The evaporation method: Extending the measurement range of soil hydraulic properties using the air‐entry pressure of the ceramic cup

Knowledge of hydraulic functions is required for various hydrological and plant‐physiological studies. The evaporation method is frequently used for the simultaneous determination of hydraulic functions of unsaturated soil samples, i.e., the water‐retention curve and hydraulic‐conductivity function. All methodic variants of the evaporation method suffer from the limitation that the hydraulic functions can only be determined to a mean tension of ≈ 60 kPa. This is caused by the limited measurement range of the tensiometers of typically 80 kPa on the dry end. We present a new, cost‐ and time‐saving approach which overcomes this restriction. Using the air‐entry pressure of the tensiometer's porous ceramic cup as additional defined tension value allows the quantification of hydraulic functions up to close to the wilting point. The procedure is described, uncertainties are discussed, and measured as well as simulated test results are presented for soil samples of various origins, different textures (sand, loam, silt, clay, and peat) and variable dry bulk density. The experimental setup followed the system HYPROP which is a commercial device with vertically aligned tensiometers that is optimized to perform evaporation measurements. During the experiment leaked water from the tensiometer interior wets the surrounding soil of the tensiometer cup and can lead to a tension retardation as shown by simulation results. This effect is negligible when the tensiometers are embedded vertically. For coarsely textured soils and horizontal tensiometer alignment, however, the retardation must be considered for data evaluation.     

Simplified method for quantifying the hydraulic properties of shrinking soils

In general, soils and their pore size systems are assumed to be rigid during the loss of water on drying. In reality, it is not the case for most soils, especially for soils with high quantities of clay or organic matter. As a result of shrinking, there are changes in the bulk density, the porosity, the pore size distribution, and the hydraulic properties of these soils. Currently, only a few methods enable the shrinkage behavior of soil samples to be determined while simultaneously quantifying the corresponding soil hydraulic properties. Either the methods need proprietary software for data processing, the equipment used is expensive or the calculation of the hydraulic properties is executed by inverse modelling. The aim of this study was to develop an alternative, simplified method for the simultaneous and automatic determination of the soil hydraulic properties, taking shrinkage into account. The HYPROP® evaporative device was combined with a circumference meter. A preliminary investigation found that the diameter of the cylindrical samples used for the HYPROP decreased linearly during evaporation from the bottom to the top. To sum up, recording the perimeter change in the middle position of the sample during drying‐out, together with the corresponding tension and water content, was sufficient to determine the hydraulic functions taking shrinkage into account. Measurements are presented for 6 samples which are different in texture and geological origin. The maximum shrinkage (19.5% by vol. between saturation and 5,000 hPa) was measured in the peat samples. The minimum shrinkage was quantified at 0.68% by vol. for the silty loam samples from Chile. The advantages of the method presented are: (1) the water retention curve and the hydraulic conductivity function can be determined simultaneously in the range between saturation and close to the wilting point, at a high resolution and taking into consideration shrinkage; (2) the method and device are simple and robust to use; (3) little time is required for measurement, between 3 and at most 10 d; (4) the functions are described over the whole tension range, using more than 100 user‐defined data points; (5) the evaluation of the volumetric soil water content measurement in shrinking soils is improved; and (6) common data models can be fitted to the hydraulic data as well as to the shrinkage data.     

Free‐Form estimation of soil hydraulic properties using Wind’s method

Transient evaporation experiments offer the potential to determine simultaneously the soil hydraulic properties necessary to simulate water flow in unsaturated soils. We present a new algorithm for determining the retention and conductivity curve from evaporation experiments which uses Wind’s method with a free‐form soil water retention function. Our algorithm estimates nodal values of volumetric water content and derives a smooth and monotone retention curve by cubic Hermite interpolation. A multilevel routine increases the number of nodes and their adequate number is identified by a performance criterion which balances goodness of fit, the cross correlation between the estimated water contents and the number of degrees of freedom. We calculate point values of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity by the instantaneous profile method and discard unreliable conductivity estimates by a statistical filter criterion. Results for three synthetic data sets including an uncertainty analysis of the estimated retention curves show that the algorithm is suitable to identify, both correctly and precisely, the soil hydraulic properties. An application to a real data set confirms these results. In order to enable the free‐form functions to be used in numerical flow simulations, we extrapolate the retention function to the dry range and compute a coupled conductivity function based on the Mualem model. Major advantages of the proposed method are the enormous flexibility provided by the free‐form functions, the low level of parameter cross‐correlation in comparison with classic parametric functions, and the possibility of assessing the uncertainty of the retention curve individually in different ranges of pressure head.     

