SL38: Retention of Water: Basics of Soil-Water Relationships - Part II
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of a tensiometer in its simplest form. At equilibrium, the soil water around the porous cup has a pressure of -h centimeters (or inches). In practice, tensiometers used in the field are more elaborate than the one depicted here. Ordinarily, pressures can be read on the vertical manometer arm of a dial-type pressure guage above the ground surface.
