Study of Shrinkage and Swelling Phenomena in Clay Soils of Fanaye (Middle Senegal River Valley): Simulation of Water Transfers in a Soil Column

Abstract

Soil degradation due to shrinkage and swelling of these clay soils is a problem for agriculture. To understand the physical properties of the soils in this agricultural area, we will use an undisturbed soil monolith 60 cm high and 23 cm in diameter in the laboratory. This study quantified the swelling and shrinkage of these soils during a 10-month experiment. The determination of the hydrodynamic parameters of this monolith made it possible to simulate water transfers in a soil of constant volume and a water transfer in a soil of variable volume. The results of this simulation show significant differences between these two cases, hence the need to integrate the variations in soil volume into the simulation processes of water transfers.