scholarly journals Impacts of rainfall features and antecedent soil moisture on occurrence of preferential flow: A study at hillslopes using high-frequency monitoring

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenyang Peng ◽  
Hongchang Hu ◽  
Fuqiang Tian ◽  
Qiang Tie ◽  
Sihan Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Rainfall Amount ◽  
Average Intensity ◽  
Wetting Front ◽  
Antecedent Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Surface Cover ◽  
Frequency Monitoring

Abstract. In order to evaluate influences of rainfall features and antecedent soil moisture on occurrence of preferential flow, observation was conducted at 12 sites within a 7-km2 catchment, by applying the high-frequency monitoring approach. Totally 65 rainfall events were selected to compare among sites, and preferential flow was inferred when (i) responses of soil moisture did not follow a linear sequence with depth, or (ii) penetration velocity of wetting front in at least one horizon exceeded the threshold, which was set to be 5–10 times of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil matrix at different depths. Results showed that frequency of preferential flow was 40.7 % in average, but varied from 17.9 % to 74.3 % among the sites. Correlations between the frequency and rainfall features, i.e. rainfall amount, duration, maximum and average intensity, were well fitted by logarithmic curves. Rainfall amount, which was most prominently correlated with frequency (R2 = 0.93), was regarded as the dominant driving factor of preferential flow, while average intensity was in second (R2 = 0.90). Antecedent soil moisture was also significantly correlated with the frequency. However, this should largely be attributed to the differences of soil moisture among sites, since varying range of soil moisture at a specific site was not wide enough to influence the frequency significantly. Further examination suggested that topography and surface cover (dead leaves and humus) were the controlling factors of both infiltration amount and occurrence of preferential flow, as water was more readily to infiltrate into soils and preferential flow was more readily to occur when slope gradient was small and surface cover was thick, while soil moisture was more likely to be a consequence of water storage capacity, rather than an inducer of preferential flow. This knowledge could be helpful in understanding the partitioning of surface runoff and infiltration, as well as runoff processes in catchments with complex topography and underlying conditions.

High-frequency monitoring of the occurrence of preferential flow on hillslopes and its relationship with rainfall features, soil moisture and landscape

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
pp. 1385-1396
Author(s):  
Hongchang Hu ◽  
Jie Wen ◽  
Zhenyang Peng ◽  
Fuqiang Tian ◽  
Qiang Tie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Frequency Monitoring

scholarly journals Effects of preferential flow on snowmelt partitioning and groundwater recharge in frozen soils

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 5017-5031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron A. Mohammed ◽  
Igor Pavlovskii ◽  
Edwin E. Cey ◽  
Masaki Hayashi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Frozen Soil ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Frozen Ground ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Frozen Soils ◽  
Flow Through

Abstract. Snowmelt is a major source of groundwater recharge in cold regions. Throughout many landscapes snowmelt occurs when the ground is still frozen; thus frozen soil processes play an important role in snowmelt routing, and, by extension, the timing and magnitude of recharge. This study investigated the vadose zone dynamics governing snowmelt infiltration and groundwater recharge at three grassland sites in the Canadian Prairies over the winter and spring of 2017. The region is characterized by numerous topographic depressions where the ponding of snowmelt runoff results in focused infiltration and recharge. Water balance estimates showed infiltration was the dominant sink (35 %–85 %) of snowmelt under uplands (i.e. areas outside of depressions), even when the ground was frozen, with soil moisture responses indicating flow through the frozen layer. The refreezing of infiltrated meltwater during winter melt events enhanced runoff generation in subsequent melt events. At one site, time lags of up to 3 d between snow cover depletion on uplands and ponding in depressions demonstrated the role of a shallow subsurface transmission pathway or interflow through frozen soil in routing snowmelt from uplands to depressions. At all sites, depression-focused infiltration and recharge began before complete ground thaw and a significant portion (45 %–100 %) occurred while the ground was partially frozen. Relatively rapid infiltration rates and non-sequential soil moisture and groundwater responses, observed prior to ground thaw, indicated preferential flow through frozen soils. The preferential flow dynamics are attributed to macropore networks within the grassland soils, which allow infiltrated meltwater to bypass portions of the frozen soil matrix and facilitate both the lateral transport of meltwater between topographic positions and groundwater recharge through frozen ground. Both of these flow paths may facilitate preferential mass transport to groundwater.

