Soil Water Content

ETSEA

ETSEA

Soil Water Content Measurement

Thermogravimetric Method Neutron Probe Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) Capacitance Method Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) From soil water potential

Jorge Lampurlans (jlampur@eagrof.udl.es) Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

The Water in Soil

Soil Water Content:
Gravimetric basis: [g water/g water] Volumetric basis: [m3 water/ m3 water] Related by bulk density: [g soil/ m3 soil] = On the soil profile: W [m3 water/ m2 water] W = i zi (zi, soil depth in mm)

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The Water in Soil

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

The Water in Soil

Lysmeter

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The Water in Soil

Lysimeter

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

The Water in Soil

Lysimeter

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The Water in Soil

Soil Water Balance
Equations
Complete: ET = W i + [P + I +Re] - [Rl + D] - W f Simplified: ET = W i + P - W f
I+Re P ET Rl

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Wi

Wf

D
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 7 Soil Water Content

ET: Evatopranpiration W: Soil Water Content (inicial, final) P: Precipitation I: Irrigation R: Surface Runoff (entering, leaving)
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Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

Thermogravimetric Method

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Thermogravimetric Method
MATERIAL & METHODS
Soil sampling (50 to 100 g of soil):
auger (hand operated)

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PRINCIPLE Soil water content definition: the water that may be evaporated from a soil by heating between 100 y 110 C (105 C) until there is no further weight loss.

Edelman
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 9 Soil Water Content

Riverside

Stony soil
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 10

Thermogravimetric Method
MATERIAL & METHODS
Soil sampling (50 to 100 g of soil):
auger (soil column cylinder auger)

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Thermogravimetric Method
MATERIAL & METHODS
Soil sampling (50 to 100 g of soil):
auger (soil column cylinder auger)

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Thermogravimetric Method
MATERIAL & METHODS
Soil sampling (50 to 100 g of soil):
auger (hydraulic drive)

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Thermogravimetric Method
MATERIAL & METHODS
Soil water evaporation at 105 C until constant weight (weight change in 0,5 to 4 hours < 0,1% of the initial weight): 24 to 48 hours.
Forced air oven Laboratory balance

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hermetic containers (plastic pots)

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Thermogravimetric Method
WARNINGS
At 110 C not all water removed T > 110 C organic mater oxidation T > 80 C gypsium hydratation water lost

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Thermogravimetric Method
ADVANTAGES
Reference method. Reliable. Simple (to weigh to dry to weigh) Low cost equipment

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CALCULATIONS
= (MwetMdry)/Mdry

DISADVANTAGES
Destructive sampling: not repeatable, alters the media Sampling is costly: especially in dry and/or stony soil

STONY SOILS: = (<2mm)(1 - S) S: Volumetric stone content

Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 15

VARIANT: Microwave oven

Not temperature control!
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 16

Neutron Probe
PRINCIPLE
H slows down fast neutrons (thermalization) Most H in soil is in soil water Changes in soil H Changes in water content [Thermalized Neutrons] = f(t)

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Neutron Probe
PRINCIPLE
Calibration: = R/Rs a + b
: Volumetric water content R: Neutron count rate in soil Rs: Count rate in a standard medium (Water) R/Rs: Count-rate ratio a y b: Calibration constants

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Neutron Probe
MATERIAL & METHODS Access Tubes
Aluminium, brass, stainless steel, plastic. Transparency to neutrons (not PVC). Mechanical strength. Resistance to corrosion. Stoppers to seal the top and end pieces to close the botton.

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MATERIAL & METHODS

Neutron probe

Neutron Probe

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Access Tube Installation

Minimize dirturbance to the soil, soil surface and vegetation to obtain truly representative measurements of the area Acces tube fit tightly into the soil to prevent voids and channeling of water dow besides it.
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 19

Prove (Sourve & Detector) Prove cable (strong, waterproof, with stoppers) Stable power supply (1-2 kV) Counter unit (8 to 64 s) Prove carrier (limits radiation)

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Neutron Probe
WARNINGS
Sphere of importance
Decreases with soil water content (0.15 m in wet soil 0.5 in very dry soil) Depth increments > 0.1 m Smoot water content profile Total profile water content: OK Errors at the soil surface (< 0.15-0.30 m)

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Neutron Probe
WARNINGS
Random Counting Errors
Increase the counting time (64 s) Weekly standard counts (1 hour, in water)

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Need of site-specific calibration

Presence of strong neutron absorbers: iron, chlorine Bulk density increases count rate specially in wet conditions Marked textural boundaries Stones Access tubes
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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

Neutron Probe
FIELD CALIBRACIN

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Neutron Probe
FIELD CALIBRATION

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Take soil samples (water content determination) during the excavation for the access tube installation. Record neutron counts at the required depths. Determine volumetric water content of the samples thermogravimetrically. Repeat at different access tubes when the soil is at different water contents (drying, irrigation). Take undisturbed samples of known volume near the access tube at the same depths.
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 23 Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 24

Neutron Probe
Commercial neutron probes:
Troxler 3% (Troxler) (Cambell Pacific)

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Methods based on K
PRINCIPLE

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Include de moist soil as part of the dielectric of a capacitor and measure its capacitance that gives the dielectric constant (K) or relative permittivity (): capacitance with soil K== capacitance with air K is frequency (F) dependent:
F < 30 MHz: proportion and configuration of air filled pores F between 30-3.000 MHz K = f(water, soil, air) (Kwater 80, Ksoil 3-5, Kair= 1) F > 3000 MHz: water dipoles do not follow the electromagnetic fields

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Methods based on K
PRINCIPLE

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Methods based on K
METHODS

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TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry): measurement of the travel time of and electromagnetic wide range high frequency pulse (step voltage) through the soil. Frequency Domain (FD) fixed low frequency (around 100 MHz)
Capacitance: measurement of the capacitance of the soil. FDR (Frequency Domain Reflectometry): Measurement of the complex impedance.

