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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #229054
Title: Characterizing Soil Cracking at the Field Scale

Author
item ABOU NAJM, MAJDI - PURDUE UNIVERSITY
item MOHTAR, RABI - PURDUE UNIVERSITY
item Jabro, Jalal - Jay

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2008
Publication Date: 7/1/2008
Citation: Abou Najm, M., Mohtar, R., Jabro, J.D. 2008. Characterizing Soil Cracking at the Field Scale. ASABE Annual International Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Physical characterization of the soil cracking has always been a major challenge in scaling soil water interaction to the field level. This scaling would allow for the soil water flow in the field to be modeled in two distinct pools: across the soil matrix and in preferential flows thus tackling major hydrologic flow and transport challenges. This paper presents an attempt towards characterizing soil cracking at the field scale. Series of field digital images were captured along with multi-layer water content and temperature measurements. Cracking area of soil was extracted from digital imagery processing every one hour for an evaluation period of three weeks. Profiles of water content (at six depths) and temperature (at two depths) were continuously measured. Cracking dynamics were characterized as function of soil water content using the extracted cracking areas and water content profiles. The experiment was conducted on the Savage soil in the Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab, Sidney, Montana.