Approximating soil moisture characteristics from limited data: Empirical evidence and tentative model

Abstract

The soil moisture characteristic can be approximated from limited data as a composite of segments that are simple logarithmic relations. From available data, three segments are evident: (1) a capillary segment from saturation to pF 2.5, (2) an adsorbed film segment covering the stress range from about pF 2.5 to about 5.0, and (3) a tightly adsorbed segment that extends from pF 5.0 to 7.0. Copyright 1974 by the American Geophysical Union.