Articles | Volume 25, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4807-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4807-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Sep 2021
Research article |
| 03 Sep 2021
Spatio-temporal soil moisture retrieval at the catchment scale using a dense network of cosmic-ray neutron sensors
Maik Heistermann
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24–25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
Till Francke
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24–25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
Martin Schrön
Dept. Monitoring and Exploration Technologies, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
Sascha E. Oswald
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24–25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
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Maik Heistermann, Till Francke, Lena Scheiffele, Katya Dimitrova Petrova, Christian Budach, Martin Schrön, Benjamin Trost, Daniel Rasche, Andreas Güntner, Veronika Döpper, Michael Förster, Markus Köhli, Lisa Angermann, Nikolaos Antonoglou, Manuela Zude-Sasse, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-19, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-19, 2023
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
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Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) allows for the non-invasive estimation of root-zone soil water content (SWC). The signal observed by a single CRNS sensor is influenced by the SWC in a radius of around 150 m (the footprint). Here, we have put together a cluster of eight CRNS sensors with overlapping footprints at an agricultural research site in north-east Germany. That way, we hope to represent spatial SWC heterogeneity instead of retrieving just one average SWC estimate from a single sensor.
Maik Heistermann, Heye Bogena, Till Francke, Andreas Güntner, Jannis Jakobi, Daniel Rasche, Martin Schrön, Veronika Döpper, Benjamin Fersch, Jannis Groh, Amol Patil, Thomas Pütz, Marvin Reich, Steffen Zacharias, Carmen Zengerle, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2501–2519, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2501-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2501-2022, 2022
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This paper presents a dense network of cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) to measure spatio-temporal soil moisture patterns during a 2-month campaign in the Wüstebach headwater catchment in Germany. Stationary, mobile, and airborne CRNS technology monitored the root-zone water dynamics as well as spatial heterogeneity in the 0.4 km2 area. The 15 CRNS stations were supported by a hydrogravimeter, biomass sampling, and a wireless soil sensor network to facilitate holistic hydrological analysis.
Lena Katharina Schmidt, Till Francke, Peter Martin Grosse, Christoph Mayer, and Axel Bronstert
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1841–1863, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1841-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1841-2023, 2023
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We present a suitable method to reconstruct sediment export from decadal records of hydroclimatic predictors (discharge, precipitation, temperature) and shorter suspended sediment measurements. This lets us fill the knowledge gap on how sediment export from glacierized high-alpine areas has responded to climate change. We find positive trends in sediment export from the two investigated nested catchments with step-like increases around 1981 which are linked to crucial changes in glacier melt.
Maik Heistermann, Till Francke, Lena Scheiffele, Katya Dimitrova Petrova, Christian Budach, Martin Schrön, Benjamin Trost, Daniel Rasche, Andreas Güntner, Veronika Döpper, Michael Förster, Markus Köhli, Lisa Angermann, Nikolaos Antonoglou, Manuela Zude-Sasse, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-19, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-19, 2023
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) allows for the non-invasive estimation of root-zone soil water content (SWC). The signal observed by a single CRNS sensor is influenced by the SWC in a radius of around 150 m (the footprint). Here, we have put together a cluster of eight CRNS sensors with overlapping footprints at an agricultural research site in north-east Germany. That way, we hope to represent spatial SWC heterogeneity instead of retrieving just one average SWC estimate from a single sensor.
Martin Schrön, Markus Köhli, and Steffen Zacharias
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 723–738, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-723-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-723-2023, 2023
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This paper presents a new analytical concept to answer long-lasting questions of the cosmic-ray neutron sensing community, such as
what is the influence of a distant area or patches of different land use on the measurement signal?or
is the detector sensitive enough to detect a change of soil moisture (e.g. due to irrigation) in a remote field at a certain distance?The concept may support signal interpretation and sensor calibration, particularly in heterogeneous terrain.
Markus Köhli, Martin Schrön, Steffen Zacharias, and Ulrich Schmidt
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 449–477, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-449-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-449-2023, 2023
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In the last decades, Monte Carlo codes were often consulted to study neutrons near the surface. As an alternative for the growing community of CRNS, we developed URANOS. The main model features are tracking of particle histories from creation to detection, detector representations as layers or geometric shapes, a voxel-based geometry model, and material setup based on color codes in ASCII matrices or bitmap images. The entire software is developed in C++ and features a graphical user interface.
Daniel Rasche, Jannis Weimar, Martin Schrön, Markus Köhli, Markus Morgner, Andreas Güntner, and Theresa Blume
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-364, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-364, 2022
Revised manuscript under review for HESS
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We introduce passive downhole cosmic-ray neutron sensing (d-CRNS) as an approach for the non-invasive estimation of soil moisture in deeper layers of the unsaturated zone which exceed the observational window of above-ground CRNS applications. Neutron transport simulations are used to derive mathematical descriptions and transfer functions while experimental measurements in an existing groundwater observation well illustrate the feasibility and applicability of the approach.
Stefano Gianessi, Matteo Polo, Luca Stevanato, Marcello Lunardon, Till Francke, Sascha Oswald, Hami Ahmed, Arsenio Tolosa, Georg Weltin, Gerd Dercon, Emil Fulajtar, Lee Heng, and Gabriele Baroni
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-2022-20, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-2022-20, 2022
Revised manuscript under review for GI
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Soil moisture monitoring is important for many applications, from improving weather prediction to support agriculture practices. Our capability to measure this variable is still, however, limited. In this study we show the tests conducted on a new soil moisture sensor at several locations. The results show that the new sensor is a valid and compact alternative to more conventional non-invasive soil moisture sensors that can open the path to a wide range of applications.
