Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references). Also available on the Internet.

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Experimental studies on infiltration/soil-water movement processes are vital to better understanding movement of soil-water in the vadose zone. The objective of this experimental research was to investigate infiltration/soil-water movement processes utilizing laboratory experiments and computer modeling. Small scale laboratory soil box infiltration experiments were conducted and utilized for the improved parameterization of the Green-Ampt (GA) saturated moisture content parameter to produce an effective moisture content parameter (Be) for utilization in a modified GA model. By incorporating ⊖e values into GA modeling, modeling results showed greatly improved wetting front prediction across different soil conditions. A new soil packing method was proposed for replicating complex microtopographical surfaces with uniform bulk densities in laboratory soil box experiments which proved efficient and effective at accomplishing both objectives. A rainfall simulator and an instantaneous-profile laser scanner were used to simulate rainfall and quantify surface microtopography for experiments. The results clearly show the effect of microtopography on infiltration and soil-water movement characteristics. This offers valuable insight into infiltration/soil-water movement processes as affected by different soil and surface microtopographic conditions. / National Science Foundation (Grant No. EAR-0907588)

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 60-61. / by Gregory Paul Matthews. / M.S.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 150-155. / by Paul Christopher Damian Milly. / M.S.

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Variabilities of hydraulic and solute transport properties of soil are examined at three scales: pore-scale, sample volume-scale, and field-scale. Undisturbed soil cores were taken at 19 subsites spaced logarithmically along a 150 m line transect in a Groseclose mapping unit near Blacksburg; Virginia. Three core sizes were taken at each subsite at the soil surface and 0.5 m depth. 'Small' cores were-40x54 mm; 'medium' cores were 60X100 mm; and 'large' cores were 100x150 mm. Macropore effects on solute transport were evaluated using monocontinuum and bicontinuum models. Bicontinuum-predicted solute breakthrough curves (BTC) closely agreed with observed BTC data with mean errors of reduced concentrations </- 0.05 for 97% of the samples, Monocontinuum predicted BTC's had comparable fits with 80% of the samples having mean errors </- 0.07. The simpler monocontinuum model was chosen for estimating dispersion coefficients for all samples on the basis that seven percent error in concentration is acceptable for the purpose of making field predictions in light of high spatial variability. Sample volume did not significantly affect the low variation (coefficients of variation, (CV) of 7-20%) soil properties bulk density or moisture retention characteristics in Ap or Bt horizons. Large cores are recommended for assessing high variation (CV of 60-280%) fluid transport parameters, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), pore water velocity and dispersion coefficients (D) since they yielded less variance than the smaller cores. Ranges of about 25 m were determined for log-transformed Ks and D from semivariograms. Monte Carlo simulations were used to predict field-average BTC's. / Master of Science

Land application of domestic and industrial wastewaters provides an effective means of recycling water and its components into the ecosystem. Successful treatment by soil requires that wastewater is applied in quantities that both maintain infiltrative capacity of the soil and do not exceed the capacity of the soil-plant system to assimilate biological and chemical contaminants. Application of N-rich wastewaters requires that consideration be given to both the ability of the soil to transmit the hydraulic load and remove sufficient N to maintain groundwater quality standards. A textile wastewater containing high concentrations of organic N was spray-irrigated to tall fescue (Festuca arunindinacea) to determine optimum N application levels. Nitrogen balances were determined at each N level and and the potential for predicting the leaching component of the excess N applied was investigated. Historically on-site wastewater disposal systems (OSWDS) for treating septic tank effluent (STE) have been designed on a hydraulic loading basis with N pollution potential essentially ignored. Many soils have been deemed unsuitable for application of STE because of textural, water table, or landscape restrictions. The relations between soil properties, hydraulic performance of OSWDS, and N distribution around OSWDS are evaluated. Wastewater from a nylon processing plant was applied to 'Ky 31' tall fescue at total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) levels of approximately 250, 430, and 1900 kg ha⁻¹ during 1982 and 1983. Fescue yield and N removal was comparable to agricultural yields at similar N application levels. Nitrogen balances indicate that plant uptake efficiency decreased with increasing organic N levels above the 250 kg ha⁻¹ level and that maximum uptake occurred at the 450 kg ha⁻¹ level. Most of the N not recovered in plant tissue mineralized rapidly to the nitrate NO₃⁻ form and leaching was noted during the winter and spring. This data is evaluated with quasi-transient analytical solution of the convection-dispersion equation. The movement of the solute center of mass is predicted on the basis of assumptions of piston flow as well as alternative assumptions of mixing via plate layer theory. Prediction of the location of the center of solute mass (α) provides a moving lagrangian coordinate solution around which dispersion of solute is calculated. The assumptions made about the sequence of evaporation and infiltration events significantly influence the prediction of α and hence the agreement between predicted and measured solute distribution. Both approaches give results which are within experimental error and provide a rational basis for predicting leaching losses and carry-over NO₃⁻ available to future crops. Prototype OSWDS with low pressure distribution installed in three clayey limestone-derived soils were dosed with STE at flux densities ranging from 0.4 to 3.6 cm d⁻¹ on a trench bottom area basis. Ponding was noted in OSWDS at all sites dosed at the 3.6 cm d⁻¹ flux due to both underlying hydraulic restrictions and resultant anaerobic conditions. It is concluded that clayey B horizons low in swelling clays but moderately well structured can be dosed at flux densities up to 2 cm d⁻¹ if low pressure distribution of STE is used. Nitrification was found to be quite limited in soils where effluent was ponded above a restrictive layer but occurred readily within 30 cm below trenches which were freely drained or had matric potentials of at least 40 cm of water. Ratios of NO₃⁻ to Cl⁻ indicate that only limited denitrification can be expected and that substantial NO₃⁻ does leach from below OSWDS in the direction of water flow. / Ph. D.

