Part 3/6:
Gravimetric water content relates the mass of water to the mass of the solids:
[ W = \frac{M_{water}}{M_{solids}} ]
This metric is crucial when calculating saturation levels and understanding the moisture content of soil.
3. Porosity (n)
Porosity measures the volume of voids in relation to the total volume of the soil:
[ n = \frac{V_{voids}}{V_{total}} ]
A higher porosity indicates a greater capacity for water, affecting the soil's drainage and stability.
4. Degree of Saturation (S)
This parameter expresses the volume of water present in the voids relative to the total void volume:
[ S = \frac{V_{water}}{V_{voids}} ]
It’s often expressed as a percentage and indicates how filled the voids are with water.
5. Dry Density (( \rho_d ))