HYPROP
Generate detailed moisture release curves on undisturbed soil samples in a standard 250 ml sample ring, typically within a few days. Range: 0 to -85 kPa. Hyprop also determines unsaturated hydraulic conductivity values for the soil sample.
US: 1.800.755.2751
International: +1.509.332.2756
Measurement: Soil Suction
Water Potential Instruments
Water potential describes the force that drives water movement. It is the most fundamental and essential measurement in soil physics. Unfortunately, it's also a tricky thing to measure. The chart on the right (click on it to view the full image)…
WP4 Dewpoint Potentiameter
Measure water potential of a sample in five to ten minutes with excellent accuracy (±0.1 MPa, 0 to -10 MPa; 1%, -10 to -300 MPa). Range of measurement includes permanent wilting point.
Tensiometers
These modernized tensiometers, built by German company UMS, are THE most accurate way to measure soil matric potential. Thanks to precision engineering, meticulous construction, and fanatical attention to detail, they have terrific accuracy and a range that (with a skilled operator) can extend beyond -200 kPa.
Vapor Sorption Analyzer
The Vapor Sorption Analyzer (VSA) brings click and read efficiency to soil moisture release characteristic curves. In 24 to 48 hours, the VSA generates up to 200 data points (water potential vs. water content) for both adsorption and desorption. The VSA works in the dry (-10 to -475 MPa) range. You can create automated soil-water characteristic curves and generate all the correlations with clay activity, surface area, and swelling potential. With the new static feature, you can hold humidity constant and look at the way soil takes up water into its crystal structure (2:1 clays) and monitor water content change over time.
Soil Moisture Release Curve Construction
Decagon's Soil Moisture Release Curve service uses UMS tensiometers and the Hyprop to produce the points for the moisture characteristic curve in the wet range and the WP4 to produce the points in the dry range. Your soil moisture characteristic curve service is specific for the soils that you send to Decagon and are over the range that you specify.