Soil hydraulic properties of two loess soils in China measured by various field-scale and laboratory methods

Knowledge of hydraulic properties is essential for understanding water movement in soil. However, very few data on these properties are available from the Loess Plateau of China. We determined the hydraulic properties of two silty loam soils on agricultural land at sites in Mizhi and Heyang in the region. Undisturbed soil cores were collected from seven layers to one meter depth to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention curves and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (by the hot-air method). Additional field methods (internal drainage and Guelph permeameter) were applied at the Heyang site to compare differences between methods. Soil water retention curves were flatter at Mizhi than at Heyang. Water contents at saturation and wilting point (1500 kPa) were higher at Heyang than at Mizhi. However, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was lower at Heyang than at Mizhi, with maximum differences of more than six orders of magnitude. Nevertheless, the two soils had similar saturated hydraulic conductivities of about 60 cm day^− 1. Comparison between the methods showed that soil water retention curves obtained in the laboratory generally agreed well with the field data. Field-saturated conductivities had similar values to those obtained using the soil core method. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivities predicted by the Brooks–Corey model were closer to field data than corresponding values predicted by the van Genuchten model.     

Comparison of water‐retention functions obtained from the extended evaporation method and the standard methods sand/kaolin boxes and pressure plate extractor

Knowledge of the soil hydraulic functions is required for various hydrological studies and for the simulation of water and solute fluxes in unsaturated soils. Sand/kaolin boxes are frequently used to determine these properties in the low‐tension range. For higher tensions the pressure plate extractor is mainly applied. The extended evaporation method allows a more efficient determination of the water‐retention curve in an adequate range. Besides this method enables to quantify simultaneously the unsaturated hydraulic‐conductivity function. The objective of this study was to compare the water‐retention curves obtained from the standard methods (STM) with those determined with the extended evaporation method (EEM). A set of 90 natural soil samples of different texture and origin was analyzed, and the agreement between the methods was statistically evaluated. The average water‐content deviation (AWCD) of all samples was 1.83 vol.%, and the root mean square error (RMSE) 2.08 vol.%. The deviation of soil water‐storage capacity in the pore‐size classes 0–6, 6–30, 30–500, 500–1500 kPa varied between minimum –0.17 and 0.25 vol.% and maximum –2.89 and 2.36 vol.%, and confirmed the good comparability among the adopted methods. Systematic deviations between the methods were not found.     

Influence of water content and soil properties on unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of some red and black soils

The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was determined in the laboratory for some red and black soils, following water movement into a horizontal column of homogenous soil of uniform packing. A highly significant positive relationship was found between moisture content and hydraulic conductivity values in all the soils studied. Correlation coefficients calculated for the relationships between soil constituents/properties and the change in hydraulic conductivity per unit change in moisture content (regression coefficient between hydraulic conductivity and moisture content) have shown positive relationship to sand and negative relationships to silt, silt + clay, clay, carbonates, aggregates > 0.25 mm and saturated hydraulic conductivity. It is concluded that the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity decreases rapidly with decrease in moisture content and this decrease depends on the soil constituents/properties and differences between soil types are clear.     

A relatively simple scaling method for describing the unsaturated hydraulic functions of stony soils

Few if any methods exist to estimate the effects of stone content (stoniness) on the unsaturated soil hydraulic properties. A relatively simple scaling method is presented to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated stony soils having different stone contents. A key assumption of the method is that van Genuchten's water retention parameters α and n of the fine soil fraction are the same as those of the stony soil. The method further assumes a linearly decreasing relationship between the saturated hydraulic conductivity and the stone content, based on previous numerical simulations. Using the proposed method, it is possible to calculate the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated stony soils, knowing the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the fine soil fraction, the retention curve of the fine soil fraction, and the particular stoniness of the soil.     

