Collecting real-time soil moisture profiles in the vadose zone
The savings realized by using cone penetrometer (CPT) technology to supplement site characterization work are well documented. Adding soil moisture profiling to CPT testing can further enhance the interpretation of geologic and hydrogeologic conditions at a site. The performance characteristics of three soil moisture probes (SMPs) used with direct push technology were tested at a site in South Carolina. In the unsaturated zone, all three probes predicted volumetric soil moisture within {+-}5 moisture units of the laboratory values more than 65% of the time. When the results were outside this range, the difference was not large enough to lead to erroneous interpretations of the actual soil moisture trends. Results of testing in a variety of hydrogeologic conditions indicate that when SMPs are used with proper site calibration and controls, each probe can predict soil moisture values within the unsaturated zone that closely match laboratory results, in real time.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States); USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 650097
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ER/CP-946/7; CONF-980416-; ON: DE97054498; TRN: AHC2DT04%%8
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1. international conference on site characterization, Atlanta, GA (United States), 19-22 Apr 1998; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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