WorldWideScience

Sample records for surface soil wetness

  1. Operational assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness at the Met Office

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Dharssi

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Currently, no extensive, near real time, global soil moisture observation network exists. Therefore, the Met Office global soil moisture analysis scheme has instead used observations of screen temperature and humidity. A number of new space-borne remote sensing systems, operating at microwave frequencies, have been developed that provide a more direct retrieval of surface soil moisture. These systems are attractive since they provide global data coverage and the horizontal resolution is similar to weather forecasting models. Several studies show that measurements of normalised backscatter (surface soil wetness from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT on the meteorological operational (MetOp satellite contain good quality information about surface soil moisture. This study describes methods to convert ASCAT surface soil wetness measurements to volumetric surface soil moisture together with bias correction and quality control. A computationally efficient nudging scheme is used to assimilate the ASCAT volumetric surface soil moisture data into the Met Office global soil moisture analysis. This ASCAT nudging scheme works alongside a soil moisture nudging scheme that uses observations of screen temperature and humidity. Trials, using the Met Office global Unified Model, of the ASCAT nudging scheme show a positive impact on forecasts of screen temperature and humidity for the tropics, North America and Australia. A comparison with in-situ soil moisture measurements from the US also indicates that assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness improves the soil moisture analysis. Assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness measurements became operational during July 2010.

  2. Wet-dry cycles impact DOM retention in subsurface soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olshansky, Yaniv; Root, Robert A.; Chorover, Jon

    2018-02-01

    Transport and reactivity of carbon in the critical zone are highly controlled by reactions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) with subsurface soils, including adsorption, transformation and exchange. These reactions are dependent on frequent wet-dry cycles common to the unsaturated zone, particularly in semi-arid regions. To test for an effect of wet-dry cycles on DOM interaction and stabilization in subsoils, samples were collected from subsurface (Bw) horizons of an Entisol and an Alfisol from the Catalina-Jemez Critical Zone Observatory and sequentially reacted (four batch steps) with DOM extracted from the corresponding soil litter layers. Between each reaction step, soils either were allowed to air dry (wet-dry treatment) before introduction of the following DOM solution or were maintained under constant wetness (continually wet treatment). Microbial degradation was the dominant mechanism of DOM loss from solution for the Entisol subsoil, which had higher initial organic C content, whereas sorptive retention predominated in the lower C Alfisol subsoil. For a given soil, bulk dissolved organic C losses from solution were similar across treatments. However, a combination of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopic analyses revealed that wet-dry treatments enhanced the interactions between carboxyl functional groups and soil particle surfaces. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) data suggested that cation bridging by Ca2+ was the primary mechanism for carboxyl association with soil surfaces. STXM data also showed that spatial fractionation of adsorbed OM on soil organo-mineral surfaces was diminished relative to what might be inferred from previously published observations pertaining to DOM fractionation on reaction with specimen mineral phases. This study provides direct evidence of the role of wet-dry cycles in affecting sorption reactions of DOM to a complex soil matrix. In the soil

  3. Effect of wetting-drying cycles on soil desiccation cracking behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tang Chao-Sheng

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Better understanding the desiccation cracking process is essential in analysing drought effects on soil hydraulic and mechanical properties through consideration of the atmosphere-ground interaction. Laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the consequence of wetting-drying cycles on the initiation and propagation characteristics of desiccation cracks on soil surface. Initially saturated slurry specimens were prepared and subjected to five subsequent wetting-drying cycles. Image processing technique was employed to quantitatively analyze the morphology characteristics of crack patterns formed during each drying path. The results show that the desiccation cracking behaviour of soil is significantly affected by the wetting-drying cycles. Before the third wetting-drying cycle is reached, the surface crack ratio and the average crack width increases while the average clod area decreases with increasing the number of wetting-drying cycles. The number of intersections and crack segments per unit area reaches the peak values after the second wetting-drying cycle. After the third wetting-drying cycle is reached, the effect of increasing wetting-drying cycles on crack patterns is insignificant. Moreover, it is observed that the applied wetting-drying cycles are accompanied by a continual reconstruction of soil structure. The initial homogenous slurry structure is completely replaced with aggregated structure after the third cycles, and a significant increase in the inter-aggregate porosity can be observed.

  4. The Impact of Wet Soil and Canopy Temperatures on Daytime Boundary-Layer Growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, M.; Garratt, J. R.; Kallos, G.; Pielke, R. A.

    1989-12-01

    The impact of very wet soil and canopy temperatures on the surface sensible heat flux, and on related daytime boundary-layer properties is evaluated. For very wet soils, two winter situations are considered, related to significant changes in soil surface temperature: (1) due to weather perturbations at a given location, and (2) due to the climatological north-south temperature gradient. Analyses and scaling of the various boundary-layer properties, and soil surface fluxes affecting the sensible beat flux, have been made; related evaluations show that changes in the sensible heat flux at a given location by a factor of 2 to 3 due to temperature changes related to weather perturbations is not uncommon. These changes result in significant alterations in the boundary-layer depth; in the atmospheric boundary-layer warming; and in the break-up time of the nocturnal surface temperature inversion. Investigation of the impact of the winter latitudinal temperature gradient on the above characteristics indicated that the relative increase in very wet soil sensible heat flux, due to the climatological reduction in the surface temperature in northern latitudes, moderates to some extent its reduction due to the corresponding decrease in solar radiation. Numerical model simulations confirmed these analytical evaluations.In addition, the impact of synoptic temperature perturbations during the transition seasons (fall and spring) on canopy sensible heal fluxes, and the related boundary-layer characteristics mentioned above, was evaluated. Analogous features to those found for very wet soil surfaces occurred also for the canopy situations. Likewise, evaluations were also carried out to explore the impact of high midlatitude foreste areas on the boundary-layer characteristics during the winter as compared to those during the summer. Similar impacts were found in both seasons, regardless of the substantial difference in the daily total solar radiation.

  5. Microbial community composition of transiently wetted Antarctic Dry Valley soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niederberger, Thomas D; Sohm, Jill A; Gunderson, Troy E; Parker, Alexander E; Tirindelli, Joëlle; Capone, Douglas G; Carpenter, Edward J; Cary, Stephen C

    2015-01-01

    During the summer months, wet (hyporheic) soils associated with ephemeral streams and lake edges in the Antarctic Dry Valleys (DVs) become hotspots of biological activity and are hypothesized to be an important source of carbon and nitrogen for arid DV soils. Recent research in the DV has focused on the geochemistry and microbial ecology of lakes and arid soils, with substantially less information being available on hyporheic soils. Here, we determined the unique properties of hyporheic microbial communities, resolved their relationship to environmental parameters and compared them to archetypal arid DV soils. Generally, pH increased and chlorophyll a concentrations decreased along transects from wet to arid soils (9.0 to ~7.0 for pH and ~0.8 to ~5 μg/cm(3) for chlorophyll a, respectively). Soil water content decreased to below ~3% in the arid soils. Community fingerprinting-based principle component analyses revealed that bacterial communities formed distinct clusters specific to arid and wet soils; however, eukaryotic communities that clustered together did not have similar soil moisture content nor did they group together based on sampling location. Collectively, rRNA pyrosequencing indicated a considerably higher abundance of Cyanobacteria in wet soils and a higher abundance of Acidobacterial, Actinobacterial, Deinococcus/Thermus, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospira, and Planctomycetes in arid soils. The two most significant differences at the genus level were Gillisia signatures present in arid soils and chloroplast signatures related to Streptophyta that were common in wet soils. Fungal dominance was observed in arid soils and Viridiplantae were more common in wet soils. This research represents an in-depth characterization of microbial communities inhabiting wet DV soils. Results indicate that the repeated wetting of hyporheic zones has a profound impact on the bacterial and eukaryotic communities inhabiting in these areas.

  6. Assimilation of Soil Wetness Index and Leaf Area Index into the ISBA-A-gs land surface model: grassland case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. L. Barbu

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The performance of the joint assimilation in a land surface model of a Soil Wetness Index (SWI product provided by an exponential filter together with Leaf Area Index (LAI is investigated. The data assimilation is evaluated with different setups using the SURFEX modeling platform, for a period of seven years (2001–2007, at the SMOSREX grassland site in southwestern France. The results obtained with a Simplified Extended Kalman Filter demonstrate the effectiveness of a joint data assimilation scheme when both SWI and Leaf Area Index are merged into the ISBA-A-gs land surface model. The assimilation of a retrieved Soil Wetness Index product presents several challenges that are investigated in this study. A significant improvement of around 13 % of the root-zone soil water content is obtained by assimilating dimensionless root-zone SWI data. For comparison, the assimilation of in situ surface soil moisture is considered as well. A lower impact on the root zone is noticed. Under specific conditions, the transfer of the information from the surface to the root zone was found not accurate. Also, our results indicate that the assimilation of in situ LAI data may correct a number of deficiencies in the model, such as low LAI values in the senescence phase by using a seasonal-dependent error definition for background and observations. In order to verify the specification of the errors for SWI and LAI products, a posteriori diagnostics are employed. This approach highlights the importance of the assimilation design on the quality of the analysis. The impact of data assimilation scheme on CO2 fluxes is also quantified by using measurements of net CO2 fluxes gathered at the SMOSREX site from 2005 to 2007. An improvement of about 5 % in terms of rms error is obtained.

  7. On the remote measurement of evaporation rates from bare wet soil under variable cloud cover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auer, S.

    1976-01-01

    Evaporation rates from a natural wet soil surface are calculated from an energy balance equation at 0.1-hour intervals. A procedure is developed for calculating the heat flux through the soil surface from a harmonic analysis of the surface temperature curve. The evaporation integrated over an entire 24-hour period is compared with daily evaporation rates obtained from published models.

  8. The contact angle of wetting of the solid phase of soil before and after chemical modification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tyugai Zemfira

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Wettability of soil affects a wide variety of processes including infiltration, preferential flow and surface runoff. Wettability of surface is usually expressed in terms of contact angle (CA measurement. If the CA between liquid and solid surface is less than 90°, the surface is called hydrophilic, otherwise the surface is called hydrophobic. If the CA of water droplet on hydrophilic surface is in a range of 0-30° this surface is called superhydrophilic. In case of superhydrophobic surfaces the CA exceeds 150° that means that these surfaces are extremely difficult to wet. CA of wetting of mineral soil particles depends on the overlying organic and iron compounds. The object of study is a sample of the humus-accumulative horizon of typical chernozem (Kursk, Russia and two samples (horizons A1, B2 of red ferrallitic soils (Fr. Norfolk, NE Oceania. The soil samples were analyzed for organic carbon, forms of non-silicate iron and hydrophobic-hydrophilic composition of humic substances. CA of wetting was determined in the intact samples and after removal of organic matter (H2O2 treatment, amorphous and crystallized forms of iron. Static contact angles were determined with the sessile drop method using a digital goniometer (Drop Shape Analysis System, DSA100, Krüss GmbH, Hamburg, Germany. The contact angle was calculated by the Young–Laplace method (fitting of Young–Laplace equation to the drop shape. The measurements were repeated 10-15 times for every sample. Oxidation of organic matter (H2O2 treatment causes an increase in the values of CA of wetting (in chernozem from 9.3 to 28,0-29.5º, in ferrallitic soil from 18.0 − 27.3 to 22.4 − 33.4º. CA remained constant for chernozem and slightly decreased in the case of ferrallitic soil, when the removal of amorphous and crystallized forms of iron was performed on samples pretreated with H2O2. CA increase occurs after successive removal of nonsilicate forms of iron from soil samples of

  9. Defined wetting properties of optical surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felde, Nadja; Coriand, Luisa; Schröder, Sven; Duparré, Angela; Tünnermann, Andreas

    2017-10-01

    Optical surfaces equipped with specific functional properties have attracted increasing importance over the last decades. In the light of cost reduction, hydrophobic self-cleaning behavior is aspired. On the other side, hydrophilic properties are interesting due to their anti-fog effect. It has become well known that such wetting states are significantly affected by the surface morphology. For optical surfaces, however, this fact poses a problem, as surface roughness can induce light scattering. The generation of optical surfaces with specific wetting properties, hence, requires a profound understanding of the relation between the wetting and the structural surface properties. Thus, our work concentrates on a reliable acquisition of roughness data over a wide spatial frequency range as well as on the comprehensive description of the wetting states, which is needed for the establishment of such correlations. We will present our advanced wetting analysis for nanorough optical surfaces, extended by a vibration-based procedure, which is mainly for understanding and tailoring the wetting behavior of various solid-liquid systems in research and industry. Utilizing the relationships between surface roughness and wetting, it will be demonstrated how different wetting states for hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity can be realized on optical surfaces with minimized scatter losses.

  10. Physical Properties of Sandy Soil Affected by Soil Conditioner Under Wetting and Drying cycles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.I. Choudhary

    1998-06-01

    Full Text Available Information on the effectiveness of soil conditioners over a prolonged period is scarce. A laboratory experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a polyacrylamide (Broadleaf P4 soil conditioner on the physical properties of sandy soil subjected to wetting and drying cycles. Four concentrations of Broadleaf P4 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% on dry weight basis were uniformly mixed with a calcareous sandy soil. Addition of Broadleaf P4 to sandy soil increased the water holding capacity, decreased the bulk density, and increased the porosity and void ratio at 0 and 16 wetting and drying cycles. The coefficient of linear extensibility increased considerably with increasing concentrations of the polymer. The addition of polymer at 0 and 16 cycles increased considerably the retention and availability of water in sandy soil. Saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased with increasing concentrations of Broadleaf P4 whereas unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 0 and 16 cycles showed an increase with increasing soil moisture contents. After I6 wetting and drying cycles, the capacity of the soil to hold water was lost on average by 15.8% when compared to the 0 wetting and drying cycle. The effectiveness of the soil conditioner on bulk density, coefficient of linear extensibility, available water and saturated hydraulic conductivity was reduced on average by 14.1, 24.5, 21.l and 53.7% respectively. The significant changes in soil properties between 0 and 16 cycles suggested that the effectiveness of the conditioner decreased with the application of wetting and drying cycles. However, its effect was still considerable when compared to untreated soil under laboratory conditions.

  11. Advance of Wetting Front in Silt Loam Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Mahmood

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Under drip irrigation , the plant's root is concentrated inside the wetted bulb (region. Thus, the development of these roots and the plant production are greatly affected by the wetting pattern. Therefore, the wetting pattern of soil under drip irrigation must be taken into consideration in the design of drip irrigation system for both single dripping source or multi-overlapping wetting patterns of dripping water sources.2The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of initial water content of the soil and spacing between two adjacent dripping sources with different flow rate on the movement of the wetting front.This study included 16 tests for monitoring the advancement of the wetting front with time during and after the water application phase. The water advance and water distribution measurement are carried out for two cases of the soil profile: for the first case with initial volumetric water content of 4.08% and for the second case with initial volumetric water content of 12.24%. Two spacing between the emitter were tested 25cm and 50 cm using application flow rates of 0.606, 1.212, 1.818, and 2.424 cm3 /min/cm to show the combined effect of spacing and flow rate on the performance of two adjacent emitter.The study proposed a method for determining the spacing between the two emitting sources , the water application rate and watering time. The proposed method depends on a wetted zone whose depth is equal to the root zone depth with a values equals to the maximum vertical advance of the wetting front underneath the drip line at time when this depth is equal to the depth of wetting at mid­point between the drip line. the study revealed that both the vertical water advance in soil underneath the emitter and the horizontal advance of the wetting front is larger than those in the case of single emitter.Furthermore, the vertical water advance increases with the decrease spacing between the two drip lines. Also, the horizontal advance of the

  12. To the vibrational over wetting and liquefaction effects in moistured soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karimov, F.H.; Oripov, G.O.; Saidov, R.M.; Tojibekov, M.