Predicting unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of soil based on some basic soil properties

Soil hydraulic conductivity is a crucial parameter in modeling flow process in soils and deciding water management. In this study, by combining the non-similar media concept (NSMC) to the one-parameter model of Brooks and Corey, a new NSMC-based model for estimating unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of various soils was presented. The main inputs are soil bulk density, particle-size distribution, soil water retention characteristic and saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil. The results indicated that the NSMC-based model could generally more accurately predict unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of soils, as compared to four one-parameter models and van Genuchten–Mualem model. This study, by introducing NSMC, provided a new way to incorporate soil physical heterogeneity into soil hydraulic simulation, and hence NSMC-based approach is expected to improve efficiency of the existing models in the simulation of soil water flow.     

Comparison of experimentally Determined and Calculated Hydraulic Conductivities for two alluvial sandy loam Profiles

The dynamic water conductivity characteristics of two alluvial sandy loam profiles (Typic Ustochrepts) were determined following the ?instantaneous profile method”? by monitoring the temporal variation in soil moisture content and potential at different depths in the profile, as the downward movement of water in the nearly saturated profile continued with evaporation prevented. The experimental sites differed in bulk density, moisture retention functions as well as dynamic water conductivity characteristics K(O). The unsaturated hydraulic conductivities were also calculated from moisture retention functions following the methods suggested by Campbell(1974) and Ghosh (1977). The calculated conductivity values agreed fairly well with the field data for the light-textured soils studied and the calculated values can be used for all practical purposes.     

Effects of Bentonite, Hydrogel and Biochar Amendments on Soil Hydraulic Properties from Saturation to Oven Dryness

Effects of hydrogel, bentonite, and biochar as soil amendments on soil hydraulic properties and improving water availability from saturation to oven dryness were investigated. Soils were mixed with hydrogel (0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50%), bentonite (0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.5%), and biochar (1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0%) as soil amendments (weight:weight). Three methods (extended multistep outflow (XMSO), evaporation (EVA), and WP4 dewpoint potentiometer) were used to measure soil hydraulic properties from saturation to oven dryness. The cumulative XMSO results were more uniform across all the applied pressure steps for the amended soils. The EVA exhibited a shorter linear decrease during the first evaporation stage and a lower evaporation rate during the second evaporation stage. The WP4 results also exhibited that soil amendments increased the soil water content of the amended soils at low matric potentials. The results of soil water retention curves revealed that the unamended soil retained less water at any matric potential compared to the amended soils. Soil hydraulic conductivity decreased with increasing amount of soil amendments. The saturated hydraulic conductivity was higher for the unamended soil than the soils amended with 2.5% bentonite, 0.50% hydrogel, and 5.0% biochar by 11, 3, and 18 times, respectively. These results suggested that soil amendments improved soil water retentivity, which confirmed the appropriateness of these soil amendments for potential use in sandy soil improvements. However, field experiments and economical perception studies should be considered for further investigation.     

A new equation for the soil water retention curve

The soil water retention curve is a fundamental characteristic of unsaturated zone flow and transport properties. Recent studies show that an air‐entry value is needed in a soil water retention equation in order to provide a better prediction of relative hydraulic conductivity. A new equation considering the air‐entry value is proposed to describe the soil water retention curve. The performance of the proposed equation is contrasted with a well‐supported equation by comparing measured and calculated data for 14 soils, representing various soil textures, which range from sandstone to clay. Results show that the proposed equation provides adequate characterization of the soil water retention curves. The equation for predicting relative hydraulic conductivity is derived from the proposed soil water retention equation. An empirical equation for relative hydraulic conductivity is also used. Our results show that the agreement between the predicted and measured relative hydraulic conductivities is improved by the combinations of the proposed equation and the relative hydraulic conductivity equations. The proposed equation is mathematically simple and it can easily be implemented in unsaturated flow and multiphase flow numerical models.     

