Morphological determination of pore connectivity as a function of pore size using serial sections

The geometry of pore space in soil is considered to be the key in understanding transport of water, gas and solute. However, a quantitative and explicit characterization, by means of a physical interpretation, is difficult because of the geometric complexity of soil structure. Pores larger than 40 μm within two soil horizons have been analysed morphologically on 3-dimensional digital representations of the pore space obtained by serial sections through impregnated specimens. The Euler-Poincaré characteristic has been determined as an index of connectivity in three dimensions. The pore connectivity is quantified as a function of the minimum pore diameter considered leading to a connectivity function of the pore space. Different pore size classes were distinguished using 3-dimensional erosion and dilation. The connectivity function turned out to differentiate between two soil materials. The pore space in an upper Ah horizon is intensely connected through pores between 40 and 100 μm, in contrast to the pore space in the AhBv beneath it. The morphological pore-size distributions were compared to the pore-size distribution obtained by water retention measurements. The discrepancy between these different methods corresponds to the expectation due to pore connectivity.     

利用CT数字图像和网络模型预测近饱和土壤水力学性质

在近饱和状态下,土壤的有效水力学性质主要取决于较大孔隙的结构特征,而这又决定了土壤中的优势流通道以及溶质的运移.基于孔隙形态学特征的网络模型可以很好的表现出较大孔隙的几何形态与拓扑特征对有效水力学性质的影响.本文通过对连续土壤切片CT图像的分析,定量获取了土壤孔隙的大小分布以及连通性参数.在此基础上建立了相关网络模型,在孔隙尺度上模拟了土壤中的水分运动过程并预测了近饱和土壤水力学性质.实验结果表明,虽然随机网络模型对室内填装土样本水力学性质的预测结果要优于相关网络模型,但是结合了实测孔隙形态特征的相关网络模型能够表现出田间原状土样本的双重孔隙度结构,其预测结果更符合实际的土壤结构特征.     

The fractal dimension of the pore-volume inside soils

This paper deals with the applicability of the theory of fractal geometry on the pore-volume V. It describes the porous medium [soil] by characterizing the pore-size distribution over a range of pore sizes through a single number, the fractal dimension D. D is calculated from the relation Vp ± P^D-3, where P is the pressure of the water-retention curve and Vp is the cumulated pore volume. The fractal dimension D for the different pore-size distributions ranges from 2.1 to 2.8 and is an intrinsic measurement for the degree of space filling of the different pore systems.     

Effect of water content on the fabric of a soil material: an experimental approach

To characterize the fabric of a wet soil sample two sets of experiments were performed. In one, water retention and shrinkage curves were determined with samples stored at the field water content, and in the other, pore size distribution curves and microscopic observations were made as samples progressively dried. The experiments were performed with soil samples of different aggregate sizes to determine the contribution of each class of pores to porosity.
Data were analysed by comparing (i) the amount of water extracted from the sample, (ii) the air-filled porosity of the sample and (iii) the accumulated pore volume by mercury injection, each in relation to the equivalent pore radius. This gives information on the geometry of pores developed during the drying process. It has shown that micrometric cracks in dried soils are not artefacts but the result of a more severe drying never reached by the material in the field.     

水蚀风蚀交错带土壤剖面水力学性质变异

土壤剖面水力学性质的确定是土壤水分动态预测的基础。该文在水蚀风蚀交错区六道沟流域分别对居于坡中和坡上两块样地160 cm土层不同深度未扰动土壤的水分特征曲线进行了测定，将Van Genuchtens水分特征曲线模式与Mualem导水模式相结合，确定了两样地土壤剖面的水力学参数，对水力学参数在剖面的变化进行了分析。结果表明，土壤剖面饱和含水率、滞留含水率、进气吸力倒数和孔隙大小分布因子沿剖面变化不大，滞留含水率、进气吸力倒数属于中等程度变异，饱和含水率和孔隙大小分布指标属于弱变异，但经方差检验均不显著，说明该地区160 cm土壤剖面可以处理成均质剖面。     

