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| [[Soil]] is essential to most animals on the [[earth]]. It is a relatively thin crust where an even smaller portion contains much of the [[biological activity]]. Soil consists of three different phases. A [[solid]] phase (≈ 50%) that contains mainly minerals of varying sizes as well as [[organic compound]]s. The rest is '''pore space'''. This space contains the [[liquid]] and [[gas]] phases.
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| In order to understand [[porosity]] better a series of [[equation]]s have been used to express the [[Quantitative property|quantitative]] interactions between the three phases of soil.
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| Macropores or [[fracture]]s play a major role in [[infiltration (hydrology)|infiltration]] rates in many soils as well as preferential flow patterns, hydraulic conductivity and evapotranspiration. Cracks are also very influential in gas exchange, influencing respiration within soils. Modeling cracks therefore helps understand how these processes work and what the effects of changes in soil cracking such as compaction, can have on these processes.
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| ==Bulk density==
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| {{main|bulk density}}G
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| <math>\rho = \frac{M_s}{t_V}</math>
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| The [[bulk density]] of soil depends greatly on the mineral make up of soil and the degree of [[Soil compaction|compaction]]. The density of [[quartz]] is around 2.65 g/cm<sup>3</sup> but the bulk density of a soil may be less than half that density.
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| Most soils have a bulk density between 1.0 and 1.6 g/cm<sup>3</sup> but organic soil and some friable clay may have a bulk density well below 1 g/cm<sup>3</sup>
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| [[Core sample]]s are taken by driving a metal core into the earth at the desired depth and [[soil horizon]].
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| The samples are then oven dried and weighed.
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| Bulk density = (mass of oven dry soil)/volume
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| The bulk density of soil is [[Inverse relationship|inversely related]] to the [[porosity]] of the same soil. The more pore space in a soil the lower the value for bulk density.
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| ==Porosity (f)==
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| <math>f = \frac{V_f}{V_t}</math> or <math>f = \frac{V_a+V_w}{V_s+V_a+V_w}</math>
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| [[Porosity]] is a measure of the total pore space in the soil. This is measured as a [[volume]] or [[Percentage|percent]]. The amount of porosity in a soil depends on the [[mineral]]s that make up the soil and the amount of [[sorting]] that occurs within the [[soil structure]]. For example a sandy soil will have larger porosity than silty sand, because the silt will fill in the gaps between the sand particles.
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| ==Pore space relations==
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| ===Hydraulic conductivity===
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| [[Hydraulic conductivity]] (K) is a property of soil that describes the ease with which water can move through pore spaces. It depends on the [[Permeability (earth sciences)|permeability]] of the material (pores, compaction) and on the degree of saturation. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, K<sub>sat</sub>, describes water movement through saturated media. Where hydraulic conductivity has the capability to be measured at any state. It can be estimated by numerous kinds of equipment. To calculate hydraulic conductivity, [[Darcy's law]] is used. The manipulation of the law depends on the Soil saturation and instrument used.
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| ===Infiltration===
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| [[Infiltration (hydrology)|Infiltration]] is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. The Water enters the soil through the pores by the forces of [[Gravitation|gravity]] and [[capillary action]]. The largest cracks and pores offer a great reservoir for the initial flush of water. This allows a rapid [[Infiltration (hydrology)|infiltration]]. The smaller pores take longer to fill and rely on capillary forces as well as gravity. The smaller pores have a slower infiltration as the soil becomes more [[Saturation (chemistry)|saturated]].
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| ==Pore types==
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| A pore is not simply a void in the solid structure of soil. There are three main categories for pore sizes that all have different characteristics and contribute different attributes to soils depending on the number and frequency of each type.
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| ===Macropore===
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| The pores that are too large to have any significant capillary force. These pores are full of air at [[field capacity]]. Macropores can be caused by cracking, division of peds and [[Aggregate (composite)|aggregates]], as well as plant roots, and zoological exploration.
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| Size >75 μm.<ref name=pore/>
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| ===Mesopore===
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| The pores filled with water at [[field capacity]]. Also known as storage pores because of the ability to store water useful to plants. They do not have capillary forces too great so that the water does not become [[limiting]] to the plants. These mesopores are ideally always full or contain liquid to have successful plant growth. The properties of mesopores are highly studied by soil scientists to help with [[agriculture]] and [[irrigation]].
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| Size 75 μm–30 μm.<ref name=pore>{{cite book |title= Glossary of Soil Science Terms 2008 |last= Soil Science Glossary Terms Committee |year= 2008 |publisher= Soil Science Society of America |location= Madison, WI |isbn= 978-0-89118-851-3 |url= https://www.soils.org/publications/soils-glossary#}}</ref>
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| ===Micropore===
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| The pores that are filled with water at [[permanent wilting point]]. These pores are too small for a plant to use without great difficulty. The water associated is usually [[Adsorption|adsorbed]] onto the surfaces of clay molecules. The water held in micropores is important to the activity of [[Microorganism|microbes]] creating moist [[wikt:anaerobic|anaerobic]] conditions. The water can also cause either the [[Redox|oxidation]] or [[Redox|reduction]] of molecules in the [[Crystal structure|crystalline structure]] of the soil minerals.
