Assessment of effective infiltration in the deep arid vadose zone of the Negev, Israel

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Balaban ◽  
Ravid Rosenzweig ◽  
Philip Stauffer ◽  
Ofra Klein-BenDavid ◽  
Avraham Dody ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Deposition Rate ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Chloride Deposition ◽  
Chloride Concentrations

<p>The Israeli national site for radioactive waste is situated in the Yamin Plain, within the Negev desert. Estimation of  water recharge to the ~500 m deep vadose zone underlying the site  is crucial for assessing risks related to contaminants transport. However, estimation of water fluxes in deep arid vadose zones is a challenging task because of their small magnitude and the lack of a direct measurement technology. Studies conducted in a deep arid vadose zone in Nevada, USA point to complex transient flow dynamics, in which the direction of water flow in the top of the vadose zone is upward while in the rest of the section water flows downwards to the water table.    </p><p>            In this study we present a combination of techniques which are used to obtain an initial evaluation of the water dynamics in this environment. These techniques include direct and continuous measurements of water content at the upper 5.5 m of the vadose zone through a vadose zone monitoring system which contain FTDR water content sensors; profiles of water content, leachable chloride and soil texture; and numerical modeling.</p><p>            The monitoring of the upper 5.5 m of the vadose zone during the years 2014-2018 indicates that even after extreme rain events of ~ 50 mm (constituting more than a half of the annual rainfall) there is no water infiltration to the lower parts of the section. These results exemplified the need for an alternative method to detect low water fluxes that characterize this arid area. We therefore use an inverse modeling approach where numerical solutions of water movement in the vadose zone are fitted to measured profiles of chemical and physical parameters from two shallow boreholes in the Yamin Plain. The water content of both boreholes revealed an extremely dry environment, with low saturations and high pore-water chloride concentrations, above 15,000 mg/l, in certain depths. Peak chloride concentrations did not coincide in the two boreholes, raising the question whether these peaks are connected to water fluxes or to changes in soil texture, which can inhibit water infiltration.</p><p>             Numerical simulations were then used to solve water flow and solute transport. Input parameters, including chloride deposition rate, precipitation rate, and surface run-off fraction were varied to fit the measured chloride profiles. Results indicate very small water fluxes of less than 1 mm/yr in the bottom of the vadoze zone. The simulations also show that the mass of chloride in the profile is less than the one expected based on estimated chloride deposition rate and published records of paleo-rain. These results suggest either a delayed climate shift to dry conditions compared to previous estimates for the region (8000 yr BP), and/or a partial input of the 4 g/m<sup>2</sup>/yr of deposited chloride, possibly due to runoff.</p>

Characterization of hydraulic properties in the upper vadose zone for two aquifers in Slovenia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Zupanc ◽  
Matjaž Glavan ◽  
Miha Curk ◽  
Urša Pečan ◽  
Michael Stockinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Precipitation Event ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Flow And Transport

<p>Environmental tracers, present in the environment and provided by nature, provide integrative information about both water flow and transport. For studying water flow and solute transport, the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes are of special interest, as their ratios provide a tracer signal with every precipitation event and are seasonally distributed. In order to follow the seasonal distribution of stable isotopes in the soil water and use this information for identifying hydrological processes and hydraulic properties, soil was sampled three times in three profiles, two on Krško polje aquifer in SE Slovenia and one on Ljubljansko polje in central Slovenia. Isotope composition of soil water was measured with the water-vapor-equilibration method. Based on the isotope composition of soil water integrative information about water flow and transport processes with time and depth below ground were assessed. Porewater isotopes were in similar range as precipitation for all three profiles.  Variable isotope ratios in the upper 60 cm for the different sampling times indicated dynamic water fluxes in this upper part of the vadose zone. Results also showed more evaporation at one sampling location, Brege. The information from stable isotopes will be of importance for further analyzing the water fluxes in the vadose zone of the study sties. <br>This research was financed by the ARRS BIAT 20-21-32 and IAEA CRP 1.50.18 Multiple isotope fingerprints to identify sources and transport of agro-contaminants.  </p>

Hydrological processes and water flux quantification in agricultural fields under different tillage and irrigation systems using water stable isotopes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Canet-Marti ◽  
Angela Morales-Santos ◽  
Reinhard Nolz ◽  
Günter Langergraber ◽  
Christine Stumpp
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Hydrological Processes ◽  
Agricultural Fields ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Irrigation Systems

