Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Soil composition by Volume and Mass, by phase: air, water, void (pores filled with water or air), soil, and total.. 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.
The opposite situation, i. e. when the void ratio is relatively small (dense soils), indicates that the volume of the soil is vulnerable to increase (swelling) under unloading – the smectite (montmorillonite, bentonite) partially dry clay particles present in an unsaturated soil can swell due to their hydration after contact with water (when ...
Soil bulk density, when determined at standardized moisture conditions, is an estimate of soil compaction. [60] Soil porosity consists of the void part of the soil volume and is occupied by gases or water. Soil consistency is the ability of soil materials to stick together. Soil temperature and colour are self-defining.
Soil bulk density is equal to the dry mass of the soil divided by the volume of the soil; i.e., it includes air space and organic materials of the soil volume. Thereby soil bulk density is always less than soil particle density and is a good indicator of soil compaction. [47]
Soil consolidation refers to the mechanical process by which soil changes volume gradually in response to a change in pressure. This happens because soil is a three-phase material, comprising soil grains and pore fluid, usually groundwater [ clarification needed ] .
This article describes the genesis and composition of soil, the distinction between pore water pressure and inter-granular effective stress, capillary action of fluids in the soil pore spaces, soil classification, seepage and permeability, time dependent change of volume due to squeezing water out of tiny pore spaces, also known as ...
This is defined as a fraction of volume often given in percent. The amount of porosity in a soil depends on the minerals that make up the soil and on the amount of sorting occurring within the soil structure. For example, a sandy soil will have a larger porosity than a silty sand, because the silt will fill the gaps in between the sand particles.
The bulk density of soil depends greatly on the mineral make up of soil and the degree of compaction. [3] The density of quartz is around 2.65 g/cm 3 but the (dry) bulk density of a mineral soil is normally about half that density, between 1.0 and 1.6 g/cm 3.