    2003-01-01

    There is a lot of evidence of the dynamical effects in soils when they become wetted or during or after the earthquakes or explosions. There are some quantitative estimates for the vibrational wetting and liquefaction of soils under consideration. For the models in the present research the moistured sands and weak soils like losses are accepted. The first model is focusing on soil fractures sliding down under the action of vibrations, tightening of a hard phase, squeezing water phase out and thus bringing to soil liquefaction. The second is based on soil fractures plunging at the action of vibrations into the aquatic background. This mechanism seems to be more effective for the high degree moistured soils. The third mechanism is based on capillary phenomena in moistured porous medium. When inertia forces are large enough the resultant force, consisting of sliding down gravity component and inertia forces, overcomes friction and fracture becomes unstable. Both vibrations amplitude and frequency are the stability controlling factors, playing an important role in the vibrational wetting and liquefaction effects through porous water phase squeezing out or capillary lifting phenomena leading to the wetting or liquefaction of the medium. (author)

  13. Characterization of wet aggregate stability of soils by ¹H-NMR relaxometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchmann, C; Meyer, M; Schaumann, G E

    2015-09-01

    For the assessment of soil structural stability against hydraulic stress, wet sieving or constant head permeability tests are typically used but rather limited in their intrinsic information value. The multiple applications of several tests is the only possibility to assess important processes and mechanisms during soil aggregate breakdown, e.g. the influences of soil fragment release or differential swelling on the porous systems of soils or soil aggregate columns. Consequently, the development of new techniques for a faster and more detailed wet aggregate stability assessment is required. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry ((1)H-NMR relaxometry) might provide these requirements because it has already been successfully applied on soils. We evaluated the potential of (1)H-NMR relaxometry for the assessment of wet aggregate stability of soils, with more detailed information on occurring mechanisms at the same time. Therefore, we conducted single wet sieving and constant head permeability tests on untreated and 1% polyacrylic acid-treated soil aggregates of different textures and organic matter contents, subsequently measured by (1)H-NMR relaxometry after percolation. The stability of the soil aggregates were mainly depending on their organic matter contents and the type of aggregate stabilization, whereby additional effects of clay swelling on the measured wet aggregate stability were identified by the transverse relaxation time (T2) distributions. Regression analyses showed that only the percentage of water stable aggregates could be determined accurately from percolated soil aggregate columns by (1)H-NMR relaxometry measurements. (1)H-NMR relaxometry seems a promising technique for wet aggregate stability measurements but should be further developed for nonpercolated aggregate columns and real soil samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Effect of land management models on soil erosion in wet tropical cacao plantations in Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Suhardi

    2017-01-01

    Indonesia is one of the world???s largest cocoa exporters and is located in a tropical wet region. In tropical regions, surface run off is a major factor behind the occurrence of erosion-driven land degradation. Both land slope and land cover influence the magnitude of surface run off and soil erosion. Cocoa plants are generally cultivated on land that has a steep slope without regard to existing land cover conditions resulting in a susceptibility to soil erosion. The purpose of this resea...

  15. Variation of runoff source areas under different soil wetness ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-04-03

    Apr 3, 2018 ... and dry antecedent soil wetness (the dominant soil moisture ... the initial abstraction of rainfall to be equal to 20% of the maximum potential soil water ...... ZAREI H (2012) Baseflow separation using isotopic techniques and.

  16. How internal drainage affects evaporation dynamics from soil surfaces ?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Or, D.; Lehmann, P.; Sommer, M.

    2017-12-01

    Following rainfall, infiltrated water may be redistributed internally to larger depths or lost to the atmosphere by evaporation (and by plant uptake from depths at longer time scales). A large fraction of evaporative losses from terrestrial surfaces occurs during stage1 evaporation during which phase change occurs at the wet surface supplied by capillary flow from the soil. Recent studies have shown existence of a soil-dependent characteristic length below which capillary continuity is disrupted and a drastic shift to slower stage 2 evaporation ensues. Internal drainage hastens this transition and affect evaporative losses. To predict the transition to stage 2 and associated evaporative losses, we developed an analytical solution for evaporation dynamics with concurrent internal drainage. Expectedly, evaporative losses are suppressed when drainage is considered to different degrees depending on soil type and wetness. We observe that high initial water content supports rapid drainage and thus promotes the sheltering of soil water below the evaporation depth. The solution and laboratory experiments confirm nonlinear relationship between initial water content and total evaporative losses. The concept contributes to establishing bounds on regional surface evaporation considering rainfall characteristics and soil types.

  17. Wetting characteristics of 3-dimensional nanostructured fractal surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Ethan; Liu, Ying; Jiang, Lijia; Lu, Yongfeng; Ndao, Sidy

    2017-01-01

    This article reports the fabrication and wetting characteristics of 3-dimensional nanostructured fractal surfaces (3DNFS). Three distinct 3DNFS surfaces, namely cubic, Romanesco broccoli, and sphereflake were fabricated using two-photon direct laser writing. Contact angle measurements were performed on the multiscale fractal surfaces to characterize their wetting properties. Average contact angles ranged from 66.8° for the smooth control surface to 0° for one of the fractal surfaces. The change in wetting behavior was attributed to modification of the interfacial surface properties due to the inclusion of 3-dimensional hierarchical fractal nanostructures. However, this behavior does not exactly obey existing surface wetting models in the literature. Potential applications for these types of surfaces in physical and biological sciences are also discussed.

  18. Influence of soil surface structure on simulated infiltration and subsequent evaporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verplancke, H.; Hartmann, R.; Boodt, M. de

    1983-01-01

    A laboratory rainfall and evaporation experiment was conducted to study the effectiveness of the soil surface structure on infiltration and subsequent evaporation. The stability of the surface layer was improved through the application of synthetic additives such as bituminous emulsion and a prepolymer of polyurea (Uresol). The soil column where the soil surface was treated with a bituminous emulsion shows a decrease in depth of wetting owing to the water repellency of that additive, and consequently an increased runoff. However, the application of Uresol to the surface layer improved the infiltration. The main reason for these differences is that in the untreated soils there is a greater clogging of macropores originating from aggregate breakdown under raindrop impact in the top layer. The evaporation experiment started after all columns were wetted to a similar soil-water content and was carried out in a controlled environmental tunnel. Soil-water content profiles were established during evaporation by means of a fully automatic γ-ray scanner. It appears that in both treatments the cumulative evaporation was less than in the untreated soil. This was due to the effect of an aggregated and stabilized surface layer. Under a treated soil surface the evaporation remains constant during the whole experiment. However, under an untreated soil surface different evaporation stages were recorded. From these experiments the impression is gained that the effect of aggregating the soil surface is an increase of the saturated hydraulic conductivity under conditions near saturation. On the other hand, a finely structured layer exhibits a greater hydraulic conductivity during evaporation in the lower soil-water potential range than a coarsely aggregated layer. So it may be concluded that, to obtain the maximum benefit from the available water - optimal water conservation - much attention must be given to the aggregation of the top soil and its stability. (author)

  19. Water regime history drives responses of soil Namib Desert microbial communities to wetting events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frossard, Aline; Ramond, Jean-Baptiste; Seely, Mary; Cowan, Don A.

    2015-07-01

    Despite the dominance of microorganisms in arid soils, the structures and functional dynamics of microbial communities in hot deserts remain largely unresolved. The effects of wetting event frequency and intensity on Namib Desert microbial communities from two soils with different water-regime histories were tested over 36 days. A total of 168 soil microcosms received wetting events mimicking fog, light rain and heavy rainfall, with a parallel “dry condition” control. T-RFLP data showed that the different wetting events affected desert microbial community structures, but these effects were attenuated by the effects related to the long-term adaptation of both fungal and bacterial communities to soil origins (i.e. soil water regime histories). The intensity of the water pulses (i.e. the amount of water added) rather than the frequency of wetting events had greatest effect in shaping bacterial and fungal community structures. In contrast to microbial diversity, microbial activities (enzyme activities) showed very little response to the wetting events and were mainly driven by soil origin. This experiment clearly demonstrates the complexity of microbial community responses to wetting events in hyperarid hot desert soil ecosystems and underlines the dynamism of their indigenous microbial communities.

  20. Movement of Irrigation Water in Soil from a Surface Emitter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibrahim Abbas Dawood

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available rickle irrigation is one of the most conservative irrigation techniques since it implies supplying water directly on the soil through emitters. Emitters dissipate energy of water at the end of the trickle irrigation system and provide water at emission points. The area wetted by an emitter depends upon the discharge of emitter, soil texture, initial soil water content, and soil permeability. The objectives of this research were to predict water distribution profiles through different soils for different conditions and quantify the distribution profiles in terms of main characteristics of soil and emitter. The wetting patterns were simulated at the end of each hour for a total time of application of 12 hrs, emitter discharges of 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lph, and five initial volumetric soil water contents. Simulation of water flow from a single surface emitter was carried out by using the numerically-based software Hydrus-2D/3D, Version 2.04. Two approaches were used in developing formulas to predict the domains of the wetted pattern. In order to verify the results obtained by implementing the software Hydrus-2D/3D a field experiment was conducted to measure the wetted diameter and compare measured values with simulated ones. The results of the research showed that the developed formulas to express the wetted diameter and depth in terms of emitter discharge, time of application, and initial soil water content are very general and can be used with very good accuracy.

  1. Development of a soil water dispersion index (SOWADIN) for testing the effectiveness of a soil-wetting agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Y.; Aylmore, L.A.G.; Hainsworth, J.M.

    1989-01-01

    Computer-assisted tomography (CAT) applied to gamma-ray attenuation measurement has been used to develop an index termed the soil water dispersion index (SOWADIN), which describes quantitatively the amount and distribution of water in soil columns. The index, which is determined by classifying pixels in a scanned slice into three categories according to their attenuation coefficients, contains two numerical values. The first value corresponds to the water content of the scanned slice and the second value is a measure of the dispersion of the water throughout the slice. Artificially wetted zones were created in soil columns to give one-third of the scanned layer wetted with various patterns of wetted-area distribution. The SOWADIN values obtained accurately reflected the differences in water distribution associated with the different patterns. Application of SOWADIN to columns of a water-repellent sand before and after treatment with a soil-wetting agent clearly illustrates both the increase in water content and improvement in water distribution in the soil column following treatment. 33 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  2. Monitoring soil wetness variations by means of satellite passive microwave observations: the HYDROPTIMET study cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Lacava

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Soil moisture is an important component of the hydrological cycle. In the framework of modern flood warning systems, the knowledge of soil moisture is crucial, due to the influence on the soil response in terms of infiltration-runoff. Precipitation-runoff processes, in fact, are related to catchment's hydrological conditions before the precipitation. Thus, an estimation of these conditions is of significant importance to improve the reliability of flood warning systems. Combining such information with other weather-related satellite products (i.e. rain rate estimation might represent a useful exercise in order to improve our capability to handle (and possibly mitigate or prevent hydro-geological hazards. Remote sensing, in the last few years, has supported several techniques for soil moisture/wetness monitoring. Most of the satellite-based techniques use microwave data, thanks to the all-weather and all-time capability of these data, as well as to their high sensitivity to water content in the soil. On the other hand, microwave data are unfortunately highly affected by the presence of surface roughness or vegetation coverage within the instantaneous satellite field of view (IFOV. Those problems, consequently, strongly limit the efficiency and the reliability of traditional satellite techniques. Recently, using data coming from AMSU (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit, flying aboard NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites, a new methodology for soil wetness estimation has been proposed. The proposed index, called Soil Wetness Variation Index (SWVI, developed by a multi-temporal analysis of AMSU records, seems able to reduce the problems related to vegetation and/or roughness effects. Such an approach has been tested, with promising results, on the analysis of some flooding events which occurred in Europe in the past. In this study, results achieved for the HYDROPTIMET test cases will be analysed and discussed in detail

  3. [Effects of soil wetting pattern on the soil water-thermal environment and cotton root water consumption under mulched drip irrigation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dong-wei; Li, Ming-si; Liu, Dong; Lyu, Mou-chao; Jia, Yan-hui

    2015-08-01

    Abstract: To explore the effects of soil wetting pattern on soil water-thermal environment and water consumption of cotton root under mulched drip irrigation, a field experiment with three drip intensities (1.69, 3.46 and 6.33 L · h(-1)), was carried out in Shihezi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The soil matric potential, soil temperature, cotton root distribution and water consumption were measured during the growing period of cotton. The results showed that the main factor influencing the soil temperature of cotton under plastic mulch was sunlight. There was no significant difference in the soil temperature and root water uptake under different treatments. The distribution of soil matrix suction in cotton root zone under plastic mulch was more homogeneous under ' wide and shallow' soil wetting pattern (W633). Under the 'wide and shallow' soil wetting pattern, the average difference of cotton root water consumption between inner row and outer row was 0.67 mm · d(-1), which was favorable to the cotton growing trimly at both inner and outer rows; for the 'narrow and deep' soil wetting pattern (W169), the same index was 0.88 mm · d(-1), which was unfavorable to cotton growing uniformly at both inner and outer rows. So, we should select the broad-shallow type soil wetting pattern in the design of drip irrigation under mulch.

  4. Wetting characteristics of 3-dimensional nanostructured fractal surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, Ethan, E-mail: ethan.davis4@huskers.unl.edu [Nano & Microsystems Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, W342 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0526 (United States); Liu, Ying; Jiang, Lijia; Lu, Yongfeng [Laser Assisted Nano Engineering Lab, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 209N Scott Engineering Center, Lincoln, NE 68588-0511 (United States); Ndao, Sidy, E-mail: sndao2@unl.edu [Nano & Microsystems Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, W342 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0526 (United States)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Hierarchically structured surfaces were fabricated on the micro/nano-scale. • These structures reduced the contact angle of the inherently hydrophilic material. • Similar surfaces have applications in two-phase heat transfer and microfluidics. - Abstract: This article reports the fabrication and wetting characteristics of 3-dimensional nanostructured fractal surfaces (3DNFS). Three distinct 3DNFS surfaces, namely cubic, Romanesco broccoli, and sphereflake were fabricated using two-photon direct laser writing. Contact angle measurements were performed on the multiscale fractal surfaces to characterize their wetting properties. Average contact angles ranged from 66.8° for the smooth control surface to 0° for one of the fractal surfaces. The change in wetting behavior was attributed to modification of the interfacial surface properties due to the inclusion of 3-dimensional hierarchical fractal nanostructures. However, this behavior does not exactly obey existing surface wetting models in the literature. Potential applications for these types of surfaces in physical and biological sciences are also discussed.

