The distributions of calcite rich horizons within dryland soils are commonly used as paleoclimate proxies. Comprehensive conceptual and mathematical models of calcite accumulation in soils are required to accurately interpret and calibrate these proxies. A conceptual model for calcite accumulation is already well established: As water percolates through a soil, it dissolves minerals, such as calcite, transporting the soluble minerals downward. As soil water is removed by evaporation and transpiration, the water solution becomes supersaturated resulting in precipitation of calcite at depth. The impacts of dynamic plant growth and microbial respiration have not yet been simulated in numerical models for calcite accumulation but are likely important because of their influence on variables governing calcite solubility. The soil hydraulic modeling software, HYDRUS-1D, simulates water and solute transfer through a soil column, accounting for variations in all previously studied variables (temperature, water content, soil pCO₂) while additionally simulating vegetation-soil interactions. Five separate sensitivity studies were conducted to determine the importance for calcite accumulation of 1) soil texture, 2) plant growth, 3) plant phenology, 4) atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, and 5) the proximal variables that control calcite dissolution and precipitation: soil CO₂, soil water content, and soil temperature. In each modeling simulation, calcite was leached from the top several cm and redistributed deeper in the soil after 20 years. Soils with courser texture yield deeper (+20cm), more diffuse calcite horizons, as did simulations with bare soil compared to vegetated soil. The phenology of plant communities (late spring versus late summer growth) resulted in soil calcite accumulation at temperatures differing by at least 10°C. Changes in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations do not affect the soil calcite distribution. Variations in concentration of soil CO₂, rather than soil water content, have the greatest direct effect on calcite solubility. The most significant time periods of annual accumulation also corresponded with positive water fluxes resulting from high matric potential at the surface. Transpiration and evaporation moisture sinks caused solution to travel upward from higher to lower soil CO₂ concentrations, causing CO₂ de-gassing and calcite accumulation. This pathway describes a new qualitative mechanism for soil calcite formation and should be included in the conceptual model. / text

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) are a commonly used means of wastewater treatment in the Dickinson Bayou watershed which is located between Houston and Galveston. The Dickinson Bayou is classified as "impaired" by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality due to high levels of bacteria, specifically E. coli. Failing OWTSs within the bayou's watershed are possible sources for the impairment of the bayou. Conventional OWTSs, comprised of a septic tank and a soil absorption field, rely heavily on soil treatment of effluent. The type of soils is a significant factor in treatment capabilities. In the Dickinson Bayou watershed, soils are primarily composed of clays, which are known to be problematic for conventional systems as they restrict water flow and create perched water tables. These perched water tables may contribute to surface runoff during rainfall events. The HYDRUS modeling software for water and solute flow through variably saturated media was used to simulate OWTSs in the Dickinson Bayou watershed. HYDRUS was used to simulate conventional septic systems with soil absorption fields, aerobic treatment units (ATUs) with spray dispersal systems, and mound systems. Results found that the simulated conventional systems fail due to high water tables and clay soils. However, system failure in the watershed remains uncertain due to lack of field data for validation. The alternative systems mitigate these issues, but ATUs can lead to higher contamination levels without proper maintenance. Therefore, mound systems are the suggested alternative for OWTSs in the watershed.

