Articles | Volume 27, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1431-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-27-1431-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Apr 2023
Research article |
| 03 Apr 2023
| 03 Apr 2023
Estimating vadose zone water fluxes from soil water monitoring data: a comprehensive field study in Austria
Marleen Schübl
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Giuseppe Brunetti
Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Gabriele Fuchs
Section I – Water Management, Division I/3 – Water Resources, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management, Marxergasse 2, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Christine Stumpp
Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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Cited
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Regional-scale assessment of groundwater recharge and the water balance for Austria H. Zeitfogel et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102297
- The unsaturated zone of agroecosystems as a delayed source of legacy herbicides to groundwater: A long-term reactive transport modeling G. Chedin et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2026.105047
- Groundwater recharge responses to vadose zone thickness variation and rainfall patterns in arid Mongolian pine plantations Y. Bai et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101519
- Soil water dynamics and deep percolation in an agricultural experimental area of the North China Plain over the past 50 years: Based on field monitoring and numerical modeling Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172367
- Quantification of water fluxes and soil water balance in agricultural fields under different tillage and irrigation systems using water stable isotopes A. Canet-Martí et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105732
- Assessing field scale spatiotemporal heterogeneity in salinity dynamics using aerial data assimilation S. Ebrahimi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.109114
- Combined effects of tree canopy and root systems on soil hydraulic properties: A field monitoring of a Populus alba X. Gao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101123
- Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of a surface runoff model using ensemble of artificial rainfall experiments J. Jeřábek & P. Kavka https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2024-0021
- Seasonal soil water status, non-growing season percolation and nitrate leaching under experimentally redistributed precipitation in surface drip-irrigated onion on sandy loam: A three-year lysimeter study N. Schmidt & J. Zinkernagel https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110654
- Pedotransfer functions and their impact on soil water dynamics simulation and yield prediction: A HERMES model case study P. Rosso et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2025.127753
- 30 Years of Forest Soil Monitoring: Results from the Italian ICP-Forests Network S. Carnicelli et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020231
- Implementation of a dry surface layer soil resistance in two contrasting semi-arid sites with SURFEX-ISBA V9.0 B. Martí et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1991-2026
- Langzeitbeobachtungen des Bodenwasserhaushalts in Österreich und ihr Wert in Gegenwart und Zukunft T. Weninger et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-025-01131-1
- Drainage estimation across mountainous regions from large-scale soil moisture observations J. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117077
- Observation-constrained long-term simulations of water dynamics and groundwater recharge under intensive agriculture in the North China Plain L. Wu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101516
- Quantification of delayed recharge by soil surface and riverbed infiltration in a deep groundwater depression zone in the North China Plain S. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3763-2026
- Sensitivity of montane grassland water fluxes to warming and elevated CO2 from local to catchment scale: A case study from the Austrian Alps M. Vremec et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.101970
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Regional-scale assessment of groundwater recharge and the water balance for Austria H. Zeitfogel et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102297
- The unsaturated zone of agroecosystems as a delayed source of legacy herbicides to groundwater: A long-term reactive transport modeling G. Chedin et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2026.105047
- Groundwater recharge responses to vadose zone thickness variation and rainfall patterns in arid Mongolian pine plantations Y. Bai et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101519
- Soil water dynamics and deep percolation in an agricultural experimental area of the North China Plain over the past 50 years: Based on field monitoring and numerical modeling Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172367
- Quantification of water fluxes and soil water balance in agricultural fields under different tillage and irrigation systems using water stable isotopes A. Canet-Martí et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105732
- Assessing field scale spatiotemporal heterogeneity in salinity dynamics using aerial data assimilation S. Ebrahimi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.109114
- Combined effects of tree canopy and root systems on soil hydraulic properties: A field monitoring of a Populus alba X. Gao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101123
- Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of a surface runoff model using ensemble of artificial rainfall experiments J. Jeřábek & P. Kavka https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2024-0021
- Seasonal soil water status, non-growing season percolation and nitrate leaching under experimentally redistributed precipitation in surface drip-irrigated onion on sandy loam: A three-year lysimeter study N. Schmidt & J. Zinkernagel https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110654
- Pedotransfer functions and their impact on soil water dynamics simulation and yield prediction: A HERMES model case study P. Rosso et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2025.127753
- 30 Years of Forest Soil Monitoring: Results from the Italian ICP-Forests Network S. Carnicelli et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020231
- Implementation of a dry surface layer soil resistance in two contrasting semi-arid sites with SURFEX-ISBA V9.0 B. Martí et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1991-2026
- Langzeitbeobachtungen des Bodenwasserhaushalts in Österreich und ihr Wert in Gegenwart und Zukunft T. Weninger et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-025-01131-1
- Drainage estimation across mountainous regions from large-scale soil moisture observations J. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117077
- Observation-constrained long-term simulations of water dynamics and groundwater recharge under intensive agriculture in the North China Plain L. Wu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101516
- Quantification of delayed recharge by soil surface and riverbed infiltration in a deep groundwater depression zone in the North China Plain S. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3763-2026
- Sensitivity of montane grassland water fluxes to warming and elevated CO2 from local to catchment scale: A case study from the Austrian Alps M. Vremec et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.101970
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 02 Sep 2026
Short summary
Estimating groundwater recharge through the unsaturated zone is a difficult task that is fundamentally associated with uncertainties. One of the few methods available is inverse modeling based on soil water measurements. Here, we used a nested sampling algorithm within a Bayesian probabilistic framework to assess model uncertainties at 14 sites in Austria. Further, we analyzed simulated recharge rates to identify factors influencing groundwater recharge rates and their temporal variability.
Estimating groundwater recharge through the unsaturated zone is a difficult task that is...