  5. Wetting characteristics of 3-dimensional nanostructured fractal surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, Ethan; Liu, Ying; Jiang, Lijia; Lu, Yongfeng; Ndao, Sidy

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Hierarchically structured surfaces were fabricated on the micro/nano-scale. • These structures reduced the contact angle of the inherently hydrophilic material. • Similar surfaces have applications in two-phase heat transfer and microfluidics. - Abstract: This article reports the fabrication and wetting characteristics of 3-dimensional nanostructured fractal surfaces (3DNFS). Three distinct 3DNFS surfaces, namely cubic, Romanesco broccoli, and sphereflake were fabricated using two-photon direct laser writing. Contact angle measurements were performed on the multiscale fractal surfaces to characterize their wetting properties. Average contact angles ranged from 66.8° for the smooth control surface to 0° for one of the fractal surfaces. The change in wetting behavior was attributed to modification of the interfacial surface properties due to the inclusion of 3-dimensional hierarchical fractal nanostructures. However, this behavior does not exactly obey existing surface wetting models in the literature. Potential applications for these types of surfaces in physical and biological sciences are also discussed.

  6. Prediction of the wetting-induced collapse behaviour using the soil-water characteristic curve

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Wan-Li; Li, Ping; Vanapalli, Sai K.; Wang, Jia-Ding

    2018-01-01

    Collapsible soils go through three distinct phases in response to matric suction decrease during wetting: pre-collapse phase, collapse phase and post-collapse phase. It is reasonable and conservative to consider a strain path that includes a pre-collapse phase in which constant volume is maintained and a collapse phase that extends to the final matric suction to be experienced by collapsible soils during wetting. Upon this assumption, a method is proposed for predicting the collapse behaviour due to wetting. To use the proposed method, two parameters, critical suction and collapse rate, are required. The former is the suction value below which significant collapse deformations take place in response to matric suction decease, and the later is the rate at which void ratio reduces with matric suction in the collapse phase. The value of critical suction can be estimated from the water-entry value taking account of both the microstructure characteristics and collapse mechanism of fine-grained collapsible soils; the wetting soil-water characteristic curve thus can be used as a tool. Five sets of data of wetting tests on both compacted and natural collapsible soils reported in the literature were used to validate the proposed method. The critical suction values were estimated from the water-entry value with parameter a that is suggested to vary between 0.10 and 0.25 for compacted soils and to be lower for natural collapsible soils. The results of a field permeation test in collapsible loess soils were also used to validate the proposed method. The relatively good agreement between the measured and estimated collapse deformations suggests that the proposed method can provide reasonable prediction of the collapse behaviour due to wetting.

  7. Doubly Reentrant Cavities Prevent Catastrophic Wetting Transitions on Intrinsically Wetting Surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Domingues, Eddy

    2017-06-05

    Omniphobic surfaces, i.e. which repel all known liquids, have proven of value in applications ranging from membrane distillation to underwater drag reduction. A limitation of currently employed omniphobic surfaces is that they rely on perfluorinated coatings, increasing cost and environmental impact, and preventing applications in harsh environments. There is, thus, a keen interest in rendering conventional materials, such as plastics, omniphobic by micro/nano-texturing rather than via chemical make-up, with notable success having been achieved for silica surfaces with doubly reentrant micropillars. However, we found a critical limitation of microtextures comprising of pillars that they undergo catastrophic wetting transitions (apparent contact angles, θr → 0° from θr > 90°) in the presence of localized physical damages/defects or on immersion in wetting liquids. In response, a doubly reentrant cavity microtexture is introduced, which can prevent catastrophic wetting transitions in the presence of localized structural damage/defects or on immersion in wetting liquids. Remarkably, our silica surfaces with doubly reentrant cavities could exhibited apparent contact angles, θr ≈ 135° for mineral oil, where the intrinsic contact angle, θo ≈ 20°. Further, when immersed in mineral oil or water, doubly reentrant microtextures in silica (θo ≈ 40° for water) were not penetrated even after several days of investigation. Thus, microtextures comprising of doubly reentrant cavities might enable applications of conventional materials without chemical modifications, especially in scenarios that are prone to localized damages or immersion in wetting liquids, e.g. hydrodynamic drag reduction and membrane distillation.

  8. Soil water retention curves of remoulded clay on drying and wetting paths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Xiwei; Zhang Jian

    2010-01-01

    The present research focuses on the laboratory measurement of the Soil Water Retention Curve (SWRC), that expresses the relationship between water content (gravimetric or volumetric) or degree of saturation and soil suction. The SWRC plays an important role in an unsaturated soil mechanics framework and is required for the numerical modelling of any process of flow and transport in unsaturated soil problems, already as a part of constitutive model of unsaturated soil. Six remoulded London Clay samples were performed SWRC testing on the drying and wetting path, meanwhile measurement the volume change. The effect of initial water content and various drying/wetting paths were considered in the tests. The results of SWRC show that hysteretic characteristic in boundary drying/wetting curve, the water holding capacity was increased due to the increase of the initial water content. The shape of the SWRC strongly depended on the volume change. (authors)

  9. Negative soil moisture-precipitation feedback in dry and wet regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lingbin; Sun, Guoqing; Zhi, Lu; Zhao, Jianjun

    2018-03-05

    Soil moisture-precipitation (SM-P) feedback significantly influences the terrestrial water and energy cycles. However, the sign of the feedback and the associated physical mechanism have been debated, leaving a research gap regarding global water and climate changes. Based on Koster's framework, we estimate SM-P feedback using satellite remote sensing and ground observation data sets. Methodologically, the sign of the feedback is identified by the correlation between monthly soil moisture and next-month precipitation. The physical mechanism is investigated through coupling precipitation and soil moisture (P-SM), soil moisture ad evapotranspiration (SM-E) and evapotranspiration and precipitation (E-P) correlations. Our results demonstrate that although positive SM-P feedback is predominant over land, non-negligible negative feedback occurs in dry and wet regions. Specifically, 43.75% and 40.16% of the negative feedback occurs in the arid and humid climate zones. Physically, negative SM-P feedback depends on the SM-E correlation. In dry regions, evapotranspiration change is soil moisture limited. In wet regions, evapotranspiration change is energy limited. We conclude that the complex SM-E correlation results in negative SM-P feedback in dry and wet regions, and the cause varies based on the environmental and climatic conditions.

  10. Role of wetting and drying cycles in formation and growth of soil aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghezzehei, T. A.; Lopez, J. P.

    2009-12-01

    Soil structure directly determines important soil physical properties including porosity, hydraulic conductivity, water retention, and mechanical strength and indirectly influences most biological and chemical processes that occur in and around soil. In response to the various processes that occur within it, soil structure evolves continuously at multiple spatial and temporal scales. We hypothesize that the rhythm of the evolution is controlled by wetting and drying cycles. Here, we will present a mathematical description of the role of wetting and drying cycles in the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates with emphasis on two important roles of wetting and drying cycles: (1) transport and deposition of organic and inorganic cementing agents at the most effective locations, (2) chemical and physical alteration of cementing agents during desiccation and the resultant semi-permanent bonding (or bond hardening). Our results demonstrate that size and strength of aggregates are determined by particle size, degree of dryness, number of wetting-drying cycles, as well as concentration and solubility of dissolved and/or colloidal cementing agents. These results are in general agreement with experimental observations obtained from the literature.

  11. Calculating Soil Wetness, Evapotranspiration and Carbon Cycle Processes Over Large Grid Areas Using a New Scaling Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellers, Piers

    2012-01-01

    Soil wetness typically shows great spatial variability over the length scales of general circulation model (GCM) grid areas (approx 100 km ), and the functions relating evapotranspiration and photosynthetic rate to local-scale (approx 1 m) soil wetness are highly non-linear. Soil respiration is also highly dependent on very small-scale variations in soil wetness. We therefore expect significant inaccuracies whenever we insert a single grid area-average soil wetness value into a function to calculate any of these rates for the grid area. For the particular case of evapotranspiration., this method - use of a grid-averaged soil wetness value - can also provoke severe oscillations in the evapotranspiration rate and soil wetness under some conditions. A method is presented whereby the probability distribution timction(pdf) for soil wetness within a grid area is represented by binning. and numerical integration of the binned pdf is performed to provide a spatially-integrated wetness stress term for the whole grid area, which then permits calculation of grid area fluxes in a single operation. The method is very accurate when 10 or more bins are used, can deal realistically with spatially variable precipitation, conserves moisture exactly and allows for precise modification of the soil wetness pdf after every time step. The method could also be applied to other ecological problems where small-scale processes must be area-integrated, or upscaled, to estimate fluxes over large areas, for example in treatments of the terrestrial carbon budget or trace gas generation.

  12. Electrostatic cloaking of surface structure for dynamic wetting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiomi, Junichiro; Nita, Satoshi; Do-Quang, Minh; Wang, Jiayu; Chen, Yu-Chung; Suzuki, Yuji; Amberg, Gustav

    2017-11-01

    Dynamic wetting problems are fundamental to the understanding of the interaction between liquids and solids. Even in a superficially simple experimental situation, such as a droplet spreading over a dry surface, the result may depend not only on the liquid properties but also strongly on the substrate-surface properties; even for macroscopically smooth surfaces, the microscopic geometrical roughness can be important. In addition, as surfaces may often be naturally charged, or electric fields are used to manipulate fluids, electric effects are crucial components that influence wetting phenomena. Here we investigate the interplay between electric forces and surface structures in dynamic wetting. While surface microstructures can significantly hinder the spreading, we find that the electrostatics can ``cloak'' the microstructures, i.e. deactivate the hindering. We identify the physics in terms of reduction in contact-line friction, which makes the dynamic wetting inertial force dominant and insensitive to the substrate properties. This work was financially supported in part by, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

  13. Soil structure restoration by wet/dry cycles assessed by computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pires, L.F. [Univ. of Sao Paulo, Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

    2005-07-01

    Some studies have shown that soil structures can be restored through the sequence of wetting and drying cycles. These cycles causes changes in the soil pore system, which is very important to agriculture, because directly affect plant growth by root penetration, retention and movement of water and gases. The aim of this study was to follow by gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) the effect of soil wetting/drying process on the soil structure repairing of samples collected in cylinders. A first-generation tomograph with an {sup 241}Am source and a 7.62 x 7.62 cm NaI(Tl) scintillation crystal detector coupled to a photomultiplier tube was employed. Image analysis and tomographic unit profiles show that CT can provide an insight to sample structure restoration, which helps to have a better comprehension of soil physical hydraulic phenomena. (author)

  14. Soil structure restoration by wet/dry cycles assessed by computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pires, L.F.

    2005-01-01

    Some studies have shown that soil structures can be restored through the sequence of wetting and drying cycles. These cycles causes changes in the soil pore system, which is very important to agriculture, because directly affect plant growth by root penetration, retention and movement of water and gases. The aim of this study was to follow by gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) the effect of soil wetting/drying process on the soil structure repairing of samples collected in cylinders. A first-generation tomograph with an 241 Am source and a 7.62 x 7.62 cm NaI(Tl) scintillation crystal detector coupled to a photomultiplier tube was employed. Image analysis and tomographic unit profiles show that CT can provide an insight to sample structure restoration, which helps to have a better comprehension of soil physical hydraulic phenomena. (author)

  15. Bio-Inspired Extreme Wetting Surfaces for Biomedical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Sera; Seo, Jungmok; Han, Heetak; Kang, Subin; Kim, Hyunchul; Lee, Taeyoon

    2016-01-01

    Biological creatures with unique surface wettability have long served as a source of inspiration for scientists and engineers. More specifically, materials exhibiting extreme wetting properties, such as superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces, have attracted considerable attention because of their potential use in various applications, such as self-cleaning fabrics, anti-fog windows, anti-corrosive coatings, drag-reduction systems, and efficient water transportation. In particular, the engineering of surface wettability by manipulating chemical properties and structure opens emerging biomedical applications ranging from high-throughput cell culture platforms to biomedical devices. This review describes design and fabrication methods for artificial extreme wetting surfaces. Next, we introduce some of the newer and emerging biomedical applications using extreme wetting surfaces. Current challenges and future prospects of the surfaces for potential biomedical applications are also addressed. PMID:28787916

  16. Wetting of real surfaces

    CERN Document Server

    Bormashenko, Edward Yu

    2013-01-01

    The problem of wetting and drop dynamics on various surfaces is very interesting from both the scientificas well as thepractical viewpoint, and subject of intense research.The results are scattered across papers in journals, sothis workwill meet the need for a unifying, comprehensive work.

  17. Dynamics of Wetting of Ultra Hydrophobic Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammad Karim, Alireza; Kim, Jeong-Hyun; Rothstein, Jonathan; Kavehpour, Pirouz; Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Collaboration

    2013-11-01

    Controlling the surface wettability of hydrophobic and super hydrophobic surfaces has extensive industrial applications ranging from coating, painting and printing technology and waterproof clothing to efficiency increase in power and water plants. This requires enhancing the knowledge about the dynamics of wetting on these hydrophobic surfaces. We have done experimental investigation on the dynamics of wetting on hydrophobic surfaces by looking deeply in to the dependency of the dynamic contact angles both advancing and receding on the velocity of the three-phase boundary (Solid/Liquid/Gas interface) using the Wilhelmy plate method with different ultra-hydrophobic surfaces. Several fluids with different surface tension and viscosity are used to study the effect of physical properties of liquids on the governing laws.

  18. Tuning and predicting the wetting of nanoengineered material surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramiasa-MacGregor, M.; Mierczynska, A.; Sedev, R.; Vasilev, K.

    2016-02-01

    The wetting of a material can be tuned by changing the roughness on its surface. Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology open exciting opportunities to control macroscopic wetting behaviour. Yet, the benchmark theories used to describe the wettability of macroscopically rough surfaces fail to fully describe the wetting behaviour of systems with topographical features at the nanoscale. To shed light on the events occurring at the nanoscale we have utilised model gradient substrata where surface nanotopography was tailored in a controlled and robust manner. The intrinsic wettability of the coatings was varied from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The measured water contact angle could not be described by the classical theories. We developed an empirical model that effectively captures the experimental data, and further enables us to predict the wetting of surfaces with nanoscale roughness by considering the physical and chemical properties of the material. The fundamental insights presented here are important for the rational design of advanced materials having tailored surface nanotopography with predictable wettability.The wetting of a material can be tuned by changing the roughness on its surface. Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology open exciting opportunities to control macroscopic wetting behaviour. Yet, the benchmark theories used to describe the wettability of macroscopically rough surfaces fail to fully describe the wetting behaviour of systems with topographical features at the nanoscale. To shed light on the events occurring at the nanoscale we have utilised model gradient substrata where surface nanotopography was tailored in a controlled and robust manner. The intrinsic wettability of the coatings was varied from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The measured water contact angle could not be described by the classical theories. We developed an empirical model that effectively captures the experimental data, and further enables us to predict the

  19. 137Cs redistribution in time in wet bory and sugrudy soils in forests of Ukrainian Polissia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. P. Krasnov

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The data on 137Cs distribution in sod-podzol forest soils of Ukrainian Polissia contaminated by radionuclides after Chornobyl accident are presented. Researches were conducted on the permanent sample areas in wet bory and sugrudy in 2000 and in 2012 years. It is proved that 137Cs migration from the forest litter to the soil mineral part occurred comparatively quickly. It can be explained by a thin layer and a high mineralization of the forest litter in wet sugrudy. Nevertheless, wet bory are characterized by more intensive radionuclide migration to the deeper layers of the soil mineral part. Such regularity can be explained by a small amount of humus and fine-dispersed particles as well as higher soil acidity in wet bory.

