The Influence of Free Swelling Index on Improvement of the Soil Moisture Curve Estimation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Researchers estimate hydraulic properties by indirect methods using various procedures. The
objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of using the free swelling index as an estimator to
improve the precision of soil moisture curve (SMC) estimation. In this study, 147 soil samples were
taken from West Azarbaijan, East Azarbaijan, Mazandaran, Hamedan and Kermanshah provinces,
and their particle size distribution, bulk density, free swelling index, cation exchange capacity and
SMC were determined. Then, the Groenevelt & Grant’s model was fitted to the experimental data
of SMC. Free swelling index and other variables were used as estimators to predict the parameters
of Groenevelt & Grant’s model by multiple regression method. All samples were divided into
several groups based on textural classes and SMC was estimated for them in four steps. Grouping
the data improved the estimation of SMC. In soil textural groups of the numbers 3 (silty clay loam
and clay loam classes), 7 (sandy loam class) and 8 (sand, loamy sand and sandy loam) the IRMSE
and AIC values were decreased from 0.07 and 77.85 to 0.06 and 72.28, from 0.05 and 1.63 to 0.04
and -61.78 and from 0.06 and 86.11 to 0.05 and 2.97, respectively. Therefore, using the free
swelling index as an estimator, significantly improved the estimates of SMC through the Groenevelt
and Grant’s model.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Water and Soil Science
Volume 26, 1-2
June 2016
Pages 93-113

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