桂东南花岗岩丘陵区不同土地利用方式土壤大孔隙特征

根据水分穿透曲线和Poiseuille方程,定量研究桂东南花岗岩区6种(次生林、柑橘园、玉米地、杉木林、撂荒地和桉树林)不同土地利用方式土壤大孔隙半径范围、数量及分布情况,分析不同土地利用方式对土壤大孔隙特征的影响。结果表明:(1)不同土地利用方式土壤水分穿透速率存在差异,土壤水分出流速率短时间内可达到稳定状态,柑橘园不同土层之间稳定出流速率变化较大;(2)不同土地利用方式的土壤大孔隙半径为0.4~2.4 mm,主要集中分布在0.4~1.2 mm,均值为0.85 mm,<1.2 mm的小半径孔隙数量较多;(3)随着土层深度的增加和孔隙半径的减小,土壤大孔隙数量总体表现为随土层深度的增加而逐渐减少,大半径孔隙较少,小半径孔隙较多;(4)不同土地利用方式的土壤大孔隙仅占土壤体积的0.36%~6.38%,但其土壤大孔隙平均体积与稳定出流速率、土壤大孔隙平均半径与饱和导水率均呈极显著相关关系,分别决定了稳定出流速率79.92%和饱和导水率36.45%的变异。     

辽西半干旱区森林土壤大孔隙特征研究

根据水分穿透曲线和Poiseulle方程,研究了辽西半干旱区8种植被类型下土壤大孔隙的半径范围、个数及分布情况。结果表明,不同植被下土壤大孔隙半径分布在0.5～2.3mm,加权平均半径在0.61～1.85mm,均值为0.95mm,均值为粗通气孔隙标准的近2倍,>1.4mm的特大孔隙仅为大孔隙总数的2.73%,0.5～1.4mm的孔隙占97.27%,表现出大半径孔隙少而小半径孔隙多的特点。不同植被下土壤大孔隙度在0.95%～5.24%,仅占土壤体积很小的一部分,但大孔隙平均半径与稳定出流速率和饱和导水率之间有显著线性相关关系,决定了稳定出流速率71%的变异和饱和导水率50%的变异。     

Effects of organic carbon and clay contents on structure-related properties of arable soils with high clay content

Understanding of factors governing soil structural features is necessary for managing key processes affecting crop productivity and environmental impacts of agriculture, for example, soil water balance, aeration, and root penetration. Organic matter is known to act as a major binding agent in soil aggregation and thus constitutes a central pillar in soil structure formation. However, knowledge of the structural role of organic matter or carbon (OC) in soils highly rich in clay-sized particles (<0.002 mm) is limited. In this study, the effects of clay and OC contents on aggregate stability, water holding capacity, near-saturated hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, and pore size distribution were assessed in cultivated fields with high clay content located in private crop production farms in southern Finland. Significant positive correlations were found between OC content and proportion of water stable aggregates and specific pore sizes from the range of 30 μm up to 1 mm diameter determined by image analysis. Porosities on a smaller size range derived from water retention measurements likewise showed a positive correlation with OC in <0.2 μm sizes. On the range of 0.2–1 μm, a negative relationship was observed, which induced a negative effect of OC on soil plant available water reserves. In line with the positive correlation between OC and larger soil pores, free water, representing the amount of water that can be drained by gravity, exhibited a positive relationship with OC suggesting that OC content can enhance aeration of soils with high clay content. Compared to OC, clay content tended to have an adverse effect on soil structural properties. Clay correlated negatively with pores larger than 30 μm, free water content, and extrapolated field saturated hydraulic conductivity. Further, our imaging results showed how saturated hydraulic conductivity was controlled by pore morphology, and there was a power law relationship between the conductivity and critical pore diameter. $K\propto d_c^2$ in agreement with the percolation theory. Overall, the structural impacts and hydrological implications of OC and clay in heavy clay soils vary by pore size ranges and their emergent practical impacts are thus not straightforward.     

