Acoustic Techniques for Measuring Surface Sealing and Crusting of Agricultural Soils

The microtopography of soils is an important surface characteristic that effects water ponding, infiltration, and consequently soil erosion. During a rainstorm event the surface microtopography and soil matrix evolve, thereby altering the erosion and runoff dynamics. The impact of raindrops cause the breakdown of soil aggregates into smaller particles, which can then be deposited into the smaller depressions. The redistribution of soil particles on the surface during rainfall produce a thin surface layer often referred to as surface sealing or crusting. For the purpose of this presentation, surface sealing will be used to describe a reduction in the ability of fluid to flow across the surface. Surface crusting will be associated with the formation of a thin layer of higher stiffness or larger mechanical strength. The sensitivity of acoustics to the effects of sealing and crusting was examined by measuring the acoustic-to seismic (A/S) transfer function and acoustic reflectivity on two different soils in a dry, wetted and rained-on state. The A/S transfer function measurement involves the use of a suspended loud speaker to impinge acoustic energy from the air onto the sample and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is used to measure the induced surface particle velocity. Therefore, the A/S transfer function is a measure of the seismic energy that has been transferred into the soil from the airborne wave. The acoustic surface reflectivity is a measurement of the amount of acoustic energy reflected from the surface and requires the use of a microphone suspended above the surface. Results suggests that the seismic energy transferred (A/S transfer function) is sensitive to crust formation but is not as sensitive to sealing. The amount of reflected acoustic energy appears to be more sensitive to sealing than crusting.