Submitted by Romulus Lima (romulus.lima@ufpe.br) on 2015-03-04T19:05:49Z No. of bitstreams: 2 DISSERTAÇÃO Arthur Paiva Coutinho.pdf: 3881282 bytes, checksum: 04e154f5454d7bc2dd0c520af924246e (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T19:05:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 DISSERTAÇÃO Arthur Paiva Coutinho.pdf: 3881282 bytes, checksum: 04e154f5454d7bc2dd0c520af924246e (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08 / FACEPE / Em áreas urbanas, a crescente ocupação e impermeabilização dos lotes aliada à falta de planejamento ambiental, tem resultado no aumento considerável de áreas impermeáveis como, por exemplo: telhados, ruas, estacionamentos e outros, os quais alteram significativamente as características qualitativas e quantitativas do ciclo hidrológico. A consequência deste fato é a ocorrência indesejada de problemas de desconforto urbano como as enchentes, o aumento da temperatura, o efeito estufa, e a degradação das águas pluviais, dentre outros. No caso de Pernambuco, o problema já existe nas áreas urbanas da Região Metropolitana do Recife que por serem muito planas e com baixa declividade apresentam muitos problemas de alagamentos principalmente nos meses de maio, junho e julho. Sistemas de infiltração como pavimentos permeáveis, apresentam-se como alternativas que permitem uma redução do pico e dos volumes dos hidrogramas de escoamento superficial gerados, permitindo também uma redução da carga poluente, além de favorecer a recarga quantitativa dos lençóis freáticos por infiltração. O objetivo geral deste trabalho é o estudo do uso da técnica pavimento permeável no amortecimento de alagamentos por ocasião das chuvas torrenciais na cidade do Recife. O pavimento foi dimensionado para um tempo de retorno de 2 anos e foi executado no estacionamento do Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências da UFPE resultando em uma seção de 64 cm de espessura. O trabalho consta de um monitoramento durante duas quadras chuvosas nos anos de 2010 e 2011 de varáveis com precipitação pluviométrica, níveis d’água diários e automáticos da camada de reservatório do pavimento além do monitoramento diário do potencial matricial da água no solo permitindo avaliar a dinâmica de redistribuição da água infiltrada. O solo do material de revestimento e do subleito foram caracterizados utilizando a metodologia Beerkan. Além disso, foram realizadas simulações numéricas do escoamento e da dinâmica da água no solo (subleito) do pavimento utilizando o Hydrus 1- D, analisando cenários de escoamento, considerando chuvas de projeto baseadas na Metodologia do Bureau Reclamation, chuvas com intensidade constante para vários tempos de retorno. Como dados de entrada foram utilizados as características do solo suporte do experimento como granulometria e parâmetros da curva de retenção de água no solo, além dos potenciais medidos diariamente. Como resultados observou-se que a camada do revestimento apresentou características de infiltração maiores que a camada do subleito, alguns eventos apresentaram extravasamento mostrando que a metodologia de dimensionamento adotada tinha subdimensionado o sistema, os níveis d’água na camada do reservatório apresentaram elevada sensibilidade aos eventos de precipitação. Além disso, o pavimento mostrou capacidade para drenar, em menos de 24 horas, o seu volume mostrando-se preparado para receber o aporte de água decorrentes de outros eventos.

A major design issue in the implementation of a Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) system for extensively crops such as alfalfa (i.e. crops that cover the entire surface as opposed to row crops), is the determination of the appropriate depth of placement of the drip line tubing. It is important to allow necessary farming operations with heavy equipment at harvesting times while still providing adequate water to meet the crop water requirements. It is also a need to ensure appropriate spacing between the dripline laterals to assure reasonable lateral irrigation uniformity for plant germination. In this study, the program HYDRUS-2D was used to determine the wetting pattern above and laterally from a subsurface drip emitter of an SDI system, for three soils typically found in Southern California and Arizona, a Sandy Clay Loam (SCL), a Clay Loam (CL) and a Loam (L). The design and management conditions from an experimental alfalfa field with an SDI system located at Holtville CA were used and analyzed. The first irrigation design was with a drip line depth of placement of 30 cm and the second design with an installation depth of 50 cm. The two different irrigation management schemes utilized by the farmers and producers in that area were: one with a running time of six hours and a frequency of every three days and the second one with an irrigation running time of twenty-four hours with a frequency of seven days or irrigation every week. After having carried out the analysis and studies of the irrigation designs and management schemes mentioned above, a new model with its corresponding management was proposed to meet the alfalfa water requirements under that particular field and weather conditions while we ensure a sufficiently dry soil surface at harvesting time for each soil case. This irrigation management includes twelve hours or irrigation every three days, for each of the three soils analyzed. It was found that the vertical rise of water above the emitters on the day of the cut, for our recommended SDI management was 26 cm, 29 cm, and 27 cm, with a moisture content at the soil surface of 14.9%, 24%, and 13% for the SCL, CL, and L soils respectively. Then, through the utilization of classical soil mechanics theory, an analysis to calculate the increase in stress on soils at any depth due to a load on the surface from a conventional tractor used during harvest operations was made for the proposed SDI system. The results from the increase in stress were then used together with soil strength properties such as shear strength as a function of soil moisture content to determine the minimum allowable depth of placement of the drip line tubing to ensure that soil failure does not occur. The load increase from a 3,300-kg four-wheel tractor was found to be 0.59 kg/cm2 under a rear tire at 10 cm below the surface and 0.07 kg/cm2 at 70 cm below the surface. To ensure that shearing failure does not occur, a stress analysis using Mohr’s circle indicated that the soil moisture content at 10 cm below the surface should be no greater than 26.8%, 32.7%, and 27% in the SCL, CL, and L soils respectively. The mimimum moisture content of 26.8% occur at 10 cm above the drip line for a SCL soil, which means that the minimum depth placement to avoid failure would be 40 cm below the surface. A similar analysis for the CL and L yielded minimum installation depths of 35 cm and 40 cm respectively. This type of analysis is useful in determining the depth of placement of SDI drip line tubing to ensure adequate trafficability of soil irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation systems. An additional outcome of the modeling study was the determination of the lateral extent of the wetted zone which can be used to determine the appropriate lateral spacing between drip line tubing. Thus, to ensure adequate spatial coverage by a subsurface drip system, the maximum horizontal spacing should be of 80 cm for SCL and L soils and 90 cm in CL soils.