Effects of agricultural practices on hydraulic properties and water movement in soils in Brittany (France)

The intensive agricultural use of soils in the Brittany region (western France) has increased the need for a better understanding of soil water dynamics. The aim of the present study is to compare quantitatively the differences produced by two agricultural practices on soil hydraulic properties (water retention curve and hydraulic conductivity) as well as the infiltration and drainage fluxes in the soils. This study was carried out on two experimental plots managed in the same way for 22 years. The two practices were continuous maize fertilized with mineral fertilizer, denoted as MX, and pasture within a ray-grass/maize rotation (3/1 year) with organic fertilization (pig slurry), denoted as PR. The study consisted of measuring soil physical properties in the laboratory and in the field, and estimating water infiltration in the soil of the two plots by recording water pressure heads after simulation of 2-h artificial rainfall with an intensity of 17 mm/h. We applied the van Genuchten model to describe the water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves (θ(h) and K(h)) for each soil horizon of the two plots. Hydrus-2D and ID softwares were used to construct a numerical model of water movement in the two soils. This model was used to quantify the infiltration rate, deep drainage and actual evaporation fluxes during the artificial rainfall experiment.The vertical influence of agricultural practices in both plots appears to be limited to the uppermost 35 cm. Deeper in the B horizon, there are only very slight differences in the hydraulic properties between the two plots. In the top soil horizons (H1–H5 and H6), the two soil properties mostly affected by practices are the hydraulic conductivity and the α parameter of the van Genuchten model. At the lowest pressure head studied here (−1.5 kPa), hydraulic conductivity in a given horizon differs by more than one order of magnitude between the two plots. The model reproduces quite satisfactorily the observed pressure heads in plot PR at all depths, in the rainy period as well as in the water redistribution period (efficiency >0.77). Results are less good for the MX plot, with efficiency ranging from 0.49 to 0.84 depending on the horizon. The different sources of simulation errors are identified and discussed. For the MX plot, the soil water movement model succeeds in reproducing the infiltration excess runoff observed in the field, allowing us to calculate that it accounts for 9% of the applied rainfall. No surface runoff or ponding appears in the PR plot during the artificial rainfall experiment. In the PR plot, the simulated deep drainage flux increases more rapidly than in the MX plot. The lower hydraulic conductivity in the top soil horizon of the MX plot compared with the PR plot appears to reduce the infiltration rate as well as the deep drainage flux. It also decreases the upward flow of water to the soil surface when the water content in the top soil layer is depleted by evaporation flux. The model simulation could be improved by a more precise representation of the soil structure, particularly the location, size and frequency of clods as well as the variability of hydraulic properties. However, we need to strike a balance between improving the quality of the simulation even further and the practical constraints and efforts involved in measuring the soil hydraulic properties.     

两种非饱和导水参数推求方法在紫色土上的应用

土壤非饱和导水参数的难于获取,限制了非饱和水流数值模拟技术的实际应用。本研究选择颇具代表性的土壤水分特征曲线推求法和简单入渗法两种方法,分别推求不同质地紫色土导水参数,并进行了分析比较。结果显示,土壤水分特征曲线推求法和简单入渗法,推求的非饱和导水率与计算值均具有较好的一致性。鉴于土壤水分特征曲线的易测优势和简单入渗法实验简便省时特点,采用这两种方法进行紫色土非饱和导水参数的推求或预报是可行的。     

两种非饱和导水参数推求方法在紫色土上的应用

土壤非饱和导水参数的难于获取,限制了非饱和水流数值模拟技术的实际应用。本研究选择颇具代表性的土壤水分特征曲线推求法和简单入渗法两种方法,分别推求不同质地紫色土导水参数,并进行了分析比较。结果显示,土壤水分特征曲线推求法和简单入渗法,推求的非饱和导水率与计算值均具有较好的一致性。鉴于土壤水分特征曲线的易测优势和简单入渗法实验简便省时特点,采用这两种方法进行紫色土非饱和导水参数的推求或预报是可行的。     

室内基于土壤水分再分布过程推求紫色土导水参数

选择三峡库区3种不同质地的紫色土,室内通过土壤水分再分布试验,探讨基于土壤水分再分布过程推求导水参数对于紫色土的适用性.结果显示,结合土壤水分垂直和水平再分布过程推求的紫色土水分扩散率与实测值具有很好的一致性,但推求的非饱和导水率偏差较大.然而,选用单一的土壤水分再分布过程结合实测水分特征曲线推求的紫色土非饱和导水率与实测值具有良好的一致性.湿润锋湿度与湿润剖面平均湿度不同函数关系对推求非饱和导水率和水分扩散率差异不明显.此外,基于土壤水分再分布过程推求导水参数方法比较适合低湿土壤的非饱和导水参数推求.     

