ABSTRACT
Knowledge of soil infiltration capability is very important for planning to mitigate flooding hazards. Research into handling surface drainage and the conservation of excess water in the soil needs to be encouraged and continuously developed. The aim of this research was to figure out the relationship between infiltration rate and surface parameters, which are easily obtained from radar images from space. This information is related to the infiltration capacity, the soil saturation, and the correlation between saturation and the water table. Such an infiltration study was carried out in the eastern part of Semarang City, namely the Tembalang District, which is represented by alluvium and weathered volcanic sediments. Three infiltration test points were placed: two in volcanic territories and one in alluvium deposits. The method used was the measurement of single-ring infiltration, which emphasized the measurement of the attainment of constant infiltration and a change of water content during infiltration observations. The results revealed a negative linear correlation between the constant infiltration’s time and changes in soil water content in volcanic soil, and a positive linear correlation in alluvium soil. This finding needs to be further tested for soil types in several different locations. Additional tests to examine the variable existence of a groundwater table found linkages between changes in water content, constant infiltration time, and the presence of a groundwater table.