A permeabilidade ao ar (Ka) pode ser utilizada para avaliar alterações que ocorrem na estrutura do solo em virtude de diferentes sistemas de manejo. Este estudo testou a hipótese de que o menor revolvimento do solo sob sistema plantio direto resulta na formação de poros contínuos e melhor condição de aeração no solo. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar, por meio da Ka, porosidade de aeração (a) e índices de continuidade de poros (K1 e N), a aeração em um Latossolo Vermelho submetido ao preparo do solo convencional (PC) e plantio direto (PD). Amostras de solo indeformadas foram coletadas em cada sistema nas profundidades de 0-0,10 e 0,10-0,20 m em área experimental do Instituto Agronômico do Paraná IAPAR, no município de Ponta Grossa, Paraná. A Ka foi medida pelo método da carga decrescente em seis potenciais mátricos, -2, -6, -10, -30, -70 e -100 kPa. A macroporosidade e a Ka foi maior no PC nas duas camadas avaliadas. A continuidade de poros avaliada pela razão entre Ka e a (K1) foi similar entre os sistemas na camada superficial e foi maior para o PC em subsuperfície. O índice de continuidade N, referente ao coeficiente angular da relação log-log entre Ka e a foi diferente quando determinado para cada amostra individualmente (n=6) e quando obtido com todas as observações (n=120). Os dois métodos revelaram poros mais contínuos no PC em superfície. Na camada de 0,10-0,20 m o primeiro (n=6) não indicou diferença de continuidade de poros entre os sistemas, enquanto o segundo (n=120) resultou em uma maior continuidade de poros nesta profundidade no PD. / Air permeability (Ka) can be used for assessing soil structure changes due tillage systems. This study tested the hypothesis that the less soil disturbance under no-tillage result in continuous pores and better soil aeration conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate a Rhodic Hapludox aeration dynamics, by measuring Ka, air-filled porosity (ea) and pore continuity indices (K1 and N), under conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Undisturbed soil cores were collected in each systems at depths of 0-0,10 and 0,10-0,20 m in Parana Agronomic Institute research farm - IAPAR, in Ponta Grossa, Paraná. Ka was determined using falling pressure method in six soil water potentials, -2, -6, -10, -30, -70 e -100 kPa. The soil macroporosity and Ka was higher in CT in both depths. The pore continuity assessment by ratio between Ka and ea (K1) was similar between the systems in the top layer and was higher at CT at depth of 0,10-0,20 m. The continuity index N, relative to the slope from the log-log relationship between Ka and ea was different when calculated for each core individually (n=6) or obtained including all data for each tillage (n=120). The two methods revealed a more continuous pores in CT in the top layer. At depth of 0,10-0,20 m the first (n=6) did not indicate pore continuity difference between the systems, while the second resulted in better pore continuity in NT at this depth.

A permeabilidade ao ar (Ka) pode ser utilizada para avaliar alterações que ocorrem na estrutura do solo em virtude de diferentes sistemas de manejo. Este estudo testou a hipótese de que o menor revolvimento do solo sob sistema plantio direto resulta na formação de poros contínuos e melhor condição de aeração no solo. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar, por meio da Ka, porosidade de aeração (a) e índices de continuidade de poros (K1 e N), a aeração em um Latossolo Vermelho submetido ao preparo do solo convencional (PC) e plantio direto (PD). Amostras de solo indeformadas foram coletadas em cada sistema nas profundidades de 0-0,10 e 0,10-0,20 m em área experimental do Instituto Agronômico do Paraná IAPAR, no município de Ponta Grossa, Paraná. A Ka foi medida pelo método da carga decrescente em seis potenciais mátricos, -2, -6, -10, -30, -70 e -100 kPa. A macroporosidade e a Ka foi maior no PC nas duas camadas avaliadas. A continuidade de poros avaliada pela razão entre Ka e a (K1) foi similar entre os sistemas na camada superficial e foi maior para o PC em subsuperfície. O índice de continuidade N, referente ao coeficiente angular da relação log-log entre Ka e a foi diferente quando determinado para cada amostra individualmente (n=6) e quando obtido com todas as observações (n=120). Os dois métodos revelaram poros mais contínuos no PC em superfície. Na camada de 0,10-0,20 m o primeiro (n=6) não indicou diferença de continuidade de poros entre os sistemas, enquanto o segundo (n=120) resultou em uma maior continuidade de poros nesta profundidade no PD. / Air permeability (Ka) can be used for assessing soil structure changes due tillage systems. This study tested the hypothesis that the less soil disturbance under no-tillage result in continuous pores and better soil aeration conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate a Rhodic Hapludox aeration dynamics, by measuring Ka, air-filled porosity (ea) and pore continuity indices (K1 and N), under conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Undisturbed soil cores were collected in each systems at depths of 0-0,10 and 0,10-0,20 m in Parana Agronomic Institute research farm - IAPAR, in Ponta Grossa, Paraná. Ka was determined using falling pressure method in six soil water potentials, -2, -6, -10, -30, -70 e -100 kPa. The soil macroporosity and Ka was higher in CT in both depths. The pore continuity assessment by ratio between Ka and ea (K1) was similar between the systems in the top layer and was higher at CT at depth of 0,10-0,20 m. The continuity index N, relative to the slope from the log-log relationship between Ka and ea was different when calculated for each core individually (n=6) or obtained including all data for each tillage (n=120). The two methods revealed a more continuous pores in CT in the top layer. At depth of 0,10-0,20 m the first (n=6) did not indicate pore continuity difference between the systems, while the second resulted in better pore continuity in NT at this depth.