Development and Analysis of Soil Water Infiltration Global Database
Authors: Rahmati Mehdi , Weihermüller Lutz , Vanderborght Jan , Pachepsky Yakov A. , Mao Lili , Sadeghi Seyed Hamidreza , Moosavi Niloofar , Kheirfam Hossein , Montzka Carsten , Van Looy Kris , Toth Brigitta , Hazbavi Zeinab , Al Yamani Wafa , Albalasmeh Ammar A. , Alghzawi Ma'in Z. , Angulo-Jaramillo Rafael , Antonino Antônio Celso Dantas , Arampatzis George , Armindo Robson André , Asadi Hossein , Bamutaze Yazidhi , Batlle-Aguilar Jordi , Bechet Beatrice , Becker Fabian , Blöschl Günter , Bohne Klaus , Braud Isabelle , Castellano Clara , Cerdà Artemi , Chalhoub Maha , Cichota Rogerio , Císlerová Milena , Clothier Brent , Coquet Yves , Cornelis Wim , Corradini Corrado , Coutinho Artur Paiva , de Oliveira Muriel Bastista , de Macedo José Ronaldo , Durães Matheus Fonseca , Emami Hojat , Eskandari Iraj , Farajnia Asghar , Flammini Alessia , Fodor Nándor , Gharaibeh Mamoun , Ghavimipanah Mohamad Hossein , Ghezzehei Teamrat A. , Giertz Simone , Hatzigiannakis Evangelos G , Horn Rainer , Jiménez Juan José , Jacques Diederik , Keesstra Saskia Deborah , Kelishadi Hamid , Kiani-Harchegani Mahboobeh , Kouselou Mehdi , Kumar Jha Madan , Lassabatere Laurent , Li Xiaoyan , Liebig Mark A. , Lichner Lubomír , López María Victoria , Machiwal Deepesh , Mallants Dirk , Mallmann Micael Stolben , de Oliveira Marques Jean Dalmo , Marshall Miles R. , Mertens Jan , Meunier Félicien , Mohammadi Mohammad Hossein , Mohanty Binayak P. , Moncada Mansonia Pulido , Montenegro Suzana , Morbidelli Renato , Moret-Fernández David , Moosavi Ali Akbar , Mosaddeghi Mohammad Reza , Mousavi Seyed Bahman , Mozaffari Hasan , Nabiollahi Kamal , Neyshabouri Mohammad Reza , Ottoni Marta Vasconcelos , Ottoni Filho Theophilo Benedicto , Pahlavan Rad Mohammad Reza , Panagopoulos Andreas , Peth Stephan , Peyneau Pierre-Emmanuel , Picciafuoco Tommaso , Poesen Jean , Pulido Manuel , Reinert Dalvan José , Reinsch Sabine , Rezaei Meisam , Roberts Francis Parry , Robinson David , Rodrigo-Comino Jesús , Rotunno Filho Otto Corrêa , Saito Tadaomi , Suganuma Hideki , Saltalippi Carla , Sándor Renáta , Schütt Brigitta , Seeger Manuel , Sepehrnia Nasrollah , Sharifi Moghaddam Ehsan , Shukla Manoj , Shutaro Shiraki , Sorando Ricardo , Stanley Ajayi Asishana , Strauss Peter , Su Zhongbo , Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi Ruhollah , Taguas Encarnación , Teixeira Wenceslau Geraldes , Vaezi Ali Reza , Vafakhah Mehdi , Vogel Tomas , Vogeler Iris , Votrubova Jana , Werner Steffen , Winarski Thierry , Yilmaz Deniz , Young Michael H. , Zacharias Steffen , Zeng Yijian , Zhao Ying , Zhao Hong , Vereecken Harry 
Published: March 2018

Abstract. In this paper, we present and analyze a global database of soil infiltration measurements, the Soil Water Infiltration Global (SWIG) database, for the first time. In total, 5023 infiltration curves were collected across all continents in the SWIG database. These data were either provided and quality checked by the scientists who performed the experiments or they were digitized from published articles. Data from 54 different countries were included in the database with major contributions from Iran, China, and USA. In addition to its global spatial coverage, the collected infiltration curves cover a time span of research from 1976 to late 2017. Basic information on measurement location and method, soil properties, and land use were gathered along with the infiltration data, which makes the database valuable for the development of pedo-transfer functions for estimating soil hydraulic properties, for the evaluation of infiltration measurement methods, and for developing and validating infiltration models. Soil textural information (clay, silt, and sand content) is available for 3842 out of 5023 infiltration measurements (~76 %) covering nearly all soil USDA textural classes except for the sandy clay and silt classes. Information on the land use is available for 76 % of experimental sites with agricultural land use as the dominant type (~40 %). We are convinced that the SWIG database will allow for a better parameterization of the infiltration process in land surface models and for testing infiltration models. All collected data and related soil characteristics are provided online in *.xlsx and *.csv formats for reference, and we add a disclaimer that the database is for use by public domain only and can be copied freely by referencing it. Supplementary data are available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.885492. Data quality assessment is strongly advised prior to any use of this database. Finally, we would like to encourage scientists to extend/update the SWIG by uploading new data to it.