<p>Sustainable agriculture should be based on management practices that improve resource usage efficiency and minimize harmful impacts on the environment while maintaining and stabilizing crop production. Both tillage and irrigation can have a great influence on hydrological processes within agroecosystems. However, it remains difficult to directly assess the effect of practices on water fluxes which has been mainly indirectly quantified by complex numerical modelling methods in the past. Therefore, the objective of the study was to use a space for time concept and measure oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (δ<sup>18</sup>O, δ<sup>2</sup>H) in the pore water of soil profiles as well as moisture contents for quantifying the soil water balance and fluxes. Covering all combinations, soil profiles and isotope analysis was performed for 16 sites planted with winter wheat and managed with different tillage (conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), minimal tillage (MT), and no-tillage (NT)) and irrigation systems (hose reel boom irrigation with nozzles (BI), sprinkler irrigation (SI), drip irrigation (DI) and no irrigation (NI)). The results indicated that the more intense the tillage, the lower the water content. Among the irrigation systems, DI had the highest average water content. Tracing the minimum in the isotopic composition of the pores water within the depth profiles showed a deeper percolation of water in the CT fields, which indicates higher water flow velocity. Considering both water content and differences in water flow velocities resulted in water fluxes ranging from 90 to 151 mm yr<sup>-1</sup>. The losses due to evapotranspiration varied between 57 and 80%. The resulting evapotranspiration within tillage and irrigation variants decreased in the order RT>CT≈MT>NT, and SI>BI>DI>NI. Thus, the method revealed that the lower water content in CT fields is a consequence of deeper water infiltration. Moreover, irrigation water contributed mostly to evapotranspiration, and drip irrigation showed the lowest evapotranspiration losses among irrigation systems. This study demonstrated that water stable isotopes can be used as indicators and are a promising method to quantify water fluxes in agricultural fields with great potential for evaluating management practices.</p>

Water flow in unsaturated soils subjected to multiple infiltration events

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-376
Author(s):  
Xiaokun Hou ◽  
Sai K. Vanapalli ◽  
Tonglu Li
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Unsaturated Zone ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Wetting Front ◽  
Influx Rate ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Stable Zone

In this paper, water flow in a 4 m height column with an unsaturated soil that is subjected to multiple infiltration events for a 62 day period is investigated. One-dimensional (1D) numerical analysis is also undertaken to analyze the flow, extending the seepage theory for unsaturated soils. Results highlight the formation of two wetting fronts; namely, wetting front I and wetting front II that are induced by the first and subsequent infiltration events, respectively. There is a stable zone where the water content is approximately constant; it forms between the two fronts. A conceptual model of the suction profile is proposed for interpreting in situ water flow by dividing the unsaturated zone into four distinct zones; namely, active, steady, transition, and capillary fringe zones. This division is helpful for providing a rational explanation of water flow in different zones. Novel contributions from this study include a relationship between the hydraulic properties in the steady zone and the flow velocity, which is determined by an average influx rate. In addition, the rate of groundwater recharge can also be estimated using the average influx rate. Results of the present study are useful to understand and interpret the relationship between water infiltration and suction or water content profile in the unsaturated zone as well as variation of groundwater table level.

scholarly journals Continuous Monitoring of a Soil Aquifer Treatment System’s Physico-Chemical Conditions to Optimize Operational Performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuvia Turkeltaub ◽  
Alex Furman ◽  
Ron Mannheim ◽  
Noam Weisbrod
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Soil Aquifer Treatment ◽  
Gaseous Oxygen ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Chemical Conditions

Abstract. Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is a tertiary process for wastewater treatment where the wastewater infiltrates through a thick vadose zone for purification and storage in the underneath aquifer. SAT infiltration basins are typically flooded intermittently, while maintaining a fixed ratio between the wetting and the drying stages. However, infiltration basins exhibit different physical and chemical properties, limiting the generalization of SAT operation to attain optimal efficiency. Since frequent sampling of the soil pore water to verify the SAT’s biodegradation efficiency can be arduous, continuous monitoring of the SAT vadose zone’s physico-chemical conditions is required. In this study, redox potential (Eh) was continuously monitored, together with other variables such as water content (θ), soil temperature, and gaseous oxygen (O2), at multiple depths of a SAT vadose zone throughout the year and while the system was constrained to different operational modes. Hydrological models were calibrated and validated to water content observations, and they illustrated the seasonal changes in water infiltration. Furthermore, it was shown that under long wetting stages during winter, there was a reduction in the SAT’s drainage capabilities. The Eh observations, under long wetting stages, demonstrated larger variability and very negative values as ambient temperature increased. Assembling the daily Eh observations illustrated that a wetting stage should cease after about 30 hours, once suboxic conditions are established. A drying stage’s optimal duration should be 36 hours, according to the Eh and O2 observations during summer and winter. Ultimately, the study shows that the length of wetting and drying stages should be defined separately, rather than by adhering to the wetting/drying ratio.

