Introduction to Soil Physics

This book is a unified, condensed, and simplified version of the recently issued twin volumes, Fundamentals of Soil Physics and Applications of Soil Physics. Nonessential topics and complexities have been deleted, and little prior knowledge of the subject is assumed. An effort has been made to provide an elementary, readable, and self-sustaining description of the soil's physical properties and of the manner in which these properties govern the processes taking place in the field. Consideration is given to the ways in which the soil's processes can be influenced, for better or for worse, by man. Sample problems are provided in an attempt to illustrate how the abstract principles embodied in mathematical equations can be applied in practice. The author hope that the present version will be more accessible to students than its precursors and that it might serve to arouse their interest in the vital science of soil physics.

Basic Relationships. The task of Soil Physics. General Physical Characteristics of Soils. The Solid Phase. Texture, Particle Size Distribution, and Specific Surface. Soil Structure and Aggregation. The Liquid Phase. Soil Water: Content and Potential. Flow of Water in Saturated Soil. Flow of Water in Unsaturated Soil. The Gaseous Phase. Soil Air and Aeration. Composite Properties and Behavior. Soil Temperature and Hear Flow. Soil Compaction and Consolidation. Tillage and Soil Structure Management. The Field--Water Cycle and Its Management. Infiltration and Surface Runoff. Internal Drainage and Redistribution Following Infiltration. Groundwater Drainage. Evaporation from Bare-Surface Soils. Uptake of Soil Moisture by Plants. Water Balance and Energy Balance in the Field. Bibliography. Index.