  20. 137 Cs redistribution in time in wet body and sugrudy soils in forests of Ukrainian Polissia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krasnov, V.P.; Kurbet, T.V.; Shelest, Z.M.; Boiko, O.I.

    2016-01-01

    The data on 137 Cs distribution in sod-podzol forest soils of Ukrainian Polissia contaminated by radionuclides after Chornobyl accident are presented. Researches were conducted on the permanent sample areas in wet bory and sugrudy in 2000 and in 2012 years. It is proved that 137 Cs migration from the forest litter to the soil mineral part occurred comparatively quickly. It can be explained by a thin layer and a high mineralization of the forest litter in wet sugrudy. Nevertheless, wet bory are characterized by more intensive radionuclide migration to the deeper layers of the soil mineral part. Such regularity can be explained by a small amount of humus and fine-dispersed particles as well as higher soil acidity in wet bory

  1. Conceptual Modeling of the Influence of Wetting and Drying Cycles on Soil Aggregation and Stabilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albalasmeh, A. A.; Ghezzehei, T.

    2011-12-01

    Soil structure directly determines important soil physical properties including porosity, hydraulic conductivity, water retention, and mechanical strength and indirectly influences most biological and chemical processes that occur in and around soil. The interaction of environmental and biotic agents influences the physical condition of the soil, particularly through soil structural evolution. Wetting and drying cycles are important environmental processes known to enhance aggregation, while clay minerals, sesquioxides and soil organic matter (SOM) are the soil solids most involved in soil structural development. We hypothesize that drying of capillary water transports suspended and/or dissolved cementing agents toward inter-particle contacts and eventually deposits part of the colloidal mass forming inter-particle bonds. Here, we will show the role of wetting and drying cycles on soil aggregation and stabilization and how these cycles transport and deposit organic cementing agents at the inter-particle contact. We will present results of the effect of particle size, number of wetting and drying cycles, viscosity, molecule length and concentration of suspended and/or dissolved cementing agents on soil aggregation and stabilization.

  2. Robust non-wetting PTFE surfaces by femtosecond laser machining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Fang; Lehr, Jorge; Danielczak, Lisa; Leask, Richard; Kietzig, Anne-Marie

    2014-08-08

    Nature shows many examples of surfaces with extraordinary wettability,which can often be associated with particular air-trapping surface patterns. Here,robust non-wetting surfaces have been created by femtosecond laser ablation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The laser-created surface structure resembles a forest of entangled fibers, which support structural superhydrophobicity even when the surface chemistry is changed by gold coating. SEM analysis showed that the degree of entanglement of hairs and the depth of the forest pattern correlates positively with accumulated laser fluence and can thus be influenced by altering various laser process parameters. The resulting fibrous surfaces exhibit a tremendous decrease in wettability compared to smooth PTFE surfaces; droplets impacting the virgin or gold coated PTFE forest do not wet the surface but bounce off. Exploratory bioadhesion experiments showed that the surfaces are truly air-trapping and do not support cell adhesion. Therewith, the created surfaces successfully mimic biological surfaces such as insect wings with robust anti-wetting behavior and potential for antiadhesive applications. In addition, the fabrication can be carried out in one process step, and our results clearly show the insensitivity of the resulting non-wetting behavior to variations in the process parameters,both of which make it a strong candidate for industrial applications.

  3. Robust Non-Wetting PTFE Surfaces by Femtosecond Laser Machining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang Liang

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Nature shows many examples of surfaces with extraordinary wettability, which can often be associated with particular air-trapping surface patterns. Here, robust non-wetting surfaces have been created by femtosecond laser ablation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE. The laser-created surface structure resembles a forest of entangled fibers, which support structural superhydrophobicity even when the surface chemistry is changed by gold coating. SEM analysis showed that the degree of entanglement of hairs and the depth of the forest pattern correlates positively with accumulated laser fluence and can thus be influenced by altering various laser process parameters. The resulting fibrous surfaces exhibit a tremendous decrease in wettability compared to smooth PTFE surfaces; droplets impacting the virgin or gold coated PTFE forest do not wet the surface but bounce off. Exploratory bioadhesion experiments showed that the surfaces are truly air-trapping and do not support cell adhesion. Therewith, the created surfaces successfully mimic biological surfaces such as insect wings with robust anti-wetting behavior and potential for antiadhesive applications. In addition, the fabrication can be carried out in one process step, and our results clearly show the insensitivity of the resulting non-wetting behavior to variations in the process parameters, both of which make it a strong candidate for industrial applications.

  4. Modelling Water Flow through Paddy Soils under Alternate Wetting and Drying Irrigation Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shekhar, S.; Mailapalli, D. R.; Das, B. S.; Raghuwanshi, N. S.

    2017-12-01

    Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation practice in paddy cultivation requires an optimum soil moisture stress (OSMS) level at which irrigation water savings can be maximized without compromising the yield reduction. Determining OSMS experimentally is challenging and only possible with appropriate modeling tools. In this study, field experiments on paddy were conducted in thirty non-weighing type lysimeters during dry seasons of 2016 and 2017. Ten plots were irrigated using continuous flooding (CF) and the rest were irrigated with AWD practice at 40mb and 75mb soil moisture stress levels. Depth of ponding and soil suction at 10, 40 and 70 cm from the soil surface were measured daily from all lysimeter plots. The measured field data were used in calibration and validation of Hydrus-1D model and simulated the water flow for both AWD and CF plots. The Hydrus-1D is being used to estimate OSMS for AWD practice and compared the seasonal irrigation water input and deep percolation losses with CF practice.

  5. Dynamic Wetting Behavior of Vibrated Droplets on a Micropillared Surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi-hai Jia

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The dynamical wetting behavior has been observed under vertical vibration of a water droplet placed on a micropillared surface. The wetting transition takes place under the different processes. In compression process, the droplet is transited from Cassie state to Wenzel state. The droplet undergoes a Wenzel-Cassie wetting transition in restoring process and the droplet bounces off from the surface in bouncing process. Meanwhile, the wetting and dewetting models during vibration are proposed. The wetting transition is confirmed by the model calculation. This study has potential to be used to control the wetting state.

  6. Solder wetting behavior enhancement via laser-textured surface microcosmic topography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Haiyan [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Xi’an 710072 (China); Peng, Jianke [Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Xi’an 710072 (China); Fu, Li, E-mail: fuli@nwpu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Xi’an 710072 (China); Wang, Xincheng [Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Xi’an 710072 (China); Xie, Yan [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2016-04-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The wetting angle of lead free solder on Cu was reduced by surface microstructure. • The wetting form of Sn-Ag-Cu solder on Cu was “non-composite surface”. • The experimental results had a sound fit with the theoretical calculation. - Abstract: In order to reduce or even replace the use of Sn-Pb solder in electronics industry, the laser-textured surface microstructures were used to enhance the wetting behavior of lead free solder during soldering. According to wetting theory and Sn-Ag-Cu lead free solder performance, we calculated and designed four microcosmic structures with the similar shape and different sizes to control the wetting behavior of lead free solder. The micro-structured surfaces with different dimensions were processed on copper plates by fiber femtosecond laser, and the effect of microstructures on wetting behavior was verified experimentally. The results showed that the wetting angle of Sn-Ag-Cu solder on the copper plate with microstructures decreased effectively compared with that on the smooth copper plate. The wetting angles had a sound fit with the theoretical values calculated by wetting model. The novel method provided a feasible route for adjusting the wetting behavior of solders and optimizing solders system.

  7. Retention mechanisms and the flow wetted surface - implications for safety analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elert, M.

    1997-02-01

    The purpose of this report is to document the state-of-the-art concerning the flow wetted surface, its importance for radionuclide transport in the geosphere and review various suggestions on how to increase the present knowledge. Definitions are made of the various concepts used for the flow wetted surface as well as the various model parameters used. In the report methods proposed to assess the flow wetted surface are reviewed and discussed, tracer tests, tunnel and borehole investigations, geochemical studies, heat transport studies and theoretical modelling. Furthermore, a review is made of how the flow wetted surface has been treated in various safety analyses. Finally, an overall discussion with recommendations is presented, where it is concluded that at present no individual method for estimating the flow wetted surface can be selected that satisfies all requirements concerning giving relevant values, covering relevant distances and being practical to apply. Instead a combination of methods must be used. In the long-term research as well as in the safety assessment modelling focus should be put on assessing the ratio between flow wetted surface and water flux. The long-term research should address both the detailed flow within the fractures and the effective flow wetted surface along the flow paths. 55 refs

  8. Long-term frequent prescribed fire decreases surface soil carbon and nitrogen pools in a wet sclerophyll forest of Southeast Queensland, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muqaddas, Bushra; Zhou, Xiaoqi; Lewis, Tom; Wild, Clyde; Chen, Chengrong

    2015-12-01

    Prescribed fire is one of the most widely-used management tools for reducing fuel loads in managed forests. However the long-term effects of repeated prescribed fires on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate how different fire frequency regimes influence C and N pools in the surface soils (0-10 cm). A prescribed fire field experiment in a wet sclerophyll forest established in 1972 in southeast Queensland was used in this study. The fire frequency regimes included long unburnt (NB), burnt every 2 years (2yrB) and burnt every 4 years (4yrB), with four replications. Compared with the NB treatment, the 2yrB treatment lowered soil total C by 44%, total N by 54%, HCl hydrolysable C and N by 48% and 59%, KMnO4 oxidizable C by 81%, microbial biomass C and N by 42% and 33%, cumulative CO2-C by 28%, NaOCl-non-oxidizable C and N by 41% and 51%, and charcoal-C by 17%, respectively. The 4yrB and NB treatments showed no significant differences for these soil C and N pools. All soil labile, biologically active and recalcitrant and total C and N pools were correlated positively with each other and with soil moisture content, but negatively correlated with soil pH. The C:N ratios of different C and N pools were greater in the burned treatments than in the NB treatments. This study has highlighted that the prescribed burning at four year interval is a more sustainable management practice for this subtropical forest ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Wetted surface area of recreational boats

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker J; van Vlaardingen PLA; ICH; VSP

    2018-01-01

    The wetted surface area of recreational craft is often treated with special paint that prevents growth of algae and other organisms. The active substances in this paint (antifouling) are also emitted into the water. The extent of this emission is among others determined by the treated surface area.

  10. Soil aggregate formation: the role of wetting-drying cycles in the genesis of interparticle bonding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albalasmeh, Ammar; Ghezzehei, Teamrat

    2013-04-01

    Soil structure influences many soil properties including aeration, water retention, drainage, bulk density, and resistance to erosion and indirectly influences most biological and chemical processes that occur in and around soil. In nature, soil is continually exposed to wetting (e.g., rainfall and diffusive flow) and drying (e.g., evaporation, diffusive flow and plant uptake). These natural wetting and drying cycles of soils are physical events that profoundly affect the development of soil structure, aggregate stability, carbon (C) flux and mineralization. We hypothesize that drying of capillary water transports suspended and/or dissolved cementing agents toward inter-particle contacts and eventually deposits part of the colloidal mass forming inter-particle bonds. Here, we will show the role of wetting and drying cycles on soil aggregation and stabilization and how these cycles transport and deposit organic cementing agents at the inter-particle contact. We found that aggregates of sand and silt particles can be formed by subjecting loose particles to wetting-drying cycles in the presence of dilute solutions of organic matter that mimic root or microbial exudates. Moreover, majority of the organic matter was deposited in the contact region between the sand particles, where the water accumulates during drying. The model predictions and aggregate stability measurements are supported by scanning electron micrographs that clearly show the process of aggregate formation.

  11. What's So Bad about Being Wet All Over: Investigating Leaf Surface Wetness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Carol A.

    1996-01-01

    Presents investigations of leaf surface wetness that provide ideal opportunities for students to explore the relationships between leaf form and function, to study surface conditions of leaves and plant physiology, and to make predictions about plant adaptation in different environments. Describes simple procedures for exploring questions related…

  12. Influence of chemistry on wetting dynamics of nanotextured hydrophobic surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Mundo, Rosa; Palumbo, Fabio; d'Agostino, Riccardo

    2010-04-06

    In this work, the role of a chemical parameter, such as the degree of fluorination, on the wetting behavior of nanotextured hydrophobic surfaces is investigated. Texture and chemistry tuning of the surfaces has been accomplished with single batch radiofrequency low-pressure plasma processes. Polystyrene substrates have been textured by CF(4) plasma etching and subsequently covered by thin films with a tunable F-to-C ratio, obtained in discharges fed with C(4)F(8)-C(2)H(4). Measurements of wetting dynamics reveal a regime transition from adhesive-hydrophobic to slippery-superhydrophobic, i.e., from wet to non wet states, as the F-to-C rises at constant topography. Such achievements are strengthened by calculation of the solid fraction of surface water contact area applying Cassie-Baxter advancing and receding equations to water contact angle data of textured and flat reference surfaces.

  13. Inorganic Surface Coating with Fast Wetting-Dewetting Transitions for Liquid Manipulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yajie; Zhang, Liaoliao; Wang, Jue; Wang, Xinwei; Duan, Libing; Wang, Nan; Xiao, Fajun; Xie, Yanbo; Zhao, Jianlin

    2018-06-06

    Liquid manipulation is a fundamental issue for microfluidics and miniaturized sensors. Fast wetting-state transitions by optical methods have proven being efficient for liquid manipulations by organic surface coatings, however rarely been achieved by using inorganic coatings. Here, we report a fast optical-induced wetting-state transition surface achieved by inorganic coating, enabling tens of second transitions for a wetting-dewetting cycle, shortened from an hour, as typically reported. Here, we demonstrate a gravity-driven microfluidic reactor and switch it to a mixer after a second-step exposure in a minimum of within 80 s of UV exposure. The fast wetting-dewetting transition surfaces enable the fast switchable or erasable smart surfaces for water collection, miniature chemical reaction, or sensing systems by using inorganic surface coatings.

