Lawn & Soil Care

What Is Infiltration?

Infiltration is the entry of water from the ground surface into the soil.

Concept diagram: Water arrives at surface; Water crosses into soil; Runoff stays on surface. — Water arrives at surface; Water crosses into soil; Runoff stays on surface. Simplified conceptual illustration; not to scale.

How to Understand It

Infiltration rate describes how quickly that entry happens. It depends on soil texture, structure, compaction, and current moisture. Water moving downward inside the soil is a related process; surface runoff occurs when water flows across the ground instead.

Related terms

Root Zone
Soil Compaction
Soil Texture

Learn more

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