Characterization of the hydraulic properties of marine soils of Cyprus

Abstract

Interest in the unsaturated soils of semi-arid to and climates has increased, especially in recent years, due to the adverse effect of industrial and municipal activities on the subsurface environment. The most important soil parameter affecting the rate at which water and dissolved chemicals move through the vadose zone is the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), which describes the relationship between the suction, W, and the volumetric water content, theta. In this study, laboratory soil water characteristic curves were obtained for compacted marine soils of different lithologies and genesis taken from three different locations in North Cyprus and the influence of varying physical and chemical soil properties on the SWCC were studied.