Friedrich Boeing, Oldrich Rakovec, Rohini Kumar, Luis Samaniego, Martin Schrön, Anke Hildebrandt, Corinna Rebmann, Stephan Thober, Sebastian Müller, Steffen Zacharias, Heye Bogena, Katrin Schneider, Ralf Kiese, Sabine Attinger, and Andreas Marx
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5137–5161, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5137-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5137-2022, 2022
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In this paper, we deliver an evaluation of the second generation operational German drought monitor (https://www.ufz.de/duerremonitor) with a state-of-the-art compilation of observed soil moisture data from 40 locations and four different measurement methods in Germany. We show that the expressed stakeholder needs for higher resolution drought information at the one-kilometer scale can be met and that the agreement of simulated and observed soil moisture dynamics can be moderately improved.
Lena Katharina Schmidt, Till Francke, Erwin Rottler, Theresa Blume, Johannes Schöber, and Axel Bronstert
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 653–669, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-653-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-653-2022, 2022
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Climate change fundamentally alters glaciated high-alpine areas, but it is unclear how this affects riverine sediment transport. As a first step, we aimed to identify the most important processes and source areas in three nested catchments in the Ötztal, Austria, in the past 15 years. We found that areas above 2500 m were crucial and that summer rainstorms were less influential than glacier melt. These findings provide a baseline for studies on future changes in high-alpine sediment dynamics.
Maik Heistermann, Heye Bogena, Till Francke, Andreas Güntner, Jannis Jakobi, Daniel Rasche, Martin Schrön, Veronika Döpper, Benjamin Fersch, Jannis Groh, Amol Patil, Thomas Pütz, Marvin Reich, Steffen Zacharias, Carmen Zengerle, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2501–2519, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2501-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2501-2022, 2022
Short summary
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This paper presents a dense network of cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) to measure spatio-temporal soil moisture patterns during a 2-month campaign in the Wüstebach headwater catchment in Germany. Stationary, mobile, and airborne CRNS technology monitored the root-zone water dynamics as well as spatial heterogeneity in the 0.4 km2 area. The 15 CRNS stations were supported by a hydrogravimeter, biomass sampling, and a wireless soil sensor network to facilitate holistic hydrological analysis.
Andreas Wieser, Andreas Güntner, Peter Dietrich, Jan Handwerker, Dina Khordakova, Uta Ködel, Martin Kohler, Hannes Mollenhauer, Bernhard Mühr, Erik Nixdorf, Marvin Reich, Christian Rolf, Martin Schrön, Claudia Schütze, and Ute Weber
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-131, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-131, 2022
Preprint withdrawn
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We present an event-triggered observation concept which covers the entire process chain from heavy precipitation to flooding at the catchment scale. It combines flexible and mobile observing systems out of the fields of meteorology, hydrology and geophysics with stationary networks to capture atmospheric transport processes, heterogeneous precipitation patterns, land surface and subsurface storage processes, and runoff dynamics.
Mandy Kasner, Steffen Zacharias, and Martin Schrön
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-123, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-123, 2022
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
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Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) is a non-invasive technique that is used to quantify field-scale root-zone soil moisture. We hypothesize that unaccounted spatiotemporal changes of soil density may have impact on the quality of CRNS soil moisture products. Our results indicate a significant dependency of neutrons on soil density, which also depends on the soil moisture state. A correction approach is provided that can be recommended for practical use.
Heye Reemt Bogena, Martin Schrön, Jannis Jakobi, Patrizia Ney, Steffen Zacharias, Mie Andreasen, Roland Baatz, David Boorman, Mustafa Berk Duygu, Miguel Angel Eguibar-Galán, Benjamin Fersch, Till Franke, Josie Geris, María González Sanchis, Yann Kerr, Tobias Korf, Zalalem Mengistu, Arnaud Mialon, Paolo Nasta, Jerzy Nitychoruk, Vassilios Pisinaras, Daniel Rasche, Rafael Rosolem, Hami Said, Paul Schattan, Marek Zreda, Stefan Achleitner, Eduardo Albentosa-Hernández, Zuhal Akyürek, Theresa Blume, Antonio del Campo, Davide Canone, Katya Dimitrova-Petrova, John G. Evans, Stefano Ferraris, Félix Frances, Davide Gisolo, Andreas Güntner, Frank Herrmann, Joost Iwema, Karsten H. Jensen, Harald Kunstmann, Antonio Lidón, Majken Caroline Looms, Sascha Oswald, Andreas Panagopoulos, Amol Patil, Daniel Power, Corinna Rebmann, Nunzio Romano, Lena Scheiffele, Sonia Seneviratne, Georg Weltin, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1125–1151, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1125-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1125-2022, 2022
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Monitoring of increasingly frequent droughts is a prerequisite for climate adaptation strategies. This data paper presents long-term soil moisture measurements recorded by 66 cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNS) operated by 24 institutions and distributed across major climate zones in Europe. Data processing followed harmonized protocols and state-of-the-art methods to generate consistent and comparable soil moisture products and to facilitate continental-scale analysis of hydrological extremes.
Till Francke, Maik Heistermann, Markus Köhli, Christian Budach, Martin Schrön, and Sascha E. Oswald
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 11, 75–92, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-75-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-75-2022, 2022
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Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) is a non-invasive tool for measuring hydrogen pools like soil moisture, snow, or vegetation. This study presents a directional shielding approach, aiming to measure in specific directions only. The results show that non-directional neutron transport blurs the signal of the targeted direction. For typical instruments, this does not allow acceptable precision at a daily time resolution. However, the mere statistical distinction of two rates is feasible.
