Soil Water Content
Soil Water Content - Related Videos
06:16
Determination of Moisture Content in Soil
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Dr. Ian Pepper and Dr. Charles Gerba - The University of Arizona Demonstrating Author: Bradley Schmitz Soils normally contain a finite amount of water, which can be expressed as the “soil moisture content.” This moisture exists within the pore spaces in between soil aggregates (inter-aggregate pore space) and within soil aggregates (intra-aggregate pore space) (Figure 1). Normally this pore space is occupied by air and/or water. If all the pores are occupied by air, the...
08:20
In Situ Soil Moisture Sensors in Undisturbed Soils
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Cited by 7 •
2022
The determination of soil water content is a critical mission requirement for many state and federal agencies. This protocol synthesizes multi-agency efforts to measure soil water content using buried in situ sensors.
08:49
Manufacturing Simple and Inexpensive Soil Surface Temperature and Gravimetric Water Content Sensors
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Cited by 6 •
2019
Accurately measuring temperature and water content of the upper 5 mm of the soil surface can improve our understanding of environmental controls on biological, chemical, and physical processes. Here we describe a protocol for manufacturing, calibrating, and conducting measurements with soil surface temperature and moisture sensors.
09:19
Utilizing Soil Density Fractionation to Separate Distinct Soil Carbon Pools
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Cited by 3 •
2022
Soil density fractionation separates soil organic matter into distinct pools with differing stabilization mechanisms, chemistries, and turnover times. Sodium polytungstate solutions with specific densities allow the separation of free particulate organic matter and mineral-associated organic matter, resulting in organic matter fractions suitable for describing the soil response to management and climate change.
03:10
Soil Core Sample Collection for Water Retention Property Analysis
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2026
Source:Alessia J. Marchesan1, Guillermo Hernandez Ramirez11Renewable Resources, University of Alberta. This video demonstrates the technique for collecting a soil sample for hydraulic property analysis. The sampling area is cleared, and the top crust is evacuated. The sampling ring is then placed into the soil to collect the sample. The ring with the sample is then cleaned, labeled, packed, and transferred undisturbed for analysis.
FAQs
Texture determines the relative abundance of pore sizes, while organic matter and pore structure influence how strongly water is retained. Drainage also changes the amount remaining after water moves through the soil. These factors help explain why different soils can provide different water supplies to plants and can transport dissolved substances at different rates.
Adhesive forces hold water to soil particles, and capillary forces retain it within small pores. As drying progresses, less water remains readily available, while root extraction further reduces moisture around plants. This changing balance is important for evaluating plant water availability, microbial activity, and soil responses during periods of limited rainfall or increased demand.
The amount of water occupying soil pores influences how dissolved substances move through terrestrial systems. Greater or more continuous water pathways can support solute movement, whereas drainage and drying alter those pathways. Consequently, measurements provide environmental context for assessing potential contaminant transport and for interpreting how water and dissolved materials move through soil.
These approaches provide different ways to quantify moisture conditions, allowing researchers to select measurements suited to irrigation management, drought assessment, groundwater studies, or watershed modeling. The resulting data can indicate changes in water availability and help compare soil conditions across locations or times. Their value lies in linking moisture observations with environmental processes and decisions.
Measurements reveal whether soil moisture is changing as plants extract water or as drainage occurs. Tracking those changes helps evaluate water availability and supports irrigation decisions without relying only on surface appearance. In environmental studies, the same observations can show how soil moisture responds to rainfall patterns, drainage conditions, and changing plant demand.
Soil water measurements provide evidence of moisture conditions during drying periods and help identify how soils respond to climate variability. Comparing observations over time can indicate changes in water availability and the effects of reduced moisture on terrestrial processes. This information supports drought assessment and contributes to understanding ecosystem responses to changing environmental conditions.
Soil moisture measurements help connect water stored in soil with drainage and movement through terrestrial systems. In watershed modeling, they provide information needed to represent changing soil conditions, while groundwater studies use them to examine how water moves through the soil profile. The same data also help evaluate conditions affecting dissolved-solute and contaminant transport.