Stevens Water

Soil Physics Workshop – Syllabus

Soil Hydrology with the Stevens HydraProbe Soil Sensor

This year at the Meteorological Technology World Expo 2018 event in Amsterdam Stevens is excited to present a 2-hour Soil Physics Workshop. The interactive lecture will be hosted by Steven’s own Soil Scientist & Geochemist / Certified Professional Hydrologist Keith Bellingham.

Course Summary

Knowledge of soil moisture and the measurement of soil moisture help society answer some important questions about drought, flood forecasting, greenhouse gas emissions, food security and crop production. This course will focus on the science of the analytical measurements of soil water content and water potential. From an “applications in the field” perspective to a more theoretical approach, this course provides tools, information, and insight for users of soil moisture sensors and soil moisture data, with a focus on the HydraProbe.

Date:

October 11, 2018

Time:

10:30

Length:

2 hours

Keith Bellingham, P.H. Hydrologist/Soil Scientist for Stevens Water Monitoring Systems

Instructor:

Register

Course Syllabus

History/ About Stevens Water Monitoring: 20 Minutes History of Stevens, founded in 1911 Our mission to serve the customer Communication products update Sensors and accessories

Soil Geomorphology: 10 Minutes Soil taxonomy Soil development Horizons and vertical profiles Global soil orders

HydraProbe Introduction: 10 minutes The broad topic of soil sensor The development of the HydraProbe

Soil Sensor Applications: 20 Minutes Movement of water in the vadose zone The significance of field capacity to an irrigator Where are soil sensors used? National mesonets and regional networks Soil survey Soil moisture deficit index as a modeling parameter

Soil Water Movement: 20 Minutes Capillary forces Field capacity Ways to measure matric potential Water retention curves The Richards equation Videos of soil water movement Free tools from the USDA

Dielectric Permittivity (How does a soil sensor work?): 20 Minutes Capacitance Dipole moments Electromagnetic waves Dielectric permittivity as a complex number The physics of complex impedance The advantages of separating the real from the imaginary permittivity HydraProbe measurement method

Types of Soil Moisture Sensors and How They Work: 10 Minutes TDR, TDT, FDR, capacitance sensors, impedance based sensors

Calibration of Soil Sensors: 20 Minutes A general calibration Validate before you calibrate Calibration forms

Bulk EC and Salinity: 10 Minutes Why is EC important? Pore water EC and how to get it

Installation and Troubleshooting: 20 Minutes Before you go into the field Preparing the pit Wiring and enclosures, what is SDI-12? Soil hydrology and funny readings General troubleshooting

How to Interpret Soil Moisture Data: 20 Minutes The soil hydrograph Dry down and wet up daily and seasonal The wetting front

Lightning Protection: 10 Minutes

Q&A

New Download – Soil Geomorphology: A Pedological Guide to Soil Moisture Sensors

HydraProbe and Stevens-Connect Aids in Understanding Drought Tolerant Crops

The Stevens Soil Resource Guide

Developed by B. K. Bellingham, Soil Scientist at Stevens, this is an excellent resource for anyone installing soil moisture sensors and interpreting soil moisture data.

In the summer of 2019, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems and the Oregon State University (OSU) Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC) partnered to evaluate

We’re happy to announce the publication of our Soil Resource Guide. Written by the soil experts at Stevens, it contains a wealth of information and will