Daniel Rasche, Markus Köhli, Martin Schrön, Theresa Blume, and Andreas Güntner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6547–6566, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6547-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6547-2021, 2021
Short summary
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Cosmic-ray neutron sensing provides areal average soil moisture measurements. We investigated how distinct differences in spatial soil moisture patterns influence the soil moisture estimates and present two approaches to improve the estimate of soil moisture close to the instrument by reducing the influence of soil moisture further afield. Additionally, we show that the heterogeneity of soil moisture can be assessed based on the relationship of different neutron energies.
Benjamin Fersch, Till Francke, Maik Heistermann, Martin Schrön, Veronika Döpper, Jannis Jakobi, Gabriele Baroni, Theresa Blume, Heye Bogena, Christian Budach, Tobias Gränzig, Michael Förster, Andreas Güntner, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Mandy Kasner, Markus Köhli, Birgit Kleinschmit, Harald Kunstmann, Amol Patil, Daniel Rasche, Lena Scheiffele, Ulrich Schmidt, Sandra Szulc-Seyfried, Jannis Weimar, Steffen Zacharias, Marek Zreda, Bernd Heber, Ralf Kiese, Vladimir Mares, Hannes Mollenhauer, Ingo Völksch, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2289–2309, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2289-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2289-2020, 2020
Erwin Rottler, Till Francke, Gerd Bürger, and Axel Bronstert
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1721–1740, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1721-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1721-2020, 2020
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In the attempt to identify and disentangle long-term impacts of changes in snow cover and precipitation along with reservoir constructions, we employ a set of analytical tools on hydro-climatic time series. We identify storage reservoirs as an important factor redistributing runoff from summer to winter. Furthermore, our results hint at more (intense) rainfall in recent decades. Detected increases in high discharge can be traced back to corresponding changes in precipitation.
Tobias Pilz, José Miguel Delgado, Sebastian Voss, Klaus Vormoor, Till Francke, Alexandre Cunha Costa, Eduardo Martins, and Axel Bronstert
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1951–1971, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1951-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1951-2019, 2019
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This work investigates different model types for drought prediction in a dryland region. Consequently, the performances of seasonal reservoir volume forecasts derived by a process-based and a statistical hydrological model were evaluated. The process-based approach obtained lower accuracy while resolution and reliability of drought prediction were comparable. Initialisation of the process-based model is worthwhile for more in-depth analyses, provided adequate rainfall forecasts are available.
José Miguel Delgado, Sebastian Voss, Gerd Bürger, Klaus Vormoor, Aline Murawski, José Marcelo Rodrigues Pereira, Eduardo Martins, Francisco Vasconcelos Júnior, and Till Francke
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5041–5056, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5041-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5041-2018, 2018
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The feasibility of drought prediction is assessed in the Brazilian northeast. The models were provided by a regional agency and a European meteorological agency and downscaling was done using three empirical models. This work showed that the combination of different forecast and downscaling models can provide skillful predictions of drought events on timescales relevant to water managers. But the models also showed little to no skill for quantitative predictions of monthly precipitation.
Till Francke, Saskia Foerster, Arlena Brosinsky, Erik Sommerer, Jose A. Lopez-Tarazon, Andreas Güntner, Ramon J. Batalla, and Axel Bronstert
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1063–1075, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1063-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1063-2018, 2018
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This paper presents a hydro-sedimentological dataset for the Isábena catchment, northeastern Spain, for the period 2010–2018. It contains the results of several years of monitoring rainfall, discharge and sediment flux and analysing soil spectroscopic properties. The dataset features data in high spatial and temporal resolution suitable for the advanced process understanding of water and sediment fluxes, their origin and connectivity and sediment budgeting and for model development.
Martin Schrön, Steffen Zacharias, Gary Womack, Markus Köhli, Darin Desilets, Sascha E. Oswald, Jan Bumberger, Hannes Mollenhauer, Simon Kögler, Paul Remmler, Mandy Kasner, Astrid Denk, and Peter Dietrich
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 7, 83–99, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-7-83-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-7-83-2018, 2018
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Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) is a unique technology to monitor water storages in complex environments, non-invasively, continuously, autonomuously, and representatively in large areas. However, neutron detector signals are not comparable per se: there is statistical noise, technical differences, and locational effects. We found out what it takes to make CRNS consistent in time and space to ensure reliable data quality. We further propose a method to correct for sealed areas in the footrint.
Martin Schrön, Markus Köhli, Lena Scheiffele, Joost Iwema, Heye R. Bogena, Ling Lv, Edoardo Martini, Gabriele Baroni, Rafael Rosolem, Jannis Weimar, Juliane Mai, Matthias Cuntz, Corinna Rebmann, Sascha E. Oswald, Peter Dietrich, Ulrich Schmidt, and Steffen Zacharias
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 5009–5030, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5009-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5009-2017, 2017
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A field-scale average of near-surface water content can be sensed by cosmic-ray neutron detectors. To interpret, calibrate, and validate the integral signal, it is important to account for its sensitivity to heterogeneous patterns like dry or wet spots. We show how point samples contribute to the neutron signal based on their depth and distance from the detector. This approach robustly improves the sensor performance and data consistency, and even reveals otherwise hidden hydrological features.
Tobias Pilz, Till Francke, and Axel Bronstert
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 3001–3023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3001-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3001-2017, 2017
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To discretise and transfer a landscape into a hydrological model, many different algorithms and software implementations exist. These are, however, often model specific, commercial, and allow for only a limited workflow automation. Overcoming these limitations, the software package lumpR was developed. It employs an hillslope-based discretisation algorithm directed at large-scale application. The software is demonstrated in a case study and crucial discretisation parameters are investigated.
