Field measurement and estimation of soil water and chemical transport in deep sands

Yvette Oliver

    Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

    58 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    [Truncated] Acidification caused by nitrate leaching is becoming an increasing concern in agricultural systems, particularly on deep sandy soils. To predict acidification in deep sands, the key question is whether changes to the cation-anion balance can be adequately modelled and monitored through time. In this study, a mechanistic modelling approach was used to investigate the transport of cations and nitrate under transient water flow conditions. Unsaturated flow was modelled using the Richards Equation and combined with the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) including cation selectivity terms to describe cation transport. The possibility of preferential flow was investigated by comparing output from the CDE with a modified form of the CDE referred to as the immobile-mobile model (MIM).

    A particular focus of this study was physical and chemical parameter measurement and estimation for water flow, solute transport and cation transport models. Laboratory measurements were performed on intact and repacked columns. Field measurements were performed in situ on deep ripped and unripped tillage treatments. A number of existing analytical hydraulic equations, as well as equations based on indirect relations for Australian soil, were compared. The subsequent effect of the different hydraulic equations, measurement techniques and farming treatment on the predicted water balance were compared with field measured data obtained by automated time domain reflectometry (TDR).
    Original languageEnglish
    QualificationDoctor of Philosophy
    Awarding Institution
    • The University of Western Australia
    DOIs
    Publication statusUnpublished - 2002

    Take-down notice

    • This thesis has been made available in the UWA Profiles and Research Repository as part of a UWA Library project to digitise and make available theses completed before 2003. If you are the author of this thesis and would like it removed from the UWA Profiles and Research Repository, please contact [email protected]

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Field measurement and estimation of soil water and chemical transport in deep sands'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this