scholarly journals Evidence of Preferential Flow Activation in the Vadose Zone via Geophysical Monitoring

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1358
Author(s):  
Lorenzo De Carlo ◽  
Kimberlie Perkins ◽  
Maria Clementina Caputo
Keyword(s):  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Spatial Moments ◽  
Artificial Rainfall ◽  
Preferential Pathways

Preferential pathways allow rapid and non-uniform water movement in the subsurface due to strong heterogeneity of texture, composition, and hydraulic properties. Understanding the importance of preferential pathways is crucial, because they have strong impact on flow and transport hydrodynamics in the unsaturated zone. Particularly, improving knowledge of the water dynamics is essential for estimating travel time through soil to quantify hazards for groundwater, assess aquifer recharge rates, improve agricultural water management, and prevent surface stormflow and flooding hazards. Small scale field heterogeneities cannot be always captured by the limited number of point scale measurements collected. In order to overcome these limitations, noninvasive geophysical techniques have been widely used in the last decade to predict hydrodynamic processes, due to their capability to spatialize hydrogeophysical properties with high resolution. In the test site located in Bari, Southern Italy, the geophysical approach, based on electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) monitoring, has been implemented to detect preferential pathways triggered by an artificial rainfall event. ERT-derived soil moisture estimations were obtained in order to quantitatively predict the water storage (m3m−3), water velocity (ms−1), and spread (m2) through preferential pathways by using spatial moments analysis.

scholarly journals Analysis of Soil Water Response to Grass Transpiration

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
Dohnal Michal ◽  
Dušek Jaromír ◽  
Vogel Tomáš ◽  
Herza Jiří
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Lower Boundary ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics

This paper focuses on numerical modelling of soil water movement in response to the root water uptake that is driven by transpiration. The flow of water in a lysimeter, installed at a grass covered hillslope site in a small headwater catchment, is analysed by means of numerical simulation. The lysimeter system provides a well defined control volume with boundary fluxes measured and soil water pressure continuously monitored. The evapotranspiration intensity is estimated by the Penman-Monteith method and compared with the measured lysimeter soil water loss and the simulated root water uptake. Variably saturated flow of water in the lysimeter is simulated using one-dimensional dual-permeability model based on the numerical solution of the Richards’ equation. The availability of water for the root water uptake is determined by the evaluation of the plant water stress function, integrated in the soil water flow model. Different lower boundary conditions are tested to compare the soil water dynamics inside and outside the lysimeter. Special attention is paid to the possible influence of the preferential flow effects on the lysimeter soil water balance. The adopted modelling approach provides a useful and flexible framework for numerical analysis of soil water dynamics in response to the plant transpiration.

Dual permeability soil water dynamics and water uptake by roots in irrigated potato fields

Biologia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
František Doležal ◽  
David Zumr ◽  
Josef Vacek ◽  
Josef Zavadil ◽  
Adriano Battilani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Boundary Curve ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Permeability Model ◽  
Soil Matrix

AbstractWater movement and uptake by roots in a drip-irrigated potato field was studied by combining field experiments, outputs of numerical simulations and summary results of an EU project (www.fertorganic.org). Detailed measurements of soil suction and weather conditions in the Bohemo-Moravian highland made it possible to derive improved estimates of some parameters for the dual permeability model S1D_DUAL. A reasonably good agreement between the measured and the estimated soil hydraulic properties was obtained. The measured root zone depths were near to those obtained by inverse simulation with S1D _DUAL and to a boundary curve approximation. The measured and S1D _DUAL-simulated soil water pressure heads were comparable with those achieved by simulations with the Daisy model. During dry spells, the measured pressure heads tended to be higher than the simulated ones. In general, the former oscillated between the simulated values for soil matrix and those for the preferential flow (PF) domain. Irrigation facilitated deep seepage after rain events. We conclude that several parallel soil moisture sensors are needed for adequate irrigation control. The sensors cannot detect the time when the irrigation should be stopped.