scholarly journals Time-Lapse Seismic and Electrical Monitoring of the Vadose Zone during a Controlled Infiltration Experiment at the Ploemeur Hydrological Observatory, France

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1230
Author(s):  
Lara Blazevic ◽  
Ludovic Bodet ◽  
Sylvain Pasquet ◽  
Niklas Linde ◽  
Damien Jougnot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Unsaturated Flow ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Subsurface Water ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Time ◽  
Infiltration Experiment

The vadose zone is the main host of surface and subsurface water exchange and has important implications for ecosystems functioning, climate sciences, geotechnical engineering, and water availability issues. Geophysics provides a means for investigating the subsurface in a non-invasive way and at larger spatial scales than conventional hydrological sensors. Time-lapse hydrogeophysical applications are especially useful for monitoring flow and water content dynamics. Largely dominated by electrical and electromagnetic methods, such applications increasingly rely on seismic methods as a complementary approach to describe the structure and behavior of the vadose zone. To further explore the applicability of active seismics to retrieve quantitative information about dynamic processes in near-surface time-lapse settings, we designed a controlled water infiltration experiment at the Ploemeur Hydrological Observatory (France) during which successive periods of infiltration were followed by surface-based seismic and electrical resistivity acquisitions. Water content was monitored throughout the experiment by means of sensors at different depths to relate the derived seismic and electrical properties to water saturation changes. We observe comparable trends in the electrical and seismic responses during the experiment, highlighting the utility of the seismic method to monitor hydrological processes and unsaturated flow. Moreover, petrophysical relationships seem promising in providing quantitative results.

Data Assimilation with Soil Water Content Sensors and Pedotransfer Functions in Soil Water Flow Modeling

2012 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 829-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Pan ◽  
Yakov Pachepsky ◽  
Diederik Jacques ◽  
Andrey Guber ◽  
Robert L. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Pedotransfer Functions ◽  
Flow Modeling ◽  
Soil Water Flow

Quasi 3D modeling of water flow in vadose zone and groundwater

2012 ◽  
Vol 450-451 ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kuznetsov ◽  
A. Yakirevich ◽  
Y.A. Pachepsky ◽  
S. Sorek ◽  
N. Weisbrod
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
3D Modeling

Effects of textural layering on water regimes in sandy soils in a desert-oasis ecotone, Northwestern China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengpeng Sun ◽  
Wenzhi Zhao ◽  
Hu Liu ◽  
Yongyong Zhang ◽  
Hong Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Northwestern China ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Layered Soils ◽  
Water Regimes ◽  
Desert Oasis

<p>Textural layering of soil plays an important role in distributing and regulating resources for plants in many semiarid and arid landscapes. However, the spatial patterns of textural layering and the potential effects on soil hydrology and water regimes are poorly understood, especially in arid sandy soil environments like the desert-oasis ecotones in northwestern China. This work aims to determine the distribution of textural layered soils, analyze the effects of different soil-textural configurations on water regimes, and evaluate which factors affect soil water infiltration and retention characteristics in such a desert-oasis ecotone. We measured soil water content and mineral composition in 87 soil profiles distributed along 3 transects in the study area. Constant-head infiltration experiments were conducted at 9 of the soil profiles with different texture configurations. The results showed that textural layered soils were patchily but extensively distributed throughout the study area (with a combined surface area percentage of about 84%). Soil water content in the profiles ranged from 0.002 to 0.27 g/cm<sup>3</sup> during the investigation period, and significantly and positively correlated with the thickness of a medium-textured (silt or silt loam) layer (<em>P</em> < 0.001). The occurrence of a medium-textured layer increased field capacity (FC) and wilting point (WP), and decreased available water-holding capacity in soil profiles. Burial depth of the medium-textured layer had no clear effects on water retention properties, but the layer thickness tended to. In textural layered soils, smaller water infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration, and shallower depths of wetting fronts were detected, compared with homogeneous sand profiles. The thickness and burial depth of medium-textured layers had obvious effects on infiltration, but the magnitude of the effects depended on soil texture configuration. The revealed patterns of soil textural layering and the potential effects on water regimes may provide new insight into the sustainable management of rainfed vegetation in the desert-oasis ecotones of arid northwestern China and other regions with similar environments around the world.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document