Spatial Variability of Soil Electrical Conductivity and Its Response to Soil Physical Properties

Author

Matthew David Sleep

Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Geology and Geological Engineering

First Advisor

Joel Kuszmaul

Second Advisor

Robert Holt

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The Soil Moisture Observatory (SMO) at the University of Mississippi (UM) is a 5 acre tract of a former agricultural field at the UM Biological Field Station. Preliminary investigations of this site included 60 continuous soil cores using the Geoprobe sampling technique. These soil cores were taken to a depth of 1.5 meters to correspond to the approximate depth of penetration for a Geonics EM38. The Geonis EM38 uses electromagnetic induction to measure apparent electrical conductivity of the soil. After three weekly measurement episodes using the Em38, the soil samples were taken. These samples were analyzed for particle size distribution, porosity, bulk density, iron content, and moisture content. Little direct correlation exists between the EM38 response and these measured soil properties. The temporal variations of the variograms of EC indicate a complex relationship between soil properties and EC.

Recommended Citation

Sleep, Matthew David, "Spatial Variability of Soil Electrical Conductivity and Its Response to Soil Physical Properties" (2004). Honors Theses. 2163.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2163

Accessibility Status

Searchable text