Soil Electrical Conductivity and Soil Salinity: New Formulations and Calibrations

Abstract

Abstract A new model describing the relation between bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC a ), volumetric content (θ w ) and electrical conductivity of soil water (EC w ) is given along with supporting evidence for its validity. The new model distinguishes between the water and salt present in the soil in the “immobile” (fine pores) and “mobile” (large pores) phases. It provides a possible physical meaning to the transmission coefficient ( T ) previously used in an earlier model and eliminates a limitation of that model which existed under conditions of low salinity. New empirical relations are provided to estimate the parameters needed in the new and old models in order to utilize them for diagnosing soil salinity, in terms of the electrical conductivity of the extract of saturated soil pastes (EC e ).