Vadose Zone Journal最新文献

{"title":"Soil pores in preferential flow terminology and permeability equations","authors":"Hida R. Manns, Yefang Jiang, Gary Parkin","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20365","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20365","url":null,"abstract":"Linkages between the micro‐scale of soil water and landscape scale of hydrological data could be improved with the analysis of soil factors in preferential flow rates. This rearrangement of the terminology on soil pore size from published literature focused on the relationship between aggregate and pore size. In the range of pore size relevant to water flow (>0.005 mm), a 2:1 ratio of aggregate to pore diameter approximated the mean of proposed pore size categories. Major functional change points in soil pore size were identified where water becomes mobile in soil (0.005 mm), where preferential flow among aggregate surfaces begins (0.3 mm), and where water flows without soil interaction (bypass flow ∼1.0 mm). A number of published equations supported the application of soil pore size in permeability estimation for modeling hydraulic conductivity. Common understanding of soil pore terminology would support water flow estimation from soil to landscape scales.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141586279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dimensionality and scales of preferential flow in soils of Shale Hills hillslope simulated using HYDRUS","authors":"Ying Zhao, Jun Yi, Rongjiang Yao, Fei Li, Robert Lee Hill, Horst H. Gerke","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20367","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20367","url":null,"abstract":"Preferential flow (PF) processes are governed by subsurface soil structures at various scales. Still, model validation and mechanistic understanding of PF are very lacking. We hypothesize that PF at hillslope and larger scales cannot be described and quantified when neglecting small‐scaled spatially variable processes and simplifying the model dimensionality. The objective was to learn from comparing simulation results of multidimensional (1D, 2D, and 3D) and multiscale (pedon, catena, and catchment) modeling approaches with comprehensive datasets, and so as to evaluate PF simulations based on the Richards’ equation (solved by the HYDRUS software). Results showed limited alignment between 1D simulations and soil moisture data, mainly affected by vertical changes in porosity, permeability, and precipitation features. 2D and 3D simulations outperformed 1D models. 3D simulations provided satisfactory description of PF dynamics at the pedon scale, considering accurate representations of soil and bedrock structures for three dimensions (vertical, horizontal, and surrounding area). In 2D simulations at the pedon scale, models incorporating dual‐porosity and anisotropy of soils yielded more accurate predictions of water dynamics than single‐porosity and isotropic models. Furthermore, the application of 2D simulation at the catena scale identify PF pathways owing to the enhanced representation of the hydraulic connectivity between different locations along the slope. The results confirmed the significance of multidimensional and multiscale modeling approaches for PF simulations in hillslope hydrology. Considering the complexity and parameterization of 2D and 3D “bottom‐up” physically based models in representing spatial variability within and between soil profiles and/or underlying bedrock geology, the results contribute to creating a modeling framework applicable to identify the PF processes and thus their implications in managing water resources.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141546375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water retention curves of sandy soils obtained from direct measurements, particle size distribution, and infiltration experiments","authors":"Umar Farooq, Wioletta Gorczewska‐Langner, Adam Szymkiewicz","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20364","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20364","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate information about soil water retention curves (SWRCs) of sands is essential for evaluating groundwater recharge and vulnerability to contamination in many shallow sandy aquifers which are widespread on post glacial areas in Northern Europe and North America. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) allow to estimate SWRC from basic physical characteristics of soils, such as textural composition. However, in the case of clean sands which are dominated by a single textural fraction, PTFs should be based on more detailed information given by the particle size distribution. In this study we evaluated three parametric PTFs, which estimate parameters of the van Genuchten SWRC based on empirical correlations to the parameters of soil particle size distribution, and five semi‐physical PTFs, which derive the pore size distribution from particle size distribution. PTFs were compared to SWRCs fitted to the results of drainage experiments on sandy soil samples from six locations in Gdańsk region (northern Poland). Although in all samples the content of silt and clay fractions was low (&lt;3.5%), the differences in actual content of fines strongly influenced the shape of SWRC. In contrast, the amount of gravel fraction (varying from 1% to 35%) did not have significant effect on SWRC. Semi‐physical PTFs were found to be more accurate than parametric PTFs. The best overall performance was shown by the semi‐physical Chang and Cheng PTF. Among the parametric PTFs the best accuracy was obtained with the Schaap and Bouten method. However, all considered functions showed limited accuracy in higher suction range. Additionally, infiltration experiments were performed on four sites. SWRCs were obtained from ring infiltrometer tests using the Beerkan estimation of soil transfer parameters (BEST) method and from the tension infiltrometer (TI) tests using numerical solution of the inverse problem based on the Richards equation. In almost all cases the wetting SWRCs were characterized by higher values of the pressure scaling parameter <jats:italic>α</jats:italic> compared to SWRCs measured in drainage experiments, which is consistent with the well‐known phenomenon of hysteresis in soils. However, the BEST method resulted in significantly higher <jats:italic>α</jats:italic> and hydraulic conductivity <jats:italic>K</jats:italic><jats:sub>s</jats:sub> than TI, probably due to activation of the largest soil pores during ponded infiltration.