A new approach for determining effective soil hydraulic functions

We investigated the possibility of inferring effective hydraulic properties of soil from the structure of the pore space. The aim was to identify structural properties, which are essential for water flow, so that physical experiments may be replaced by direct morphological measurements. The pore structure was investigated in three dimensions by serial sections through impregnated samples. The complex geometry of pore space was quantified in terms of two characteristics: pore-size distribution and pore connectivity. Only pores larger than 0.04 mm were considered. The results were used as input parameters for a pore-scale network model. The main desorption branch of the soil-water characteristic and the corresponding hydraulic conductivity function of the network model were calculated by numerical simulation. The simulation results, which are exclusively based on morphological investigations, were compared with independently measured results from a multi-step outflow experiment. This approach was demonstrated for two centrasting soil materials: the A and B horizons of a silty agricultural soil. The simulations were close to the experimental data, except for the absolute values of the hydraulic conductivity. The pore-size distribution and pore connectivity govern the shape of hydraulic functions and the applied morphometric methods are suitable for predicting essential characteristics of hydraulic soil properties.     

Water retention characteristics of soils with double porosity

A soil with double porosity is modelled as a collection of aggregated particles, in which a single aggregate is made up of discrete particles bonded together. Separate fractal distributions for pore sizes around and within aggregates are defined. The particle size distribution of the double porosity soil is also modelled using a fractal distribution, which may have a fractal dimension very different to those defining the pore sizes. The surface areas of the particles and the pores within the aggregates are assumed to be equal, enabling an expression linking two fractal dimensions to be defined. It is necessary to introduce ratios between maximum and minimum particle and pore sizes into the expression. A theoretical soil‐water characteristic curve is then derived for a double porosity soil. The curve, and the underlying assumptions regarding the distributions of pore and particle sizes, showed good agreement with experimental data for a range of soils having double porosity. A discontinuity is observed in the soil‐water characteristic curve at a second air entry value related to the maximum pore size within the aggregates, a feature also observed in experimentally obtained soil‐water characteristic curves for double porosity soils.     

使用自由软件和便携式光学显微镜研究土壤孔隙特征

Total porosity (TP), determined by image analysis, pore type and pore size distribution were evaluated on impregnated soil blocks from an undisturbed Brazilian sandy loam soil using a digital portable optical microscope. The free software Image J (version 1.40g) was used for image analysis. Procedures for soil image collection and analysis were presented. The image analysis allowed the evaluation of pore sizes with diameters ranging from 20 to >1 000 μm. The following types of pores were also obtained: rounded, elongated and intermediate. The results allowed the characterization of the soil as moderately porous (TP=21.6%). Rounded, intermediate and elongated pores were responsible for 11.6%, 31.7% and 56.7% of TP. In relation to pore size 51.1% of TP was in the 100-500 μm size class and a third of TP came from the pores larger than 500 μm.     

Pore characteristics and hydraulic properties of a sandy loam supplied for a century with either animal manure or mineral fertilizers

Abstract Application of organic residues to soil is generally assumed to improve soil tilth. Only few studies have reported the long‐term effects on the more subtle aspects of soil porosity, and no reports have considered the potential effects of organic amendments on the pore system in the subsoil. We sampled undisturbed soil cores (100 cm³ and 6280 cm³) using metal cylinders in differently fertilized plots in the long‐term field experiment at Askov Experimental Station, Denmark. We selected the 0–60 cm soil layer of plots dressed for a century with either mineral fertilizers (labelled NPK) or animal manure (labelled AM) and unfertilized plots (UNF) as a reference. Both fertilization treatments were studied at two levels of nutrient application: ‘normal’ (labelled ‘1’) and 1.5 times ‘normal’ (labelled ‘1½’). Water retention, air permeability and air diffusivity were measured on the small cores, and we used the large cores for measuring near‐saturated and saturated hydraulic conductivity. In the plough layer, the AM and NPK soils displayed identical pore volumes in size fractions that were larger as well as smaller than 30 μm, while the UNF soil had a significantly smaller volume of pores < 30 μm. No clear trends were found in treatment effects on pore organization as calculated from air diffusivity and air permeability measurements. No significant differences in hydraulic conductivity were found in the plough layer. For the subsoil below ploughing depth, significantly larger macropore volumes and near‐saturated hydraulic conductivities were found for soil of plots receiving the larger (‘1½’) amount of nutrients compared with the ‘normally’ dressed soil. This effect was independent of fertilization system (AM or NPK). We attribute the larger volume of macropores to the improved root growth conditions in the soil with the higher nutrient level. We conclude that addition of animal manure at rates realistic in agriculture has only a modest effect on soil pore characteristics of the plough layer soil compared with the use of mineral fertilizers. For the subsoil below ploughing depth, a high level of nutrient application may increase soil macroporosity and near‐saturated hydraulic conductivity, but the origin of nutrients is of no significance.     

