IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0126515.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Universal Spatial Correlation Functions for Describing and Reconstructing Soil Microstructure

Author

Listed:
  • Marina V Karsanina
  • Kirill M Gerke
  • Elena B Skvortsova
  • Dirk Mallants

Abstract

Structural features of porous materials such as soil define the majority of its physical properties, including water infiltration and redistribution, multi-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous water/air flow, or gas exchange between biologically active soil root zone and atmosphere) and solute transport. To characterize soil microstructure, conventional soil science uses such metrics as pore size and pore-size distributions and thin section-derived morphological indicators. However, these descriptors provide only limited amount of information about the complex arrangement of soil structure and have limited capability to reconstruct structural features or predict physical properties. We introduce three different spatial correlation functions as a comprehensive tool to characterize soil microstructure: 1) two-point probability functions, 2) linear functions, and 3) two-point cluster functions. This novel approach was tested on thin-sections (2.21×2.21 cm2) representing eight soils with different pore space configurations. The two-point probability and linear correlation functions were subsequently used as a part of simulated annealing optimization procedures to reconstruct soil structure. Comparison of original and reconstructed images was based on morphological characteristics, cluster correlation functions, total number of pores and pore-size distribution. Results showed excellent agreement for soils with isolated pores, but relatively poor correspondence for soils exhibiting dual-porosity features (i.e. superposition of pores and micro-cracks). Insufficient information content in the correlation function sets used for reconstruction may have contributed to the observed discrepancies. Improved reconstructions may be obtained by adding cluster and other correlation functions into reconstruction sets. Correlation functions and the associated stochastic reconstruction algorithms introduced here are universally applicable in soil science, such as for soil classification, pore-scale modelling of soil properties, soil degradation monitoring, and description of spatial dynamics of soil microbial activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Marina V Karsanina & Kirill M Gerke & Elena B Skvortsova & Dirk Mallants, 2015. "Universal Spatial Correlation Functions for Describing and Reconstructing Soil Microstructure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-26, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0126515
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126515
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0126515
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0126515&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0126515?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saucier, Antoine & Richer, Jacques & Muller, Jiri, 2002. "Assessing the scope of the multifractal approach to textural characterization with statistical reconstructions of images," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 311(1), pages 231-259.
    2. Biswal, B. & Manwart, C. & Hilfer, R., 1998. "Three-dimensional local porosity analysis of porous media," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 255(3), pages 221-241.
    3. Kandelous, Maziar M. & Kamai, Tamir & Vrugt, Jasper A. & Šimůnek, Jiří & Hanson, Blaine & Hopmans, Jan W., 2012. "Evaluation of subsurface drip irrigation design and management parameters for alfalfa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 81-93.
    4. Biswal, B. & Manwart, C. & Hilfer, R. & Bakke, S. & Øren, P.E., 1999. "Quantitative analysis of experimental and synthetic microstructures for sedimentary rock," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 273(3), pages 452-475.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. repec:caa:jnlswr:v:preprint:id:64-2023-swr is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Nannan Wang & Tibin Zhang, 2024. "Soil pore structure and its research methods: A review," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 19(1), pages 1-24.
    3. Karsanina, Marina V. & Gerke, Kirill M., 2023. "Stochastic (re)constructions of non-stationary material structures: Using ensemble averaged correlation functions and non-uniform phase distributions," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 611(C).
    4. Postnicov, Vasily & Karsanina, Marina V. & Khlyupin, Aleksey & Gerke, Kirill M., 2023. "The 2- and 3-point surface correlation functions calculations: From novel exact continuous approach to improving methodology for discrete images," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 628(C).
