Specific surface area and wetting heat of different soil types in European Russia

The surface properties (specific surface area and wetting heat) of the solid phase were estimated for the main soil types of European Russia: soddy-podzolic, alluvial, and gray forest soils; typical, leached, ordinary, and vertic chernozems; and soils of the solonetzic complex. It was found that the values of the specific surface area and wetting heat are indicative of particular features of the genetic horizon of each soil type. Changes in these soil properties under the effect of different anthropogenic impacts were studied. The bonding strength between the adsorbed water and the soil solid phase was characterized. It was shown that the water content at the potential of the first wetting film layer is close to the content of strongly bound water calculated from the wetting heat of the soils.