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Obtaining soil hydraulic properties for water balance and leaching models from survey data. 1. Water retention
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Obtaining soil hydraulic properties for water balance and leaching models from survey data. 1. Water retention

K.R.J. Smettem, Y.M. Oliver, L.K. Heng, K.L. Bristow and E.J. Ford
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol.50(2), pp.283-289
1999
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Abstract

A physico-empirical 2-parameter power law model of the draining water retention curve (WRC) based solely on clay content is described and further developed using 6 datasets obtained from Australian and New Zealand soils. The slope of the WRC, or pore-size distribution index, is well described by the model but the bubbling pressure, or inflection point is poorly described. Without a good estimation of the bubbling pressure it is not possible to scale the physico-empirical model to the WRC. To achieve the scaling, a single measured point on the WRC in the unsaturated range is required. The resulting estimated water contents may be satisfactory for application within broad-scale leaching risk models and for generalised extrapolation of results from detailed experimental sites but caution is still required for quantitative applications of nitrate leaching models at a particular site. It is concluded that soil surveys could usefully include a single WRC measurement in the field at each sampling location to improve their utility for water and chemical transport modelling.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
7 Engineering & Materials Science
7.133 Geotechnical Engineering
7.133.986 Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
Web Of Science research areas
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
ESI research areas
Agricultural Sciences
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