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Published online 9 April 2007
Published in Vadose Zone J 6:244-254 (2007)
DOI: 10.2136/vzj2006.0138
© 2007 Soil Science Society of America
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Performance of the Commercial WET Capacitance Sensor as Compared with Time Domain Reflectometry in Volcanic Soils

Carlos M. Regalado*, Axel Ritter and Rosa M. Rodríguez-González

Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), Dep. Suelos y Riegos, Apdo. 60, La Laguna, 38200 Tenerife, Spain. The mention of trade or manufacturer names is made for information only and does not imply an endorsement, recommendation, or exclusion by ICIA-Agricultural Research Institute

Figure 1
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FIG. 1. The WET Sensor's performance (a) to measure electrical conductivity (EC) at 25°C ({sigma}25) in solutions with known EC, and to determine (b) dielectric constant ({varepsilon}a') in nonsaline reference fluids, and (c) the influence of EC on the WET Sensor's dielectric constant reading in two saline solutions (Ceff is the coefficient of efficiency).

 

Figure 2
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FIG. 2. Comparison between electrical conductivity ({sigma}) readings obtained with the WET Sensor and the time domain reflectometry (TDR) Trase System in Soils A, B, and C (Ceff is the coefficient of efficiency).

 

Figure 3
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FIG. 3. Relationship between dielectric constant ({varepsilon}a') and electrical conductivity ({sigma}) measured with the WET Sensor for determining the offset {varepsilon}'{sigma}=0.

 

Figure 4
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FIG. 4. Correlation between electrical conductivity of the soil solution ({sigma}w) observed in the Rhizon extractor samples and {sigma}w predicted using Eq. [14], {sigma} measured with the WET Sensor, and the soil water content {theta} determined by gravimetry (Ceff is the coefficient of efficiency).

 

Figure 5
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FIG. 5. Comparison between electrical conductivity of the soil solution ({sigma}w) measured in the Rhizon extractor samples (observed) and {sigma}w estimated using the Hilhorst (2000) model (Eq. [5]; predicted). Goodness of fit criteria given for the WET Sensor only (Ceff is the coefficient of efficiency).

 

Figure 6
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FIG. 6. Relationship between volumetric water content ({theta}) and dielectric constant ({varepsilon}a') observed with the WET Sensor and time domain reflectometry (TDR) in the volcanic soils studied. Solid lines indicate slope changes in the {varepsilon}a'–{theta} trend at certain {theta} values, {theta}dc (arrows).

 

Figure 7
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FIG. 7. Comparison between observed volumetric water content ({theta}, determined by gravimetry) and predicted soil water content using Eq. [19].

 





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