  14. Analysis of surface soil moisture patterns in agricultural landscapes using Empirical Orthogonal Functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Korres

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Soil moisture is one of the fundamental variables in hydrology, meteorology and agriculture. Nevertheless, its spatio-temporal patterns in agriculturally used landscapes that are affected by multiple natural (rainfall, soil, topography etc. and agronomic (fertilisation, soil management etc. factors are often not well known. The aim of this study is to determine the dominant factors governing the spatio-temporal patterns of surface soil moisture in a grassland and an arable test site that are located within the Rur catchment in Western Germany. Surface soil moisture (0–6 cm was measured in an approx. 50×50 m grid during 14 and 17 measurement campaigns (May 2007 to November 2008 in both test sites. To analyse the spatio-temporal patterns of surface soil moisture, an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF analysis was applied and the results were correlated with parameters derived from topography, soil, vegetation and land management to link the patterns to related factors and processes. For the grassland test site, the analysis resulted in one significant spatial structure (first EOF, which explained 57.5% of the spatial variability connected to soil properties and topography. The statistical weight of the first spatial EOF is stronger on wet days. The highest temporal variability can be found in locations with a high percentage of soil organic carbon (SOC. For the arable test site, the analysis resulted in two significant spatial structures, the first EOF, which explained 38.4% of the spatial variability, and showed a highly significant correlation to soil properties, namely soil texture and soil stone content. The second EOF, which explained 28.3% of the spatial variability, is linked to differences in land management. The soil moisture in the arable test site varied more strongly during dry and wet periods at locations with low porosity. The method applied is capable of identifying the dominant parameters controlling spatio-temporal patterns of

  15. Assimilation of Leaf Area Index and Soil Wetness Index into the ISBA-A-gs land surface model over France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbu, A. L.; Calvet, J.-C.; Lafont, S.

    2012-04-01

    The development of a Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) dedicated to carbon and water cycles is considered as a key aspect for monitoring activities of terrestrial carbon fluxes. It allows the assimilation of biophysical products in order to reduce the bias between the model simulations and the observations and have a positive impact on carbon and water fluxes. This work shows the benefits of data assimilation of Earth observations for the monitoring of vegetation status and carbon fluxes, in the framework of the GEOLAND2 project, co-funded by the European Commission within the GMES initiative in FP7. In this study, the SURFEX modelling platform developed at Meteo-France is used for describing the continental vegetation state, surface fluxes and soil moisture. It consists of the land surface model ISBA-A-gs that simulates photosynthesis and plant growth. The vegetation biomass and Leaf Area Index (LAI) evolve dynamically in response to weather and climate conditions. The ECOCLIMAP database provides detailed information about the land cover at a resolution of 1 km. Over the France domain, the most present ecosystem types are grasslands (32%), C3 crop lands (24%), deciduous forest (20%), bare soil (11%), and C4 crop lands (8%).The model also includes a representation of the soil moisture stress with two different types of drought responses for herbaceous vegetation and forests. A version of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) scheme is developed for the joint assimilation of satellite-derived surface soil moisture from ASCAT-25 km product, namely Soil Wetness Index (SWI-01) developed by TU-Wien, and remote sensing LAI product provided by GEOLAND2. The GEOLAND2 LAI product is derived from CYCLOPES V3.1 and MODIS collection 5 data. It is more consistent with an effective LAI for low LAI and close to the actual LAI for high values. The assimilation experiment was conducted across France at a spatial resolution of 8 km. The study period ranges from July 2007 to December

  16. Soils of wet valleys in the Larsemann Hills and Vestfold Hills oases (Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mergelov, N. S.

    2014-09-01

    The properties and spatial distribution of soils and soil-like bodies in valleys of the coastal Larsemann Hills and Vestfold Hills oases—poorly investigated in terms of the soil areas of East Antarctica—are discussed. In contrast to Dry Valleys—large continental oases of Western Antarctica—the studied territory is characterized by the presence of temporarily waterlogged sites in the valleys. It is argued that the deficit of water rather than the low temperature is the major limiting factor for the development of living organisms and the pedogenesis on loose substrates. The moisture gradients in the surface soil horizons explain the spatial distribution of the different soils and biotic complexes within the studied valleys. Despite the permanent water-logging of the deep suprapermafrost horizons of most of the soils in the valleys, no gley features have been identified in them. The soils of the wet valleys in the Larsemann Hills oasis do not contain carbonates. They have a slightly acid or neutral reaction. The organic carbon and nitrogen contents are mainly controlled by the amount of living and dead biomass rather than by the humic substances proper. The larger part of the biomass is concentrated inside the mineral soil matrix rather than on the soil surface. The stresses caused by surface drying, strong winds, and ultraviolet radiation prevent the development of organisms on the surface of the soil and necessitate the search for shelter within the soil fine earth material (endoedaphic niche) or under the gravelly pavement (hypolithic niche). In the absence of higher plants, humified products of their decomposition, and rainwater that can wash the soil profile and upon the low content of silt and clay particles in the soil material, "classical" soil horizons are not developed. The most distinct (and, often, the only diagnosed) products of pedogenesis in these soils are represented by organomineral films on the surface of mineral particles.

  17. Topographical Anisotropy and Wetting of Ground Stainless Steel Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cornelia Bellmann

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Microscopic and physico-chemical methods were used for a comprehensive surface characterization of different mechanically modified stainless steel surfaces. The surfaces were analyzed using high-resolution confocal microscopy, resulting in detailed information about the topographic properties. In addition, static water contact angle measurements were carried out to characterize the surface heterogeneity of the samples. The effect of morphological anisotropy on water contact angle anisotropy was investigated. The correlation between topography and wetting was studied by means of a model of wetting proposed in the present work, that allows quantifying the air volume of the interface water drop-stainless steel surface.

  18. Soil Structure - A Neglected Component of Land-Surface Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatichi, S.; Or, D.; Walko, R. L.; Vereecken, H.; Kollet, S. J.; Young, M.; Ghezzehei, T. A.; Hengl, T.; Agam, N.; Avissar, R.

    2017-12-01

    Soil structure is largely absent in most standard sampling and measurements and in the subsequent parameterization of soil hydraulic properties deduced from soil maps and used in Earth System Models. The apparent omission propagates into the pedotransfer functions that deduce parameters of soil hydraulic properties primarily from soil textural information. Such simple parameterization is an essential ingredient in the practical application of any land surface model. Despite the critical role of soil structure (biopores formed by decaying roots, aggregates, etc.) in defining soil hydraulic functions, only a few studies have attempted to incorporate soil structure into models. They mostly looked at the effects on preferential flow and solute transport pathways at the soil profile scale; yet, the role of soil structure in mediating large-scale fluxes remains understudied. Here, we focus on rectifying this gap and demonstrating potential impacts on surface and subsurface fluxes and system wide eco-hydrologic responses. The study proposes a systematic way for correcting the soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions—accounting for soil-structure—with major implications for near saturated hydraulic conductivity. Modification to the basic soil hydraulic parameterization is assumed as a function of biological activity summarized by Gross Primary Production. A land-surface model with dynamic vegetation is used to carry out numerical simulations with and without the role of soil-structure for 20 locations characterized by different climates and biomes across the globe. Including soil structure affects considerably the partition between infiltration and runoff and consequently leakage at the base of the soil profile (recharge). In several locations characterized by wet climates, a few hundreds of mm per year of surface runoff become deep-recharge accounting for soil-structure. Changes in energy fluxes, total evapotranspiration and vegetation productivity

  19. Wetting of flat gradient surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bormashenko, Edward

    2018-04-01

    Gradient, chemically modified, flat surfaces enable directed transport of droplets. Calculation of apparent contact angles inherent for gradient surfaces is challenging even for atomically flat ones. Wetting of gradient, flat solid surfaces is treated within the variational approach, under which the contact line is free to move along the substrate. Transversality conditions of the variational problem give rise to the generalized Young equation valid for gradient solid surfaces. The apparent (equilibrium) contact angle of a droplet, placed on a gradient surface depends on the radius of the contact line and the values of derivatives of interfacial tensions. The linear approximation of the problem is considered. It is demonstrated that the contact angle hysteresis is inevitable on gradient surfaces. Electrowetting of gradient surfaces is discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. WET-sensor pore water EC calibration for three horticultural soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Balendonck, J.; Bruins, M.A.; Wattimena, M.R.; Voogt, W.; Huys, A.

    2005-01-01

    The WET-sensor is a frequency domain dielectric sensor that measures permittivity, conductivity and temperature, which can be used for monitoring soil water content and electrical conductivity in horticulture. By using a specific model it measures pore water conductivity as well. However, under

  1. Molecular dynamics simulation of wetting behaviors of Li on W surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Xuegui [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Xiao, Shifang [Department of Applied Physics, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Deng, Huiqiu, E-mail: hqdeng@hnu.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Hu, Wangyu, E-mail: wyuhu@hnu.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

    2017-04-15

    A modified analytic embedded atom potential has been developed for the Li-W system. The potential has been fitted to physical quantities derived from density functional theory calculations. It is shown that the new potential is capable of reproducing the solubility of solid solution for Li-W systems. The wetting behaviors between solid tungsten and liquid Li are examined by using molecular dynamics simulations. The MD simulation results for the Li droplet wetting on the W surface illustrated that our MAEAM potential model has a good forecasting ability for the contact angle of liquid Li on W the cleaning surface above the wetting temperature. And the results of Li film dewetting from the W surfaces are consistent with relative experimental results. It is believed that the potential can be used to investigate the surfaces wettability of liquid Li on W substrate. We also simulated the lithium droplet on grooved surface. It is shown that the grooving W surfaces can obviously improve the wetting of liquid Li on W surfaces.

  2. Effect of Adding Sugarcane Bagasse and Filter Cake and Wetting and Drying Cycles on Pre-Compaction Stress of Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z Nemati

    2018-03-01

    replications. A composite disturbed sample of topsoil (0–200 mm deep of a silty clay loam soil was collected from Isfahan province (32 31.530 N; 51 49.40E in center of Iran. The mean annual precipitation and temperature of the region are about 160 mm and 16 C, respectively. Sugarcane residues (bagasse and filter cake were obtained from the sugarcane fields in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province (Iran. The samples were air-dried and passed through a 2-mm sieve. Soil treated by bagasse and filter cake in different rates was poured and knocked lightly into cylinders with diameter and height of 25 and 8 cm, respectively. Large air-dry disturbed soil samples were prepared and some of them were exposed to five wetting and drying cycles. Finally, the soil surface was covered by a plastic sheet and was left overnight in the laboratory (for 24 hours to enable the moisture to equilibrate. The loading tests were performed the next day. The pre-compaction stress was determined by plate sinkage test (PST. The loading test for PST was performed using CBR apparatus. The compression for PST was continuous at the same constant displacement rate of the CBR (i.e. 1 mm min-1. Determination of the σpc was done using Casagrande’s graphical estimation procedure (Casagrande, 1936 in a program written in MatLab software. Results and Discussion The results showed that σpc was significantly decreased by adding residues to the soil at both water contents, and with/without wetting and drying process. For untreated treatments (control, the σpc decreased with increasing water content. Although σpc decreased with adding the residues to the soil, however, the effect of residue types and percentages and soil water content on σpc was not significant for the soil samples treated with residues. Conclusions In order to prevent re-compaction of the soil and improve its structure, it is suggested that traffic control system with permanent routes for the movement of machinery to be used in sugar cane plantations and

  3. "Breath figures" on leaf surfaces-formation and effects of microscopic leaf wetness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burkhardt, Juergen; Hunsche, Mauricio

    2013-01-01

    "Microscopic leaf wetness" means minute amounts of persistent liquid water on leaf surfaces which are invisible to the naked eye. The water is mainly maintained by transpired water vapor condensing onto the leaf surface and to attached leaf surface particles. With an estimated average thickness of less than 1 μm, microscopic leaf wetness is about two orders of magnitude thinner than morning dewfall. The most important physical processes which reduce the saturation vapor pressure and promote condensation are cuticular absorption and the deliquescence of hygroscopic leaf surface particles. Deliquescent salts form highly concentrated solutions. Depending on the type and concentration of the dissolved ions, the physicochemical properties of microscopic leaf wetness can be considerably different from those of pure water. Microscopic leaf wetness can form continuous thin layers on hydrophobic leaf surfaces and in specific cases can act similar to surfactants, enabling a strong potential influence on the foliar exchange of ions. Microscopic leaf wetness can also enhance the dissolution, the emission, and the reaction of specific atmospheric trace gases e.g., ammonia, SO2, or ozone, leading to a strong potential role for microscopic leaf wetness in plant/atmosphere interaction. Due to its difficult detection, there is little knowledge about the occurrence and the properties of microscopic leaf wetness. However, based on the existing evidence and on physicochemical reasoning it can be hypothesized that microscopic leaf wetness occurs on almost any plant worldwide and often permanently, and that it significantly influences the exchange processes of the leaf surface with its neighboring compartments, i.e., the plant interior and the atmosphere. The omission of microscopic water in general leaf wetness concepts has caused far-reaching, misleading conclusions in the past.

  4. Anisotropic wetting characteristics versus roughness on machined surfaces of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Yande; Shu, Liming; Natsu, Wataru; He, Fuben

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The aim is to investigate the influence of roughness on anisotropic wetting on machined surfaces. • The relationship between roughness and anisotropic wetting is modeled by thermodynamical analysis. • The effect of roughness on anisotropic wetting on hydrophilic materials is stronger than that on hydrophobic materials. • The energy barrier existing in the direction perpendicular to the lay is one of the main reasons for the anisotropic wetting. • The contact angle in the parallel direction is larger than that in the perpendicular direction. - Abstract: Anisotropic wetting of machined surfaces is widely applied in industries which can be greatly affected by roughness and solid's chemical properties. However, there has not been much work on it. A free-energy thermodynamic model is presented by analyzing geometry morphology of machined surfaces (2-D model surfaces), which demonstrates the influence of roughness on anisotropic wetting. It can be concluded that the energy barrier is one of the main reasons for the anisotropic wetting existing in the direction perpendicular to the lay. In addition, experiments in investigating anisotropic wetting, which was characterized by the static contact angle and droplet's distortion, were performed on machined surfaces with different roughness on hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. The droplet's anisotropy found on machined surfaces increased with mean slope of roughness profile Kr. It indicates that roughness on anisotropic wetting on hydrophilic materials has a stronger effect than that on hydrophobic materials. Furthermore, the contact angles predicted by the model are basically consistent with the experimentally ones

  5. Wetting on micro-structured surfaces: modelling and optimization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cavalli, Andrea

    -patterns, and suggests that there is a balance between optimal wetting properties and mechanical robustness of the microposts. We subsequently analyse liquid spreading on surfaces patterned with slanted microposts. Such a geometry induces unidirectional liquid spreading, as observed in several recent experiments. Our...... liquid spreading and spontaneous drop removal on superhydrophobic surfaces. We do this by applying different numerical techniques, suited for the specific topic. We first consider superhydrophobicity, a condition of extreme water repellency associated with very large static contact angles and low roll......The present thesis deals with the wetting of micro-structured surfaces by various fluids, and its goal is to elucidate different aspects of this complex interaction. In this work we address some of the most relevant topics in this field such as superhydrophobicity, oleophobicity, unidirectional...

