The PDI model system for parameterizing soil hydraulic properties.

The Peters–Durner–Iden (PDI) model system for describing soil hydraulic properties (SHP) has been developed over a decade. Inspired by Rien van Genuchten's seminal work, the PDI system focuses on an efficient and simple parameterization of water retention curves and hydraulic conductivity curves (HCC) across the entire soil moisture spectrum. By combining capillary and non‐capillary components for water retention and conductivity, it aims to reconcile mathematical simplicity and insights on water adsorption and film flow in soils. Recent developments have reduced the number of free parameters of the conductivity model to zero, enhancing the model's applicability in cases of limited data availability. The first reduction was achieved by a prediction of absolute non‐capillary conductivity based on the consideration of film and corner flow on the pore scale, and the second by a prediction of absolute capillary conductivity by a capillary bundle model. This allows a complete characterization of SHP over the entire moisture range with only four retention curve parameters. The inclusion of a maximum pore size in the capillary conductivity model prevents an unrealistic drop of the HCC near saturation. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the PDI model system, emphasizing its conceptual features and mathematical details. An Excel sheet and a Python code stored in a repository are provided for accessibility. Core Ideas: Compact and comprehensive mathematical overview of the current PDI system.The model integrates elements of capillary and non‐capillary soil water storage and conductivity in a simple manner.Hydraulic conductivity can be completely predicted from the retention curve.Improved applicability in cases where conductivity data are scarce or available only in a limited moisture range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]