ENR 5261
ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL PHYSICS
Spring 2015
Course Outline
3 Credit Hours
370 Kottman Hall
Lecture 10:20-11:15
Lab 8:00-10:00 / 9:00-11:00
Instructor:
Rattan Lal
School of Environment and Natural Resources
The Ohio State University
2021 Coffey Road
Columbus, OH 43210
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ENR 5261
Environmental Soil Physics
Spring 2015 (3 credit hours)
Review of soil physical, mechanical, hydrological and rheological properties in relation to
greenhouse effect, water quality, soil erosion, soil compaction, tillage methods, water
management, and plant-water relations.
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Rattan Lal
Room: 422B Kottman Hall,
Phone: 292-9069, E-mail: lal.1@osu.edu
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning basic
soil physics and its applications to environment quality and sustainable use of natural resources.
The syllabus meets the curriculum needs of students in Soil Sciences, Earth Sciences,
Hydrology, Soil Mechanics, Natural Resources, Agricultural Engineering, Horticulture and Crop
Sciences, Forestry, and Environmental Sciences.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completion of this course, students will the student will gain working knowledge of soil
physical properties and how to manage them to optimize crop growth and minimize
environmental problems. Through field and laboratory practicals and homework assignments,
the student will learn methods of evaluating soil physical properties. The practicals will include
assessment of soil compaction, porosity and pore-size distribution, plant-available water
reserves, water movement within soil and the overland flow, soil temperature regime, aeration
and gaseous diffusion, and plant-water relations.
GRADING
Two midterm exams
Homework sets (10)
Practicals (10)
Final exam
Field trip to Coshocton
200 points
(Monday 2/23, Wednesday 4/11,
Exams to be held in the evening at 4:00pm)
100 points (one set per week), due Monday
100 points (TBD during April 23-29)
200 points (4/17/2015)
25 points (Friday 4/10/2015)
GRADING SCALE
>90 A
80 B
70 C
60 D
The homework and practical set will be due each Monday. The homework will be discussed on
Monday. The practicals can be conducted anytime during the week and in prior consultation
with the Instructor and Teaching Assistant.
The final grading will be based on the cumulative grade and curve rating for the entire class.
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Special Accommodations
Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of disability
should contact the instructor privately to discuss your specific needs. You should also contact
the Office of Disability Services at (292-3307) in 150 Pomerene Hall to coordinate reasonable
accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Academic Misconduct
Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any violation
will be prosecuted to the fullest extent as set out in University Rule 3335-31-02.
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Date
Day
1-12-15
M
Lecture Contents
i.
ii.
iii.
i.
ii.
iii.
Definition of soil physical properties and processes,
Importance of soil physics to environment and
natural resources,
Mass-volume relationship
Reading Assignment: Chapters 1 & 2 (p. 1-31)
1-14-15
W
Particle size distribution,
Different systems of particle classification,
Stoke’s law
Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 (p. 34-44)
1-16-15
F
1-19-15
M
1-21-15
W
1-23-15
F
1-26-15
M
i.
ii.
iii.
Particle shape,
Surface area,
Packing arrangement
Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 (p. 44-53, 53-77)
1-28-15
W
i.
ii.
Properties of clay faction,
Surface charge, Zeta potential
Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 (p. 52-73)
1-30-15
F
2-2-15
M
Laboratory on soil bulk density by core method,
demonstration of clod method and explanation of other
methods
Homework 1: Mass-volume relationship, soils and
environment; Problems 1-7, Chapter 2 (p. 29-39)
MLK Holiday – No class
i.
ii.
iii.
Soil constituents, organic and inorganic,
Predominant minerals
Composition of organic fraction
Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 (p. 77-86)
Laboratory on hydrometer analyses
Demonstration of the Pipet method
Particle density
Homework 2: Stoke’s Law and surface area,
Problems 1-2 (one size and one temp. only), 3-6, 16, 17
(Chapter 3 p. 86-88)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Soil structure,
Aggregation,
Formation of organo-mineral complexes,
Assessment of soil structure
Reading Assignment: Chapter 4 (p. 93-140)
4
2-4-15
W
Properties of water
i.
Surface tension
ii.
Viscosity
iii.
Contact angle
iv.
Capillarity
Reading Assignment: Chapter 9 (p. 255-286)
2-6-15
F
Laboratory on aggregation
2-9-15
M
2-11-15
W
Applications of soil structure:
i.
Crusting,
ii.
Surface seal formation
Reading Assignment: Chapter 6 (p. 165-185)
2-13-15
F
Laboratory on tensile strength of aggregates
Homework 3: Capillarity, pore size distribution
Problems 1 (one temp. only), 2 -5, 7 Chapter 5 (p.161)
2-15-15
M
i.
ii.
Soil strength,
Stress/strain
Reading Assignment: Chapter 7 (p. 189-205)
2-18-15
W
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Soil compaction and consolidation,
Boussinesq equation,
Machinery and compaction,
Root growth
Reading Assignment: Chapter 7 (p. 205-224)
2-20-15
F
2-23-15
M
2-25-15
W
2-27-15
F
i.
ii.
iii.
Porosity and pore size distribution,
Classification of pores,
Measurement of pore size
Reading Assignment: Chapter 5 (p. 149-161)
Laboratory on Atterberg’s Limits
i.
ii.
iii.
