Measurement of matric flux potential: a simple procedure for the hydraulic characterization of soils.

Abstract

A new, simple and non-destructive method is proposed to measure directly soil matric flux potential as a function of water content. Soil water diffusivity is then found by differentiation of the measured curve. The steady-state method is based on a two-parameter expression for matric flux potential; it requires few observations, obtained by standard equipment, but it is relatively slow. Specific advantages are the method's applicability to the hydraulic characterisation of thin, brittle or hard samples. Experimental examples are presented and a theoretical analysis of errors due to gravity and non-stationarity is included. Where the integral characteristic matric flux potential is of interest, direct assessment gives more accurate results than integration of a measured diffusivity curve. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)