Measurement and evaluation of the hydraulic properties of horticultural substrates

Sustainable, environmentally friendly and resource-saving water and nutrient management in horticulture requires knowledge of the suitability of horticultural substrates for each specific application. One specific element is their hydraulic performance. To meet this requirement, methods are needed (1) to measure the hydraulic properties and (2) to evaluate the hydraulic quality of the horticultural substrates. The aim of this study was (1) to test the extended evaporation method and the HYPROP systems for quantifying the substrate’s hydraulic properties (the water retention curve, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function, the shrinkage dynamics, the bulk density), and (2) to develop a rating framework for assessing the hydraulic suitability of the substrates. The hydraulic evaluation was split into cultivation under free drainage in the ground and cultivation in containers. The hydraulic criteria related to high-quality horticultural substrates were defined as the amount of easily plant-available water, the air capacity and the height of capillary rise. Limiting factors could be water repellency effects and shrinkage. The rating framework consists of five classes between non-satisfactory and very good. It was tested on 23 commercial horticultural substrates. Both the measurement methods for quantifying soil hydraulic properties and the evaluation procedure proved applicable.     

Effect of data resolution on soil hydraulic conductivity prediction

The aim of the paper is to compare results of the instantaneous profile method (IPM) for measurement and calculation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity k(ψ) of soils obtained with different measurement data resolution. The application of IPM allows to realize a great number of k(ψ) measurements for the purpose of mapping soil properties on large areas. Application of shorter samples i.e. less sensors makes the method even more quick and cheap. The calculation of unsaturated soil water conductivity by the IPM method bases on measurements of time and space variability of water content and water pressure within the soil sample in a cylinder. The spatial resolution of data depends on the number of probes applied in the core. The question arises how the number of compartments within one core influences the calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity. Application of three sensors instead of five reduced the accuracy of calculation but allowes to use 5 cm long standard cores during unsaturated flow experiment.<?show $6#>     

A review on recent developments in soil water retention theory: interfacial tension and temperature effects

Study of soil physical processes such as water infiltration and redistribution, groundwater recharge, solute transport in the unsaturated zone, compaction and aeration in variably saturated soil hardly is possible without knowledge of the capillary pressure of the soil water as a function of the degree of saturation. Pore space topology, interfacial tension, and temperature probably are the most important physical factors affecting the capillary pressure at a given water content. Despite intensive research in the past decades on the water retention characteristics of soils, our knowledge of their response to varying ambient conditions is far from being complete. Current models of soil water retention as well as of hydraulic conductivity for unsaturated porous media often still use the simplified representation of the pore system as a bundle of cylindrical capillaries. Physical effects, like surface water film adsorption, capillary condensation and surface flow in liquid films, as well as volumetric changes of the pore space are often ignored. Consequently, physical properties of the solid phase surfaces, and their impact on water adsorption and flow, are often not considered. The objective of this contribution is to review various interfacial properties with possible application to the conventional water content — matric potential relation of soils. The ignoring of inter‐facial effects on the water retention of soils is widespread in the literature. The motivation of this paper is therefore to point out some of the more significant deficiencies of our current knowledge on the interaction of solid particle surfaces and the liquid phase in soil. We will first emphasize the impact of the wetting angle on the wetting of dry soil and to present the impact of interfacial tension of the liquid phase in the three‐phase system. At low water content, the transition from capillary‐bound water to adsorbed water and to wetting films is discussed separately, because of its impact on the rewetting process of dry soil. Finally, we discuss the impact of temperature on interfacial tension and water retention of soil as a second important interfacial process affecting directly the water retention of porous media.