BASIC CONCEPTS IN

SOIL AND WATER

RELATIONSHIPS
PART 2
ABE 72
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering I
SOIL-PLANT-WATER
RELATIONSHIPS
SOIL MOISTURE CONSTANTS

40, 43, 49
1. SATURATION POINT

• amount of water the

soil profile will hold
when all its pore
spaces are filled up

40, 43, 49
2. FIELD CAPACITY
• soil is allowed to drain 2-3
days
• amount of water the soil
profile will hold against the
soil moisture tension of 1/3
bar

40- 32, 43-15, 49-4

2. FIELD CAPACITY

- Expressed as the ratio of the weight of water

contained in the soil to the weight of the dry soil
retaining that water

= Wt. of water retained in a certain vol. of soil x 100

Wt. of the same vol. of dry soil
3. PERMANENT WILTING
POINT

• amount of water the soil

profile will hold against
the soil moisture tension
of 15 bar

8-6, 28-20, 45-17

4. HYGROSCOPIC POINT

• amount of water the soil

profile will hold against the
soil moisture tension of
10,000 bar
FORCES ACTING ON SOIL WATER

• adhesive force - causes the dissimilar particles and/or surfaces to

cling to one another

• cohesive force - causes the similar or identical particles/ surfaces

to cling to one another

• gravitational force - due to the effect of gravity

• osmotic forces - caused by salt or ion concentration differences or

gradients
 SOIL MOISTURE CLASSIFICATION
1. BASED ON THE PREDOMINANT FORCES ACTING ON THE SOIL

Hygroscopic water - water on the soil grains that is not

capable of significant movement by the action of gravity or
capillary forces

Capillary water - water that exists in the pore spaces of the

soil and is retained against the force of gravity in a soil that
permits unobstructed drainage

Gravitational water - water that will readily move out of the

soil if favorable drainage is provided
 SOIL MOISTURE CLASSIFICATION
2. BASED ON AVAILABILITY TO PLANTS

⚫ Unavailable water - held too tightly by capillary forces and is

generally not accessible to plant roots
⚫ Available water - difference between gravitational and
unavailable water
⚫ Gravitational water - drains quickly from the root zone
under normal drainage conditions
AVAILABLE MOISTURE (AM)

- difference in moisture
content of the soil
between field capacity and
permanent wilting point

AM = mFC - mPWP
• READILY AVAILABLE MOISTURE (RAM)

- that portion of the available moisture that is most easily

extracted by plants; approximately 75% of the available
moisture
RAM = 0.75 AM or ¾ AM

• ALLOWABLE MOISTURE DEPLETION (AMD)

- amount of water that is allowed to be depleted usually
expressed in percent
•MOISTURE CONTENT PRESENT (mcw)
- amount of moisture present in the soil given the % AM content
either retained (AMR) or used (AMD) and the FC and PWP can be
computed using the following equations:

mcw = mPWP + % AMR (mFC – mPWP)

mcw = mFC - %AMD (mFC – mPWP)

Equivalent depth of water in soil:
dw = mcw x As x D or dw = mcv x D
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1
• What is the present moisture content of the soil, if 40% of its AM has
been used?
Its moisture contents (by mass) at FC and PWP are 30 and 15%,
respectively.
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2

•The soil has a field capacity of 22% and a

permanent wilting point of 12%, both on dry
mass basis. The bulk density is 1.4 g/cc. If the
root zone depth is 1.0 m and the allowable
deficit is 45%, the depth to which irrigation
commences is
•77.0 mm
•230 mm
•245 mm
•308 mm
SAMPLE PROBLEM 3

•The soil has the following

characteristics: densities of 1.2 g/cc and
2.4 g/cc and initial moisture content of
12% by mass. If the rooting depth is 500
mm and the duration of saturating the
soil is 3 days, at what rate should the
water be applied to fully soak the land?
SOIL WATER POTENTIAL
Moisture content - answers the questions relating to how much
irrigation water is required to bring the soil back to a defined water
content

Soil-water potential - explains why soils treated in similar ways have

different water contents
 SOIL WATER POTENTIAL
Water Potential
• Water is retained or moves through the soil
depending on the dominant component of soil
water potential (φw).

