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The application of the gamma neutron method for transport studies in field soils
Author(s) -
Couchat Ph.,
Moutonnet P.,
Puard M.,
Brissaud F.
Publication year - 1979
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/wr015i006p01583
Subject(s) - soil water , water content , deuterium , neutron , neutron source , neutron temperature , neutron probe , environmental science , thermal diffusivity , moisture , soil science , materials science , nuclear physics , physics , neutron cross section , geology , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , quantum mechanics
In order to study water movement in the field, deuterated water was monitored by the.gamma neutron method, using 208 Tl gamma source and 3 He thermal neutron detector. A laboratory device is presented which supplies measurement data on a 5‐ml soil solution. The performance of a gamma neutron probe is evaluated, the background count rate which depends on soil moisture content is related to the neutron emission of 208 Tl gamma source, the resolution is found to depend on gamma diffusion and is no more than 15 cm in unsaturated soil, and the calibration is given versus volumetric deuterated water content. The dispersive transport of a D 2 O pulse on a soil column is studied through a D 2 O concentration profile and breakthrough curve at the bottom of the column. Then simultaneous measurements of soil water content and D 2 O concentration by the neutron moisture gauge and the gamma neutron probe enable us to interpret the evolution of the D 2 O pulses as a function of irrigation during a field experiment.