scholarly journals Rapid-Response Unsaturated Zone Hydrology: Small-Scale Data, Small-Scale Theory, Big Problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Nimmo ◽  
Kim S. Perkins ◽  
Michelle R. Plampin ◽  
Michelle A. Walvoord ◽  
Brian A. Ebel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resource ◽  
Unsaturated Zone ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Unsaturated Flow ◽  
Nonlinear Flow ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Aquifer Systems ◽  
Wide Range

The unsaturated zone (UZ) extends across the Earth’s terrestrial surface and is central to many problems related to land and water resource management. Flow of water through the UZ is typically thought to be slow and diffusive, such that it could attenuate fluxes and dampen variability between atmospheric inputs and underlying aquifer systems. This would reduce water resource vulnerability to contaminants and water-related hazards. Reducing or negating that effect, however, spatially concentrated and rapid flow and transport through the unsaturated zone is surprisingly common and becoming more so with the increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme hydroclimatic events. Arising from the wide range in the rates and complex modes of nonlinear flow processes, these effects are among the most poorly characterized hydrologic phenomena. Issues of scale present additional difficulties. Equations representing unsaturated processes have been developed and tested on the basis of field and laboratory measurements typically made at scales from pore size to plot size. In contrast, related problems of significant interest to society, including floods, aquifer recharge, landslides, and groundwater contamination, range from watershed to regional scales. The disparity between the scale of our understanding and the scale of interest for societal problems has spurred application of these model equations at increasingly coarse resolutions over larger areas than can be justified by existing measurements or theory. This mismatch in scales requires an assumption that spatially averaging slow diffusive flow and rapid preferential flow can effectively represent the influence of both processes across vast areas. Given the currently inadequate recognition and quantitative characterization of focused and rapid processes in unsaturated flow, these phenomena are critically in need of expanded attention and effort.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Water and Bromide Transport in a Bare Loam Soil Using Lysimeters and Field Plots

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Isch ◽  
Denis Montenach ◽  
Frederic Hammel ◽  
Philippe Ackerer ◽  
Yves Coquet
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Solute Transport ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Immobile Water ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Field Plots

The purpose of this methodological study was to test whether similar soil hydraulic and solute transport properties could be estimated from field plots and lysimeter measurements. The transport of water and bromide (as an inert conservative solute tracer) in three bare field plots and in six bare soil lysimeters were compared. Daily readings of matric head and volumetric water content in the lysimeters showed a profile that was increasingly humid with depth. The hydrodynamic parameters optimized with HYDRUS-1D provided an accurate description of the experimental data for both the field plots and the lysimeters. However, bromide transport in the lysimeters was influenced by preferential transport, which required the use of the mobile/immobile water (MIM) model to suitably describe the experimental data. Water and solute transport observed in the field plots was not accurately described when using parameters optimized with lysimeter data (cross-simulation), and vice versa. The soil’s return to atmospheric pressure at the bottom of the lysimeter and differences in tillage practices between the two set-ups had a strong impact on soil water dynamics. The preferential flow of bromide observed in the lysimeters prevented an accurate simulation of solute transport in field plots using the mean optimized parameters on lysimeters and vice versa.

scholarly journals Monitoring Lakes Surface Water Velocity with SAR: A Feasibility Study on Lake Garda, Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2293
Author(s):  
Marina Amadori ◽  
Virginia Zamparelli ◽  
Giacomo De Carolis ◽  
Gianfranco Fornaro ◽  
Marco Toffolon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Wind Waves ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Water Velocity ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Lake Garda ◽  
Marine Applications

The SAR Doppler frequencies are directly related to the motion of the scatterers in the illuminated area and have already been used in marine applications to monitor moving water surfaces. Here we investigate the possibility of retrieving surface water velocity from SAR Doppler analysis in medium-size lakes. ENVISAT images of the test site (Lake Garda) are processed and the Doppler Centroid Anomaly technique is adopted. The resulting surface velocity maps are compared with the outputs of a hydrodynamic model specifically validated for the case study. Thermal images from MODIS Terra are used in support of the modeling results. The surface velocity retrieved from SAR is found to overestimate the numerical results and the existence of a bias is investigated. In marine applications, such bias is traditionally removed through Geophysical Model Functions (GMFs) by ascribing it to a fully developed wind waves spectrum. We found that such an assumption is not supported in our case study, due to the small-scale variations of topography and wind. The role of wind intensity and duration on the results from SAR is evaluated, and the inclusion of lake bathymetry and the SAR backscatter gradient is recommended for the future development of GMFs suitable for lake environments.