  6. Transfer of 137Cs from soil to plants in a wet montane forest in subtropical Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chih-Yu Chiu

    1999-01-01

    The distribution of 137 Cs in an undisturbed, multistoried, subtropical wet montane forest ecosystem surrounding Yuanyang Lake (lake surface level ca. 1670 m, in northeastern Taiwan), was investigated. The mossy forest here represents a currently-rare perhumid temperate environment in subtropical region. The radioactivity concentration of 137 Cs was determined by γ-spectroscopy with a Ge(Li) detector. Although the soil is extremely acidic (pH 3.3 to 3.6) and the rainfall is high, 137 Cs is evidently retained in the organic layer. The radioactivity concentration of 137 Cs in surface soil ranges from 28 to 71 Bq x kg -1 . The concentrations of 137 Cs in the ground moss layer and litter were much lower than that in the soil organic layer; this suggests that 137 Cs detected is not from the newly deposited radioactive fallout. The radioactivity concentration and transfer factor (TF) of 137 Cs varied with plant species. Shrubs and ferns have higher values than a coniferous tree (Taiwan cedar). The TF in this ecosystem is as high as 0.21 to 1.88. The high values of TF is attributed to the abundance of the organic matter in the forest soils. The rapid recycling of 137 Cs through the soil-plant system of this undisturbed multistoried ecosystem suggests the existence of an internal cycling that help the accumulation of 137 Cs in this ecosystem. (author)

  7. Contact angles of wetting and water stability of soil structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kholodov, V. A.; Yaroslavtseva, N. V.; Yashin, M. A.; Frid, A. S.; Lazarev, V. I.; Tyugai, Z. N.; Milanovskiy, E. Yu.

    2015-06-01

    From the soddy-podzolic soils and typical chernozems of different texture and land use, dry 3-1 mm aggregates were isolated and sieved in water. As a result, water-stable aggregates and water-unstable particles composing dry 3-1 mm aggregates were obtained. These preparations were ground, and contact angles of wetting were determined by the static sessile drop method. The angles varied from 11° to 85°. In most cases, the values of the angles for the water-stable aggregates significantly exceeded those for the water-unstable components. In terms of carbon content in structural units, there was no correlation between these parameters. When analyzing the soil varieties separately, the significant positive correlation between the carbon content and contact angle of aggregates was revealed only for the loamy-clayey typical chernozem. Based on the multivariate analysis of variance, the value of contact wetting angle was shown to be determined by the structural units belonging to water-stable or water-unstable components of macroaggregates and by the land use type. In addition, along with these parameters, the texture has an indirect effect.

  8. The Role of Surface Chemistry in Adhesion and Wetting of Gecko Toe Pads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badge, Ila; Stark, Alyssa Y.; Paoloni, Eva L.; Niewiarowski, Peter H.; Dhinojwala, Ali

    2014-10-01

    An array of micron-sized setal hairs offers geckos a unique ability to walk on vertical surfaces using van der Waals interactions. Although many studies have focused on the role of surface morphology of the hairs, very little is known about the role of surface chemistry on wetting and adhesion. We expect that both surface chemistry and morphology are important, not only to achieve optimum dry adhesion but also for increased efficiency in self-cleaning of water and adhesion under wet conditions. Here, we used a plasma-based vapor deposition process to coat the hairy patterns on gecko toe pad sheds with polar and non-polar coatings without significantly perturbing the setal morphology. By a comparison of wetting across treatments, we show that the intrinsic surface of gecko setae has a water contact angle between 70-90°. As expected, under wet conditions, adhesion on a hydrophilic surface (glass) was lower than that on a hydrophobic surface (alkyl-silane monolayer on glass). Surprisingly under wet and dry conditions the adhesion was comparable on the hydrophobic surface, independent of the surface chemistry of the setal hairs. This work highlights the need to utilize morphology and surface chemistry in developing successful synthetic adhesives with desirable adhesion and self-cleaning properties.

  9. A critical analysis of one standard and five methods to monitor surface wetness and time-of-wetness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camuffo, Dario; della Valle, Antonio; Becherini, Francesca

    2018-05-01

    Surface wetness is a synergistic factor to determine atmospheric corrosion, monument weathering, mould growth, sick buildings, etc. However, its detection and monitoring are neither easy nor homogeneous, for a number of factors that may affect readings. Various types of methods and sensors, either commercial or prototypes built in the lab, have been investigated and compared, i.e. the international standard ISO 9223 to evaluate corrosivity after wetness and time-of-wetness; indirect evaluation of wetness, based on the dew point calculated after the output of temperature and relative humidity sensors and direct measurements by means of capacitive wetness sensors, safety sensors, rain sensors (also known as leaf wetness sensors), infrared reflection sensors and fibre optic sensors. A comparison between the different methods is presented, specifying physical principles, forms of wetting to which they are respondent (i.e. condensation, ice melting, splashing drops, percolation and capillary rise), critical factors, use and cost.

  10. Landscape-scale soil moisture heterogeneity and its influence on surface fluxes at the Jornada LTER site: Evaluating a new model parameterization for subgrid-scale soil moisture variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, I. T.; Prihodko, L.; Vivoni, E. R.; Denning, A. S.

    2017-12-01

    Arid and semiarid regions represent a large fraction of global land, with attendant importance of surface energy and trace gas flux to global totals. These regions are characterized by strong seasonality, especially in precipitation, that defines the level of ecosystem stress. Individual plants have been observed to respond non-linearly to increasing soil moisture stress, where plant function is generally maintained as soils dry down to a threshold at which rapid closure of stomates occurs. Incorporating this nonlinear mechanism into landscape-scale models can result in unrealistic binary "on-off" behavior that is especially problematic in arid landscapes. Subsequently, models have `relaxed' their simulation of soil moisture stress on evapotranspiration (ET). Unfortunately, these relaxations are not physically based, but are imposed upon model physics as a means to force a more realistic response. Previously, we have introduced a new method to represent soil moisture regulation of ET, whereby the landscape is partitioned into `BINS' of soil moisture wetness, each associated with a fractional area of the landscape or grid cell. A physically- and observationally-based nonlinear soil moisture stress function is applied, but when convolved with the relative area distribution represented by wetness BINS the system has the emergent property of `smoothing' the landscape-scale response without the need for non-physical impositions on model physics. In this research we confront BINS simulations of Bowen ratio, soil moisture variability and trace gas flux with soil moisture and eddy covariance observations taken at the Jornada LTER dryland site in southern New Mexico. We calculate the mean annual wetting cycle and associated variability about the mean state and evaluate model performance against this variability and time series of land surface fluxes from the highly instrumented Tromble Weir watershed. The BINS simulations capture the relatively rapid reaction to wetting

  11. Preliminary Evaluation of Cesium Distribution for Wet Sieving Process Planned for Soil Decontamination in Japan - 13104

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enokida, Y.; Tanada, Y.; Hirabayashi, D. [Graduate School of Engineering, 1 Furo-cho Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, 4648603 (Japan); Sawada, K. [EcoTopia Science Institute, Nagoya University, 1 Furo-cho Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, 4648603 (Japan)

    2013-07-01

    For the purpose of decontaminating radioactive cesium from a huge amount of soil, which has been estimated to be 1.2x10{sup 8} m{sup 3} by excavating to a 5-cm depth from the surface of Fukushima Prefecture where a severe nuclear accident occurred at TEPCO's power generating site and has emitted a significant amount of radioactive materials, mainly radioactive cesium, a wet sieving process was selected as one of effective methods available in Japan. Some private companies have demonstrated this process for soil treatment in the Fukushima area by testing at their plants. The results were very promising, and a full-fledged application is expected to follow. In the present study, we spiked several aqueous samples containing soil collected from an industrial wet sieving plant located near our university for the recycling of construction wastes with non-radioactive cesium hydroxide. The present study provides scientific data concerning the effectiveness in volume reduction of the contaminated soil by a wet sieving process as well as the cesium distribution between the liquid phase and clay minerals for each sub-process of the full-scale one, but a simulating plant equipped with a process of coagulating sedimentation and operational safety fundamentals for the plant. Especially for the latter aspect, the study showed that clay minerals of submicron size strongly bind a high content of cesium, which was only slightly removed by coagulation with natural sedimentation (1 G) nor centrifugal sedimentation (3,700 G) and some of the cesium may be transferred to the effluent or recycled water. By applying ultracentrifugation (257,000 G), most of submicron clay minerals containing cesium was removed, and the cesium amount which might be transferred to the effluent or recycled water, could be reduced to less than 2.3 % of the original design by the addition of a cesium barrier consisting of ultracentrifugation or a hollow fiber membrane. (authors)

  12. The Effect of Drying-Wetting Cycle’s Repetition to the Characteristic of Natural and Stabilization Residual Soils Jawa Timur - Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muntaha, M.

    2017-11-01

    Indonesia, which located in tropical region, continuously undergoes wetting and drying cycles due to the changeable seasons. An important role in activating the clay minerals on tropical residual soils is the main factor that affects the static and dynamic properties, such as: volume change, soil suction and dynamic modulus. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of drying-wetting cycles repetition on volume change, soil suction and mechanical characteristics of natural and stabilization of residual soils from Jawa Timur - Indonesia. The natural undisturbed and stabilized residual soil sample was naturally and gradually dried up with air to 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100 % of the initial water content. The wetting processes were carried out with the gradual increment water content of 25 %(wsat - wi), 50 %(wsat - wi), 75 %(wsat - wi), up to 100 %(wsat - wi). The Direct Shear test is used to measure the mechanic properties, and Whatman filter paper No. 42 is used to measure the soil suction. The drying-wetting processes were carried out for 1, 2, 4, and 6 cycles. The laboratory test results showed that, the void ratio decreased, the unit weight, cohesion and the internal friction angle were increasing due to stabilization. Drying-wetting cycle repetition reduces void ratio, negative pore-water pressure, cohesion and internal friction angle of natural and stabilized soils. Briefly, the decreased of mechanical soil properties was proven from the physical properties change observation.

  13. Soil wetting patterns of vegetation and inter-patches following single and repeated wildfires

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Óscar; Malvar, Maruxa; van den Elsen, Erik; Hosseini, mohammadreza; Coelho, Celeste; Ritsema, Coen; Bautista, Susana; Keizer, Jan Jacob; Cerdà, Artemi

    2015-04-01

    Although wildfires spread in Mediterranean areas are considered a natural processes, the expected increase in fire frequency has raised concerns about the systems' future resilience (Pausas, 2004). Besides more frequent, future wildfires can become more severe and produce more pronounced changes in topsoil properties, vegetation and litter (Cerdá and Mataix-Solera, 2009). To deal with challenges, the EU funded CASCADE and RECARE projects, which are currently assessing soil threats and tipping-points for land degradation in a climatic gradient across Europe. The present research was developed in Portugal and aims to find relationships between fire frequency and soil wetting patterns following single versus repeated wildfires. In September 2012, a wildfire burnt 3000 ha. of Pine stands and shrub vegetation in the vicinity of Viseu district, North-Central Portugal. Analyses according to the available burnt-area maps (1975-2012), discriminated areas that has been burned 1x (called SD) and 4x (called D) times. In order to evaluate the post-fire soil surface moisture patterns, 6 slopes (3 in SD and 3 in D) were selected and a balanced experimental design with 72 soil moisture sensors (EC5 and GS3, from Decagon devices) was implemented under shrubs (n=18) and on bare (n=18) soil environments, at 2.5 cm and 7.5 cm soil depth each. The spatio-temporal occurrence of soil water repellence (SWR) (Keizer et al., 2008; Prats et al., 2013; Santos et al., 2014) was monthly assessed through the MED test at 2.5 cm and 7.5 cm soil depth into 5 sampling points located at regular distances along a transect running from the top to bottom of a selected slope in SD and D. Automatic and totalize rainfall gauges were also installed across the study area. Preliminary results showed that soil wetting patterns and SWR occurrence differs between SD, D sites and, between soil environment (under shrubs and on bare soil areas). SWR were more pronounced on the SD than in D, affecting soil wetting

  14. Creating gradient wetting surfaces via electroless displacement of zinc-coated carbon steel by nickel ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Chang; Liu, Huicong; Liang, Weitao; Zhu, Liqun; Li, Weiping; Chen, Haining

    2018-03-01

    Gradient wetting surfaces are getting increasing attention due to their wide application in multiple fields such as droplet movement and biosorption. However, the fabrication processes of full gradient wetting surfaces are still complex and costly. In present work, a facile and low-cost chemical immersion method was used to create a full gradient wetting surface. By controlling the displacement time in Ni2+ solution, the prepared surfaces perform hydrophilic to superhydrophilic. After being modified by stearic acid, the gradient hydrophilic surfaces convert into hydrophobic. The surface morphology, composition, and wetting behaviors of the as-prepared surfaces were systematically studied and discussed. The gradient wetting property could be attributed to the change in microroughness and surface energy. In addition, these surfaces also exhibited excellent self-cleaning and wax prevention properties. Furthermore, high stability and corrosion resistance were also found for these surfaces, which further highlight their promising practical applications in many fields.

  15. Dynamics of wetting on smooth and rough surfaces.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cazabat, A.M.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.

    1987-01-01

    The rate of spreading of non-volatile liquids on smooth and on rough surfaces was investigated. The radius of the wetted spot was found to agree with recently proposed scaling laws (t 1/10 for capillarity driven andt 1/8 for gravity driven spreading) when the surface was smooth. However, the

  16. Impacts of Soil Moisture on Typical Frontal Rainstorm in Yangtze River Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinzhong Min

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available By using a coupled land surface-atmosphere model with initial conditions of varying resolution and ensembles of systematically changed soil moisture, convective-scale simulations of a typical frontal rainstorm in the Yangtze River Basin are collected to investigate: (1 effects of different datasets on the simulated frontal mesoscale convective systems (MCSs; (2 possible linkages between soil moisture, planetary boundary layer (PBL, MCSs and precipitation in this modeled rainstorm. Firstly, initial soil moisture differences can affect the PBL, MCSs and precipitation of this frontal rainstorm. Specially, for a 90 mm precipitation forecast, the Threat score (TS can increase 6.61% by using the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS soil moisture. Secondly, sensitivity experiment results show that the near-surface thermodynamic conditions are more sensitive to dry soil than wet due to the initial moist surface; atmosphere conditions have suppressed the relations between soil and atmosphere; and decreased precipitation can be found over both wet and dry surfaces. Generally, a positive feedback between soil moisture and the near-surface thermodynamic conditions is identified, while the relations between soil moisture and precipitation are quite complicated. This relationship shows a daytime mixing of warm surface soil over dry surfaces and a daytime evaporation of adequate moisture over wet surfaces. The large-scale forcing can affect these relations and finally cause decreased precipitation over both wet and dry surfaces.

  17. Soil-vegetation relationships in hyperseasonal cerrado, seasonal cerrado, and wet grassland in Emas National Park (central Brazil)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Priscilla Kobayashi; Batalha, Marco Antônio

    2007-11-01

    In South America, the largest savanna region is the Brazilian cerrado, in which there are few areas that become waterlogged in the rainy season. However, we found a small cerrado area in which the soil is poorly drained and becomes waterlogged at the end of the rainy season, allowing the appearance of a hyperseasonal cerrado. We investigated the soil-vegetation relationships in three vegetation forms: hyperseasonal cerrado, seasonal cerrado, and wet grassland. We collected vegetation and soil samples in these three vegetation forms and submitted obtained data to a canonical correspondence analysis. Our results showed a distinction among hyperseasonal cerrado, seasonal cerrado and wet grassland, which presented different floristic compositions and species abundances. The edaphic variables best related to the hyperseasonal and seasonal cerrados were sand, base saturation, pH, and magnesium. The wet grassland was related to higher concentrations of clay, organic matter, aluminium saturation, aluminium, phosphorus, and potassium. Although it is not possible to infer causal relationships based on our results, we hypothesize that the duration of waterlogging in the hyperseasonal cerrado may not be long enough to alter most of its soil characteristics, such as organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium, but may be long enough to alter some, such as pH and base saturation, as the soils under both cerrados were more similar to one another than to the soil under the wet grassland. Since waterlogging may alter soil characteristics and since these characteristics were enough to explain the plant community variation, we may conclude that water excess—permanent or seasonal—is one of the main factors to distinguish the three vegetation forms, which presented different floristic compositions and species abundances.

