Introduction to Soil and Water Sciences Field Equipment.

New semester started, and I know it’s gonna be a tough semester for me. The numbers of subjects taking during this semester increased, which means numbers of subjects going to sit in the final exam also increased. Lecturers’ expectations and requirements also increased. Well, i know I should think positively yet i believe i can learn more and enjoy the different teaching style and assessment.

Here, i would like to remind im future environmentalist, 2^nd year environmental science and technology student in UPM. Im not being chosen to be an environmentalist but i choose to do so. Most of the time you will say this course is unpopular and unprofessional as compared to accountant, lawyer, doctor and nurse. So dont ask me why i choose this course as you are looking down at this course. So, basically i will tell you i choose this course because im outgoing and i believe i can enjoy very much in my university by taking this course. A course that can earn a lot of money and a course that is enjoyable and your interest, i definitely will choose the latter.

Well, im taking Soil and Water Sciences, a subject that killed numbers of seniors, pointer being decreased a lot because of this subject. I dont know the main reason they cant score well for this subjects but i think i should put more effort on it, not only this subject but others as well. For sure i can get back what i had put on it. Perhaps!!! XD

Unfortunately, we experienced the different teaching style, delivery and assessement during the first lab of this subject. The first lab report, share the soil and water sciences field equipments in any sosial network, eg. Facebook, Instagram and etc which including the name, photo, purpose and model of equipments.  Next is the printed version lab report.

Lecturers would like to see how we introduce the equipments that we always handling around to the public and telling them what this course actually about.

Soil and Water Sciences Equipments can be categorized into different categories, such as water sampling, water quality, soil quality, groundwater quality, drying equipments, height and slope of soil, area and diameter and meteorology. i would like to share some meteorology equipments as well because weather also will affect the quality or characteristics of soil and water.


(a)     Water Sampling

Water sampler, Alpha Water Sampler, Horizontal PVC Kit, to collect water sample at any specific depth and the plunger-like polyurethane end seals are water resistant and able to secure seal.

Sample Bottles, to collect and store samples. 

Sample bottles are used according to the period of sampling and types of sample.

Centrifuge tube, Clinical grade centrifuge tube, to store the liquid for centrifuge work which is a process to seperate components in a liquid that have different weights.

        (b)     Water quality

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Meter, YSI MODEL 52.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Meter, YSI MODEL 58, to determine the level of dissolved oxygen in water. 

The level of dissolved oxygen indicates the quality of water.

Current Meter, AEM1-D, to determine the speed of water flow. 

It is trouble-free and simple to operate and maintain as compared to conventional propeller current meter.

Wands of current meter

Propeller of current meter.

Current Meter, SWOFFER MODEL 2100 (using propeller), to determine the speed of flow water.

The speed of flow water is measured by the combination of wands, propeller and the current meter.

Electromagnetic Portable Flowmeter, Marsh McBirney Flo-Mate 2000, to measure the flow velocity, in streams, sewers, mining and irrigation canals and other open channel systems. It also can calibrates flumes, weirs and other primary devices.

Depth Sounder, Hondex™ Digital Depth Sounder,  to measure water depth. 

The transducer sends high frequency pulses to the bottom of a body of water followed by the reflection of these pulses  and converted to electrical pulses that are amplified and displayed on the screen.

Staff gauge, to measure the water depth. 

Staff gauge are used according to the depth of water to be measured.

Turbidity Meter, 2100P TURBIDIMETER, to measure the turbidity of water. 

Portable turbidity meter. 

The turbidity of water indicates the degree to which light penetration is blocked by suspended solids.

In-situ Meter Multi Probe, YSI 556 MPS, to measure salinity, conductivity, temperature, current, pH and DO.

pH Meter, THERMO ORION pH & mV METER MODEL 230A+.

pH Meter, THERMO SCIENTIFIC ORION 3-STAR PLUS Portable pH Meter Kit with pH/ATC Triode Electrode, to determine the pH of water.

At the same time, this meter also measures temperature of water.

Measuring Tape, Yamayo OTR50 - Japan Measuring Tape, to measure distance.

YSI 30 Salinity, Conductivity and Temperature Meter, to determine salinity, conductivity and temperature.

Chloride Analyzer, Corning Chloride Analyzer 925, to measure the residual and free chloride ions in water.

BOD dilution water, water purification system, to estimate the BOD of wastewater.

 Filter paper, to remove solid impurities or suspended particles in water. 

Filter paper are graded according to the porosity.

Filtration units which including filter paper, vacuum pump and vacuum flask, to remove solid impurities or suspended particles in water. The types of solid impurities or suspended particles removed is depending on the grades of filter paper used which comes in various porosities.

Portable Filtration units which including Cellotron Syringe and Agilent Econofilter, to remove solid impurities or suspended particles in water. Particles removed are depending on the porosity of econofilter used.

(c)     Soil sampling

Soil sample bag, to collect and keep soil samples for sampling and analysis.

Soil Compaction Meter SC 900, to locate and monitor soil compaction.

Auger handle. Different auger handle are used according to type of soil, depth of soil going to dig how powerful the user is.

Auger head. 

Different auger heads are used according to type of soil sample and depth of soil sample going to be digged out.

Auger, to dig soil sample from the ground for soil sampling.

Trowel, to smooth, dig and move soil sample from the ground.

