SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF MICROPENETROMETER DATA TO CHARACTERIZE SOIL STRUCTURE

Abstract

A micropenetrometer with a diameter similar in magnitude to that of a root is capable of measuring variations in tip resistance over distances as small as 0.1 mm. Measurements at this scale offer the potential of characterizing zones of high resistance to penetration and the frequency of occurrence of zones of low resistance which could be exploited by a growing root. Spectral analysis provides a new approach to characterizing soil structure and has been applied to the micropenetrometer tip resistance profiles obtained from beds of aggregates. Nine different aggregate size ranges were considered; the aggregate diameters varied from less than 0.36 mm to 6.4–12.8 mm. The analyses indicate that larger aggregates are more resistant to penetration. In addition, comparison of variance spectra among several of the aggregate sizes reveals information on the structural make up of soil aggregates, namely that larger aggregates are made up of smaller "component" aggregates which offer higher resistance when they occur in large aggregates than when they occur individually in loose packing. The use of spectral analysis also appears to provide information on the spatial separation of zones of low resistance which correlate with aggregate size if the aggregate diameters are larger than 1.6 mm. Key words: Soil strength, soil resistance to penetration, micropenetrometer, aggregate size