WARNINGS
Measurement of free water only
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 27 Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 28

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

PRINCIPLE
The propagation velocity of an electromagnetic wave down a transmission line in a nonmagnetic medium (soil) is related with the dielectric constant (K) or permittivity () of the medium c v= (c = 3108 m/s) K A high-frequency electromagnetic pulse is fed into the soil between two metal rods. Part of the pulse is reflected back up through the soil from the bottom of the rods, and the time interval between the incident and reflected pulses is measured. If K v t
Soil Water Content

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

PRINCIPLE
v= c K

v=
2

2L t

ct K = 2L

LAB =

ct 2
2

v=

2L t
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L K = AB L
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

MATERIAL & METHODS
Different proves (transmission lines)

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

MATERIALS & METHODS
Transmission line or wave guide
Coaxial Cable 50 (no more than 2 m) 2 to 3 rigid parallel metallic rods inserted into the soil
Rod diameter: 3 - 5 mm. Rod spacing 1.5 - 10 cm (Rod spacing / Rod diameter < 10). Rod length: 5 - 50 cm (attenuation). Vertically or horizontally inserted. Avoid rod to soil air gaps (rods diameters as large as possible). Parallelism is important for conductivity measurements.
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

MATERIAL & METHOS
Cable tester (Tectronyc 1502C)
Wave Form Analysis: beginning and end of the transmission line (manual or automatic)

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

WARNINGS
Signal attenuation in saline soils by ionic conduction
Insulation of the central rod. Bulk Electrical Conductivity measurement:
f =
V f V0 V0
(final reflection coefficient)

( S / m) =

Ks 1+ f Zu 1 Rapp f

Zu = 50 for Tektronix 1502B cable tester. Rapp measured by sorting the sensor rods. Ks sensor constant obtained by calibration with saline solutions. (Temperature correction)
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Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

WARNINGS
The method gives and average value of water content over the length of the transmission line. Volume of influence: cylinder of = rod distance

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

CALIBRATION
Universal calibration or Topp equation
= ( 530 + 292 K 5,5K 2 + 0.043K 3 )104 Works better for sandy soils. Good for relative values. Low bulk densities, specific mineralogical properties, clays and soil structure modifies K(). => Soil-specific calibration.

Field calibration
Only a dry and wet point and adjust the Topp equation. The complete relationship.
Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 35 Soil Water Content Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering 36

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

Commercial equipment
TRASE (Soilmoisture)

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) ETSEA

Commercial equipment
Hydrosense 3% (Campbell) TDR100 (Campbell) TRIME 3% (SDEC)

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Capacitance Method
PRINCIPLE
Measurement of the soil capacitance K
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Capacitance Method
MATERIALS & METHODS
Prove
Parallel electrodes Cylindrical

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A C = 8,854210 K S With a bridge at a frequency of 100-150 MHz

With a LC oscillator circuit, the frequency of oscillation is a direct measure of the capacitance. 1

MATERIALS & METHODS

Access Tube

F=

2 LC

Plastic (metal are not suitable, it acts as a barrier to the electric field) The gap between access tube and soil < 0.5 mm

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Capacitance Method
WARNINGS

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Capacitance Method
WARNINGS
No linear relationship between K and

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Distance between electrodes. Compromise between:

Radius of influence (3-4 cm) Depth resolution (2 cm)

Measurement dominated by the soil around the electrodes: small-scales lateral heterogeneity, air gaps and channelling of water may interfere. Requires soil-specific calibration.

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) ETSEA

PRINCIPLE
A low frequency (100 MHz) sinusoidal signal is propagated along the transmission line to the soil probe and reflects back (change in K) causing a voltage standing wave to be set up on the transmission line. The amplitude difference between the beginning and at the end of the transmission line is empirically related to the complex relative dielectric constant: K = K - j K K is a function of . K is related to the bulk electrical conductivity.

Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) ETSEA

ADVANTAGES The sensor is factory calibrated with a reference impedance. This improves accuracy by eliminating influences of cable lengths and quality, connectors and switches. Cheaper sensors. They measure also temperature to make corrections. K more sensitive to changes than K potentially more accurate than TDR. DISADVANTAGES Due to the low frequency the relationship between K a is more influenced by the soil calibration
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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) ETSEA

SOIL-SPECIFIC CALIBRACIN

Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) ETSEA

Commercial proves:
Diviner2000 (Sentek) Enviroscan (Sentek)

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) ETSEA

Comercial probes:
Thetaprove (Delta-T)
ML2x 1% SM200 3%

Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) ETSEA

Commercial probes:
ECH2O 3% (Decagon)

Profile probe (Delta-T)

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) ETSEA

PRINCIPLE
Uses short pulses of high frequency electromagnetic waves (501500 MHz)

From Soil Water Potential

PRINCIPLE

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Estimate soil water content () measuring soil water potential (h).

ADVANTAGES
Noninvasive Fast Suitable for large areas

DRAWBACKS:
We need to know the (h) Hysteresis of the (h) curve We need to measure soil water potential

Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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Soil Water Content

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering

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