    5. Cherkasov, Aleksei & Gerke, Kirill M. & Khlyupin, Aleksey, 2024. "Towards effective information content assessment: Analytical derivation of information loss in the reconstruction of random fields with model uncertainty," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 633(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Latief, F.D.E. & Biswal, B. & Fauzi, U. & Hilfer, R., 2010. "Continuum reconstruction of the pore scale microstructure for Fontainebleau sandstone," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 389(8), pages 1607-1618.
    2. Manwart, C. & Hilfer, R., 2002. "Numerical simulation of creeping fluid flow in reconstruction models of porous media," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 314(1), pages 706-713.
    3. Hilfer, R., 2006. "Macroscopic capillarity without a constitutive capillary pressure function," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 371(2), pages 209-225.
    4. Chen, Dongdong & He, Xiaohai & Teng, Qizhi & Xu, Zhi & Li, Zhengji, 2014. "Reconstruction of multiphase microstructure based on statistical descriptors," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 415(C), pages 240-250.
    5. Nguyen, Van Thang & Huynh, Nguyen Phong Thu & Vu, Ngoc Ba & Le, Cong Hao, 2021. "Long-term accumulation of 226Ra in some agricultural soils based on model assessment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    6. Pizarro, E. & Galleguillos, M. & Barría, P. & Callejas, R., 2022. "Irrigation management or climate change ? Which is more important to cope with water shortage in the production of table grape in a Mediterranean context," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    7. Tyler L. Anthony & Daphne J. Szutu & Joseph G. Verfaillie & Dennis D. Baldocchi & Whendee L. Silver, 2023. "Carbon-sink potential of continuous alfalfa agriculture lowered by short-term nitrous oxide emission events," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Haghnazari, Farzad & Karandish, Fatemeh & Darzi-Naftchali, Abdullah & Šimůnek, Jiří, 2020. "Dynamic assessment of the impacts of global warming on nitrate losses from a subsurface-drained rainfed-canola field," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    9. Saefuddin, Reskiana & Saito, Hirotaka & Šimůnek, Jiří, 2019. "Experimental and numerical evaluation of a ring-shaped emitter for subsurface irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 111-122.
    10. Widjajakusuma, J & Manwart, C & Biswal, B & Hilfer, R, 1999. "Exact and approximate calculations for the conductivity of sandstones," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 270(1), pages 325-331.
    11. Phogat, V. & Skewes, Mark A. & Mahadevan, M. & Cox, J.W., 2013. "Evaluation of soil plant system response to pulsed drip irrigation of an almond tree under sustained stress conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 1-11.
    12. Biswal, B. & Hilfer, R., 1999. "Microstructure analysis of reconstructed porous media," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 266(1), pages 307-311.
    13. Chen, DongDong & Liu, Yang & Wang, XiaoRui & Wang, Mei, 2022. "Reconstruction of the microstructure based on hierarchical simulated annealing with erosion method," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 604(C).
    14. Tscheschel, A. & Stoyan, D. & Hilfer, R., 2000. "Erosion–dilation analysis for experimental and synthetic microstructures of sedimentary rock," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 284(1), pages 46-58.
    15. Chen, DongDong & Wang, XiaoRui & Nan, JiaoFen, 2023. "A new framework for the reconstruction of porous media based on statistical characteristics: Multiscale erosion simulated annealing method," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 616(C).
    16. Biswal, B. & Manwart, C. & Hilfer, R. & Bakke, S. & Øren, P.E., 1999. "Quantitative analysis of experimental and synthetic microstructures for sedimentary rock," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 273(3), pages 452-475.
    17. Eltarabily, Mohamed Galal & Mohamed, Abdelmoneim Zakaria & Begna, Sultan & Wang, Dong & Putnam, Daniel H. & Scudiero, Elia & Bali, Khaled M., 2024. "Simulated soil water distribution patterns and water use of Alfalfa under different subsurface drip irrigation depths," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    18. Albasha, Rami & Mailhol, Jean-Claude & Cheviron, Bruno, 2015. "Compensatory uptake functions in empirical macroscopic root water uptake models – Experimental and numerical analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 22-39.
    19. Callau-Beyer, Ana Claudia & Mburu, Martin Mungai & Weßler, Caspar-Friedrich & Amer, Nasser & Corbel, Anne-Laure & Wittnebel, Mareille & Böttcher, Jürgen & Bachmann, Jörg & Stützel, Hartmut, 2024. "Effect of high frequency subsurface drip fertigation on plant growth and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency of red cabbage," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    20. Li, Yong & Šimůnek, Jirka & Jing, Longfei & Zhang, Zhentin & Ni, Lixiao, 2014. "Evaluation of water movement and water losses in a direct-seeded-rice field experiment using Hydrus-1D," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 38-46.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0126515. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.