The complex dielectric constant of Iraqi soils as a function of water content and texture

Measurements of the complex dielectric constant ε of several soil samples have been carried out at 10 GHz as a function of moisture content W_c and particle-size distribution (PSD). Measurements performed on the moist samples showed a strong dependence on the PSD. At a particular moisture value, both real and imaginary terms of ε are found to be directly proportional to the sand content and inversely proportional to the clay content of the samples. An empirical model based on the PSD and the individual samples of W _c is developed using the least-square technique