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Numerical modeling for investigating the physical meaning of the relationship between relative dielectric permittivity and water content of soils
Author(s) -
Tabbagh Alain,
Camerlynck Christian,
Cosenza Philippe
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2000wr900181
Subject(s) - soil water , water content , permittivity , relative permittivity , dielectric , content (measure theory) , function (biology) , soil science , dielectric permittivity , statistical physics , mathematics , materials science , thermodynamics , mechanics , environmental science , mathematical analysis , geotechnical engineering , physics , geology , optoelectronics , evolutionary biology , biology
The relative permittivity of soils is related to the volumetric liquid water content by a monotonous and general relationship. Among others, Topp et al . [1980] have proposed a simple empirical function to allow a direct determination of the water content. The moment method is applied here to calculate the apparent permittivity of a given volume of soil resulting from the electrical coupling between its different constituents and to attempt to reproduce the empirical function. This is not possible when considering randomly isotropically distributed elementary volumes of water, solid, and air. To reproduce the empirical function, it is necessary to consider that as the water content increases, the elementary volumes of water become more elongated since the liquid phase is continuous.