QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOIL SAMPLES BY COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5212/publicatio.v11i02.848Resumo
There are several methods to measure soil bulk density (rs) such as the paraffin sealed clod (PS), the volumetric ring (VR), the computed tomography (CT), and the neutron-gamma surface gauge (SG). In order to evaluate, in a non-destructive way, the possible modifications in soil structure caused by sampling for the PS and VR methods of rs evaluation we proposed to use the gamma ray CT method. A first generation tomograph was used, consisting of a 241Am source and a 7.62 cm by 7.62 cm NaI(Tl) scintillation crystal detector coupled to a photomultiplier tube. Results confirm the effect of soil sampler devices on the structure of soil samples, and that the compaction caused during sampling causes significant alterations in soil bulk density. Through the use of CT it was possible to determine the level of compaction and to make a detailed analysis of the distribution of the soil bulk density within the soil sample.
Key words: soil structure, soil bulk density, sampling, radioisotopes application