Analytical Determination of Soil Thermal Conductivity and Diffusivity

1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Ingersoll
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Porosity ◽  
Analytical Determination ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Soil Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Dry Soil

A simple model has been developed that can be used to calculate the soil thermal conductivity and diffusivity on the basis of the following factors: soil porosity; soil water content; conductivity, specific heat, and density of the constituents of soil, i.e., solid matter, water, and air. The model assumes that the void space in soil can be presented by a combination of plane fissures, whose direction is either parallel to the heat flow or perpendicular to it. A coefficient introduced to account for this combination in the two directions can be estimated from measured data as a function of the soil water content. Moreover, it is assumed that air and moisture conduct heat across the fissures in parallel. It is found that soil conductivity and diffusivity increase relatively rapidly with a few percent addition of moisture to entirely dry soil. For instance, assuming a typical soil porosity of 40 percent we conclude that the ratio of soil diffusivities of saturated to dry soil is about four, while that of soild with 2.5 percent moisture content to dry soil is a little over two. That is to say, a small moisture addition to dry soil brings the diffusivity half way to its saturation value. Since soil always contains small amounts of moisture, this finding explains the fact that measured seasonal temperature damping factors in extreme humid and extreme arid climates differ by less than a factor of two even though the moisture content of the respective soils may differ by more than an order of magnitude.

The effect of soil temperature and soil water content on thermal properties in an artificial forestland and a natural regrowth grassland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tangtang Zhang ◽  
Xin Ma
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Condition ◽  
Soil Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Soil Thermal Properties ◽  
Increasing Temperature

<p>Soil temperature, soil water content and soil thermal properties were measured in an artificial forestland and a natural regrowth grassland from November in 2017 to July in 2019. The results show that the effects of soil temperature and soil water content on thermal properties are different in different soil condition. Soil thermal conductivity (K) and soil volumetric heat capacity (C) increase with increasing temperature in unfrozen period, but soil diffusivity (D) has no significant dynamic cycle and it almost keeps a constant level in a certain time. Soil thermal conductivity (K) decreases with increasing temperature during soil frozen period. The C and K increase with increasing soil water content in unfrozen period, while the D decrease with increasing soil water content.</p>

Root effects on soil water and hydraulic properties

Biologia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst Gerke ◽  
Rolf Kuchenbuch
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Soil Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Soil Hydraulic ◽  
Root Effects

AbstractPlants can affect soil moisture and the soil hydraulic properties both directly by root water uptake and indirectly by modifying the soil structure. Furthermore, water in plant roots is mostly neglected when studying soil hydraulic properties. In this contribution, we analyze effects of the moisture content inside roots as compared to bulk soil moisture contents and speculate on implications of non-capillary-bound root water for determination of soil moisture and calibration of soil hydraulic properties.In a field crop of maize (Zea mays) of 75 cm row spacing, we sampled the total soil volumes of 0.7 m × 0.4 m and 0.3 m deep plots at the time of tasseling. For each of the 84 soil cubes of 10 cm edge length, root mass and length as well as moisture content and soil bulk density were determined. Roots were separated in 3 size classes for which a mean root porosity of 0.82 was obtained from the relation between root dry mass density and root bulk density using pycnometers. The spatially distributed fractions of root water contents were compared with those of the water in capillary pores of the soil matrix.Water inside roots was mostly below 2–5% of total soil water content; however, locally near the plant rows it was up to 20%. The results suggest that soil moisture in roots should be separately considered. Upon drying, the relation between the soil and root water may change towards water remaining in roots. Relations depend especially on soil water retention properties, growth stages, and root distributions. Gravimetric soil water content measurement could be misleading and TDR probes providing an integrated signal are difficult to interpret. Root effects should be more intensively studied for improved field soil water balance calculations.

