Estimation of Soil Hydraulic Conductivity on Clay Content, Determined from Resistivity Data

Abstract

We considered clay content in loose soil as the factor mostly influencing on hydraulic conductivity (filtration coefficient). We collected and analyzed some published experimental data about hydraulic conductivity relation with soil lithology and clay content in the form of grain size. Also we performed some theoretical modeling modifying well-known formulas to include clay content in them. Experimental and calculated data showed quite good coincidence. Correlation between hydraulic conductivity and clay content seemed better, than correlation between hydraulic conductivity and resistivity. We created some approximation formulas relating filtration coefficient with clay content. Clay content in soil can be estimated on soil resistivity obtained from VES data interpretation and from groundwater salinity found from its resistivity. Then filtration coefficient is determined on clay content. Some examples of this method practical application at clean and oil contaminated areas are presented. We considered anomalies of decreasing filtration coefficient in contaminated zones not as a real effect, but as a good indicator of contamination, though in several publications there were some indications of hydro geological changes in soil properties due to oil contamination.

Evaluation of hydraulic conductivity of lateritic soils using integrated approach: southwestern Nigeria case study

“…He used the redefined Kozney Carman model and Yannopoulos equations to predict hydraulic conductivity and the results obtained from the laboratory technique were compared favourably with the Kozney-Carman and Yannopoulos prediction models. However, Shevnin et al (2006) reported on the estimation of hydraulic conductivity in soil using the resistivity data (geophysical method).They confirmed the influence of the clay contents on the hy-draulic conductivities determined. But Xu and Dong (2004) proposed the fractal technique for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated porous media for geophysical, geotechnical and agricultural applications.…”

First assessment on the air CO2 dynamic in the show caves of tropical karst, Vietnam

“…Cave air CO 2 in the innermost section of Tien Son Cave, showing a correlation with weekly rainfall (or soil humidity) prior to the survey dates. Weekly rainfall data were selected based on the thickness of overburden layer, the cave size, and the karst limestone filtration rate (Shevnin et al, 2006).…”

Using Electrical Profiling to Determine Soil Petrophysical Parameters in an Agricultural Field

“…The final result is the determination of fine content (clay+silt) and porosity parameters. K value is a function of fine content according to the relationship proposed by Shevnin et al [9] and Delgado et al [31].…”

“…Amakor et al [6] stated an empiric hypothesis to relate soil salinity with resistivity, while Friedman [7] made apparent the influence of soil on electrical conductivity and Heil and Schmidhalter [8] did the same for soil texture and humidity. The electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method has been efficiently applied on the definition of the plume boundaries in hydrocarbon-contaminated soils [9] and on the estimation of the petrophysical parameters of the soil; resistivity values from ERT and groundwater salinity values obtained in the field allow for the determination of clay content [10], porosity, and CEC sections and maps for the study site [11].…”