Soil water is continuously moving in response to pressure gradients caused by capillary and gravimetric forces
unique to each soil element according to its pore structure, water content, chemicals, and other minor effects. This
water redistribution within the soil profile plays a significant role in the water profile status, vertical conductivity
and plant water abstraction. It is a very necessary process to be estimated for realistic simulations of AET and soil
water, although one of the more difficult processes to represent because of the data requirements and mathematical
solutions.
A finite difference form of the Darcy equation for vertical water conductivity (up or down) between the specified
soil layers is used. While many solutions are available for the Darcy equation (or Richards equation) which use
sophisticated numerical analysis techniques, a simpler and more direct method of forward differencing was
programmed. Variable time steps are defined according to a maximum allowed change of soil water tension per
time step. The objective was to minimize the computations, yet provide reasonable redistribution estimates and
computational stability over long simulation periods and over the full range of soil water content of agricultural
soils.