HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prunty, L. Articles by Horton, R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Prunty, L. Articles by Horton, R. Agricola Articles by Prunty, L. Articles by Horton, R.

Steady-State Temperature Distribution in Nonisothermal, Unsaturated Closed Soil Cells

Dep. of Soil Science, North Dakota State Univ., P.O. Box 5638, Fargo, ND 58105

Robert Horton

Agronomy Dep., Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011

*Corresponding author (nu020861{at}vm1.nodak.edu).

ABSTRACT

Ambient temperature interference (ATI) is a concern that has not been adequately addressed in studies of coupled water and heat transport in unsaturated soil. Our objectives were to detect ATI, minimize it, and obtain nonisothermal, steady-state temperature and moisture profiles with minimum ATI. Two soils, a sand and a silty clay loam (sicl), were packed into cylindrical cells with uniform moisture. Temperature gradients were imposed by making one end warmer (40, 23, or 19°C) than the other end (1 or 9°C). Steady-state temperature profile data were obtained for various cell configurations and ambient temperatures. The configuration showing least ATI was a 2.5-cm-diam., 5-cm-long cell, with 8 cm radial insulation. Longer cells of the same basic design or with less insulation had greater ATI, as did a larger diameter cell (4 cm diam. and 14 cm long). All tests (sand at 0.049 m³ m^–3 moisture; sicl at 0.049 and 0.146 m³ m^–3) using lowest ATI cells produced concave upward temperature profiles. In contrast, the larger diameter cell (sicl, high ATI) had concave downward profiles. Water redistribution into the cooler half of cells was more pronounced with sand (>90%) than sicl. Cells exhibiting low ATI appear to provide more consistent and meaningful soil temperature and moisture profiles than had previously been obtainable.

Contribution of the North Dakota Agric. Exp. Stn. Journal no. 2170.

Received for publication June 28, 1993.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. L. Heitman, R. Horton, T. Ren, and T. E. Ochsner An Improved Approach for Measurement of Coupled Heat and Water Transfer in Soil Cells Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., May 16, 2007; 71(3): 872 - 880. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Zhou, J. L. Heitman, R. Horton, T. Ren, T. E. Ochsner, L. Prunty, R. P. Ewing, and T. J. Sauer Method for Maintaining One-Dimensional Temperature Gradients in Unsaturated, Closed Soil Cells Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., June 21, 2006; 70(4): 1303 - 1309. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]