A lithospheric velocity anomaly beneath the Shagan river Test Site. Part 2. Imaging and inversion with amplitude transmission tomography

1992 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 999-1017
Author(s):  
K. L. McLaughlin ◽  
J. R. Murphy ◽  
B. W. Barker
Keyword(s):  
Fourier Transforms ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Projection Operators ◽  
Order Partial Differential Equation ◽  
Linear Inversion ◽  
Discrete Fourier Transforms ◽  
Velocity Anomaly ◽  
Inversion Procedure ◽  
River Test

Abstract A linear inversion procedure is introduced that images weak velocity anomalies using amplitudes of transmitted seismic waves. Using projection operators from geometrical ray theory, an image of an anomaly is constructed from amplitudes recorded at arrays of receivers using arrays of sources. The image is related to the velocity anomaly by a second-order partial-differential equation that is inverted using 2-D discrete Fourier transforms. As an example of the inversion procedure, magnitude residuals for European stations recording Shagan River explosions are used to image the deep lithospheric anomaly beneath the Shagan River test site described in Part 1. This formal inversion analysis confirms the existence of a small-scale lateral heterogeneity located 50 km west-northwest of the test site at a probable depth between 80 and 100 km and indicates that it is consistent with a deterministic 1.5% peak-to-peak (or 0.5% rms) velocity anomaly with a scale length of about 3 km. 3-D dynamic raytracing is then used to verify that the inferred laterally varying structure produces amplitude fluctuations consistent with observations.

scholarly journals Water Dynamics in Hydrated Carboxylated Cellulose Nanofibril Membranes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun Yu ◽  
Valentina Guccini ◽  
Franz Demmel ◽  
Germán Salazar-Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Surface Charge ◽  
Network Formation ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane ◽  
Cellulose Nanofibrils ◽  
Bulk Water ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Surface Charges ◽  
Tempo Oxidation ◽  
Elastic Neutron

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are a class of materials with good mechanical properties, surface functionality and bio-/environmental friendliness. They have been used in many applications as loading material or function materials, where water-cellulose interaction determines the materials performance. Especially, CNF with carboxylated groups can be used as the separation membrane in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. The water dynamics is closely related to the proton conductivity. The Non-destructive quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) is used to characterized water movement in hydrated membrane made of CNF prepared by TEMPO-oxidation with different surface charges. However, neither surface charge nor the nanoconfinement due to membrane swelling has large impact on water dynamics mechanism. A slow diffusive motion is found with the diffusion coefficient close to bulk water and that in hydrated Nafion membrane regardless the surface charge, while a fast motion is rather localized with a correlation time increasing as temperature increase, which might related to the hydrogen bond network formation between water and CNF.

scholarly journals Water and phosphorus uptake by upland rice root systems unraveled under multiple scenarios: linking a 3D soil-root model and data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trung Hieu Mai ◽  
Pieterjan De Bauw ◽  
Andrea Schnepf ◽  
Roel Merckx ◽  
Erik Smolders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Upland Rice ◽  
Phosphorus Uptake ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Multiscale Model ◽  
P Uptake ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
P Availability ◽  
P Deficiency ◽  
Plant P Uptake

