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Effect of sampling volume on the measurement of soil physical properties: simulation with x-ray tomography data
Measurement Science and Technology
Effect of sampling volume on the measurement of soil physical properties: simulation with x-ray tomography data
Philippe Baveye1, Helmut Rogasik2, Ole Wendroth2, Ingrid Onasch2 and John W Crawford3
Published 18 April 2002 • Measurement Science and Technology, Volume 13, Number 5
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Abstract
The dependence of macroscopic soil parameters on sampling volume is currently the object of renewed research focus. In this paper, x-ray computed tomography data related to cores obtained in two different locations in a field soil are used to simulate this dependence. Several integration methods are adopted, to mimic different measuring devices. Calculation results, relative to the volumetric water content, volumetric air content, gravimetric water content and dry bulk density, demonstrate that the size (up to 60Ă—60Ă—30 mm3), shape and positioning of sampling volumes influence significantly the measured values of soil parameters. In some cases, the instrumental dependence disappears within a range of sampling volumes, in agreement with a hypothesis underlying the so-called representative elementary volume concept. However, some parameters, like the soil bulk density, do not level off with increasing sampling volumes. These observations open new avenues for research on measurement processes in soils and other heterogeneous media