11. Soil as an Unsaturated Solid System
The chapter discusses unsaturated soils and their moisture content, detailing the classification of soil based on saturation levels such as wet, damp, and dry. It explores the implications of soil moisture on chemical partitioning, emphasizing the relationships between air, water, and organic carbon within the soil matrix. Additionally, the chapter outlines methods to measure partition constants and the factors affecting equilibrium in unsaturated conditions.
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What we have learnt
- Soil can be classified as wet, damp, or dry based on its moisture content and interaction with air and chemicals.
- Chemical partitioning in soil varies depending on saturation levels, impacting availability and interactions with organic carbon and mineral surfaces.
- Understanding moisture content is essential for accurately predicting soil's chemical behavior in environmental contexts.
Key Concepts
- -- Unsaturated Soil
- Soil that contains both water and air in its pore spaces, where not all pores are filled with water.
- -- Moisture Content Classification
- Soil's moisture is classified as wet (full monolayer coverage), damp (less than one monolayer), or dry (no significant water).
- -- Chemical Partitioning
- The distribution of a chemical between different phases, such as air and water, based on moisture content and saturation.
- -- Partition Constant
- A measure of how a chemical distributes itself between two phases at equilibrium, aiding in predicting chemical behavior in soils.
- -- Henry's Constant
- An equilibrium constant that describes the ratio of a chemical's concentration in the air to its concentration in the water.
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