C. A. Rivera Villarreyes, G. Baroni, and S. E. Oswald
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-4237-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-4237-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Oliver Kost, Saul González-Lemos, Laura Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Jakub Sliwinski, Laura Endres, Negar Haghipour, and Heather Stoll
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-386, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-386, 2022
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
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Cave monitoring studies including cave drip water are unique opportunities to sample water which has percolated through the soil and rock. The change in drip water chemistry is resolved over the course of 16 months inferring seasonal and hydrological variations in soil and karst processes at the water-air and water-rock interface. Such data sets improve the understanding of hydrological and hydrochemical processes and ultimately advance the interpretation of geochemical stalagmite records.
Giovanna Dragonetti, Mohammad Farzamian, Angelo Basile, Fernando Monteiro Santos, and Antonio Coppola
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5119–5136, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5119-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5119-2022, 2022
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Soil hydraulic and hydrodispersive properties are necessary for modeling water and solute fluxes in agricultural and environmental systems. Despite the major efforts in developing methods (e.g., lab-based, pedotransfer functions), their characterization at applicative scales remains an imperative requirement. Thus, this paper proposes a noninvasive in situ method integrating electromagnetic induction and hydrological modeling to estimate soil hydraulic and transport properties at the plot scale.
Daniel Rasche, Markus Köhli, Martin Schrön, Theresa Blume, and Andreas Güntner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6547–6566, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6547-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6547-2021, 2021
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Cosmic-ray neutron sensing provides areal average soil moisture measurements. We investigated how distinct differences in spatial soil moisture patterns influence the soil moisture estimates and present two approaches to improve the estimate of soil moisture close to the instrument by reducing the influence of soil moisture further afield. Additionally, we show that the heterogeneity of soil moisture can be assessed based on the relationship of different neutron energies.
Wouter Dorigo, Irene Himmelbauer, Daniel Aberer, Lukas Schremmer, Ivana Petrakovic, Luca Zappa, Wolfgang Preimesberger, Angelika Xaver, Frank Annor, Jonas Ardö, Dennis Baldocchi, Marco Bitelli, Günter Blöschl, Heye Bogena, Luca Brocca, Jean-Christophe Calvet, J. Julio Camarero, Giorgio Capello, Minha Choi, Michael C. Cosh, Nick van de Giesen, Istvan Hajdu, Jaakko Ikonen, Karsten H. Jensen, Kasturi Devi Kanniah, Ileen de Kat, Gottfried Kirchengast, Pankaj Kumar Rai, Jenni Kyrouac, Kristine Larson, Suxia Liu, Alexander Loew, Mahta Moghaddam, José Martínez Fernández, Cristian Mattar Bader, Renato Morbidelli, Jan P. Musial, Elise Osenga, Michael A. Palecki, Thierry Pellarin, George P. Petropoulos, Isabella Pfeil, Jarrett Powers, Alan Robock, Christoph Rüdiger, Udo Rummel, Michael Strobel, Zhongbo Su, Ryan Sullivan, Torbern Tagesson, Andrej Varlagin, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Jeffrey Walker, Jun Wen, Fred Wenger, Jean Pierre Wigneron, Mel Woods, Kun Yang, Yijian Zeng, Xiang Zhang, Marek Zreda, Stephan Dietrich, Alexander Gruber, Peter van Oevelen, Wolfgang Wagner, Klaus Scipal, Matthias Drusch, and Roberto Sabia
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5749–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5749-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5749-2021, 2021
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The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) is a community-based open-access data portal for soil water measurements taken at the ground and is accessible at https://ismn.earth. Over 1000 scientific publications and thousands of users have made use of the ISMN. The scope of this paper is to inform readers about the data and functionality of the ISMN and to provide a review of the scientific progress facilitated through the ISMN with the scope to shape future research and operations.
Hongxiu Wang, Jingjing Jin, Buli Cui, Bingcheng Si, Xiaojun Ma, and Mingyi Wen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5399–5413, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5399-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5399-2021, 2021
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Evaporation led to progressively more heavy-isotope-enriched bulk soil water (BW) following the precipitation/irrigation of heavy-isotope-depleted new water but causes progressively more heavy-isotope-depleted BW following irrigation of heavy-isotope-enriched new water. The results indicated that δ2H and δ18O in evaporating water (EW) were similar to new water and differed from BW. However, the evaporative water loss calculated from BW did not differ significantly from that of EW.
Benjamin Gralher, Barbara Herbstritt, and Markus Weiler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5219–5235, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5219-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5219-2021, 2021
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We scrutinized the quickest currently available method for stable isotope analysis of matrix-bound water. Simulating common procedures, we demonstrated the limits of certain materials currently used and identified a reliable and cost-efficient alternative. Further, we calculated the optimum proportions of important protocol aspects critical for precise and accurate analyses. Our unifying protocol suggestions increase data quality and comparability as well as the method's general applicability.
Markus Merk, Nadine Goeppert, and Nico Goldscheider
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3519–3538, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3519-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3519-2021, 2021
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Soil moisture levels have decreased significantly over the past 2 decades. This decrease is not uniformly distributed over the observation period. The largest changes occur at tipping points during years of extreme drought, after which soil moisture levels reach significantly different alternate stable states. Not only the overall trend in soil moisture is affected, but also the seasonal dynamics.
Elad Yeshno, Ofer Dahan, Shoshana Bernstain, and Shlomi Arnon
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2159–2168, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2159-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2159-2021, 2021
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In this research, we present a novel approach, enabling the measurement of nitrate concentrations in natural soil porewater containing natural soil dissolved organic carbon. This method can be used as the basis onto which an affordable and miniaturized nitrate monitoring sensor for soils can be developed. This sensor can play a significant role in reducing nitrate pollution in water resources, optimizing fertilizers application during agricultural activity and decreasing food production costs.
