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MEASUREMENT OF SOIL MOISTURE NEAR THE SURFACE USING A NEUTRON MOISTURE METER
Author(s) -
GRANT D. R.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1975.tb01937.x
Subject(s) - water content , metre , moisture , neutron probe , soil science , environmental science , calibration , neutron , remote sensing , materials science , geotechnical engineering , geology , neutron temperature , mathematics , composite material , physics , neutron cross section , statistics , quantum mechanics , astronomy
Summary Correction factors for neutron moisture meter measurements near the soil surface have been established from readings at several depths taken before and after the removal of 10 cm of surface soil. In determining the factors it is assumed initially that a uniform soil moisture profile exists. The factors are then applied to the measurements and, from calibration of the neutron meter, the soil moisture profile is established. If large variations with depth are revealed, the initial assumption of uniformity of moisture profile does not apply. A method of determining corrections to the computed factors to allow for the variations in the soil moisture with depth is described. This requires a knowledge of the variation of the correction factors with moisture content and methods of determining this are discussed.