(d)     Soil quality

Munsell Soil Colour Charts, to identify the types of soil and determine the quality of soil according to the soil colour classification.

Soil Pocket Penetrometer, to determine the surface pressure and check the visual classification of soil.

Semi Auto Penetrometer, to measure the surface pressure of the soil. At the same time, it also able to determine the grade of bitumen according to the consistency.

Shearmeter, to measure both magnitude and direction of soil shear stress.

Delmhorst® KS-D1 Digital Soil Moisture Tester, to measure the soil moisture and ensure the soil moisture is kept at the desire level.

Permeameter, Sijkelkamp Permeameter, to measure the soil water permeability (horizontal as well as vertical).

Rainfall simulator, to investigate surface runoff and infiltration processes by measuring the rate of soil errosion and the loading of sediments into streams.

Water Potential Meter, Decagon WP4 Dewpoint Potential Meter, to measure water potential by determining the relative humidity of the air above a sample in the closed chamber. 

At equilibrium temperature, relative humidity is a direct measurement of water potential.

Light Meter, LI-COR LI-1400 Datalogger and Light Meter, to measure light intensity at different height which will affect the soil structure.

Weighing Balance, Electronic Analytical Balance Shimadzu AY220, to measure the weight of an item in a enclosed system.

Weighing Balance, Precision Balance Sartorius BP 31005, to measure the weight of an item.

Hotplate/Stirrer, JENWAY 1000,  to stir the solution more evenly and heat the solution to increase the rate of reaction. Magnetic stir bar is needed to operate.

(e)     Groundwater quality

 Infiltrometer, Mini Disc Infiltrometer, to measure the rate of infiltration into the soil which influenced by types of soils, gravity and capilarity.

Double ring infiltrometer, to measure the rate of water infiltration into soil.

Eijelkamp Hydrometer, to measure the density of water.

Seba Water Level Meter, to measure the depth of groundwater.

 Whale Purging Pump, used for groundwater sampling.

(f)     Drying equipment 

Memmert Laboratory Oven, to dry and store dried specimens, soils and sludge samples at a constant temperature.

Lab Companion Economy Forced Convection Oven, to dry, preserve and store dried specimens, soils and sludge samples at a constant temperature.

 Boekel Stainless Steel Desiccator, to dry, preserve and store dried specimens, soils and sludge samples at a constant temperature.

 Glass Desiccator, to dry, preserve and store dried specimens, soils and sludge samples at a constant temperature.

(g)     Height and slope of soil

 Telemetro Laser, Bushnell Telemetro Laser TruPulse 200/200B, to measure slope distance, inclination and calculate horizontal and vertical distance.

Topographic Abney Level, portable tool for measuring roof pitches and tree heights.

Compass, to determine the height and slope, location as well as the direction of wind.

(h)     Area and diameter

Global Positioning System, SILVA A TREX VISTA GPS, to determine the latitude and longitude of a location.

Planimeter, Placom Digital Planimeter KP-90N, to determine the area of an arbitrary two-dimensional shape and has a computing function that gives the measurement readout in the scale desired.

Digital Curvimeter, COMCURVE-5 Curvimeter, to measure the length or distance on maps, charts, road maps, or orienteering maps in order to determine area on the map.

(i)     Meteorology

            

Metallic tipping bucket measuring system and outer part of rain gauge.

Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge, Seba RG-50, to measure rainfall and amount of precipitation at a location.

Rain Gauge, to collect rain water and measure precipitation at a location.

Rain Gauge, to measure rainfall and amount of precipitation at a location.

Simple rain gauge, Funnel Catch with overflow, to measure rainfall and amount of precipitation at a location and very useful for monitoring individual precipitation events.

Handheld Anemometer, to measure the wind speed.

Cup anemometer, to measure wind speed.

Portable Hygrometer, Assman Psychrometer, to measure atmospheric humidity.

ZEAL Whirling Hygrometer, to determine and monitor relative humidity, dew point and temperature surrounding.



Dickson Thermohygrograph, a thermocouple remote sensing temperature recorder and measure relative humidity.

Isuzu Thermohygrograph, to measure and record relative humidity and temperature.

Casella Thermohygrograph, to measure and record relative humidity and temperature.

Sato Thermohygrograph, to measure and record relative humidy and temperature.

Digital Thermohygrometer, Monarch 315 Mini Humidity Temperature Meter, to measure relative humidity and temperature.

Maximum and minimum thermometer, WM E813C, to measure the maximum and minimum temperature.

Sunshine Recorder, Negretti and Zambra Sunshine Recorder, to record the amount of sunshine at a given location.

Pyranometer, to measure solar radiation flux density.

I think thats all for this time sharing and introduction session. Well, i definitely experienced the brand new teaching style of my Soil and Water Sciences Lecturer, Professor Madya Dr. Ahmad Zaharin Aris, a very updated lecturer, a professor who lives an adolescent life, assign us to share the soil and water sciences field equipments in any sosial network, eg. Facebook, Instagram and etc.

Meanwhile, i would never forget the professor who ask me solve the technical problem on the connection failure between the projector and his ipad during the only technique measurements class in last semester, a professor who wondering am i a malaysian after seeing my helpless or blur blur face.

Haha. An unique professor i never meet before. This course seem like will be very fun, interesting and undeniably would be very challenging!! Cheer UP and Aza Aza Fighting!!!!