• Definition: the amount of work that a unit

quantity of water in an equilibrium soil water
system is capable of doing when it moves to a
pool of water in the reference state at the same
temperature.

φw = φm + φs + φp
• In the soil, water moves continuously in the direction of decreasing potential
energy or from higher water content to lower water content.

Total = Matric + Solute + Gravitational + Pressure

φT = φm + φs + φz + φp
 Units of Expressions
Soil Water Potential

• Energy per unit mass: N-m /kg, J/kg, lbf-ft/lbm

• Energy per unit volume: N/m2 , Pa, bar
• Energy per unit weight: cm, mm, in, m, ft

Total = Matric + Solute + Gravitational + Pressure

φT = φm + φs + φz + φp
 1. Matric Potential ( φm)
• results from capillary and adsorptive forces
due to the soil matrix

• capillarity results from the surface tension

of water and its contact angle with the solid
soil particles

φm = -SMT

• a dynamic soil property and will be at

theoretical zero level for a saturated soil
Develop an equation in solving the matric potential through a
tensiometer:
2. Solute Potential ( φs)
• arises because of soluble materials (generally salts)
in the soil solution and the presence of a
semipermeable membrane

• two recognized membranes in soil-water systems

are the cell wall of plant roots and air-water
interfaces

φs = RTC
 3. Gravitational Potential ( φz)
• determined solely by the
elevation (or vertical
distance) of the water
relative to a reference point
or datum

• partly responsible for

infiltration and wholly
responsible for the removal
of excess water in drainage
 A

water table
 4. Pressure Potential ( φp)
• hydrostatic pressure exerted by
unsupported water that is
saturating the soil

• vertical distance between the water

surface and a specified point

• in the field, this component is zero

above and at the level of water in
the piezometer, and always positive
below the water level
•Soil Water Potential
•Total Water Potential
•Solute Potential
•Gravitational Potential
•Matric Potential
•Pressure Potential
•Submergence Potential
•Hydraulic Potential
SOIL WATER MOVEMENT
•Water flows into and through the soil due to
the difference in potential or potential
gradient

•The rate of water movement at any given

point is determined primarily by (1)
permeability or hydraulic conductivity and (2)
total potential gradient

Q = −k
x
DARCY’S LAW
DARCY’S LAW
•

• Darcy’s Law shows the volumetric flow rate or discharge is a

function of the flow area, elevation, fluid pressure and a
proportionality constant

• Darcy observed that

1. Q is proportional to the head loss (∆h)
2. Q is proportional to the cross sectional area of flow (A)
3. Q is inversely proportional to the length of flow path (L)
4. Q is influenced by the nature of the flow medium
 DARCY’S LAW

• in equation form, these

observations can be expressed as:

Δh
Q  cA
ΔL
Q Δh Δh
c =k
A ΔL ΔL
 SEEPAGE VELOCITY

• velocity through the void spaces

obtained by dividing the average
velocity by the porosity

v ki
vs = =
n n
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY

• the ability of the soil to transmit water

• depends on
Particle Size
Void Ratio
Composition
Fabric
Degree of Saturation
Ground Water Hydraulics

• Hydraulic conductivity, K, is an
indication of an aquifer’s ability to
transmit water

• Typical values:
10-2 to 10-3 cm/s for Sands
10-4 to 10-5 cm/s for Silts
10-7 to 10-9 cm/s for Clays
 h
Q = Ak
L
where,
Q - volumetric flow rate (m3/s or ft3/s),
A - flow area perpendicular to L (m2 or ft2),
k - hydraulic conductivity (m/s or ft/s),
L - flow path length (m or ft),
h - hydraulic head (m or ft), and
Movement of water along soil-plant-atmosphere system

Complete cycle of water movement

1. supply of water to the ground surface
2. entry of water into the root zone (infiltration)
3. entry of water into the roots
4. passage of water in the conducting elements
5. movement of water through and out of the leaves
(transpiration)
Sample Problem

• Points A and B are located at 5 cm and 15 cm vertically

below the ground surface. The soil matric potentials at
the two points after a period of steady evaporation
were (-210 cm) at A and (-78 cm) at B. The average
hydraulic conductivity of the soil was 1.9 x 10-2
cm/day.