Laurent Gourdol, Rémi Clément, Jérôme Juilleret, Laurent Pfister, and Christophe Hissler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1785–1812, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1785-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1785-2021, 2021
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Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a remarkable tool for characterizing the regolith, but its use over large areas remains cumbersome due to the requirement of small electrode spacing (ES). In this study we document the issues of using oversized ESs and propose a new approach to overcome this limitation. We demonstrate that our protocol significantly improves the accuracy of ERT profiles using large ES and offers a cost-effective means for carrying out large-scale surveys.
Alex Mavrovic, Renato Pardo Lara, Aaron Berg, François Demontoux, Alain Royer, and Alexandre Roy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1117–1131, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1117-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1117-2021, 2021
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This paper presents a new probe that measures soil microwave permittivity in the frequency range of satellite L-band sensors. The probe capacities will allow for validation and calibration of the models used to estimate landscape physical properties from raw microwave satellite datasets. Our results show important discrepancies between model estimates and instrument measurements that will need to be addressed.
Bruno Meurers, Gábor Papp, Hannu Ruotsalainen, Judit Benedek, and Roman Leonhardt
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 217–236, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-217-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-217-2021, 2021
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Gravity and tilt time series acquired at Conrad Observatory (Austria) reflect gravity and deformation associated with short- and long-term environmental processes, revealing a complex water transport process after heavy rain and rapid snowmelt. Gravity residuals are sensitive to the Newtonian effect of water mass transport. Tilt residual anomalies capture strain–tilt coupling effects due to surface or subsurface deformation from precipitation or pressure changes in the adjacent fracture system.
Yiben Cheng, Xinle Li, Yunqi Wang, Hongbin Zhan, Wenbin Yang, and Qunou Jiang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5875–5890, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5875-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5875-2020, 2020
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The Three North Forest Program has produced a vast area of lined forest in semi-arid regions, which consumes a large amount of water resources. This study uses a newly designed lysimeter to measure water distribution without destroying the in situ vegetation soil structure. It addresses the shortcomings of a traditional lysimeter, in terms of changing the in situ soil structure and destroying the vegetation root system, and the shortcomings of high costs and inconvenient installation.
Jie Tian, Zhibo Han, Heye Reemt Bogena, Johan Alexander Huisman, Carsten Montzka, Baoqing Zhang, and Chansheng He
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4659–4674, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4659-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4659-2020, 2020
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Large-scale profile soil moisture (SM) is important for water resource management, but its estimation is a challenge. Thus, based on in situ SM observations in a cold mountain, a strong relationship between the surface SM and subsurface SM is found. Both the subsurface SM of 10–30 cm and the profile SM of 0–70 cm can be estimated from the surface SM of 0–10 cm accurately. By combing with the satellite product, we improve the large-scale profile SM estimation in the cold mountains finally.
Amani Mahindawansha, Christoph Külls, Philipp Kraft, and Lutz Breuer
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3627–3642, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3627-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3627-2020, 2020
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Stable isotopes of soil water are an effective tool to reveal soil hydrological processes in irrigated agricultural fields. Flow mechanisms and isotopic patterns of soil water in the soil matrix differ, depending on the crop and irrigation practices. Isotope data supported the fact that unproductive water losses via evaporation can be reduced by introducing dry seasonal crops to the crop rotation system.
Cinthya Nava-Fernandez, Adam Hartland, Fernando Gázquez, Ola Kwiecien, Norbert Marwan, Bethany Fox, John Hellstrom, Andrew Pearson, Brittany Ward, Amanda French, David A. Hodell, Adrian Immenhauser, and Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3361–3380, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3361-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3361-2020, 2020
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Speleothems are powerful archives of past climate for understanding modern local hydrology and its relation to regional circulation patterns. We use a 3-year monitoring dataset to test the sensitivity of Waipuna Cave to seasonal changes and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. Drip water data suggest a fast response to rainfall events; its elemental composition reflects a seasonal cycle and ENSO variability. Waipuna Cave speleothems have a high potential for past ENSO reconstructions.
Anne Hartmann, Ekaterina Semenova, Markus Weiler, and Theresa Blume
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3271–3288, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3271-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3271-2020, 2020
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Our field observation-based examination of flow path evolution, soil formation, and vegetation succession across 10 millennia shows how water flow paths and subsurface water storage are linked to the organization of evolving landscapes.
The increase found in water storage and preferential flow paths with increasing soil age shows the effect of the complex interaction of vegetation and soil development on flow paths, water balance, and runoff formation during landscape evolution.
Subodh Acharya, Daniel McLaughlin, David Kaplan, and Matthew J. Cohen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1859–1870, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1859-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1859-2020, 2020
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Interception is the storage and subsequent evaporation of rain by vegetation and surface litter. Quantifying interception is critical for understanding the water balance, but it can be difficult and costly to measure. We developed an approach to estimate interception using automated soil moisture measurements during rainfall events. Results suggest that interception can be estimated using soil moisture data, leading to potential cost savings and logistical advantages over conventional methods.
Marcus Bork, Jens Lange, Markus Graf-Rosenfellner, and Friederike Lang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 977–989, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-977-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-977-2020, 2020
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Fluorescent tracers such as uranine and sulforhodamine B are useful tools to gain knowledge about water and solute fluxes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this study we systematically investigated the influence of important soil properties (pH, organic carbon content and texture) on tracer adsorption in soils and sediments. These properties also determine whether the tracers in the respective soil behave conservatively or non-conservatively.
Adam R. Mangel, Stephen M. J. Moysey, and John Bradford
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 159–167, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-159-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-159-2020, 2020
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Water flows through soils in an incredibly complex network of pathways. Understanding these pathways is critical to sustainable use of water resources. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can image water in near-surface soils the same way an X-ray is used to image the human body. Utilizing innovative ways of collecting and processing the GPR data, we can image complex water flow in space and through time, which allows for the continued development of our ideas and models of subsurface water flow.