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| Size <30 μm.<ref name=pore/>
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| ==Modelling methods==
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| Basic crack modeling has been undertaken for many years by simple observations and measurements of crack size, distribution, continuity and depth. These observations have either been surface observation or done on profiles in pits. Hand tracing and measurement of crack patterns on paper was one method used prior to advances in modern technology. Another field method was with the use of string and a semicircle of wire.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Ringrose-Voase | first1 = A.J. | last2 = Sanidad | first2 = W.B. | year = 1996 | title = A method for measuring the development of surface cracks in soils: application to crack development after lowland rice | journal = Geoderma | volume = 71 | pages = 245–261 | doi = 10.1016/0016-7061(96)00008-0 }}</ref> The semi circle was moved along alternating sides of a string line. The cracks within the semicircle were measured for width, length and depth using a ruler. The crack distribution was calculated using the principle of [[Buffon's needle]].
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| ===Disc permeameter===
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| This method relies on the fact that crack sizes have a range of different water potentials. At zero water potential at the soil surface an estimate of saturated [[hydraulic conductivity]] is produced, with all pores filled with water. As the potential is decreased progressively larger cracks drain. By measuring at the hydraulic conductivity at a range of negative potentials, the [[pore size distribution]] can be determined. While this is not a physical model of the cracks, it does give an indication to the sizes of pores within the soil.
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| ===Horgan and Young model===
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| Horgan and Young (2000) produced a [[computer model]] to create a two-dimensional prediction of surface crack formation. It used the fact that once cracks come within a certain distance of one another they tend to be attracted to each other. Cracks also tend to turn within a particular range of angles and at some stage a surface aggregate gets to a size that no more cracking will occur. These are often characteristic of a soil and can therefore be measured in the field and used in the model. However it was not able to predict the points at which cracking starts and although random in the formation of crack pattern, in many ways, cracking of soil is often not random, but follows lines of weaknesses.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Horgan | first1 = G.W. | last2 = Young | first2 = I.M. | year = 2000 | title = An empirical stochastic model for the geometry of two-dimensional crack growth in soil | id = {{citeseerx|10.1.1.34.6589}} | journal = Geoderma | volume = 96 | pages = 263–276 | doi = 10.1016/S0016-7061(00)00015-X }}</ref>
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| ===Araldite-impregnation imaging===
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| A large core sample is collected. This is then impregnated with [[araldite]] and a fluorescent [[resin]]. The core is then cut back using a grinding implement, very gradually (~1 mm per time), and at every interval the surface of the core sample is digitally imaged. The images are then loaded into a computer where they can be analysed. Depth, continuity, surface area and a number of other measurements can then be made on the cracks within the soil.
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| ===Electrical resistivity imaging===
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| Using the infinite [[resistivity]] of air, the air spaces within a soil can be mapped. A specially designed resistivity meter had improved the meter-soil contact and therefore the area of the reading.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Samouëlian | first1 = A | last2 = Cousin | first2 = I | last3 = Richard | first3 = G | last4 = Tabbagh | first4 = A | last5 = Bruand | first5 = A. | year = 2003| url = http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/5/1319 | title = Electrical resistivity imaging for detecting soil cracking at the centimetric scale | journal = Soil Science Society of America | volume = 67 | pages = 1319–1326 }}</ref>
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| This technology can be used to produce images that can be analysed for a range of cracking properties.
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| ==See also==
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| {{colbegin|2}}
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| *[[Bulk density]]
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| *[[Porosity]]
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| *[[Soil physics]]
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| *[[Soil science]]
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| *[[Particle density]]
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| *[[Soil respiration]]
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| {{colend}}
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| ==Further reading==
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| *Foth, H.D.; (1990) ''Fundamentals of soil science.'' (Wiley: New York)
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| *Harpstead, M.I.; (2001) ''Soil science simplified.'' (Iowa State University Press: Ames)
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| *Hillel, D.; (2004) ''Introduction to environmental soil physics.'' (Sydney : Elsevier/Academic Press: Amsterdam ;)
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| *Kohnke, H.; (1995) ''Soil science simplified.'' (Waveland Press: [[Prospect Heights, Illinois]])
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| *Leeper GW (1993) ''Soil science : an introduction.'' ([[Melbourne University Press]]: [[Carlton, Victoria]].)
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| [[Category:Soil science]]
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| [[Category:Soil mechanics]]
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