  18. Biochar effects on wet and dry regions of the soil water retention curve of a sandy loam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arthur, Emmanuel; Moldrup, Per; Sun, Zhencai

    2014-01-01

    Reported beneficial effects of biochar on soil physical properties and processes include decreased soil density, and increased soil water transport, water holding capacity and retention (mainly for the wet region). Research is limited on biochar effects on the full soil water retention curve (wet...... and dry regions) for a given soil and biochar amendment scenarios. This study evaluates how biochar applied to a sandy loam field at rates from 0 to 50 Mg ha−1 yr–1 in 2011, 2012, or both years (2011+2012) influences the full water retention curve. Inorganic fertilizer and pig slurry were added to all...... treatments. Six months after the last biochar application, intact and disturbed soil samples were collected for analyses. Soil water retention was measured from −1 kPa to −100 kPa using tension tables and ceramic plates and from −10 MPa to −480 MPa using a Vapor Sorption Analyzer. Soil specific area...

  19. Effects of Hurricane-Felled Tree Trunks on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, Microbial Biomass, and Root Length in a Wet Tropical Forest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Jean Lodge

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Decaying coarse woody debris can affect the underlying soil either by augmenting nutrients that can be exploited by tree roots, or by diminishing nutrient availability through stimulation of microbial nutrient immobilization. We analyzed C, N, microbial biomass C and root length in closely paired soil samples taken under versus 20–50 cm away from large trunks of two species felled by Hugo (1989 and Georges (1998 three times during wet and dry seasons over the two years following the study conducted by Georges. Soil microbial biomass, % C and % N were significantly higher under than away from logs felled by both hurricanes (i.e., 1989 and 1998, at all sampling times and at both depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm. Frass from wood boring beetles may contribute to early effects. Root length was greater away from logs during the dry season, and under logs in the wet season. Root length was correlated with microbial biomass C, soil N and soil moisture (R = 0.36, 0.18, and 0.27, respectively; all p values < 0.05. Microbial biomass C varied significantly among seasons but differences between positions (under vs. away were only suggestive. Microbial C was correlated with soil N (R = 0.35. Surface soil on the upslope side of the logs had significantly more N and microbial biomass, likely from accumulation of leaf litter above the logs on steep slopes. We conclude that decaying wood can provide ephemeral resources that are exploited by tree roots during some seasons.

  20. Salt Efflorescence Effects on Soil Surface Erodibility and Dust Emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Pelt, R. S.; Zhang, G.

    2017-12-01

    Soluble salts resulting from weathering of geological materials often form surface crusts or efflorescences in areas with shallow saline groundwater. In many cases, the affected areas are susceptible to wind erosion due to their lack of protective vegetation and their flat topography. Fugitive dusts containing soluble salts affect the biogeochemistry of deposition regions and may result in respiratory irritation during transport. We created efflorescent crusts on soil trays by surface evaporation of single salt solutions and bombarded the resultant efflorescences with quartz abrader sand in a laboratory wind tunnel. Four replicate trays containing a Torrifluvent soil affected by one of nine salts commonly found in arid and semiarid streams were tested and the emissions were captured by an aspirated multi-stage deposition and filtering system. We found that in most cases the efflorescent crust reduced the soil surface erodibility but also resulted in the emission of salt rich dust. Two of the salts, sodium thiosulfate and calcium chloride, resulted in increased soil volume and erodibility. However, one of the calcium chloride replicates was tested after an outbreak of humid air caused hygroscopic wetting of the soil and it became indurated upon drying greatly decreasing the erodibility. Although saline affected soils are not used for agricultural production and degradation is not a great concern, the release of salt rich dust is an area of environmental concern and steps to control the dust emissions from affected soils should be developed. Future testing will utilize suites of salts found in streams of arid and semiarid regions.

  1. Deriving the suction stress of unsaturated soils from water retention curve, based on wetted surface area in pores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greco, Roberto; Gargano, Rudy

    2016-04-01

    The evaluation of suction stress in unsaturated soils has important implications in several practical applications. Suction stress affects soil aggregate stability and soil erosion. Furthermore, the equilibrium of shallow unsaturated soil deposits along steep slopes is often possible only thanks to the contribution of suction to soil effective stress. Experimental evidence, as well as theoretical arguments, shows that suction stress is a nonlinear function of matric suction. The relationship expressing the dependence of suction stress on soil matric suction is usually indicated as Soil Stress Characteristic Curve (SSCC). In this study, a novel equation for the evaluation of the suction stress of an unsaturated soil is proposed, assuming that the exchange of stress between soil water and solid particles occurs only through the part of the surface of the solid particles which is in direct contact with water. The proposed equation, based only upon geometric considerations related to soil pore-size distribution, allows to easily derive the SSCC from the water retention curve (SWRC), with the assignment of two additional parameters. The first parameter, representing the projection of the external surface area of the soil over a generic plane surface, can be reasonably estimated from the residual water content of the soil. The second parameter, indicated as H0, is the water potential, below which adsorption significantly contributes to water retention. For the experimental verification of the proposed approach such a parameter is considered as a fitting parameter. The proposed equation is applied to the interpretation of suction stress experimental data, taken from the literature, spanning over a wide range of soil textures. The obtained results show that in all cases the proposed relationships closely reproduces the experimental data, performing better than other currently used expressions. The obtained results also show that the adopted values of the parameter H0

  2. Biotic and abiotic controls on diurnal fluctuations in labile soil phosphorus of a wet tropical forest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vandecar, Karen L; Lawrence, Deborah; Wood, Tana; Oberbauer, Steven F; Das, Rishiraj; Tully, Katherine; Schwendenmann, Luitgard

    2009-09-01

    The productivity of many tropical wet forests is generally limited by bioavailable phosphorus (P). Microbial activity is a key regulator of P availability in that it determines both the supply of P through organic matter decomposition and the depletion of bioavailable P through microbial uptake. Both microbial uptake and mineralization occur rapidly, and their net effect on P availability varies with soil moisture, temperature, and soil organic matter quantity and quality. Exploring the mechanisms driving P availability at fine temporal scales can provide insight into the coupling of carbon, water, and nutrient cycles, and ultimately, the response of tropical forests to climate change. Despite the recognized importance of P cycling to the dynamics of wet tropical forests and their potential sensitivity to short-term fluctuations in bioavailable P, the diurnal pattern of P remains poorly understood. This study quantifies diurnal fluctuations in labile soil P and evaluates the importance of biotic and abiotic factors in driving these patterns. To this end, measurements of labile P were made every other hour in a Costa Rican wet tropical forest oxisol. Spatial and temporal variation in Bray-extractable P were investigated in relation to ecosystem carbon flux, soil CO2 efflux, soil moisture, soil temperature, solar radiation, and sap-flow velocity. Spatially averaged bi-hourly (every two hours) labile P ranged from 0.88 to 2.48 microg/g across days. The amplitude in labile P throughout the day was 0.61-0.82 microg/g (41-54% of mean P concentrations) and was characterized by a bimodal pattern with a decrease at midday. Labile P increased with soil CO2 efflux and soil temperature and declined with increasing sap flow and solar radiation. Together, soil CO2 efflux, soil temperature, and sap flow explained 86% of variation in labile P.

  3. Metal contamination of vineyard soils in wet subtropics (southern Brazil)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirlean, Nicolai; Roisenberg, Ari; Chies, Jaqueline O.

    2007-01-01

    The vine-growing areas in Brazil are the dampest in the world. Copper maximum value registered in this study was as much as 3200 mg kg -1 , which is several times higher than reported for vineyard soils in temperate climates. Other pesticide-derived metals accumulate in the topsoil layer, surpassing in the old vineyards the background value several times for Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd. Copper is transported to deeper soils' horizons and can potentially contaminate groundwater. The soils from basaltic volcanic rocks reveal the highest values of Cu extracted with CaCl 2 , demonstrating a high capacity of copper transference into plants. When evaluating the risks of copper's toxic effects in subtropics, the soils from rhyolitic volcanic rocks are more worrisome, as the Cu extracted with ammonium acetate 1 M surpasses the toxic threshold as much as 4-6 times. - Copper-based pesticide use in wet subtropics is environmentally more risky

  4. Moment analysis description of wetting and redistribution plumes in wettable and water-repellent soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Yunwu; Furman, Alex; Wallach, Rony

    2012-02-01

    SummaryWater repellency has a significant impact on water flow patterns in the soil profile. Transient 2D flow in wettable and natural water-repellent soils was monitored in a transparent flow chamber. The substantial differences in plume shape and spatial water content distribution during the wetting and subsequent redistribution stages were related to the variation of contact angle while in contact with water. The observed plumes shape, internal water content distribution in general and the saturation overshoot behind the wetting front in particular in the repellent soils were associated with unstable flow. Moment analysis was applied to characterize the measured plumes during the wetting and subsequent redistribution. The center of mass and spatial variances determined for the measured evolving plumes were fitted by a model that accounts for capillary and gravitational driving forces in a medium of temporally varying wettability. Ellipses defined around the stable and unstable plumes' centers of mass and whose semi-axes represented a particular number of spatial variances were used to characterize plume shape and internal moisture distribution. A single probability curve was able to characterize the corresponding fractions of the total added water in the different ellipses for all measured plumes, which testify the competence and advantage of the moment analysis method.

  5. Influence of soil on St3 surface spectroscopic characteristics under cathode protection conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuznetsova, E.G.; Lazorenko-Manevich, R.M.; Sokolova, L.A.; Remezkova, L.V.

    1992-01-01

    Using electroreflection spectra it is shown, that St3 surface following long holding in cold clay without cathode protection is less heterogeneous relative to water absorption, than surface of initial specimens, as well as, of specimens holded in wet clay. This variation of distribution of adsorption centres by heats of water absorption results from stable absorption of surface-and-active components of clayed soil and is accompanied by increase of St3 corrosion stability. Long-term cathode polarization reduces initial distribution and decreases corrosion stability of St3

  6. Blast load effects research in dry and wet soil

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ahmed, R

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available stream_source_info Ahmed_2014_ABSTRACT.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 904 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Ahmed_2014_ABSTRACT.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 South African Ballistics... Organisation Conference, Zebra Country Lodge, Gauteng, South Africa, 29 September – 1 October 2014 BLAST LOAD EFFECTS RESEARCH IN DRY AND WET SOIL R Ahmed and ME Miyambo Landward Sciences, Defence Peace Safety and Security, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria...

  7. Tetra point wetting at the free surface of liquid Ga-Bi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huber, P.; Shpyrko, O.G.; Pershan, P.S.; Ocko, B.M.; Di Masi, E.; Deutsch, M.

    2002-01-01

    A continuous surface wetting transition, pinned to a solid-liquid-liquid-vapor tetra coexistence point, is studied by x-ray reflectivity in liquid Ga-Bi binary alloys. The short-range surface potential is determined from the measured temperature evolution of the wetting film. The thermal fluctuations are shown to be insufficient to induce a noticeable breakdown of mean-field behavior, expected in short-range-interacting systems due to their d u =3 upper critical dimensionality

  8. Formation of Pentacene wetting layer on the SiO2 surface and charge trap in the wetting layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Chaeho; Jeon, D.

    2008-01-01

    We studied the early-stage growth of vacuum-evaporated pentacene film on a native SiO 2 surface using atomic force microscopy and in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. Pentacene deposition prompted an immediate change in the ellipsometry spectra, but atomic force microscopy images of the early stage films did not show a pentacene-related morphology other than the decrease in the surface roughness. This suggested that a thin pentacene wetting layer was formed by pentacene molecules lying on the surface before the crystalline islands nucleated. Growth simulation based on the in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry spectra supported this conclusion. Scanning capacitance microscopy measurement indicated the existence of trapped charges in the SiO 2 and pentacene wetting layer

  9. A soil moisture-rainfall feedback mechanism. 1. Theory and observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eltahir, E.A.B.

    1998-01-01

    This paper presents a hypothesis regarding the fundamental role of soil moisture conditions in land-atmosphere interactions. We propose that wet soil moisture conditions over any large region should be associated with relatively large boundary layer moist static energy, which favors the occurrence of more rainfall. Since soil moisture conditions themselves reflect past occurrence of rainfall, the proposed hypothesis implies a positive feedback mechanism between soil moisture and rainfall. This mechanism is based on considerations of the energy balance at the land-atmosphere boundary, in contrast to similar mechanisms that were proposed in the past and that were based on the concepts of water balance and precipitation recycling. The control of soil moisture on surface albedo and Bowen ratio is the fundamental basis of the proposed soil moisture-rainfall feedback mechanism. The water content in the upper soil layer affects these two important properties of the land surface such that both variables decrease with any increase in the water content of the top soil layer. The direct effect of soil moisture on surface albedo implies that wet soil moisture conditions enhance net solar radiation. The direct effect of soil moisture on Bowen ratio dictates that wet soil moisture conditions would tend to enhance net terrestrial radiation at the surface through cooling of surface temperature, reduction of upwards emissions of terrestrial radiation, and simultaneous increase in atmospheric water vapor content and downwards flux of terrestrial radiation. Thus, under wet soil moisture conditions, both components of net radiation are enhanced, resulting in a larger total flux of heat from the surface into the boundary layer. This total flux represents the sum of the corresponding sensible and latent heat fluxes. Simultaneously, cooling of surface temperature should be associated with a smaller sensible heat flux and a smaller depth of the boundary layer

  10. The concurrent use of novel soil surface microclimate measurements to evaluate CO2 pulses in biocrusted interspaces in a cool desert ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Colin; McHugh, Theresa A.; Howell, Armin; Gill, Richard; Weber, Bettina; Belnap, Jayne; Grote, Ed; Reed, Sasha C.

    2017-01-01

    Carbon cycling associated with biological soil crusts, which occupy interspaces between vascular plants in drylands globally, may be an important part of the coupled climate-carbon cycle of the Earth system. A major challenge to understanding CO2 fluxes in these systems is that much of the biotic and biogeochemical activity occurs in the upper few mm of the soil surface layer (i.e., the ‘mantle of fertility’), which exhibits highly dynamic and difficult to measure temperature and moisture fluctuations. Here, we report a multi-sensor approach to simultaneously measuring temperature and moisture of this biocrust surface layer (0–2 mm), and the deeper soil profile, concurrent with automated measurement of surface soil CO2effluxes. Our results illuminate robust relationships between biocrust water content and field CO2 pulses that have previously been difficult to detect and explain. All observed CO2 pulses over the measurement period corresponded to surface wetting events, including when the wetting events did not penetrate into the soil below the biocrust layer (0–2 mm). The variability of temperature and moisture of the biocrust surface layer was much greater than even in the 0–5 cm layer of the soil beneath the biocrust, or deeper in the soil profile. We therefore suggest that coupling surface measurements of biocrust moisture and temperature to automated CO2flux measurements may greatly improve our understanding of the climatic sensitivity of carbon cycling in biocrusted interspaces in our study region, and that this method may be globally relevant and applicable.

