On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil
The accurate measurement of soil suction is essential for understanding the behavior of unsaturated soils, particularly in soil–vegetation–atmosphere (SVA) interactions, where both energy and hydraulic gradients due to climatic action exhibit their maximum intensity. This study assesses the performa...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Nico Stasi Vito Tagarelli Osvaldo Bottiglieri Francesco Cafaro |
| author_facet | Nico Stasi Vito Tagarelli Osvaldo Bottiglieri Francesco Cafaro |
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| description | The accurate measurement of soil suction is essential for understanding the behavior of unsaturated soils, particularly in soil–vegetation–atmosphere (SVA) interactions, where both energy and hydraulic gradients due to climatic action exhibit their maximum intensity. This study assesses the performance of the TEROS 21 probe, a capacitance-based water potential sensor, for measuring soil matric suction and temperature in clayey soils of the South Apennines, Italy. Laboratory tests were conducted on soil samples with varying moisture contents, and the results were compared with those obtained using the traditional filter paper (FP) method and high-capacity tensiometers (HCTs). The TEROS 21 (METER Group, Inc., Pullman, WA, USA) sensor demonstrated a reliable performance, especially at suction levels between 300 and 2000 kPa, though there was some dependency on the initial sensor conditions (wet or dry). The temperature data obtained from the TEROS 21 were verified by using a thermocouple, showing the high consistency of the readings. This study showed that the filter paper and sensor measurements aligned at a water content lower than 30% but diverged at higher levels due to method-specific accuracy limitations. The consistent sensor results confirmed the measurement’s reliability. The air-entry value (AEV) of the soil water retention data was identified at around 800 kPa, which is consistent with previous findings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dc8c303760dd4eeb8d2c06ae00967f2b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc8c303760dd4eeb8d2c06ae00967f2b2025-08-20T02:42:41ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-03-01156302110.3390/app15063021On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey SoilNico Stasi0Vito Tagarelli1Osvaldo Bottiglieri2Francesco Cafaro3Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70126 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70126 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70126 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70126 Bari, ItalyThe accurate measurement of soil suction is essential for understanding the behavior of unsaturated soils, particularly in soil–vegetation–atmosphere (SVA) interactions, where both energy and hydraulic gradients due to climatic action exhibit their maximum intensity. This study assesses the performance of the TEROS 21 probe, a capacitance-based water potential sensor, for measuring soil matric suction and temperature in clayey soils of the South Apennines, Italy. Laboratory tests were conducted on soil samples with varying moisture contents, and the results were compared with those obtained using the traditional filter paper (FP) method and high-capacity tensiometers (HCTs). The TEROS 21 (METER Group, Inc., Pullman, WA, USA) sensor demonstrated a reliable performance, especially at suction levels between 300 and 2000 kPa, though there was some dependency on the initial sensor conditions (wet or dry). The temperature data obtained from the TEROS 21 were verified by using a thermocouple, showing the high consistency of the readings. This study showed that the filter paper and sensor measurements aligned at a water content lower than 30% but diverged at higher levels due to method-specific accuracy limitations. The consistent sensor results confirmed the measurement’s reliability. The air-entry value (AEV) of the soil water retention data was identified at around 800 kPa, which is consistent with previous findings.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/6/3021soil matric suctionTEROS 21unsaturated soilsfilter paper methodhigh-capacity tensiometerssoil water content |
| spellingShingle | Nico Stasi Vito Tagarelli Osvaldo Bottiglieri Francesco Cafaro On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil Applied Sciences soil matric suction TEROS 21 unsaturated soils filter paper method high-capacity tensiometers soil water content |
| title | On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil |
| title_full | On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil |
| title_fullStr | On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil |
| title_short | On the Use of a Water Potential Probe for Suction and Temperature Measurements in Unsaturated Natural Clayey Soil |
| title_sort | on the use of a water potential probe for suction and temperature measurements in unsaturated natural clayey soil |
| topic | soil matric suction TEROS 21 unsaturated soils filter paper method high-capacity tensiometers soil water content |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/6/3021 |
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