Lecture 7 bSoil Water – Part 2.pptVIP

Lecture 7 bSoil Water – Part 2 Water Movement MovieUniversity of Arizona Be prepared for exam questions from this movie! Describe in your own words what happens to the water in the diagram below. Answer The water moves sideways and downward at the same rate. This is because of adhesion and cohesion. Would the movement be different if the soil was saturated? Yes. The movement would mainly be downward due to gravity. Water Movement Water Movement Water front does not move into sand until loam is saturated Water Movement Water front moves into clay upon contact with clay, but because it moves slow water builds up above the clay layer. Summary Points from Water Movement Movie University of Arizona 1)????? Pore size is one of the most important fundamental properties affecting how water moves through soil. Larger pores as in sand conduct water more rapidly than smaller pores in clay. ? 2)????? The two forces that allow water to move through soil are gravitational forces and capillary forces. Capillary forces are greater in small pores than in large pores. ?3)????? Gravitational and capillary forces act simultaneously in soils. Capillary action involves two types of attractions, adhesion and cohesion. Adhesion is attraction of water molecules to solid surfaces; cohesion is the attraction of water molecules to each other. Gravity pulls water downward when the water is not held by capillary action. Thus gravity influences water in saturated soils. ?4)????? Sandy soils contain larger pores than clay soils, but do not contain as much total pore space. 5)????? Sandy soils do not contain as much water per unit volume of soil as clay soils. 6)????? Factors that affect water movement through soil include texture, structure, organic matter and bulk density. Any condition that affects soil pore size and shape will affect water movement. 7)????? Examples include compaction, tillage, decayed root channels and worm holes. ?8)????? The rate and direction of wate