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Home Q & A Board Biology-Related Homework Help General Biology
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lencho19 lencho19
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11 years ago
My homework question is:
Explain how soil permeability would affect water absorption in these soil types: gravel, sand, silt, and clay?

Permeability is the ability of a soil or sediment to allow water to flow through it

If you can please help me....

All help is much appreciated,

Thank you
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11 years ago
I think that permeability and absorption are 2 different issues. Clay can absorb water between crystal planes and swell (illite) and also has a low permeability due to its cohesiveness which is due to its net surface charge. These properties are lost as the grain size increases. With increasing grain size there is also an increase in pore space and a decrease in surface area and thus producing higher permeability. I think that absorption of water is more do to mineralogy than grain size. Where as grain size would effect permeability.
maybe you are confusing absorption and infiltration?
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RIVAS3RIVAS3
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11 years ago
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