Virtual Seminar: Accurate and Reliable Soil Moisture Characteristic Curves (Moisture Release Curves) using Vapor Pressure Methods
- Measurements:
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In this virtual seminar, Dr. Doug Cobos demonstrated how to make a soil moisture characteristic curve (SMCC). Soil moisture characteristic curves plot the relationship between water content and water potential for soil (or any porous medium). Knowing a soil’s unique characteristic allows you to:
• estimate water potential from a measured water content
• estimate the amount of plant available water in soil
• evaluate the expansiveness of a soil.
Dr. Cobos teaches how to prepare samples and make measurements using high accuracy vapor pressure methods. The range of water potentials over which these methods apply is approximately 0 to –300 MPa. Dr Cobos also covers plotting methods for accurate interpolation and extrapolation and will discuss applications. He primarily uses manual methods, but also shows results from two new instruments that generate moisture characteristics of soils automatically.
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To learn more about water potential theory and water potential measurement methods, visit our water potential education section.