AbstractBackground and aimsUpland rice is often grown where water and phosphorus (P) are limited and these two factors interact on P bioavailability. To better understand this interaction, mechanistic models representing small-scale nutrient gradients and water dynamics in the rhizosphere of full-grown root systems are needed.MethodsRice was grown in large columns using a P-deficient soil at three different P supplies in the topsoil (deficient, suboptimal, non-limiting) in combination with two water regimes (field capacity versus drying periods). Root architectural parameters and P uptake were determined. Using a multiscale model of water and nutrient uptake, in-silico experiments were conducted by mimicking similar P and water treatments. First, 3D root systems were reconstructed by calibrating an architecure model with observed phenological root data, such as nodal root number, lateral types, interbranch distance, root diameters, and root biomass allocation along depth. Secondly, the multiscale model was informed with these 3D root architectures and the actual transpiration rates. Finally, water and P uptake were simulated.Key resultsThe plant P uptake increased over threefold by increasing P and water supply, and drying periods reduced P uptake at high but not at low P supply. Root architecture was significantly affected by the treatments. Without calibration, simulation results adequately predicted P uptake, including the different effects of drying periods on P uptake at different P levels. However, P uptake was underestimated under P deficiency, a process likely related to an underestimated affinity of P uptake transporters in the roots. Both types of laterals (i.e. S- and L-type) are shown to be highly important for both water and P uptake, and the relative contribution of each type depend on both soil P availability and water dynamics. Key drivers in P uptake are growing root tips and the distribution of laterals.ConclusionsThis model-data integration demonstrates how multiple co-occurring single root phene responses to environmental stressors contribute to the development of a more efficient root system. Further model improvements such as the use of Michaelis constants from buffered systems and the inclusion of mycorrhizal infections and exudates are proposed.

scholarly journals Monitoring Water‐Soil Dynamics and Tree Survival Using Soil Sensors under a Big Data Approach

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (21) ◽  
pp. 4634
Author(s):  
Pascual ◽  
Rivera ◽  
Gómez ◽  
Domínguez-Lerena
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Soil Dynamics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Sensors ◽  
Tree Survival

The high importance of green urban planning to ensure access to green areas requires modern and multi-source decision-support tools. The integration of remote sensing data and sensor developments can contribute to the improvement of decision-making in urban forestry. This study proposes a novel big data-based methodology that combines real-time information from soil sensors and climate data to monitor the establishment of a new urban forest in semi-arid conditions. Water‐soil dynamics and their implication in tree survival were analyzed considering the application of different treatment restoration techniques oriented to facilitate the recovery of tree and shrub vegetation in the degraded area. The synchronized data-capturing scheme made it possible to evaluate hourly, daily, and seasonal changes in soil‐water dynamics. The spatial variation of soil‐water dynamics was captured by the sensors and it highly contributed to the explanation of the observed ground measurements on tree survival. The methodology showed how the efficiency of treatments varied depending on species selection and across the experimental design. The use of retainers for improving soil moisture content and adjusting tree-watering needs was, on average, the most successful restoration technique. The results and the applied calibration of the sensor technology highlighted the random behavior of water‐soil dynamics despite the small-scale scope of the experiment. The results showed the potential of this methodology to assess watering needs and adjust watering resources to the vegetation status using real-time atmospheric and soil data.

scholarly journals Characterizing water fingering phenomena in soils using magnetic resonance imaging and multifractal theory

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Posadas ◽  
R. Quiroz ◽  
A. Tannús ◽  
S. Crestana ◽  
C. M. Vaz
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Flow Process ◽  
Multifractal Theory

Abstract. The study of water movement in soils is of fundamental importance in hydrologic science. It is generally accepted that in most soils, water and solutes flow through unsaturated zones via preferential paths or fingers. This paper combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with both fractal and multifractal theory to characterize preferential flow in three dimensions. A cubic double-layer column filled with fine and coarse textured sand was placed into a 500 gauss MRI system. Water infiltration through the column (0.15×0.15×0.15 m3) was recorded in steady state conditions. Twelve sections with a voxel volume of 0.1×0.1×10 mm3 each were obtained and characterized using fractal and multifractal theory. The MRI system provided a detailed description of the preferential flow under steady state conditions and was also useful in understanding the dynamics of the formation of the fingers. The f(α) multifractal spectrum was very sensitive to the variation encountered at each horizontally-oriented slice of the column and provided a suitable characterization of the dynamics of the process identifying four spatial domains. In conclusion, MRI and fractal and multifractal analysis were able to characterize and describe the preferential flow process in soils. Used together, the two methods provide a good alternative to study flow transport phenomena in soils and in porous media.

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