运用同步辐射显微CT揭示红壤团聚体内孔隙形态与空间分布

团聚体内部复杂的孔隙系统及其空间分布决定土壤团聚体的主要功能,以及发生在团聚体内的各种物理、化学和生物学过程。应用同步辐射X射线显微成像技术(SR-mCT),对第四纪红土发育的红壤团聚体内部孔隙形态、连通性、各向异性、大小分布和空间分布进行了研究。结果表明,红壤团聚体内部的孔隙形态、孔隙生长方向、大小分布存在明显差异。稳定性较好的团聚体表现为团聚体孔隙含有较多大孔隙、孔隙形态各异、各向异性、多联通孔隙等特征,团聚体内>30 ?m大孔隙分布比较均匀,中心部位较高,呈中间向圆周减小趋势;反之,稳定性较差的团聚体中,孔隙以小孔隙为主,分布密集,孔隙生长方向均匀,团聚体孔隙空间分布为大孔隙,主要分布在团聚体外围,中心部分分布较少。团聚体内部孔隙的空间分布模式能够很好地解释土壤团聚体结构和稳定性差异的原因。同步辐射显微CT结合图像处理技术能够系统地表征团聚体内孔隙的多样性和空间变异规律,为预测土壤团聚体中各种物理过程提供新途径。     

不同盆栽基质水分特征曲线的对比分析与模拟

现有关于盆栽控水模拟土壤干旱条件的试验中多采用含水率作为水分胁迫阈值,然而由于基质配比不同导致含水率相同的基质的水分状况也不尽相同,这导致各研究间结果难以对比和参考。为快速获取盆栽基质水分特征曲线,建立基质水分特征曲线预测模型。该研究以盆栽控水试验常用的泥炭土、蛭石和珍珠岩为基质材料,测定了不同配比基质的水分特征曲线,通过不同方法（多元回归模型、人工神经网络）建立了其预测模型。结果表明,人工神经网络模型对基质水分特征曲线的预测精度高于多元回归;相较于人工神经网络,多元回归模型的稳定性更高。综合考虑模型的精度和稳定性,多元回归模型是预测作物盆栽基质水分特征曲线的最佳模型。该模型为基质水分特征曲线快速获取以及相关作物干旱胁迫研究间的对比提供了方法和依据。     

Relationship between soil organic matter and micropores in a long-term experiment at Ultuna,Sweden

Our study showed that long‒term addition of organic matter to a fine textured soil (36.5% clay, 41% silt, 22.5% sand) resulted in an increase of both macro‒ and microporosity in the top soil layer. In terms of changes of the absolute pore volume, macropores were of main importance. However, in relative terms, the increase of microporosity was comparable to that of macroporosity (75% and 90%). Changes in porosity upon different organic matter levels had a marginal effect on the water storage capacity. Micropores with diameters in the range of 1—30 μm were highly significantly correlated to soil organic matter characteristics showing that there is a non‒uniform distribution in relation to pores. Mechanisms leading to disproportionally high concentrations of soil organic matter in relation to micropores are discussed.     

Transformation of the structural organization of clay sediments and soils under the impact of polyelectrolytes

The effects of polyacrylic acid (PAAc) and polyacrylamide (PAA) adsorption by quartz sand, montmorillonite, kaolinite, gray forest soil, and chernozem on the texture of the sorbents were studied. It was shown that the polymolecular adsorption was typical of the applied polyelectrolytes. The addition of PAA in a concentration of 0.05% to the solution resulted in consolidation of the sediments with a decrease in their volume. In the case of montmorillonite, a loose gel precipitate formed; its volume decreased by about 6% during the experiment. The adsorption of polyelectrolytes slightly affected the average radii, total surface area, and volume of the pore space (within 4–20%). The transformation of the surface of minerals and soils under the action of polyelectrolytes resulted in a significant change in the differential pore volume. The number of pores of about 0.0014 μm in size hardly changed at all. However, wider pores (0.011–0.45 μm) appeared. The adsorption of PAAc resulted in the appearance of wide pores (1.6–22.0 μm), and the adsorption of PAA resulted in the appearance of two narrow classes of micropores. A much more even distribution of differential porosity in the range of 3.6–4.5 μm was revealed. Thus, the transformation of the surface of adsorbents by polyelectrolytes led to changes in the pore-size distribution.     

