The Thermal Conductivity and Matric Potential (Moisture Tension) Relationships for Soils of Different Gypsum Content

Abstract

The soil samples have been taken from a soil profile at the Research Station of College of Agriculture in the University of Tikrit at a longitude of 430 38- 23= in the east and at a latitude of 340 48- 40= in the north. The samples were taken from the surface horizon with a gypsum content of 62 g.kg-1 (G1) and also from the subsurface horizon of 443g.kg-1 (G7) gypsum content. Different gypsum content samples were prepared as G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6 that have Gypsum contents of 106, 153, 202, 245, and 337 g.kg-1 respectively. These samples were prepared by mixing the surface soil samples with the soil of gypsic horizon. The prepared soil samples were wetted by water spraying to two thirds the field capacity levels (0.25 kg.kg-1). Then they incubated for two months in order to make soils homogeneity in addition to moisture distribution in soil. The plastic rings of 10.4 cm diameter and 10 cm heights were drilled from the middle to fix the sensor of heat flux of thermometer plug. The size and height of the soil to be placed in the plastic ring was calculated based on the area A and height h of ring and then the mass of the soil (m) was calculated based on the value of the bulk density. The samples were oven dried at 70° degree until the weight of samples were fixed to obtain the completely dry soils. The amount of water to be added per sample was calculated based on the moisture characteristics curve and by the tensions specified in this study (0.1, 5, 15, 33 and 100) kPa. The moisture was converted to a depth of water and then soil samples were wetted in a light spraying manner with continuous flipping and the thermometer sensors were fixed up and down the heat flux sensor and then six readings per replication were recorded. The time from one reading to another was 60 seconds and their rate was extracted. Based on the results of the experiment, it can be concluded that by the fixation of moisture tension, the thermal conductivity values of the soil decreased with the increased soil content of gypsum, as the G3 treatment with gypsum content 15% gave the highest significant value while the least significant average value of thermal conductivity values at the G7 treatment with gypsum content was 43%. The increase in gypsum from 25% at G5 to 30% and 44% in G6 and G7 successive treatments did not significantly affect the values of the soil’s thermal conductivity averages. The overlap point of the relationship between soil gypsum content and thermal conductivity was found at G3 and G4 that have gypsum content of 15% and 25% respectively. The average of gypsum decreases the thermal conductivity values of the soil with increased moisture tension values, as the tension gave 0.1 kPa a significant increase in the values of the average thermal conductivity from the rest of the tensions and for all treatments while the least significant average of thermal conductivity values at tension was 100 kPa.