This research investigated the water use of different plant types in urban landscapes, nitrogen (N) and water transport in turf, and potential N leaching from urban landscapes to ground water. In the first study, three landscape treatments integrating different types of plants—woody, herbaceous perennial, turf—and putative water use classifications—Mesic, Mixed, Xeric—were grown in large drainage lysimeters. Each landscape plot was divided into woody, turf, and herbaceous perennial plant hydrozones and irrigated for optimum water status over two years, with water use measured using a water balance approach. For woody plants and herbaceous perennials, canopy cover, rather than plant type or water use classification, was the key determinant of water use relative to reference evapotranspiration (ETo) under well-watered conditions. For turf, monthly evapotranspiration (ETa) followed a trend linearly related to ETo. In the second study, water transport parameters were calibrated using an inverse simulation with Kentucky bluegrass (KBG). Subsequently, those parameters were applied to simulate water use by tall fescue (TF) and buffalograss (BG) turfgrasses using numerical modeling (Hydrus-1D). By using the calibrated soil hydraulic parameters obtained from the water transport simulation, N transport and transformation was modeled with Hydrus- 1D under different irrigation rates and different fertilization rates. Different soil texture scenarios were also simulated to demonstrate the influence of soil texture on N leaching. In the third study, the simulated N-leaching from different soil textures was integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach to estimate NO3-N leaching mass from urban turf areas. Nitrate-N leaching risks to ground water under overirrigation and overfertilization scenarios and efficient irrigation and fertilization scenarios were estimated. The results showed improvement of turf irrigation and fertilization management may decrease N-leaching significantly and greatly decrease the risk of ground water being contaminated by NO3-N leaching in the Salt Lake Valley.

Water is undeniably among the most important natural resources and the most critical in semi-arid regions like the Intermountain West of the United States. Such regions are characterized by low precipitation, the majority of which is transferred to the atmosphere from the soil and vegetation as evapotranspiration (ET). Quantification of ET is thus crucial for understanding the balance of water within the region, which is important for efficiently planning the available water resources. This study was motivated towards advancing the estimation of actual ET (ETA) in mountain ecosystems, where the variation in different types of vegetation and non-uniformity of soil including considerable stone content creates challenges for estimating water use as ET. With the aim of addressing the effect of stone content in controlling soil moisture and ET, this study examined the influence of stone content on bulk soil hydraulic properties. An averaging model referred to as a binary mixing model was used to describe the way in which water is held and released in stony soil. This approach was based on the individual hydraulic behavior of the background soil and of the stones within the soil. The effect of soil stone content on ETA was evaluated by accounting for the water retention properties of stones in the soil using a numerical simulation model (HYDRUS-1D). The results revealed overestimation of simulated ETA when effects of stone content were not accounted for in comparison to ETA measured by the state-of-the-art “eddy covariance” measurement method for ETA. An even larger-scale model was evaluated, named the Noah-Multiphysics (Noah-MP) land surface model. The land surface model was run using different arrangements of complexity to determine the importance of stone content information on simulation results. The version of the model with information about stone content along with detailed soil properties was able to provide the best Noah-MP prediction of ET. The study suggests that improvement in representation of soil properties including stone content information, can substantially advance the ability of numerical and land surface models to more accurately simulate soil water flow and ETA.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Non-rainfall waters such as fog and dew are considered as important source of water in drylands, and the knowledge of possible sources of its formation is very important to make future predictions. Prior studies have suggested the presence of radiation fog in drylands; however, its formation mechanism still remains unclear. There have been earlier studies on the effects of fog on soil moisture dynamics and groundwater recharge. On the contrary, no research has yet been conducted to understand the contribution of soil moisture and groundwater to fog formation. This study, therefore, for the first time intends to examine such possibility in a fog-dominated dryland ecosystem, the Namib Desert. The study was conducted at three sites representing two different land forms (sand dunes and gravel plains) in the Namib Desert. This thesis is divided into two parts: the first part examines evidences of fog formation through water vapor movement using field observations, and the second part simulates water vapor transport using HYDRUS-1D model. In the first part of the study, soil moisture, soil temperature and air temperature data were analyzed, and the relationships between these variables were taken as one of the key indicators for the linkage between soil water and fog formation. The analysis showed that increase in soil moisture generally corresponds to similar increase in air or soil temperature near the soil surface, which implied that variation in soil moisture might be the result of water vapor movement (evaporated soil moisture or groundwater) from lower depths to the soil surface. In the second part of the study, surface fluxes of water vapor were simulated using the HYDRUS-1D model to explore whether the available surface flux was sufficient to support fog formation. The actual surface flux and cumulative evaporation obtained from the model showed positive surface fluxes of water vapor. Based on the field observations and the HYDRUS-1D model results, it can be concluded that water vapor from soil layers and groundwater is transported through the vadose zone to the surface and this water vapor likely contributes to the formation of non-rainfall waters in fog-dominated drylands, like the Namib Desert.

