摘要：Due to climate change, soil desiccating became a serious concern in the agricultural area of Belgium. Knowing soil evaporation kinetic can help to elucidate and predict: the soil moisture regime, soil water retention and soil water content. Those parameters are vital for water use efficiency and sustainable agriculture. This research investigated the mechanism of soil evaporation using both laboratory experiment and numerical simulation. Soil samples (Luvisol) were collected from the agricultural field in Gembloux- Belgium, and tested in a small drying chamber. Sensors measured the chamber temperature and humidity, while digital camera monitored the soil surface throughout the experiment. HYPROP device recorded the water change, soil suction, and soil water retention curve. During three evaporation experiments, four periods were observed rather than three as commonly recorded in the theory of drying. The modelling considered thermo-hydro-mechanical framework for predicting the drying process of Luvisol. The model used the finite element code LAGAMINE created at the University of Liege. The software aims at assessing the mechanism of water transport between soil and atmosphere. The results of the simulation showed major domination of Darcean flow during desiccating, while some short vapour diffusion occurred only after the soil surface began to de-saturate.
