Introduction to Soil Physics

Born in California and raised in Israel, Dr. Daniel Hillel acquired an early and lifelong love of the land and a commitment to understanding and protecting the natural environment. Through decades of work in some thirty countries, he has become an international authority on sustainable management of land and water resources. Dr. Hillel has served as professor of soil physics, hydrology and the environmental sciences at leading universities in the U.S. and abroad, and has been a consultant to the World Bank and the United Nations. Among the honors he has received are the Chancellor's Medal for Exemplary Service at the University of Massachusetts , a Guggenheim award, and Doctorates of Science honoris causa by Guelph University of Canada and Ohio State University . Dr. Hillel is an elected Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, the Soil Science Society of America, and the American Society of Agronomy and was granted the Distinguished Service Award by the latter societies. He has published well over 300 scientific papers and research reports, and authored or edited twenty two books. His definitive textbooks on environmental physics have been use by universities and research institutions throughout the world and have been translated into twelve languages.

• Basic Relationships. The task of Soil Physics. General Physical Characteristics of Soils. The Solid Phase. Texture, Particle Size Distribution, and Specific Surface. Soil Structure and Aggregation. The Liquid Phase. Soil Water: Content and Potential. Flow of Water in Saturated Soil. Flow of Water in Unsaturated Soil. The Gaseous Phase. Soil Air and Aeration. Composite Properties and Behavior. Soil Temperature and Hear Flow. Soil Compaction and Consolidation. Tillage and Soil Structure Management. The Field--Water Cycle and Its Management. Infiltration and Surface Runoff. Internal Drainage and Redistribution Following Infiltration. Groundwater Drainage. Evaporation from Bare-Surface Soils. Uptake of Soil Moisture by Plants. Water Balance and Energy Balance in the Field. Bibliography. Index.