Aaron A. Mohammed, Igor Pavlovskii, Edwin E. Cey, and Masaki Hayashi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 5017–5031, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-5017-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-5017-2019, 2019
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In cold regions, the permeability of the frozen ground is an important factor influencing a watershed's response to snowmelt. This study highlights the effects of preferential flow in frozen soils on snowmelt redistribution and groundwater recharge in seasonally frozen landscapes.
Dominic Demand, Theresa Blume, and Markus Weiler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4869–4889, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4869-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4869-2019, 2019
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This study presents an analysis of 135 soil moisture profiles for identification of the spatial and temporal preferential flow occurrence in a complex landscape. Especially dry conditions and high rainfall intensities were found to increase preferential flow occurrence in soils. This results in a seasonal pattern of preferential flow with a higher occurrence in summer. During this time grasslands showed increased flow velocities, whereas forest sites exhibited a higher amount of bypass flow.
Elad Yeshno, Shlomi Arnon, and Ofer Dahan
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3997–4010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3997-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3997-2019, 2019
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Lack of adequate instrumentation for monitoring nutrient availability in agricultural soils leads in most cases to over-application of fertilizers, often resulting in groundwater pollution. This research presents a novel approach for real-time, in situ monitoring of nitrate in soils using absorption spectroscopy techniques while preventing interference from dissolved organic carbon. Column experiments with this system resulted in accurate nitrate measurements in three different soil types.
Alessandro Comegna, Antonio Coppola, Giovanna Dragonetti, and Angelo Sommella
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3593–3602, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3593-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3593-2019, 2019
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We carried out a series of laboratory-controlled experiments in order to simulate different scenarios of practical interest aiming to analyze, from a dielectric point of view, the influence of different washing solutions on non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) removal. Furthermore, on the basis of the results obtained, we validated a dielectric mixing model for predicting the volumetric amounts of NAPL (θNAPL) within the contaminated soil as the decontamination process progressed.
Mireia Fontanet, Daniel Fernàndez-Garcia, and Francesc Ferrer
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5889–5900, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5889-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5889-2018, 2018
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One of the main objectives of remote sensing methodology is to downscale soil moisture to improve irrigation management. The DISPATCH algorithm is able to measure soil moisture at 1 km resolution using SMOS and MODIS data. In this work DISPATCH has been evaluated with soil moisture sensors, under heterogeneous conditions where local irrigation is applied. Results show that DISPATCH is not sensitive when local irrigation is applied even at low resolution.
Cédric Champollion, Sabrina Deville, Jean Chéry, Erik Doerflinger, Nicolas Le Moigne, Roger Bayer, Philippe Vernant, and Naomi Mazzilli
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3825–3839, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3825-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3825-2018, 2018
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Gravity monitoring at the surface and in situ (in caves) has been conducted in a karst hydro-system in the south of France (Larzac plateau). Subsurface water storage is evidenced with a spatial variability probably associated with lithology differences and confirmed by MRS measurements. Gravity allows transient water storage to be estimated on the seasonal scale.
Natalie Orlowski, Lutz Breuer, Nicolas Angeli, Pascal Boeckx, Christophe Brumbt, Craig S. Cook, Maren Dubbert, Jens Dyckmans, Barbora Gallagher, Benjamin Gralher, Barbara Herbstritt, Pedro Hervé-Fernández, Christophe Hissler, Paul Koeniger, Arnaud Legout, Chandelle Joan Macdonald, Carlos Oyarzún, Regine Redelstein, Christof Seidler, Rolf Siegwolf, Christine Stumpp, Simon Thomsen, Markus Weiler, Christiane Werner, and Jeffrey J. McDonnell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3619–3637, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3619-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3619-2018, 2018
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To extract water from soils for isotopic analysis, cryogenic water extraction is the most widely used removal technique. This work presents results from a worldwide laboratory intercomparison test of cryogenic extraction systems. Our results showed large differences in retrieved isotopic signatures among participating laboratories linked to interactions between soil type and properties, system setup, extraction efficiency, extraction system leaks, and each lab’s internal accuracy.
Ashley R. Pales, Biting Li, Heather M. Clifford, Shyla Kupis, Nimisha Edayilam, Dawn Montgomery, Wei-zhen Liang, Mine Dogan, Nishanth Tharayil, Nicole Martinez, Stephen Moysey, Brian Powell, and Christophe J. G. Darnault
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2487–2509, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2487-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2487-2018, 2018
Arnaud Watlet, Olivier Kaufmann, Antoine Triantafyllou, Amaël Poulain, Jonathan E. Chambers, Philip I. Meldrum, Paul B. Wilkinson, Vincent Hallet, Yves Quinif, Michel Van Ruymbeke, and Michel Van Camp
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1563–1592, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1563-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1563-2018, 2018
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Understanding water infiltration in karst regions is crucial as the aquifers they host provide drinkable water for a quarter of the world's population. We present a non-invasive tool to image hydrological processes in karst systems. At our field site, the injection of electrical current in the ground, repeated daily over a 3-year period, allowed imaging changes in the groundwater content. We show that specific geological layers control seasonal to rainfall-triggered water infiltration dynamics.
Giovanna Dragonetti, Alessandro Comegna, Ali Ajeel, Gian Piero Deidda, Nicola Lamaddalena, Giuseppe Rodriguez, Giulio Vignoli, and Antonio Coppola
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1509–1523, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1509-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1509-2018, 2018
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The paper aims to infer the bulk electrical conductivity distribution in the root zone from EMI readings. TDR measurements were used as ground-truth data to evaluate the goodness of the estimations by EMI inversion. The approach is based on the mean and standard deviation of the EMI and TDR series. It looks for the physical reasons for the differences between EMI- and TDR-based electrical conductivity and provides a correction of the bias based on the statistical sources of the discrepancies.