• With point B as the reference, what must be potential

at A and B?
• Compute the average upward flow rate of soil water
through the two points.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
• An underground storage tank has been discovered to be leaking
diesel fuel into groundwater. A drinking water well is located
200m from the fuel spill. To ensure the safety of the drinking
water supply, a monitoring well is drilled halfway between the
drinking water well and the fuel spill. The difference in hydraulic
head between the drinking water well and the monitoring well is
40 cm (the head of the monitoring well is higher).
• If the porosity is 39 percent and hydraulic conductivity is 45
m/day, how long after it reaches the monitoring well would the
contaminated water reach the drinking water well?
Measurement of Matric Potential – Tensiometer
The gauge or transducer reading has to be corrected to account for the
positive head that is exerted by the water column inside the tensiometer
on the point of interest in depth of the ceramic cup

Measurement Range
ygauge = - 1.2 m
0 to – 100 kPa (-1bar; -10 m head)

zgauge=0.2 m Tensiometer Equation

ym = ygauge + (zgauge – zcup)

zcup=0.5 m Tensiometer Equation

ym = ygauge + (zgauge – zcup)

ym = -1.2 + (0.2 – (-0.5))

ym = -0.5 m
Measurement of Matric Potential – Tensiometer

Sketch showing tensiometers with vacuum gauges and electronic

pressure transducers.
Tensiometer & Potential Diagrams - Example
The cups of tensiometers 1 and 2 are at a depth of 0.6 and 0.8 m below
the soil surface. The gauges are 0.2 m above the soil surface. The gauge
in tensiometer 1 indicates ygauge = -0.9 m.

• Draw a potential diagram with the soil surface as reference level.

Assume static equilibrium conditions.
• Estimate the gage reading in tensiometer 2.

First we set our reference level at the

soil surface and calculate the matric
potential in 0.6 m depth using the
tensiometer equation:

y m = y gauge + (zgauge − zcup )

y m = −0.9 + (0.2 − ( −0.6)) = −0.1 [m]

Tensiometer & Potential Diagrams - Example
With known matric potential and assuming zero solute potential we now can
calculate the hydraulic potential in 0.6 m depth. Note that under equilibrium
conditions the hydraulic potential is uniform throughout the soil profile.

y h = y m +y z +y p
y h = −0.1 + ( −0.6) = −0.7 [m]
With known hydraulic potential we now can calculate the matric potential
throughout the profile (tabulated values are in m head)
Depth yh yz ym yp
0.0 -0.7 0.0 -0.7 0.0 The reading in tensiometer 2 is
-0.1 -0.7 -0.1 -0.6 0.0 calculated as:
-0.2 -0.7 -0.2 -0.5 0.0
-0.3 -0.7 -0.3 -0.4 0.0
y gauge = y p − z = 0.1− 1.0 = −0.9 [m]
-0.4 -0.7 -0.4 -0.3 0.0
-0.5 -0.7 -0.5 -0.2 0.0
-0.6 -0.7 -0.6 -0.1 0.0
-0.7 -0.7 -0.7 0.0 0.0
-0.8 -0.7 -0.8 0.0 0.1
-0.9 -0.7 -0.9 0.0 0.2
-1.0 -0.7 -1.0 0.0 0.3
 Tensiometer & Potential Diagrams - Example
As the final step we can draw the potential diagram for equilibrium
conditions:

20 cm 1 2
0 -9 0 -8 0 -7 0 -6 0 -5 0 -4 0 -3 0 -2 0 -1 0 0 1 0 2 0

-1 0

-2 0 m z
-3 0

-4 0
h
-5 0

-6 0

-7 0 W a te r T a b le

-8 0
p

-9 0