scholarly journals High-frequency monitoring reveals nutrient sources and transport processes in an agriculture-dominated lowland water system

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1851-1868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bas van der Grift ◽  
Hans Peter Broers ◽  
Wilbert Berendrecht ◽  
Joachim Rozemeijer ◽  
Leonard Osté ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Nutrient Sources ◽  
Pumping Station ◽  
Frequency Monitoring

Abstract. Many agriculture-dominated lowland water systems worldwide suffer from eutrophication caused by high nutrient loads. Insight in the hydrochemical functioning of embanked polder catchments is highly relevant for improving the water quality in such areas or for reducing export loads to downstream water bodies. This paper introduces new insights in nutrient sources and transport processes in a polder in the Netherlands situated below sea level using high-frequency monitoring technology at the outlet, where the water is pumped into a higher situated lake, combined with a low-frequency water quality monitoring programme at six locations within the drainage area. Seasonal trends and short-scale temporal dynamics in concentrations indicated that the NO3 concentration at the pumping station originated from N loss from agricultural lands. The NO3 loads appear as losses via tube drains after intensive rainfall events during the winter months due to preferential flow through the cracked clay soil. Transfer function-noise modelling of hourly NO3 concentrations reveals that a large part of the dynamics in NO3 concentrations during the winter months can be related to rainfall. The total phosphorus (TP) concentration and turbidity almost doubled during operation of the pumping station, which points to resuspension of particulate P from channel bed sediments induced by changes in water flow due to pumping. Rainfall events that caused peaks in NO3 concentrations did not results in TP concentration peaks. The rainfall induced and NO3 enriched quick interflow, may also be enriched in TP but retention of TP due to sedimentation of particulate P then results in the absence of rainfall induced TP concentration peaks. Increased TP concentrations associated with run-off events is only observed during a rainfall event at the end of a freeze–thaw cycle. All these observations suggest that the P retention potential of polder water systems is primarily due to the artificial pumping regime that buffers high flows. As the TP concentration is affected by operation of the pumping station, timing of sampling relative to the operating hours of the pumping station should be accounted for when calculating P export loads, determining trends in water quality, or when judging water quality status of polder water systems.

Effect of antecedent soil moisture on preferential flow in a texture-contrast soil

2011 ◽  
Vol 398 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus A. Hardie ◽  
William E. Cotching ◽  
Richard B. Doyle ◽  
Greg Holz ◽  
Shaun Lisson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Antecedent Soil Moisture ◽  
Texture Contrast

Mechanisms of soil matrix water replenishment in a sub-arctic till soil based on an isotope tracer experiment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Muhic ◽  
Pertti Ala-Aho ◽  
Matthias Sprenger ◽  
Hannu Marttila ◽  
Björn Klöve
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Average Intensity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Water Mixing ◽  
Geophysical Surveys ◽  
Arctic Conditions

<p>Due to changes in the snowmelt timing and the potential shift towards less snowfall and more rainfall, infiltration patterns into the soil will increasingly be altered in a warming climate. Mixing and transport processes of water in the unsaturated topsoil layer regulate the subsurface transport and retention of solutes and contaminants, as well as the distribution of plant available water. Recent advances in soil isotope ecohydrology indicate that in some ecosystems, water in macropores largely bypasses soil matrix and rapidly percolates into the groundwater. Here we combine tracer experiments and geophysical surveys to explore soil water mixing in non-stratified till soil in the Pallas catchment located in sub-arctic conditions in Finnish Lapland. A 5x20 m plot at the Kenttärova hilltop was sprinkled with deuterated water (d<sup>2</sup>H 88‰) for two days (totally 200 mm at average intensity of 6.7 mm/h), until surface water ponding was observed on substantial share of the plot. Soil moisture dynamic were monitored by a network of soil moisture sensors and manual soil probe measurements. Soil water was sampled hourly with suction cup lysimeters at three (5 cm, 30 cm, 60 cm) depths and pan lysimeter at 35 cm depth in two soil profiles on the irrigation plot. Groundwater was sampled hourly, while xylem samples from spruce and birch trees in the plot were collected on each day of the experiment and on a weekly basis during the following month. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey and soil coring with window sampler down to 1 m depth were completed four times over the course of the experiment, and additional set of soil cores were taken two weeks after the experiment to inspect how natural precipitation events have infiltrated into the deuterium enriched zone. We investigate the mechanisms of soil matrix water replenishment by answering the following questions: i) Can all soil matrix water be displaced during high volume events and when does newly introduced soil matrix water become available to the plants?; ii) What is the extent of soil water mixing at different depths?; and iii) What is the effect of increased moisture content and groundwater table rise on soil water mixing? Due to paucity of field data sets and inability of most hydrological models to accurately simulate soil freezing and thawing effects, ecohydrologic partitioning has been barely studied in Northern regions with seasonal snow cover. We present a novel field data set that focuses on soil matrix water replenishment in glaciated till soil at sub-arctic conditions. Results support our understanding of ecohydrological processes in northern environments where hydrological cycle is dominated by intense infiltration events as it occurs during snowmelt.</p>

