Talk:Vadose zone

Atmospheric pressure in the pore spaces

I am not a hydrologist, but this page is contradicted by the following two pages:

http://wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov/uzf/unsatflow.html

http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/unsaturated_zone.html

These state that the pore-water pressure in the unsaturated zone is less than atmospheric, not atmospheric. I'll leave it to the hydrologists to fight this one out.

Pkapitola 03:57, 15 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think there's no contradiction: the pore-air pressure is atmospheric (since it is conected to the atmosphere) but the pore-water pressure is less than atmospheric due to the capillary forces and the adhesion to soil particles.

Estebanf 21:15, 21 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What Esteban said. -- Paleorthid 21:08, 21 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Currently the article says that "The pore spaces in the vadose zone are subject to atmospheric pressure". In any case I don't this this is clear whether it this sentence is referring to the water or the air in the pore spaces. But again, I don't know enough to change the article. Dreadpirate Roberts 09:25, 29 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think my edits satisfy the concern. I am commenting out the disputed tag, but please feel free to replace it without hesitation if any confusion remains. -- Paleorthid 03:30, 2 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From what I understand, the capilary zone is saturated, and has negative pore water pressure, and the zone above this is unsaturated and has atmospheric pore air pressure and water pressure. Is the capilary zone inside or outside of the vadose zone? 128.232.244.240 (talk) 12:32, 28 April 2008