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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #259714
Title: Column displacement experiments to evaluate electrical conductivity effects on electromagnetic soil water sensing

Author
item Schwartz, Robert
item Evett, Steven - Steve
item Pelletier, Mathew

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/31/2010
Publication Date: 10/31/2010
Citation: Schwartz, R.C., Evett, S.R., Pelletier, M.G. 2010. Column displacement experiments to evaluate electrical conductivity effects on electromagnetic soil water sensing [abstract]. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts, October 31-November 4, 2010, Long Beach, California. Paper No. 301-7. 2010 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bulk electrical conductivity (EC) in superactive soils has been shown to strongly influence electromagnetic sensing of permittivity. However, these effects are dependent on soil water content and temperature as well as the pore water conductivity. We carried out isothermal column displacement experiments at saturation to evaluate the influence of changes in bulk EC on soil permittivity measurements with time domain reflectometry (TDR) and a capacitance sensor (TE-5). Changes in permittivity inferred by TDR measurements could be properly described using the phase velocity equation for transversal electromagnetic waves. In contrast, permitivities measured using capacitance sensors exhibited a negative response to bulk EC in a fine sand and a positive response in a clay loam.