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"355 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141515137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A simple infiltrometer automated with a user‐friendly pressure datalogger","authors":"Pedro A. M. Leite, Simone Di Prima, Logan M. Schmidt, Bradford P. Wilcox","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20366","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20366","url":null,"abstract":"We have constructed a new, simplified constant‐head infiltrometer automated with a self‐contained water level datalogger (HOBO U20L‐01) repurposed to measure changes in gas pressure inside an inverted bottle reservoir. Our field tests of six of these infiltrometers confirmed that recorded changes in gas pressure were strongly correlated with changes in water level in the infiltrometer reservoir (<jats:italic>R</jats:italic><jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 0.9998). Further, by using the derived experimental calibration function, we were able to obtain accurate near‐steady‐state infiltration rates. This infiltrometer is cheaper and lighter than current commercially available infiltrometers. It can be easily assembled with materials readily available in most hardware stores, and its user‐friendly datalogger does not require any programming knowledge. This infiltrometer is compatible with various ponding infiltration methods, and its generic design allows for modifications with locally available materials to meet diverse research needs.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A model for saturated–unsaturated flow with fractures acting as capillary barriers","authors":"Jhabriel Varela, Eirik Keilegavlen, Jan M. Nordbotten, Florin A. Radu","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20345","url":null,"abstract":"High‐resolution modeling of the flow dynamics in fractured soils is highly complex and computationally demanding as it requires precise geometrical description of the fractures in addition to resolving a multiphase free‐flow problem inside the fractures. In this paper, we present an idealized model for saturated–unsaturated flow in fractured soils that preserves the core aspects of fractured flow dynamics using an explicit representation of the fractures. The model is based on Richards’ equation in the matrix and hydrostatic equilibrium in the fractures. While the first modeling choice is standard, the latter is motivated by the difference in flow regimes between matrix and fractures, that is, the water velocity inside the fractures is considerably larger than in the soil even under saturated conditions. On matrix/fracture interfaces, the model permits water exchange between matrix and fractures only when the capillary barrier offered by the presence of air inside the fractures is overcome. Thus, depending on the wetting conditions, fractures can either act as impervious barriers or as paths for rapid water flow. Since in numerical simulations each fracture face in the computational grid is a potential seepage face, solving the resulting system of nonlinear equations is a nontrivial task. Here, we propose a general framework based on a discrete‐fracture matrix approach, a finite volume discretization of the equations, and a practical iterative technique to solve the conditional flow at the interfaces. Numerical examples support the mathematical validity and the physical applicability of the model.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"41 8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141191690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vadose Zone Journal Annual Report, 2023","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20362","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"82 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141191756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determination of a pedotransfer function for specific air–water interfacial area in sandy soils: A pore network‐informed multigene genetic programming approach","authors":"Rasoul Mirghafari, Ehsan Nikooee, Amir Raoof, Ghassem Habibagahi","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20352","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding specific air–water interfacial area (SAWIA) is essential for characterizing and modeling various phenomena in vadose zone hydrology, such as virus and colloid transport, contaminant dissolution, evaporation, and the hydro‐mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. Traditional measurement methods, including X‐ray imaging and tracer techniques, often encounter challenges, leading to a scarcity of studies that provide a reliable relationship for SAWIA. Currently, no pedotransfer function in the literature links SAWIA with saturation and suction using readily measurable soil properties such as median grain size and porosity. In this study, we initially developed a pore network model capable of predicting SAWIA by calibrating it with corresponding soil‐water retention curves (SWRCs). We then used these models to compile a comprehensive database of SAWIA for six sandy soils, for which experimental SWRCs were available, covering a range of median grain sizes and porosities. Utilizing this database, we established a pedotransfer function through multigene genetic programming. The accuracy of this function was validated against experimental data not previously used in its training and testing. Our parametric study indicated that increases in either porosity or median particle size led to a decrease in the regions exhibiting higher SAWIA in terms of saturation and suction.