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Theoretical Prediction of Electrical Conductivity in Saturated and Unsaturated Soil
Author(s) -
Mualem Y.,
Friedman S. P.
Publication year - 1991
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 - 10.1029/91wr01095
Subject(s) - tortuosity , electrical resistivity and conductivity , soil science , hydraulic conductivity , soil water , conductivity , water content , pedotransfer function , materials science , environmental science , geotechnical engineering , geology , porosity , chemistry , engineering , electrical engineering
A conceptual model is proposed for the prediction of the electrical conductivity of bulk soil in saturated and in unsaturated states. The model is based on the hypothesis that the tortuosity factor affecting the bulk soil electrical conductivity is identical to that defined for prediction of the soil hydraulic conductivity. Simple mathematical functions are derived to forecast the soil electrical conductivity as a function of the water content. Experimental results of seven previous studies carried out on 26 soils were used for validation tests. The model's efficiency as a predictive tool, in cases where limited experimental data are available, is found to be generally good.