Soil Water

1. Soil Water • Reading: Applied Hydrology Sections 4.1 and 4.2 • Topics • Soil water properties • Soil water measurement • Soil water balance

2. Subsurface water • Infiltration • Soil moisture • Subsurface flow • Groundwater flow

3. Porous Medium Flow • Groundwater • All waters found beneath the ground surface • Occupies pores (void space not occupied by solid matter) • Porous media • Numerous pores of small size • Pores contain fluids (e.g., water and air) • Pores act as conduits for flow of fluids • The storage and flow through porous media is affected by • Type of rocks in a formation • Number, size, and arrangement of pores • Pores are generally irregular in shape because of • differences in the minerals making up the rocks • geologic processes experienced by them.

4. Zones of Saturation • Unsaturated zone • Zone between the land surface and water table • Pore contains water and air • Also called as vadose zone or the zone of aeration • Saturated zone • pores are completely filled with water • Contains water at greater than atmospheric pressure • Also called phreatic zone • Water table • Surface where the pore water pressure is atmospheric • Divide between saturated and unsaturated zone • Capillary fringe • Zone immediately above the water table that gets saturated by capillary forces

5. Soil Water Three categories • Hygroscopic water • Microscopic film of water surrounding soil particles • Strong molecular attraction; water cannot be removed by natural forces • Adhesive forces (>31 bars and up to 10,000 bars!) • Capillary water • Water held by cohesive forces between films of hygroscopic water • Can be removed by air drying or plant absorption • Plants extract capillary water until the soil capillary force is equal to the extractive force • Wilting point: soil capillary force > plant extractive force • Gravity water • Water that moves through the soil by the force of gravity • Field capacity • Amount of water held in the soil after excess water has drained is called the field capacity of the soil.

6. Soil Sieves http://www.rtg.wa.edu.au/loanpool/belmont/sieves.jpg

7. Table 1. Size limits (diameter in millimeters) of soil separates in the USDA soil textural classification system. Soil Particle Sizes(USDA Soil Classification System 1 mm 0.1 mm 0.01 mm . 0.001 mm

8. http://www.uga.edu/srel/kidsdoscience/soils-planets/soil-particle-size.pdfhttp://www.uga.edu/srel/kidsdoscience/soils-planets/soil-particle-size.pdf

9. Soil Texture Triangle Source: USDA Soil Survey Manual Chapter 3

10. Soil Water Content Soil Water Content

11. Soil Water Flux, q q = Q/A

12. Soil Water Tension, y • Measures the suction head of the soil water • Like p/g in fluid mechanics but its always a suction (negative head) • Three key variables in soil water movement • Flux, q • Water content, q • Tension, y Total energy head = h z=0 z1 q12 z2

13. Soil Water Measurement • Neutron scattering (attenuation) • Measures volumetric water content (v) • Attenuation of high-energy neutrons by hydrogen nucleus • Advantages: • samples a relatively large soil sphere • repeatedly sample same site and several depths • accurate • Disadvantages: • high cost instrument • radioactive licensing and safety • not reliable for shallow measurements near the soil surface • Dielectric constant • A soil’s dielectric constant is dependent on soil moisture • Time domain reflectometry (TDR) • Frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) • Primarily used for research purposes at this time

14. Soil Water MeasurementNeutron Attenuation Measures Soil Water Content, θ

15. Soil Water Measurement • Tensiometers • Measure soil water potential (tension) • Practical operating range is about 0 to 0.75 bar of tension (this can be a limitation on medium- and fine-textured soils) • Electrical resistance blocks • Measure soil water potential (tension) • Tend to work better at higher tensions (lower water contents) • Thermal dissipation blocks • Measure soil water potential (tension) • Require individual calibration

16. Tensiometer for Measuring Soil Water Potential, ψ Water Reservoir Variable Tube Length (12 in- 48 in) Based on Root Zone Depth Porous Ceramic Tip Vacuum Gauge (0-100 centibar)

17. Electrical Resistance Blocks & Meters

18. Soil Water Tension, y • Measures the suction head of the soil water • Like p/g in fluid mechanics but its always a suction (negative head) • Three key variables in soil water movement • Flux, q • Water content, q • Tension, y Total energy head = h z=0 z1 q12 z2

21. Darcy’s Law • K = hydraulic conductivity • q = specific discharge • V = q/n = average velocity through the area

22. Definitions Element of soil, V (Saturated) Pore with water solid Pore with air Element of soil, V (Unsaturated)

23. Continuity Equation z dy dx dz y x

24. Continuity (Cont.) Continuity Equation

25. Surface Tension • Below surface, forces act equally in all directions • At surface, some forces are missing, pulls molecules down and exert tension on the surface • If interface is curved, higher pressure will exist on concave side • Pressure increase is balanced by surface tension, s • s = 0.073 N/m (@ 20oC) air Interface Net forceinward water No net force

26. Richard’s Equation • Recall • Darcy’s Law • Total head • So Darcy becomes • Richard’s eqn is: Soil water diffusivity