The consequences of recent flooding and extreme rain events have highlighted the importance of proper urban planning and preventative measures for storm water management. As cities become more urbanized the significance of permeable surfaces such as parks and other urban green spaces increases which infiltrate the water into the ground. Agricultural research has for many years emphasized the effect of compaction on soil parameters and how, not only the crop yield reduces but also how the infiltration decreases. This thesis aims to study how the infiltration rate, bulk density and soil resistance changes with compaction through field experiments where a vehicle is let to roll over an urban green area. The thesis will also simulate rainfall over five theoretical soils that can be found in urban environments exposed to compaction to determine what significance compaction has on surface runoff. The modelling software HYDRUS-1D will be used so simulate rain fall events on the different soils. The rain events simulated will be based on the five hyetographs that best represent Sweden’s rain events, based on historical data. A CDS rain will be simulated as well. They will be simulated for a 2, 10 and 100 year return period. A literature study will also be conducted to determine how relevant freeze-thaw cycles are to the soil parameters. It is since previously known that freeze-thaw cycles can improve aggregate stability, increase soil particle fragmentation which can lead to less soil penetration resistance and even partially return the soil conditions to those prior to compaction, but the process does not extend to layers beyond 40 cm. The field experiment results showed a clear decrease in infiltration rate with increasing number of vehicle passes. There was no clear correlation between bulk density and the number of vehicle passes. This result is attributed to the relatively light weight of the vehicle used as well as the heterogeneity of the soil. The cone penetration measurements showed an increasing resistance with increasing number of vehicle passes for only one of the three measured sites, with the most resistance being measured in a pathway on the green area. The insignificant results of one of the two other sites are attributed to wet weather conditions and unknown underlying material. The HYDRUS 1D simulations showed that a higher sand content mitigates the effects of soil compaction and leads to less runoff. The soil classified as sand (93% sand) had no runoff, the loamy sand (80% sand) had mild runoff. When comparing a sandy loam (60% sand) and a clay soil it is concluded that the sandy loam is more sensitive to soil compaction as more compaction leads to more runoff compared to the non-compacted scenario. The clay soil has little variation between the compaction scenarios but has generally more surface runoff in total. Soil texture therefor affects the surface runoff more than soil compaction. Most amount of runoff was generated by the two hyetographs which had a late peak intensity, most likely due to the soil already being saturated when the peak occurs. The runoff also increases with the return period of the rain event for both the hyetographs and the CDS rain.