scholarly journals Tillage and crop rotation effects on soil carbon and selected soil physical properties in a Haplic Cambisol in Eastern Cape, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mxolisi Mtyobile ◽  
Lindah Muzangwa ◽  
Pearson Nyari Stephano Mnkeni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Soil Porosity ◽  
No Till

The effects of tillage and crop rotation on the soil carbon, the soil bulk density, the porosity and the soil water content were evaluated during the 6<sup>th</sup> season of an on-going field trial at the University of Fort Hare Farm (UFH), South Africa. Two tillage systems; conventional tillage (CT) and no-till and crop rotations; maize (Zea mays L.)-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-fallow-soybean (Glycine max L.) (MFS); maize-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-maize (MWM) and  maize-wheat-soybean (MWS) were evaluated. The field experiment was a 2 × 4 factorial, laid out in a randomised complete design. The crop residues were retained for the no-till plots and incorporated for the CT plots, after each cropping season. No significant effects (P &gt; 0.05) of the tillage and crop rotation on the bulk density were observed. However, the values ranged from 1.32 to1.37 g/cm<sup>3</sup>. Significant interaction effects of the tillage and crop rotation were observed on the soil porosity (P &lt; 0.01) and the soil water content (P &lt; 0.05). The porosity for the MFM and the MWS, was higher under the CT whereas for the MWM and the MWS, it was higher under the no-till. However, the greatest porosity was under the MWS. Whilst the no-till significantly increased (P &lt; 0.05) the soil water content compared to the CT; the greatest soil water content was observed when the no-till was combined with the MWM rotations. The soil organic carbon (SOC) was increased more (P &lt; 0.05) by the no-till than the CT, and the MFM consistently had the least SOC compared with the rest of the crop rotations, at all the sampling depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm). The soil bulk density negatively correlated with the soil porosity and the soil water content, whereas the porosity positively correlated with the soil water content. The study concluded that the crop rotations, the MWM and the MWS under the no-till coupled with the residue retention improved the soil porosity and the soil water content levels the most.

The uptake of zinc-65 by oats in relation to soil water content and root growth

Soil Research ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
EKS Nambiar
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Thin Layer ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
65Zn Uptake ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Seminal Roots ◽  
Dry Soil ◽  
Water Contents

Effects of water content of the topsoil on root growth and 65Zn absorption by oats were measured. Seminal roots of oats grew through a labelled uptake layer that had been initially wetted to various water contents. The uptake layer was separated from adjacent layers of wet sand or soil by a thin layer of wax. When the uptake layer was wetted initially and allowed to dry during the uptake period, water content affected root growth and 65Zn uptake similarly. 65Zn absorption by unbranched seminal roots decreased linearly as soil water suction increased from 0.3 to 5 bar. Nevertheless significant amounts of 65Zn were absorbed (40% of that from wet soil) even when the soil water suction exceeded 15 bar, with negligible concomitant uptake of water. Provided the roots had access to water in a subjacent layer, rates of 65Zn absorption from dry soil increased with the age of the plants. The exudation of mucilage from the root was enhanced locally where the soil was dry. The mucilage may facilitate the transfer of zinc to the root in dry soil.

Physiological and biochemical responses of Festuca sinensis seedlings to temperature and soil moisture stress

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1007
Author(s):  
Jian-Jun Wang ◽  
Wei-Hu Lin ◽  
Yan-Ting Zhao ◽  
Cheng Meng ◽  
An-Wei Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Soluble Sugar ◽  
Free Proline ◽  
Relative Water ◽  
Physiological And Biochemical