David McJannet, Aaron Hawdon, Brett Baker, Luigi Renzullo, and Ross Searle
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 6049–6067, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-6049-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-6049-2017, 2017
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Satellite and broad-scale model estimates of soil moisture have improved in resolution. However, validation and calibration of these products has been limited because of a lack of observations on corresponding scales. We use a mobile soil moisture monitoring platform, known as the
rover, to derive soil moisture at 9 km and 1 km resolution. We describe methods to calculate soil moisture and present results from multiple surveys. The products produced are well suited to validation studies.
Xicai Pan, Warren Helgason, Andrew Ireson, and Howard Wheater
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 5401–5413, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5401-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5401-2017, 2017
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In this paper we present a case study from a heterogeneous pasture site in the Canadian prairies, where we have quantified the various components of the water balance on the field scale, and critically examine some of the simplifying assumptions which are often invoked when applying water budget approaches in applied hydrology. We highlight challenges caused by lateral fluxes of blowing snow and ambiguous partitioning of snow melt water into runoff and infiltration.
Martin Schrön, Markus Köhli, Lena Scheiffele, Joost Iwema, Heye R. Bogena, Ling Lv, Edoardo Martini, Gabriele Baroni, Rafael Rosolem, Jannis Weimar, Juliane Mai, Matthias Cuntz, Corinna Rebmann, Sascha E. Oswald, Peter Dietrich, Ulrich Schmidt, and Steffen Zacharias
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 5009–5030, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5009-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5009-2017, 2017
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A field-scale average of near-surface water content can be sensed by cosmic-ray neutron detectors. To interpret, calibrate, and validate the integral signal, it is important to account for its sensitivity to heterogeneous patterns like dry or wet spots. We show how point samples contribute to the neutron signal based on their depth and distance from the detector. This approach robustly improves the sensor performance and data consistency, and even reveals otherwise hidden hydrological features.
Yiben Cheng, Hongbin Zhan, Wenbin Yang, Hongzhong Dang, and Wei Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 5031–5042, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5031-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5031-2017, 2017
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This study uses a newly designed lysimeter to study three consecutive years (2013–2015) of deep soil recharge (DSR) underneath bare sand land on the eastern margin of Mu Us Sandy Land in the Ordos Basin of China. The objective is to identify the characteristics of the DSR distribution and the factors affecting the DSR distribution. Specifically, we would like to examine if the commonly used recharge coefficient concept can be applied for arid and semi-arid regions.
Ofer Dahan, Idan Katz, Lior Avishai, and Zeev Ronen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 4011–4020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4011-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4011-2017, 2017
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In situ bioremediation of a perchlorate-contaminated vadose zone was conducted through infiltration of electron-donor-enriched water. A vadose zone monitoring system (VMS) provided real-time tracking of the hydraulic and chemical conditions across the unsaturated zone. Variations in concentration profiles of perchlorate, chloride, DOC and bromide in the vadose zone pore water showed limited migration capacity of biologically consumable carbon and significant mobilization of perchlorate.
Cécile Pellet and Christian Hauck
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3199–3220, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3199-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3199-2017, 2017
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This paper presents a detailed description of the new Swiss soil moisture monitoring network SOMOMOUNT, which comprises six stations distributed along an elevation gradient ranging from 1205 to 3410 m. The liquid soil moisture (LSM) data collected during the first 3 years are discussed with regard to their soil type and climate dependency as well as their altitudinal distribution. The elevation dependency of the LSM was found to be non-linear with distinct dynamics at high and low elevation.
Simon Matthias Kleinknecht, Holger Class, and Jürgen Braun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1381–1396, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1381-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1381-2017, 2017
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Retardation of migrating contaminant vapors in the subsurface may mitigate groundwater contamination or vapor intrusion into buildings. An experimental investigation was conducted to quantify the retardation of carbon disulfide (CS2) vapor in moist porous media based on the analysis of concentration breakthrough curves. Findings linked retardation to types of porous media and water saturation. Moreover, the first evidence of biodegradation of the CS2 vapor was found in the column experiments.
Edoardo Martini, Ulrike Werban, Steffen Zacharias, Marco Pohle, Peter Dietrich, and Ute Wollschläger
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 495–513, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-495-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-495-2017, 2017
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With a process-based interpretation of electromagnetic induction measurements, we discussed the potential and limitations of such a method for soil moisture mapping. Results will help clarify the complex and time-varying effect of stable soil properties and dynamic state variables on the physical parameters measured, with implications for future studies. We highlighted the importance of time-series data and the need for a multidisciplinary approach for proper interpretation.
Carol V. Tadros, Pauline C. Treble, Andy Baker, Ian Fairchild, Stuart Hankin, Regina Roach, Monika Markowska, and Janece McDonald
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 4625–4640, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4625-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4625-2016, 2016
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We investigated the potential use of trace element and stable oxygen-isotope variations in cave drip water as palaeorainfall proxies in an Australian alpine karst site. Using 7 years of cave monitoring data, we constrained the hydrological processes impacting the drip-water composition and identified a robust ENSO–drip water hydrochemical relationship. These findings are fundamental for reconstructing past ENSO variability from speleothems (cave deposits) regionally and globally.
William Alexander Avery, Catherine Finkenbiner, Trenton E. Franz, Tiejun Wang, Anthony L. Nguy-Robertson, Andrew Suyker, Timothy Arkebauer, and Francisco Muñoz-Arriola
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3859–3872, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3859-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3859-2016, 2016
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Here we present a strategy to use globally available datasets in the calibration function used to convert observed moderated neutron counts into volumetric soil water content. While local sampling protocols are well documented for fixed probes, the use of roving probes presents new calibration challenges. With over 200 fixed probes and 10 roving probes in use globally, we anticipate this paper will serve as a keystone for the growing cosmic-ray neutron probe and hydrologic community.