Consistency,
Plasticity,
Atterberg’s limits
Reading Assignment: Chapter 8 (p. 231-251)
Midterm I 4:00 PM
i.
ii.
iii.
Hydrologic cycle,
Soil moisture content
Soil water potential
Reading Assignment: Chapter 10 (p. 287-315)
Laboratory on tension table
5
3-2-15
M
i.
ii.
iii.
Soil moisture characteristic curves
Plant-available water,
Soil-water potential measurement,
Reading Assignment: Chapter 11 (p. 321-341)
3-4-15
W
i.
ii.
Water movement in saturated soil,
Different forms of Daryc’s Law
Reading Assignment: Chapter 12 (p. 341-352)
3-6-15
F
3-9-15
M
i.
Field assessment of Θ and Ψ (Dr. Guzman)
Reading Assignment: Chapter 12 (p. 355-361)
3-11-15
W
i.
Field assessment of infiltration and runoff (Dr.
Guzman)
3-13-15
F
Laboratory on pF curves
Homework 4: Moisture content and potential
Chapter 10 (pgs. 314-315), Problems 1-4, 11-12
Chapter 11 (pg. 351), Problems 7-11
(Lecture of the first hour)
i.
Hydraulic conductivity and its assessment,
ii.
Permeability,
iii.
Limitations of Darcy’s Law
Laboratory on saturated hydraulic conductivity
Reading Assignment: Chapter 12 (p. 361-377)
Homework 5: Problems Chapter 12, 1-7 (p. 377)
3-16-15 to 3-20-2015
Spring Break
i.
3-23-15
M
3-25-15
W
(Lecture by video link)
i.
Models of infiltration,
ii.
Calculations of S, A, I
Reading Assignment: Chapter 14 (p. 412-434)
3-27-15
F
Laboratory on water infiltration
3-30-15
M
i.
ii.
4-1-15
W
i.
Water movement in unsaturated soil: (i) KΘ, (ii) DΘ
Reading Assignment: Chapter 13 (p. 379-402)
Reading Assignment: Chapter 14 (p. 405-412)
Water movement in vapor state
Diffusion
Reading Assignment: Chapter 15 (p.439-446)
Soil Evaporation and its management
Reading Assignment: Chapter 15 (p.446-460)
Midterm II 4:00 PM
6
4-3-15
F
Laboratory on gas diffusivity
Homework 6: Chapter 14, Problems 1-8 (p. 434-435)
4-6-15
M
i.
ii.
iii.
Soil aeration,
Air capacity,
Composition of soil air
Reading Assignment: Chapter 18 (p. 557-569)
4-8-15
W
i.
ii.
Aeration,
Gaseous exchange
Reading Assignment: Chapter 18 (p. 569-575)
4-10-15
F
4-13-15
M
i.
ii.
Mass flow,
Diffusion
Reading Assignment: Chapter 18 (p. 575-590)
4-15-15
W
i.
ii.
iii.
Soil temperature regime,
Heat capacity,
Thermal conductivity
Reading Assignment: Chapter 17 (p. 515-530)
4-17-15
F
Lab on ODR, and gaseous exchange by photoacoustic
method
Homework 8: Soil air, Chapter 18, Problems 1,3,5,7, (p.
594)
4-20-15
M
(Lecture by video link)
i.
Heat transport in soil,
ii.
Modeling soil temperature
Reading assignment: Chapter 17 (p. 531-545)
Homework 9: Greenhouse effect
4-22-15
W
Field demonstration of soil temperatures
4-24-15
F
Lab on soil temperature measurements
Homework 10: Soil temperature, Chapter 17, Problems
1, 3, 5
4-27-15
M
Class revision
4-29 to 5-5
TBD
Field Trip to Coshocton
Homework 7: Chapter 15, Problems 1-3 (p.463)
FINAL EXAM
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TEXT BOOK
1. Lal, R. and M.K. Shukla (2004) Principles of Soil Physics. Marcel Dekker, New York, 716
pp.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
1. H. Don Scott (2000) Soil Physics: Agricultural and Environmental Applications. Iowa
State Univ. Press, 421 pp.
2. D. Hillel (1998) Environmental Soil Physics, Academic Press, 770 pp.
3. Baver, L.D., W.H. Gardner and W.R. Gardner (1972) Soil Physics. John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., New York.
4. Rose, C.W. (1966) Agricultural Physics. Pergemon Press, New York.
5. Khonke, Helmut (1968) Soil Physics. McGraw Hill Book Co., New York.
6. Black, C.A. (Editor-in-Chief) (1986) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part I. ASA, Madison, WI.
7. Marshall, T.J., J.W. Holmes, and C.W. Rose (1996) Soil Physics. Third edition,
Cambridge University Press, 453 pp.
8. Taylor, S.A. and G.L. Ashcroft (1972) Physical edaphology. W.H. Freeman and Co.
9. Hanks, R.J. and G.L. Ashcroft (1980) Applied Soil Physics. Springer-Verlag.
10. Hillel, D. (1980) Applications of Soil Physics. Academic Press, 385 pp.
11. Hillel, D. (1982) Introduction to Soil Physics. Academic Press, 364 pp.
12. Ellis, S. and A. Mellor (1995) Soils and Environment. Routledge, London, 364 pp.
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