Peatlands are a diverse type of wetland ecosystem, characterized by high levels of soil organic matter, that provide a wide array of ecosystem services including water storage and filtration, carbon sequestration, and unique habitats. Draining peatlands degrades their resilience to future disturbances, notably including high intensity, soil-consuming fires. Peat soil fires are unique in that they can smolder vertically through the soil column, with consequences ranging from large carbon emissions to altered hydrology and dramatic shifts in vegetation communities. In this work we had two complementary objectives to understand both the drivers and impacts of smoldering fires at the Great Dismal Swamp (VA and NC, USA). First, we developed and verified a new method to model peat burn depths with readily available water level and peat hydraulic property data. Our findings suggest that drainage weakens both short- and long-term controls on peat burn depths by reducing soil moisture and by decreasing peat water holding capacity. To address the impacts of smoldering fires, we quantified the abundance of the noxious Phragmites australis in a large fire scar and the extent to which altered hydrology influenced its occurrence. We did so by leveraging satellite imagery, random forest models, LiDAR data, and water table observations. Our results suggest that P. australis is aided by a hydrologic regime generated, in part, from the combined effects of drainage and deep smoldering fires. Our conclusions from these two studies contribute to the scientific understanding of smoldering peat fires and can inform management efforts. / Master of Science / Peatlands are a diverse type of wetland ecosystem that have characteristically thick levels of organic-rich soil, known as peat. Peatlands are home to a variety of unique plants and animals, store large amounts of carbon, and provide water storage functions. Peatlands were historically drained to enable development and conversion to other land usages, which had many unintended consequences like increasing their risk to wildfires that consume soil organic matter. An intense peat fire can smolder down through the peat, with impacts ranging from large releases of carbon to changes in water levels and vegetation communities. In this work we had two objectives aimed at understanding the drivers and impacts of smoldering peat fires in the Great Dismal Swamp (GDS) (VA and NC, USA). First, we developed and verified a new method of modeling how deep peat fires burn by using readily available water level and soil property data. Our findings suggest that drainage weakens both the short- and long-term controls on peat fire burn depths by reducing soil moisture and by limiting the ability of peats to hold water. We also studied how water levels in a post-peat consuming fire environment influence the amount of the weedy Phragmites australis. We did so by using satellite imagery, elevation data, and water table observations. Results from this investigation suggest that the combined effects of drainage and deep smoldering fires help to create ideal conditions for P. australis invasion and establishment. Our findings from these two studies add to the scientific understanding of smoldering peat fires and may inform land management decisions.

Les objectifs de la thèse sont de (i) modéliser le transport de l’eau, d’un traceur et des polluants dans les sols contaminés, (ii) étudier l’estimabilité des paramètres et les corrélations entre les paramètres, (iii) optimiser les paramètres. Les différents modèles implantés dans le logiciel HYDRUS qui permettent de rendre compte ou pas de l’écoulement préférentiel et du transport hors équilibre physique et chimique sont choisis. Les études concernant le transport d’eau dans un lysimètre de terrain ont montré que les données quotidiennes de pressions et de teneurs en eau volumique contiennent plus d’information que les données horaires, que les pressions ont plus d’information que les teneurs en eau volumique, et que les corrélations des paramètres ont fait perturber les résultats de l’optimisation. Sur le même lysimètre, l’étude d’estimabilité des paramètres caractéristiques pour le transport du traceur (bromure) a montré que les concentrations dans les solutions de percolation ne sont pas suffisantes pour estimer le paramètre de transfert de l’eau entre les zones mobile et immobile car ce paramètre est fortement corrélé avec le paramètre de transfert de soluté. Pour le transport des hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques (HAP) dans les colonnes de laboratoire sous différentes conditions de saturation en eau, quand le degré de transport hors équilibre chimique des HAP est élevé, les concentrations en HAP dans les solutions de percolation de la colonne non saturée contiennent plus d’information que celles dans la colonne saturée / Preferential flow and nonequilibrium transport are probably the most frustrating in terms of hampering accurate predictions of contaminant transport through the vadose zone. The mathematical description of preferential flow and nonequilibrium transport needs many parameters that are not measurable. Therefore, the inverse method is a promising way to estimate model parameters. The main objectives of this work are to (i) study the water flow using the uniform flow and dual-porosity models, tracer and contaminant transport using the uniform transport model and/or physical and chemical nonequilibrium transport models, (ii) investigate parameter estimability and correlations between different parameters, and (iii) optimize the hydraulic properties and solute transport parameters. The results concerning the water flow in the bare field lysimeter show that daily data contained much more information than hourly data, daily pressure heads contained more information than daily water contents; the correlations between different parameters hamper the optimization results strongly. Basing on the tracer concentrations in the leaching solution of the lysimeter, the first-order rate water transfer coefficient was not estimable since this parameter was highly correlated with the solute transfer coefficient. PAH concentrations in the leaching solution of the contaminated soil column under saturated and nonsaturated flow conditions show that when the degree of chemical nonequilibirum transport is high, the solute leaching of the nonsaturated column contained more information than those of the saturated column. In addition, the fraction of sites with instantaneous sorption and the linear adsorption distribution coefficient always showed a very strong correlation, they were impossible to optimize simultaneously