Tuvia Turkeltaub, Daniel Kurtzman, and Ofer Dahan
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3099–3108, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3099-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3099-2016, 2016
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Efficient groundwater protection from pollution originating in agriculture requires effective monitoring means capable of tacking pollution processes in the vadose zone, long before groundwater pollution turns into an unavoidable fact. In this study, a vadose zone monitoring system that was installed under a crop field fertilized by dairy slurry enabled real-time tracking of nitrate plum migration down the vadose zone from the land surface to the water table at 18m depth.
Andre Peters, Thomas Nehls, and Gerd Wessolek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2309–2315, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2309-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2309-2016, 2016
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The AWAT (Adaptive Window and Adaptive Threshold) filter routine for high-resolution lysimeter data is improved. The threshold scheme with original step interpolation yields unrealistic fluxes for high temporal resolution. Improvement applies linear and spline interpolation schemes so that fluxes in high temporal resolution are automatically calculated. The spline scheme allows continuous differentiability of filtered data so that any output resolution for the fluxes is sound.
Amber M. Peterson, Warren D. Helgason, and Andrew M. Ireson
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1373–1385, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1373-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1373-2016, 2016
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Remote sensing techniques can provide useful large-scale estimates of soil moisture. However, these methods often only sense near-surface soil moisture, whereas many applications require estimates of the entire root zone. In this study we propose and test methods to "depth-scale" the shallow soil moisture measurements obtained using the cosmic-ray neutron probe to represent the entire root zone, thereby improving the applicability of this measurement approach.
Katharina F. Gimbel, Heike Puhlmann, and Markus Weiler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1301–1317, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1301-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1301-2016, 2016
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It is usually assumed that soil properties are not affected by drought events. We used dye tracer experiments to test this assumption on six forest soils, which were forced into drought conditions. The results of this study show clear evidence for changes in infiltration pathways. In addition, most soils developed soil water repellency. Overall, the results suggest that the past climatic conditions are more important than the actual soil moisture status regarding hydrophobicity and infiltration.
Marcel Gaj, Matthias Beyer, Paul Koeniger, Heike Wanke, Josefina Hamutoko, and Thomas Himmelsbach
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 715–731, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-715-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-715-2016, 2016
K. Mahmud, G. Mariethoz, A. Baker, P. C. Treble, M. Markowska, and E. McGuire
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 359–373, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-359-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-359-2016, 2016
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Caves offer a natural inception point to observe both the long-term groundwater recharge and the preferential movement of water through the unsaturated zone of such limestone. In this study, we develop a method that combines automated drip rate logging systems and remote sensing techniques to quantify the infiltration processes within a cave.
D. Fairbairn, A. L. Barbu, J.-F. Mahfouf, J.-C. Calvet, and E. Gelati
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4811–4830, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4811-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4811-2015, 2015
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The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and simplified extended Kalman filter (SEKF) root-zone soil moisture analyses are compared when assimilating in situ surface observations. In the synthetic experiments, the EnKF performs best because it can stochastically capture the errors in the precipitation. The two methods perform similarly in the real experiments. During the summer period, both methods perform poorly as a result of nonlinearities in the land surface model.
Y. Rothfuss, S. Merz, J. Vanderborght, N. Hermes, A. Weuthen, A. Pohlmeier, H. Vereecken, and N. Brüggemann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4067–4080, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4067-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4067-2015, 2015
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Profiles of soil water stable isotopes were followed non-destructively and with high precision for a period of 290 days in the laboratory
Rewatering at the end of the experiment led to instantaneous resetting of the isotope profiles, which could be closely followed with the new method
The evaporation depth dynamics was determined from isotope gradients calculation
Uncertainty associated with the determination of isotope kinetic fractionation where highlighted from inverse modeling.
S. Siltecho, C. Hammecker, V. Sriboonlue, C. Clermont-Dauphin, V. Trelo-ges, A. C. D. Antonino, and R. Angulo-Jaramillo
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1193–1207, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1193-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1193-2015, 2015
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Several methods for measuring unsaturated soil characteristics have been tested on sandy soil in northeastern Thailand, with different land uses. Each method shows significantly different parameters, regardless of land use. Nevertheless, when used for annual water balance modeling with HYDRUS1D, no noticeable differences for the various sets of parameters appeared. Any of these measurement method could be employed. Therefore, we recommended using the cheapest and easiest (i.e., Beerkan) method.
P. Klenk, S. Jaumann, and K. Roth
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1125–1139, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1125-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1125-2015, 2015
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In this study, we analyze a set of high-resolution, surface-based, 2-D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) observations of artificially induced subsurface water dynamics. In particular, we place close scrutiny on the evolution of the capillary fringe in a highly dynamic regime with surface-based time-lapse GPR. We thoroughly explain all observed phenomena based on theoretical soil physical considerations and numerical simulations of both subsurface water flow and the expected GPR response.
E. Beckers, E. Plougonven, N. Gigot, A. Léonard, C. Roisin, Y. Brostaux, and A. Degré
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 1805–1817, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1805-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1805-2014, 2014
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Short summary
Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) is a powerful technique for retrieving representative estimates of soil moisture in footprints extending over hectometres in the horizontal and decimetres in the vertical. This study, however, demonstrates the potential of CRNS to obtain spatio-temporal patterns of soil moisture beyond isolated footprints. To that end, we analyse data from a unique observational campaign that featured a dense network of more than 20 neutron detectors in an area of just 1 km2.
Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) is a powerful technique for retrieving representative...