The interaction effects between temperature and soil moisture on Festuca sinensis Keng ex E.B.Alexeev were analysed to determine how F. sinensis responds to these environmental conditions. A pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under simulated growth conditions with four soil moisture contents (80, 65, 50 and 35% relative saturation moisture content) and three temperature conditions (15, 20 and 25°C). Physiological (relative water content and root activity) and biochemical parameters (chlorophyll, peroxidase (POD), malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein, soluble sugar and free proline) were evaluated at the seedling stage. Results showed that with a decrease in soil water content, the POD activities, MDA content, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content and free proline content of plants under the 15°C and 20°C treatments initially decreased and then increased, whereas they increased with a decrease of soil water content at 25°C. The relative water contents of plants under the three temperature treatments decreased with a decreasing soil moisture content, but then increased temperature significantly reduced the relative water content of the seedlings under low soil water content. The chlorophyll contents of plants under the 25°C treatment decreased with a decrease of soil moisture content, but those of plants under the 15°C and 20°C treatments initially increased and then decreased. The root activities of plants under the 15°C and 20°C treatments increased with a decreasing soil moisture content; however, those of plants under the 25°C treatment initially increased and then decreased. Thus, results indicated that changes of temperature and soil moisture content had significant and complicated effects on the physiological-biochemical characteristics of F. sinensis; the conditions of 20°C and 65% RSMC had positive effects on F. sinensis seedling growth and the appropriate drought stress could promote the growth of seedling roots under the three different temperature conditions. In conclusion, F. sinensis seedlings could adapt to certain changes in the ecological environment by regulating their physiological and biochemical reactions.

Factors influencing salt and water movement near crystalline salts in relatively dry soil

Soil Research ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
DR Scotter
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Initial Soil ◽  
Crystalline Salt ◽  
Water Accumulation ◽  
Dry Soil

Crystalline salts were placed at one end of sealed tubes of initially uniformly wet soil. The effect of soil texture, the initial soil water content, temperature, and the particular salt used on the resulting water and salt distributions in the soil was studied. In all experiments using relatively dry soil a zone of water accumulation adjacent to the salt, and a zone of water depletion further away from the salt, developed. Dissolved salt moved into the wetter zone next to the salt. The rate at which salt dissolved and moved out into the soil was found to depend very strongly on the solubility and saturated solution vapour pressure of the salt used, and the initial soil water content. Soil temperature and texture were less important factors. In some experiments quite large amounts of water accumulated in the crystalline salt, apparently when adequate contact was not maintained between the salt and the soil as the salt dissolved.

Laboratory calibration of different soil moisture sensors in various soil types

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urša Pečan ◽  
Damijana Kastelec ◽  
Marina Pintar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Soil Moisture Sensors ◽  
Dry Soil

&lt;p&gt;Measurements of soil water content are particularly useful for irrigation scheduling. In optimal conditions, field data are obtained through a dense grid of soil moisture sensors. Most of the currently used sensors for soil water content measurements, measure relative permittivity, a variable which is mostly dependant on water content in the soil. Spatial variability of soil characteristics, such as soil texture and mineralogy, organic matter content, dry soil bulk density and electric conductivity can also alter measurements with dielectric sensors. So the question arises, whether there is a need for a soil specific calibration of such sensors and is it dependant on the type of sensor? This study evaluated the performance of three soil water content sensors (SM150T, Delta-T Devices Ltd, UK; TRIME-Pico 32, IMKO micromodultechnik GmbH, DE; MVZ 100, Eltratec trade, production and services d.o.o., SI) in nine different soil types in laboratory conditions. Our calibration approach was based on calibration procedure developed for undisturbed soil samples (Holzman et al., 2017). Due to possible micro location variability of soil properties, we used disturbed and homogenized soil samples, which were packed to its original dry soil bulk density. We developed soil specific calibration functions for each sensor and soil type. They ranged from linear to 5&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; order polynomial. We calculated relative and actual differences in sensor derived and gravimetrically determined volumetric soil water content, to evaluate the errors of soil water content measured by sensors which were not calibrated for soil specific characteristics. We observed differences in performance of different sensor types in various soil types. Our results showed measurements conducted with SM150T sensors were within the range of manufacturer specified measuring error in three soil types for which calibration is not necessary but still advisable for improving data quality. In all other cases, soil specific calibration is required to obtain relevant soil moisture data in the field.&lt;/p&gt;

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