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141191691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling sub‐resolution porosity of a heterogeneous carbonate rock sample","authors":"William Godoy, Elizabeth M. Pontedeiro, Rafael A. B. R. Barros, Enno T. de Vries, Amir Raoof, Martinus Th. van Genuchten, Paulo Couto","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20348","url":null,"abstract":"Accurately estimating the petrophysical properties of heterogeneous carbonate rocks across various scales poses significant challenges, particularly within the context of water and hydrocarbon reservoir studies. Digital rock analysis techniques, such as X‐ray computed microtomography and synchrotron‐light‐based imaging, are increasingly employed to study the complex pore structure of carbonate rocks. However, several technical limitations remain, notably the need to balance the volume of interest with the maximum achievable resolution, which is influenced by geometric properties of the source–detector distance in each apparatus. Typically, higher resolutions necessitate smaller sample volumes, leading to a portion of the pore structure (the sub‐resolution or unresolved porosity), that remain undetected. In this study, X‐ray microtomography is used to infer the fluid flow properties of a carbonate rock sample having a substantial fraction of porosity below the imaging resolution. The existence of unresolved porosity is verified by comparisons with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. We introduce a methodology for modeling the sub‐resolution pore structure within images by accounting for unresolved pore bodies and pore throats derived from a predetermined distribution of pore throat radii. The process identifies preferential pathways between visible pores using the shortest distance and establishes connections between these pores by allocating pore bodies and throats along these paths, while ensuring compatibility with the NMR measurements. Single‐phase flow simulations are conducted on the full volume of a selected heterogeneous rock sample by using the developed pore network model. Results are then compared with petrophysical data obtained from laboratory measurements.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141191710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Irrigation scheduling needs to consider both plant‐available water and soil aeration requirements","authors":"Beaulah Pragg, T. K. K. Chamindu Deepagoda, Keith Cameron, Hong Di, Timothy J. Clough, Sam Carrick","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20344","url":null,"abstract":"Global food production relying on irrigated agriculture accounts for &gt;70% of the global freshwater withdrawal. A thorough understanding of soil–water characteristics (SWCs) and critical soil–water values in the soil and subsoil is important for effective management of irrigated water. A critical soil–water “window” for plants is generally taken as the plant‐available water window without considering diffusion‐dominated soil aeration as a co‐requisite. This study examined SWC curves in vadose soil profiles (up to 1.5‐m depth) in eight pasture soils. The soil moisture measurements were made over matric potentials ranging from −1 to −1500 kPa using tension table and pressure plate apparatus. The van Genuchten model was used to parameterize the measured SWC curve, while the Millington‐Quirk model was used to derive soil–gas diffusivity from measured soil physical properties. We defined critical soil–water windows considering the threshold values for both plant‐available water and soil–gas diffusivity to ensure water and aeration corequisites for plant growth. The results clearly distinguished depth‐dependent regimes of gravitational, plant‐available, and unavailable water in selected profiles and their responses to soil structural changes across the depth. In some of the observed soil profiles, only 30%–60% of the plant‐available water window was able to be utilized by plants because the remainder existed under soil conditions where soil aeration was inadequate for plant growth, emphasizing the importance of considering both the plant's water and aeration requirements during irrigation scheduling. Further, the infiltration profiles in two selected soils under simulated irrigation highlighted the importance of a priori knowledge of the soil structure in deeper soil layers for scheduling irrigation.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"117 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141191767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calculating a minimum overlap period for successful intercalibration of soil moisture sensors","authors":"Victoria A. Walker, Michael H. Cosh, Tyson E. Ochsner","doi":"10.1002/vzj2.20346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20346","url":null,"abstract":"Long‐term in situ soil moisture monitoring inevitably requires sensors to be replaced. Ensuing discontinuities in the data record can be mitigated by intercalibration, however it is unclear how long the existing sensor needs to remain alongside the newly installed before there is enough overlapping data to generate a robust intercalibration. We used 154 pairs of established and newly installed sensors within the Marena, Oklahoma, In Situ Sensor Testbed to determine if there is a minimum overlap time that should be considered when planning upcoming replacements. Hourly observations of the existing sensor were linearly calibrated to those of the newly installed sensor with coefficients determined from overlap periods incremented by 30 days until a reference period of 2 years was reached. The resulting bias, root‐mean‐square error, and correlation coefficient for sensor pairs indicate that a minimum of 6 to 9 months of overlapping data are required to generate a successful intercalibration. Extending that to a full year before decommissioning the old sensor results in a stable intercalibration with higher confidence.","PeriodicalId":23594,"journal":{"name":"Vadose Zone Journal","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141191664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}