Effects of Sample Disturbance on Soil Water Potential Measurements
Sample disturbance is often a concern when water potential is measured. Most researchers try to minimize sample disturbance and thereby ensure a more representative measurement. Sample disturbance, however, is inevitable. The purpose of this note is to assess the magnitude of sample disturbance effects and relate them to the range of water potential of the soil sample. A soil is often modeled as a bundle of capillary tubes with a wide range of pore sizes. A unique relationship exists between the water potential associated with a given pore size and the diameter of the pores. This relationship comes from the Kelvin equation, which relates the water potential of water beneath an air-water interface to the curvature of that interface.....
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