Theoretical Prediction of Electrical Conductivity in Saturated and Unsaturated Soil

A conceptual model is proposed for the prediction of the electrical conductivity of bulk soil in saturated and in unsaturated states. The model is based on the hypothesis that the tortuosity factor affecting the bulk soil electrical conductivity is identical to that defined for prediction of the soil hydraulic conductivity. Simple mathematical functions are derived to forecast the soil electrical conductivity as a function of the water content. Experimental results of seven previous studies carried out on 26 soils were used for validation tests. The model's efficiency as a predictive tool, in cases where limited experimental data are available, is found to be generally good.