Studies on Gaseous Environment in Soils (1)

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation as the basic research for the studies on soil aeration is to calculate the gaseous diffusion coefficient of soils from the air permeability which is easily measured. The results obtained are as follows:1) Scattered relations are observed between diffusion coefficient and air permeability of soils which are variously remoulded. But there is a tendency mentioned in 3) in above relation.2) The permeabilities depend on the size of soil particles, but the diffusion coefficients are not affected by them.3) The following formula holds for the relation between diffusion coefficient D and air permeability K when measured under the conditions of various water content in a given remoulded soil consisting of closely graded particles.D=aKn where n≅14) If the relation between diffusion coefficient D and air permeability K under a given water content in a soil is known, by using the above formula, diffusion coefficients D of any water content in same soil are calculated from air permeability easily measured.