Soil Physics

David Zumr
room: B678
david.zumr@fsv.cvut.cz

Lecture (and seminar) notes will be available:

- http://storm.fsv.cvut.cz/ -> On-line pednky a cvien -> ESP
or
- http://storm.fsv.cvut.cz/123456.php?id=3on_line&polozka=esp

Soil Science
deals with soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil
formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility
properties of soils ; and these properties in relation to the use and management of
soils.

pedology
soil genesis, morphology, clasification, structure, texture,

soil chemistry
soil biochemistry
soil physics

Source http://www.cartage.org.lb

Delas with the physics of soil systems

Soil physics studies the properties and processes of materials in the soil.
- from the physical description of soil particles, soil aggregates, into the storage and
transport phenomena of water, gas, heat, and solute in soil.

- soil mechanics
- pedotransfer function
- soil hydrology (vadose zone hydrology or hydropedology)

Soil water

Essential for plant growth

Basic medium for transport of contaminants
Necessary (natural) for soil remediation
Soil water:

chemicaly retained and hygroscopic (covering the particles)

capillary
(capillary forces)

gravitational (temporary
water, when the source finish,
water flow out rain, snow melting,
floods,)

Source: http://piru.alexandria.ucsb.edu

Basic equations
Bulk density:

Soild density:

Porosity:

ms
b =
VT
m
s = s
Vs
n =

Vp

ms mass of dry soil

VT total volume
Vs volume of solid phase
Vp pore volume
Vw water volume

VT

Vw
Water content (volumetric): =
VT
air

Saturation:

Vw
Sw =
Vp

water
solid

Pore
space

Exercise
A cylindrical soil core sample is 5 cm in diameter and 6 cm long. When
taken from the ground, the weight is 253 g, and after drying it weighs
226 g. The soil is sandy, with a solid density of 2.65 g/cm3. Estimate the
following:
a. bulk density
b. porosity
c. water content
d. saturation

Darcys law
Henry Darcy (1856) was solving a problem of water filtering for fountains in
Dijon.
By many experiments, he found out, that flow rate through sand tank depends
on:
- hydrostatic pressure gradient (between top and bottom)
- length of the column
- column cross-section
- coefficient which is specific for different soils

dH
q = -Ks
dl

Ks = saturated hydraulic conductivity [LT-1]

where q is bulk flow:

dH
q = -K()
dz

q=

Q
A

Q = water flow [L3T-1]

A = cross-section [L2]

Darcy-Buckinghams law

Exercise 2
Data from groundwater piezometers A and B (located 500 m apart) are
shown in the following table. Assume that A and B sample the same
confined aquifer (K = 0.05 cm/s throughout), and that aquifer is 10 m
thick, with a uniform porosity of 0.35.
a. Calculate the hydraulic gradient between A and B and determine
the flow direction.
b. Estimate the travel time for pore water moving from A to B.

Piezometer
length

Surface
elevation

Depth to water

50m

120 m

33m

50m

110 m

25 m