Spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture using geological statistics method in the loess region of west Shanxi Province

Taking the Caijiachuan Watershed(40.10 km²,Jixian County,Shanxi Province) as an example of the Loess Plateau of China,this paper analyzed the spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture using geological statistics method and the spatial distribution of soil moisture using Kriging Interpolating Method,vary function and regional variable theory.In the research area,391 soil moisture sites were arranged according to two different sample scales(20 m×20 m and 2 m×2 m) on slope and the soil moisture was detected by TRIME-TDR from year 2004 to 2005.The results showed that: 1) the model of soil moisture variation in the research area was a spherical model;2) the variation ranges of soil moisture were 494.16 m and 27.4 m for the different sample scales(20 m×20 m,2 m×2m),respectively;3) the variation of soil moisture in the research area was a kind of medium variation;and 4) the average soil moisture in different depths of soil profile were 10.94%((0—30 cm)) and 11.88%(30—60 cm).