Based on the assumption that solute transport in a semi-infinite soil column or in a field soil profile can be described by the boundary-layer method, an analytical solution is presented for the advance of a solute front with time. The traditional convection-dispersion equation (CDE) subjected to two boundary conditions: 1) at the soil surface (or inlet boundary)and 2) at the solute front, was solved using a Laplace transformation. A comparison of resident concentrations using a boundary-layer method and an exact solution (in a semi-infinite-domain) showed that both were in good agreement within the range between the two boundaries. This led to a new method for estimating solute transport parameters in soils, requiring only observation of advance of the solute front with time. This may be corroborated visually using a tracer solution with marking-dye or measured utilizing time domain refiectometry (TDR). This method is applicable to both laboratory soil columns and field soils. Thus, it could be a step forward for modeling solute transport in field soils and for better understanding of the transport processes in soils.
