CS655 12 cm Soil Water Content Reflectometer

Expand AllCollapse All

1. Can the cable for the CS650 or CS655 be shortened?

   Modifications to the CS650 or CS655, including shortening the cable, will void the warranty. However, shortening the cable will not affect the sensor’s performance. If a decision is made to shorten the cable, care should be taken to avoid damaging the cable jacket and exposing bare wire except at the ends that connect to the data logger or multiplexer terminals.

2. With regard to the CS650 and the CS655, is there a generic calibration equation for artificial soil?

   No. The equation used to determine volumetric water content in the firmware for the CS650 and the CS655 is the Topp et al. (1980) equation, which works for a wide range of mineral soils but not necessarily for artificial soils that typically have high organic matter content and high clay content. In this type of soil, the standard equations in the firmware will overestimate water content.

   When using a CS650 or a CS655 in artificial soil, it is best to perform a soil-specific calibration. For details on performing a soil-specific calibration, refer to “The Water Content Reflectometer Method for Measuring Volumetric Water Content” section in the CS650/CS655 manual. A linear or quadratic equation that relates period average to volumetric water content will work well.

3. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure water content in concrete?

   Some customers have successfully used water content reflectometers, such as the CS650 and the CS655, to measure water content of wet concrete mix to ensure consistency between different batches of concrete. However, after concrete begins the curing process, salts are formed that make the electrical conductivity too high for the CS650 and the CS655 to operate. Thus, these sensors cannot be embedded in wet concrete to measure the water content of the concrete as it cures and dries.  

4. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure water content in mine tailings?

   Mine tailings are highly corrosive and have high electrical conductivity. Some customers have successfully used water content reflectometers, such as the CS650 or the CS655, to measure water content in mine tailings by coating the sensor rods with heat-shrink tubing. This affects the sensor output, and a soil-specific calibration must be performed. Care must be taken during installation to avoid damaging the heat-shrink tubing and exposing the sensor’s rods.  In addition, covering the sensor’s rods invalidates the bulk electrical conductivity reading. Unless the temperature reading provided by the CS650 or the CS655 is necessary, a better option may be to use a CS616 with coated rods.

5. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure water content in gravel?

   Yes. Keeping the sensor rods parallel during installation is especially difficult in gravel, but it can be done. Gravel has large pore spaces that drain quickly, so the water content readings will likely show rapid changes between saturation and very dry. If small changes of water content at the dry end are of interest, a soil-specific calibration may need to be performed to convert period average directly to volumetric water content.

6. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure water content in frozen soil?

   No. The principle that makes these sensors work is that liquid water has a dielectric permittivity of close to 80, while soil solid particles have a dielectric permittivity of approximately 3 to 6. When liquid water freezes, its dielectric permittivity drops to 3.8, essentially making it look like soil particles to the sensor. A CS650 or CS655 installed in soil that freezes would show a rapid decline in its volumetric water content reading with corresponding temperature readings that are below 0°C. As the soil freezes down below the measurement range of the sensor, the water content values would stop changing and remain steady for as long as the soil remains frozen.  

7. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure gasoline or other hydrocarbons in soil?

   No. The principle that makes these sensors work is that liquid water has a dielectric permittivity of close to 80, while soil solid particles have a dielectric permittivity of approximately 3 to 6. Gasoline and other hydrocarbons have dielectric permittivities in the same range as soil particles, which essentially make them invisible to the CS650 and the CS655. 

8. Can the CS650 and the CS655 detect stream bed erosion?

   The permittivity of saturated sediments in a stream bed is expected to read somewhere between 25 and 42, while the permittivity of water is close to 80. A CS650 or CS655 installed in saturated sediments could be used to monitor sediment erosion. If the permittivity continuously increases beyond the initial saturated reading, this is an indication that sediment around the sensor rods has eroded and been replaced with water. A calibration could be performed that relates permittivity to the depth of the rods still in the sediment. 

9. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure water level?

   The CS650 and the CS655 are not ideal sensors for measuring water level. However, these sensors do respond to the abrupt change in permittivity at the air/water interface. A calibration could be performed to relate the period average or permittivity reading to the distance along the sensor rods where the air/water interface is located. From that, the water level can be determined. The permittivity of water is temperature dependent, so a temperature correction would be needed to acquire accurate results.  

10. Using a CS650 or a CS655, when should a soil-specific calibration be performed?

    To get accurate water content readings, a soil-specific calibration is probably required if any of the following are true:

    • The soil has more than 5% organic matter content.
    • The soil has more than 20% clay content.
    • The soil is derived from volcanic parent material.
    • The soil has porosity greater than 0.5.

    For details on performing a soil-specific calibration, refer to “The Water Content Reflectometer Method for Measuring Volumetric Water Content” section in the CS650/CS655 manual.