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Water content or moisture content is the quantity of water contained in a material, such as soil (called soil moisture), rock, ceramics, crops, or wood. Water content is used in a wide range of scientific and technical areas, and is expressed as a ratio, which can range from 0 (completely dry) to the value of the materials' porosity at saturation.
The physical category of soil quality indicators consists of tests that measure soil texture, bulk density, porosity, water content at saturation, aggregate stability, penetration resistance, and more. [9] These measures provide hydrological information, such the level of water infiltration and water availability to plants.
Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste .
Soil moisture is the water content of the soil. It can be expressed in terms of volume or weight. Soil moisture measurement can be based on in situ probes (e.g., capacitance probes, neutron probes) or remote sensing methods. [1] [2] Water that enters a field is removed from a field by runoff, drainage, evaporation or transpiration. [3]
Water retention curve is the relationship between the water content, θ, and the soil water potential, ψ. The soil moisture curve is characteristic for different types of soil, and is also called the soil moisture characteristic. It is used to predict the soil water storage, water supply to the plants (field capacity) and soil aggregate stability.
Water quality depends on the local geology and ecosystem, as well as human uses such as sewage dispersion, industrial pollution, use of water bodies as a heat sink, and overuse (which may lower the level of the water). [citation needed]
The maximum rate at that water can enter soil in a given condition is the infiltration capacity. If the arrival of the water at the soil surface is less than the infiltration capacity, it is sometimes analyzed using hydrology transport models, mathematical models that consider infiltration, runoff, and channel flow to predict river flow rates ...
In general, the nonpoint source pollution typically is significantly higher than the point sources of pollution. Therefore, the key to sound management is to limit the input from both point and nonpoint sources of phosphate. High concentration of phosphate in water bodies is an indication of pollution and largely responsible for eutrophication. [5]