重庆江津区柑橘地土壤大孔隙特征

以重庆市江津区不同柑橘地为研究对象,采用土壤坡面染色法标记大孔隙、利用土壤水分穿透曲线方法及Poiseulle方程分析其土壤大孔隙特征。结果表明:染色区较非染色区有更大的稳定出流速率,大孔隙使染色区的水分渗透速率较非染色区提高了1.48倍以上,随着土层深度增加,其提高程度有增大的趋势。虽然染色区较非染色区更利于水分或溶液传导,但相比非染色区,染色区水分渗透曲线的波动更大。柑橘地大孔隙孔径范围在0.3～1.7mm之间,0.3～0.7mm孔径数量虽然为104数量级,但对染色溶液优先迁移的作用较弱;实际影响染色溶液迁移的为半径大于0.7mm的土壤大孔隙;20年林龄柑橘地10-20cm土层有效大孔隙数量高于10年林龄柑橘地。半径大于1.0mm的大孔隙在水分输入初期起到迅速排导水分的作用。柑橘地土壤大孔隙率在1.5%～19.5%之间,与稳定出流速率呈极显著正相关关系,决定了稳定出流速率71.9%的变异;半径大于0.7mm的大孔隙数量与稳定出流速率呈极显著正相关关系,决定了稳定出流速率90.9%的变异。     

砂姜黑土钙质结核剖面分布特征及其对土壤持水性的影响

钙质结核是砂姜黑土重要的成土特征,直接影响土壤结构和水分运移,但目前关于钙质结核对土壤持水性作用机制的研究主要集中在实验室尺度,而且报道较少.基于此,该研究在田间尺度上研究了钙质结核剖面垂直分布特征及其对土壤持水性的影响.结果表明:钙质结核主要分布在20 cm以下的土层,其含量和粒径均随土层深度的增加呈现增大趋势,>8...     

Thermodynamic assessment of the effect of strongly swelling polymer hydrogels on the water retention capacity of model porous media

The effect of different rates and fractions of strongly swelling polymer hydrogel (SSPH) based on radiation-grafted polyacrylamide on the water retention capacity and structural state of model porous media in the form of quartz sand fractions with different degrees of dispersion has been studied. The water retention curve (WRC) of sandy porous media obtained by the capillarimetric method has been used as a basic thermodynamic parameter. An original method has been proposed for the comparative study of the effect of SSPHs on the WRC based on the approximation of data by the nonlinear van Genuchten function followed by differential analysis. Equations are given for the calculation of capillary water capacity and structural curves of pore size distribution. SSPH concentrations in the range 0.05–0.2% of enclosing material weight reliably increase the water retention capacity of sandy fractions and the total, capillary, and field capacities (determined by the Voronin secant method) by 2–3 times; as well as the range of available water and the contents of fine macropores and mesopores. Factors limiting the swelling of SSPHs in model porous media have been revealed.     

Modelling soil anaerobiosis from water retention characteristics and soil respiration

Oxygen is a prerequisite for some and an inhibitor to other microbial functions in soils, hence the temporal and spatial distribution of oxygen within the soil matrix is crucial in soil biogeochemistry and soil biology. Various attempts have been made to model the anaerobic fraction of the soil volume as a function of structure, moisture content and oxygen consumption. Aggregate models are attractive but difficult to parameterize and not applicable to non-aggregated soils. Pore models are preferable for pragmatic reasons, but the existing versions appear to overestimate the anaerobic volume at intermediate soil moisture contents. A modified pore model is proposed, in which anaerobiosis is calculated from a range of air filled pore size classes, based on the soil water retention curve and the soil moisture content. In comparison with previous pore models which are based on the estimation of an average size of the air filled pores, the pore class model presented here appears to give more adequate estimates of anaerobic volumes, especially at intermediate moisture contents. The pore model is attractive for process modelling of anaerobic functions such as denitrification, since it can easily be parameterized by the water retention characteristics of a soil.