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Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: Soil patch next day functions: calculate volatilization (ammonia lost)


Volatilization is the loss of ammonium ions (NH4+) from the soil to the atmosphere. Volatilization and nitrification (the conversion of ammonia to nitrate) are calculated simultaneously because they both operate on the same source (ammonia). In the same way that evaporation is much faster at the soil surface, volatilization uses a different equation for the top soil layer than for other layers. For the top soil layer volatilization depends on temperature (warmer = faster) and wind speed (more wind = faster). For the lower soil layers, volatilization depends on depth from the surface (deeper = slower), cation exchange capacity (lower CEC = more volatilization because less ammonium cations are held), and temperature (warmer = faster).

calculation of nitrification
EPIC N Volatilization
Model contents

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Updated: May 4, 1998. Questions/comments on site to webmaster@kurtz-fernhout.com.
Copyright © 1998 Paul D. Fernhout & Cynthia F. Kurtz.