SEDL / STP / STP254-EB / STP44330S

Effect of Temperature on Moisture Contents as Determined by Centrifuge and Tension Techniques

Prill, R. C.
Soil Scientist and Chief, Hydrologic Laboratory, U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colo.

Johnson, A. I.
Soil Scientist and Chief, Hydrologic Laboratory, U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colo.

Pages: 10    Published: Jan 1960

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Abstract

As a part of a program of cooperative research between the U. S. Geological Survey and the California Department of Water Resources, the amount and rate of soil-water drainage were studied in detail by the centrifuge moisture-equivalent and soil-moisture tension methods. One phase of this study was to determine the effect of temperature on the moisture content as determined by these two methods.

The effect of increasing temperature on the centrifuge moisture content and moisture content at a tension of ⅓ atmos was a small but significant decrease in moisture retained. Results obtained in the centrifuge studies indicated that reproducible centrifuge moisture content may be obtained with the control of temperature and humidity. The nonreproducibility of centrifuge moisture contents, a cause of criticism for this test for a number of years, may be attributed to the testing of duplicate samples at different temperatures.