAT use the same soil core, so you can take saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity measurements AND generate a soil moisture characteristic curve using the same sample—simplifying both processes.
Soil is complicated, but your life doesn't have to be. Get more out of every field and lab session with our time-saving lab and field instruments. Used together, they can be powerful tools in understanding data and predicting a soil's behavior over time.
“Great quality products and excellent service. I have your equipment in use in California and in the Andes in Colombia. It is all providing great data! The webinars are extremely useful and helped me expand and improve some of my research.”
– Niall McCartin, Ecohydrology researcher, California
We believe in education
We're scientists. The quest for knowledge is in our blood. We've spent decades learning the best way to measure pretty much everything, so you can access a wealth of information.
Webinars
Lab versus in situ soil water characteristic curves—a comparison
Lab-produced soil water retention curves can be paired with information from in situ moisture release curves for deeper insight into real-world variability.
Hydraulic Conductivity: How Many Measurements Do You Need?
Researchers are changing the way infiltration measurements are captured while keeping the standards of measurement high.
Soil Moisture 302: Hydraulic Conductivity—Which Instrument is Right for You?
Leo Rivera, research scientist at METER, teaches which situations require saturated or unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and the pros and cons of common methods.
METER is trusted by
The SATURO is recommended by the Soil Health Institute as a standard method for measuring field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs): a Tier 1 soil health indicator.
Case studies, webinars, and articles you’ll love
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