scholarly journals Effects of preferential flow on snowmelt partitioning and groundwater recharge in frozen soils

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron A. Mohammed ◽  
Igor Pavlovskii ◽  
Edwin E. Cey ◽  
Masaki Hayashi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Frozen Soil ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Frozen Ground ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Frozen Soils ◽  
Flow Through

Abstract. Snowmelt is a major source of groundwater recharge in cold regions. Throughout many landscapes snowmelt occurs when ground is still frozen, thus frozen soil processes play an important role in snowmelt routing, and, by extension, on the timing and magnitude of recharge. This study investigated the vadose zone dynamics governing snowmelt infiltration and groundwater recharge at three grassland sites in the Canadian Prairies over the winter and spring of 2017. The region is characterised by numerous topographic depressions where ponding of snowmelt runoff results in focused infiltration and recharge. Water balance estimates showed infiltration was the dominant sink (35–85 %) of snowmelt under uplands (i.e. areas outside depressions), even when ground was frozen, with soil moisture responses indicating flow through the frozen layer. Refreezing of infiltrated meltwater during winter melt events enhanced runoff generation in subsequent melt events. At one site, time lags of up to 3 days between snowcover depletion on uplands and ponding in depressions demonstrated the role of shallow subsurface flow through frozen soil in routing snowmelt to depressions. At all sites, depression-focused infiltration and recharge began before ground thaw and a significant portion (45–100 %) occurred while the ground was partially frozen. Relatively rapid infiltration rates and non-sequential soil moisture and groundwater responses, observed prior to ground thaw, indicated preferential flow through frozen soils. The preferential flow dynamics are attributed to macropore networks within the grassland soils, which allow infiltrated meltwater to bypass portions of the frozen soil matrix and facilitate both lateral transport of meltwater between topographic positions and groundwater recharge through frozen ground. Both of these flowpaths may facilitate preferential mass transport to groundwater.

scholarly journals Linking soil moisture balance and source-responsive models to estimate diffuse and preferential components of groundwater recharge

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 8455-8492
Author(s):  
M. O. Cuthbert ◽  
R. Mackay ◽  
J. R. Nimmo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Shallow Water Table ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Moisture Balance ◽  
Soil Moisture Balance

Abstract. Results are presented of a detailed study into the vadose zone and shallow water table hydrodynamics of a field site in Shropshire, UK. A conceptual model is developed and tested using a range of numerical models, including a modified soil moisture balance model (SMBM) for estimating groundwater recharge in the presence of both diffuse and preferential flow components. Tensiometry reveals that the loamy sand topsoil wets up via macropore flow and subsequent redistribution of moisture into the soil matrix. Recharge does not occur until near-positive pressures are achieved at the top of the sandy glaciofluvial outwash material that underlies the topsoil, about 1 m above the water table. Once this occurs, very rapid water table rises follow. This threshold behaviour is attributed to the vertical discontinuity in the macropore system due to seasonal ploughing of the topsoil, and a lower permeability plough/iron pan restricting matrix flow between the topsoil and the lower outwash deposits. Although the wetting process in the topsoil is complex, a SMBM is shown to be effective in predicting the initiation of preferential flow from the base of the topsoil into the lower outwash horizon. The rapidity of the response at the water table and a water table rise during the summer period while flow gradients in the unsaturated profile were upward suggest that preferential flow is also occurring within the outwash deposits below the topsoil. A variation of the source-responsive model proposed by Nimmo (2010) is shown to reproduce the observed water table dynamics well in the lower outwash horizon when linked to a SMBM that quantifies the potential recharge from the topsoil. The results reveal new insights into preferential flow processes in cultivated soils and provide a useful and practical approach to accounting for preferential flow in studies of groundwater recharge estimation.

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