sowacs: soil water moisture content measurement systems and sensors Google Group

Join the VS2DI user group created in facebook

2010-02-12T14:09:56Z

Hi All,
A user group has been created in facebook for VS2DI.This is an excellent opportunity to share your knowledge and discuss
about using VS2DI package to model fluid, solute and heat transport in
variably saturated porous media.
[link]
Cheers
Priyantha

Re: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-11T12:29:58Z

It is also worth considering sensor types that measure soil water potential
rather than volumetric moisture content. Soil bulk density changes that
occur due to soil compression at the probe soil/ interface during
installation may alter the water apparent content reading but water
potentials will tend to equilibrate with the surrounding undisturbed soil,

RE: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-10T01:30:53Z

I already know I love you by your post,
Tom A. Reynolds, CID
Water Balance, LLC
Tempe, AZ
(602) 463-5072
[link]

-----Original Message-----
Jim Bilskie CSI
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 11:22 AM
To: sowacs@googlegroups.com
Hi, Tom:
Thank you for the informative and kind reply. I'm happy to offer

Re: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-09T18:22:29Z

Hi, Tom:
Thank you for the informative and kind reply. I'm happy to offer suggestions and my experience whether you are using Campbell Scientific sensors or not. It's a big challenge to install soil water sensors in an existing study area with minimum disturbance.
I can suggest that it be remembered that soil structure will rejuvenate after some number of hydration/dehydration or freeze/thaw cycles. So maybe make this a reminder point to the investigators. It's important to locate the sensors in the best place to monitor water content and accept that there will be some disturbance. This tree study is apparently a long term one and the disturbance effects will effectively be amortized over time. The geometry of some sensor is better than others for recovery from disturbance. Recovery from installation of simple straight rods will be the quickest.

Re: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-08T08:07:43Z

Dear Tom,
You should consider the general problems of electromagnetic methods
and access tubes. Here is a very nice article about the limitations:
Evett et al., 2009: Soil Profile Water Content Determination:
Spatiotemporal Variability of Electromagnetic and Neutron Probe
Sensors in Access Tubes, Vadose Zone J 8:926-941

Absolute Minimum Soil Surface Disturbance

2010-01-07T15:59:29Z

Rupert, and Apparent Sentek/Diviner/AquaSpy Fans,
You may wish to re-read my post. It was very clear what the
researchers objective and concerns are. Only the neutron probe is
granted exclusion to change the VMC so dramatically. We (the
researchers indicated, and I concurred) the presence of a large void

RE: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-07T19:53:04Z

Jean,
Empirical evidence of many, many trees irrigated with drip system, bubbles,
and sprinklers, either dug up, water-vacuumed, or blow over explains most of
what you allude to. Dr. Jimmy Tipton (UofA) did a 3 year study on the root
development under different emitter layouts and irrigation treatments. I am

RE:

2010-01-08T15:21:34Z

Does the site offer methods to install sensors with nil surface disturbance?

I have been visiting CS website 3 to 10 times per year since 1980?

Are you related to the soil physicist Hanks?

Tom A. Reynolds, CID
Water Balance, LLC
Tempe, AZ
(602) 463-5072
[link]

Josh Hanks
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 8:11 AM

Re: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-07T14:50:04Z

Rupert,
I think the only monitoring techniques that can be excused to let the
surface be influenced by a 2" protrusion is the neutron probe since it
reads a sphere about the size of a volleyball (or basketball,
depending on the VMC). I was always struck by the designer's disregard
for the obvious impacts directly above the realm of detection with the

RE: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-07T20:05:37Z

Jim,
I appreciate your post. I will be bound to favor the Acclima sensor for
it's reliability and price-point, and the software....at least for now. I am
an independent consultant as you know, and I represent no manufacturer. I do
want to use the product that will make both my client, and me in their eyes,

Re:

2010-01-08T15:10:32Z

You may find some useful information from this Web page.
[link]
Josh Hanks
Intermountain Environmental, Inc.
[link]
435-755-0774

Re:

2010-01-08T10:09:59Z

Dear Adamu,
I would like to think that many people including me are deady to hep you but
your question is too broad. what exactly do you want to know about soil
moisture: measurement, instrumentation, sensors, etc?
I suggest for anyone to help you you need to make your question more
specific.
Regards,

2010-01-08T08:33:17Z

I am interested in knowing more on soil moisture measurement.

Re: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-07T18:11:29Z

Hi Tom,
Moisture monitoring without an idea what the root configuration of the
plants can easily leads to wrong conclusions being made. Do you have a
picture of root depth and lateral growth which determine where and how deep
to insert the probe or probes?
I so seldom see root characteristics mentioned in soil moisture reports yet

Re: Absolute Minimum Soil Disturbance Method

2010-01-07T15:36:05Z

Dear Tom
Over the last 5 or so years we've developed a series of power-auger
methods for installing sentek tubes for our research into crop
responses to global climate change. The latest incarnation is a
modified giddings probe mounted on a small tractor (see attached
picture). Two people between them install 100-200 tubes in 2-3 days