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An Image‐Based Method for Determining Bulk Density and the Soil Shrinkage Curve
Author(s) -
Stewart Ryan D.,
Abou Najm Majdi R.,
Rupp David E.,
Selker John S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj2011.0276n
Subject(s) - loam , shrinkage , volume (thermodynamics) , software , soil science , process (computing) , computer science , environmental science , materials science , geology , remote sensing , soil water , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics , programming language , operating system
Current laboratory methods for determining volume and bulk density of soil clods include dipping saran‐coated clods in water (a destructive process due to the permanent coating), performing physical measurements on samples with well‐defined geometries, or using expensive equipment and proprietary software (such as laser scanners). We propose an alternative method for determining the volume and bulk density of a soil clod, which is nondestructive, low cost, and utilizes free and open‐source software. This method (the clodometer method) uses a standard digital camera to image a rotating clod, which allows reconstruction of its three‐dimensional surface and subsequent calculation of its volume. We validated the method through comparison with the standard displacement method and then used the method to create a soil shrinkage curve for a silty clay loam soil. The method had acceptable precision (relative standard errors of the mean of 0.4–1.6%), which may be further improved through future software development.