  11. ‘Breath figures’ on leaf surfaces – formation and effects of microscopic leaf wetness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jürgen eBurkhardt

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available ‘Microscopic leaf wetness’ means minute amounts of persistent liquid water on leaf surfaces which are invisible to the naked eye. The water is mainly maintained by transpired water vapor condensing onto the leaf surface and to attached leaf surface particles. With an estimated average thickness of less than 1 µm, microscopic leaf wetness it is about 2 orders of magnitude thinner than morning dewfall. The most important physical processes which reduce the saturation vapor pressure and promote condensation are cuticular absorption and the deliquescence of hygroscopic leaf surface particles. Deliquescent salts form highly concentrated solutions. Depending on the amount and concentration of the dissolved ions, the physicochemical properties of microscopic leaf wetness can be considerably different from those of pure water. Microscopic leaf wetness can form continuous thin layers on hydrophobic leaf surfaces and in specific cases can act similar to surfactants, enabling a strong potential influence on the foliar exchange of ions. Microscopic leaf wetness can also enhance the dissolution, the emission, and the reaction of specific atmospheric trace gases e.g. ammonia, SO2, or ozone, leading to a strong potential role for microscopic leaf wetness in plant/atmosphere interaction. Due to its difficult detection, there is little knowledge about the occurrence and the properties of microscopic leaf wetness. However, based on the existing evidence and on physicochemical reasoning it can be hypothesized that microscopic leaf wetness occurs on almost any plant worldwide and often permanently, and that it significantly influences the exchange processes of the leaf surface with its neighboring compartments, i.e., the plant interior and the atmosphere. The omission of microscopic water in general leaf wetness concepts has caused far-reaching, misleading conclusions in the past.

  12. Research on Wetting-Drying Cycles’ Effect on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Expansive Soil Improved by OTAC-KCl

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bao-tian Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Expansive soil experiences periodic swelling and shrinkage during the alternate wet and dry environments, which will result in severe damage to the slope stability. In this study, a promising modifier OTAC-KCl is introduced, which has a good diffusivity and is soluble in water or other solvents easily. Firstly, a reasonable combination of ameliorant 0.3% STAC and 3% KCl is chosen referring to the free swell test. Then, the best curing period, 14 days, is gotten from UCS tests. The effect of wetting and drying cycles on engineering properties of expansive soil improved by OTAC-KCl admixtures after 14-day curing is also studied accordingly. Both treated and untreated expansive soil samples are prepared for the cyclic wetting-drying tests which mainly include cyclic swelling potential and cyclic strength tests. Experimental results show that the swelling potential of expansive soil samples stabilized with OTAC-KCl is suppressed efficiently, and the untreated soil specimens will collapse when immersed in water while the treated specimens keep in good conditions. Moreover, expansive soil samples modified with 0.3% OTAC + 3% KCl show enough durability on the swelling ability, shear strength, and unconfined compressive strength, which means, that both the physical and the mechanical properties of stabilized expansive soil have been improved effectively.

  13. Review of collapse triggering mechanism of collapsible soils due to wetting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Li

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Loess soil deposits are widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions and constitute about 10% of land area of the world. These soils typically have a loose honeycomb-type meta-stable structure that is susceptible to a large reduction in total volume or collapse upon wetting. Collapse characteristics contribute to various problems to infrastructures that are constructed on loess soils. For this reason, collapse triggering mechanism for loess soils has been of significant interest for researchers and practitioners all over the world. This paper aims at providing a state-of-the-art review on collapse mechanism with special reference to loess soil deposits. The collapse mechanism studies are summarized under three different categories, i.e. traditional approaches, microstructure approach, and soil mechanics-based approaches. The traditional and microstructure approaches for interpreting the collapse behavior are comprehensively summarized and critically reviewed based on the experimental results from the literature. The soil mechanics-based approaches proposed based on the experimental results of both compacted soils and natural loess soils are reviewed highlighting their strengths and limitations for estimating the collapse behavior. Simpler soil mechanics-based approaches with less parameters or parameters that are easy-to-determine from conventional tests are suggested for future research to better understand the collapse behavior of natural loess soils. Such studies would be more valuable for use in conventional geotechnical engineering practice applications.

  14. The influence of regional surface soil moisture anomalies on forest fires in Siberia observed from satellites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bartsch, A [Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna (Austria); Balzter, H [Department of Geography, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); George, C, E-mail: ab@ipf.tuwien.ac.a [Earth Observation, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB (United Kingdom)

    2009-10-15

    Forest fires are frequent in the Siberian taiga and are predicted to increase in frequency as a result of increased fire risk under drought conditions, and prolonged fire seasons caused by climate change. There is, however, some uncertainty as to the extent to which drought influences forest fire frequency at a regional scale. Here, we present an analysis of satellite derived soil moisture anomaly data from ERS-1/2 (ERS: Earth Resources Satellite) scatterometer data and burned area maps from MODIS/AVHRR/ATSR (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer/Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer/Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) over Central Siberia for the years 1992-2000. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship of remotely sensed soil moisture deviations from the long-term mean and fire within the boreal biome on a sub-continental scale. Results show that wet surface soil moisture conditions limit the extent of burned area. They can prevent the outbreak of fires but the magnitude of a negative (dry) deviation does not determine the maximum size of fire affected areas. It is known from the literature, however, that an ignition is more likely to occur under low surface wetness conditions, such as those that we observed during July and August in both permafrost and non-permafrost regions. Although the burned area under drier conditions in July is lowest over non-permafrost, the actual number of fires is as high as over continuous permafrost. Approximately 80% of all events occurred under such conditions during that month. The fire size was below 50 km{sup 2} under moist conditions. Larger burned areas have in general not been detected when the surface wetness deviation exceeded +5%.

  15. The influence of regional surface soil moisture anomalies on forest fires in Siberia observed from satellites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartsch, A; Balzter, H; George, C

    2009-01-01

    Forest fires are frequent in the Siberian taiga and are predicted to increase in frequency as a result of increased fire risk under drought conditions, and prolonged fire seasons caused by climate change. There is, however, some uncertainty as to the extent to which drought influences forest fire frequency at a regional scale. Here, we present an analysis of satellite derived soil moisture anomaly data from ERS-1/2 (ERS: Earth Resources Satellite) scatterometer data and burned area maps from MODIS/AVHRR/ATSR (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer/Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer/Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) over Central Siberia for the years 1992-2000. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship of remotely sensed soil moisture deviations from the long-term mean and fire within the boreal biome on a sub-continental scale. Results show that wet surface soil moisture conditions limit the extent of burned area. They can prevent the outbreak of fires but the magnitude of a negative (dry) deviation does not determine the maximum size of fire affected areas. It is known from the literature, however, that an ignition is more likely to occur under low surface wetness conditions, such as those that we observed during July and August in both permafrost and non-permafrost regions. Although the burned area under drier conditions in July is lowest over non-permafrost, the actual number of fires is as high as over continuous permafrost. Approximately 80% of all events occurred under such conditions during that month. The fire size was below 50 km 2 under moist conditions. Larger burned areas have in general not been detected when the surface wetness deviation exceeded +5%.

  16. Water and Ethanol Droplet Wetting Transition during Evaporation on Omniphobic Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xuemei; Weibel, Justin A.; Garimella, Suresh V.

    2015-01-01

    Omniphobic surfaces with reentrant microstructures have been investigated for a range of applications, but the evaporation of high- and low-surface-tension liquid droplets placed on such surfaces has not been rigorously studied. In this work, we develop a technique to fabricate omniphobic surfaces on copper substrates to allow for a systematic examination of the effects of surface topography on the evaporation dynamics of water and ethanol droplets. Compared to a water droplet, the ethanol droplet not only evaporates faster, but also inhibits Cassie-to-Wenzel wetting transitions on surfaces with certain geometries. We use an interfacial energy-based description of the system, including the transition energy barrier and triple line energy, to explain the underlying transition mechanism and behaviour observed. Suppression of the wetting transition during evaporation of droplets provides an important metric for evaluating the robustness of omniphobic surfaces requiring such functionality. PMID:26603940

  17. Wetting of the diamond surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, J.O.

    1987-01-01

    The surface conditions which lead to a wide variation in the wettability of diamond surfaces have been investigated using macroscopic surfaces to allow for the crystal anisotropy. A wetting balance method of calculating adhesion tension and hence contact angle has been used for diamonds having major faces near the [111] and [110] lattice planes. Three classes of behaviour have been identified. Surface analyses by Rutherford Backscattering of helium ions, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) have been used to define the role of the oxygen coverage of the surface in the transition I → O → H. Ferric ion has a hydrophilizing effect on the diamond surface, thought to be the consequence of attachment to the hydroxyl groups at the surface by a ligand mechanism. Other transition metal ions did not show this effect. The phenomenon of hydration of the surface, i.e. progressively more hydrophilic behaviour on prolonged exposure to liquid water, has been quantified. Imbibition or water penetration at microcracks are thought unlikely, and a water cluster build-up at hydrophilic sites is thought to be the best explanation. Dynamic studies indicate little dependence of the advancing contact angle on velocity for velocities up to 10 -4 m/s, and slight dependence of the receding contact angle. Hence advancing angles by this technique are similar to equilibrated contact angles found by optical techniques, but the receding angles are lower than found by other non-dynamic measurements

  18. U-ages in soils and groundwater evidencing wet periods 400-600 kyr ago in southeast Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonotto, D.M.; Jimenez-Rueda, J.R.

    2007-01-01

    238 U and its radiogenic daughter 234 U have been utilized for dating soil formation and groundwater residence time during the last 1.5 million years, in this case based on the U-dissolution/precipitation occurring during modifications of the oxidation-reduction conditions. In this paper, we report a 400-600 kyr proxy of wet periods from sediments occurring in a soil profile developed over rocks outcropping at the Parana sedimentary basin in Brazil, and from groundwater exploited of Guarani aquifer at the same basin. The approaches indicated successful use of the U-modeled ages for suggesting wet periods exceeding the past 116-210 kyr from previous studies

  19. The Effects of Moisture Conditions—From Wet to Hyper dry—On Visible Near-Infrared Spectra of Danish Reference Soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knadel, Maria; Deng, Fan; Alinejadian, Afsaneh

    2014-01-01

    Changes in soil water content are known to affect soil reflectance. Even though it was suggested some time ago that the phenomenon of increased forward scattering due to the presence of water in the soil is related to water film thickness and matric potential, there has been no detailed...... investigation of this in any studies. The effects of moisture conditions on visible nearinfrared (vis-NIR) spectra of four representative soils in Denmark have been assessed as a function of both water film thickness (expressed as the number of molecular layers) and matric potential. Complete water retention...... curves, from wet (pF 0.3, pF = log(|j|), where j is the matric potential in cm) to hyper dry end (oven-dried and freeze-dried soil), were obtained by initial wetting followed by successive draining and drying of soil samples, performing NIR measurements at each step. Soil reflectance was found...

  20. Control of Alq3 wetting layer thickness via substrate surface functionalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsoi, Shufen; Szeto, Bryan; Fleischauer, Michael D; Veinot, Jonathan G C; Brett, Michael J

    2007-06-05

    The effects of substrate surface energy and vapor deposition rate on the initial growth of porous columnar tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) nanostructures were investigated. Alq3 nanostructures thermally evaporated onto as-supplied Si substrates bearing an oxide were observed to form a solid wetting layer, likely caused by an interfacial energy mismatch between the substrate and Alq3. Wetting layer thickness control is important for potential optoelectronic applications. A dramatic decrease in wetting layer thickness was achieved by depositing Alq3 onto alkyltrichlorosilane-derivatized Si/oxide substrates. Similar effects were noted with increasing deposition rates. These two effects enable tailoring of the wetting layer thickness.

  1. Water retention of repellent and subcritical repellent soils: New insights from model and experimental investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czachor, H.; Doerr, S. H.; Lichner, L.

    2010-01-01

    SummarySoil organic matter can modify the surface properties of the soil mineral phase by changing the surface tension of the mineral surfaces. This modifies the soil's solid-water contact angle, which in turn would be expected to affect its water retention curve (SWRC). Here we model the impact of differences in the soil pore-water contact angle on capillarity in non-cylindrical pores by accounting for their complex pore geometry. Key outcomes from the model include that (i) available methods for measuring the Young's wetting angle on soil samples are insufficient in representing the wetting angle in the soil pore space, (ii) the wetting branch of water retention curves is strongly affected by the soil pore-water contact angle, as manifest in the wetting behavior of water repellent soils, (iii) effects for the drying branch are minimal, indicating that both wettable and water repellent soils should behave similarly, and (vi) water retention is a feature not of only wettable soils, but also soils that are in a water repellent state. These results are tested experimentally by determining drying and wetting branches for (a) 'model soil' (quartz sands with four hydrophobization levels) and (b) five field soil samples with contrasting wettability, which were used with and without the removal of the soil organic matter. The experimental results support the theoretical predictions and indicate that small changes in wetting angle can cause switches between wettable and water repellent soil behavior. This may explain the common observation that relatively small changes in soil water content can cause substantial changes in soil wettability.

  2. Geomorphology, disturbance, and the soil and vegetation of two subtropical wet steepland watersheds of Puerto Rico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariel E. Lugo F.N. Scatena

    1995-01-01

    Relationships between landforms, soil nutrients, forest structure, and the relative importance of different disturbances were quantified in two subtropical wet steepland watersheds in Puerto Rico. Ridges had fewer landslides and treefall gaps, more above-ground biomass, older aged stands, and greater species richness than other landscape positions. Ridge soils had...

  3. The emission of nitrous oxide upon wetting a rice soil following a dry season fallow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrnes, B. H.; Holt, L. S.; Austin, E. R.

    1993-12-01

    A greenhouse experiment was conducted to measure nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a soil, which had been planted to flooded transplanted rice, as it was rewetted to simulate the end of a dry season fallow period. The pots of soil had been cropped to transplanted rice with two commonly used nitrogen (N) fertilizer treatments and a control, and the soil had been puddled before transplanting. Large amounts of nitrate N accumulated in the soils during the dry season fallow, and the N fertilizers applied to the previous crop had little effect on nitrate accumulation. There was little N2O emission during the nitrification period. With water additions meant to simulate rainfall events at the beginning of a wet season, the soil redox dropped slightly, and large amounts of N2O began to be emitted. Large emissions began 5 days after each of the two simulated rainy season watering events and stopped abruptly at soil saturation, even though considerable amounts of nitrate still remained in the soil after saturation. Total measured emissions amounted to 6 to 7 kg N2O-N ha-1 for the period. Although these measurements were made in a system which may have favored nitrate accumulation, they are the first known measurements of N2O made from a rice soil as it is wetted. Nitrous oxide emitted from the flooding of rice soils that have accumulated nitrate during a dry season fallow may be a major source of N2O additions to the atmosphere.

  4. Applications of asymmetric nanotextured parylene surface using its wetting and transport properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekeroglu, Koray

    In this thesis, basic digital fluidics devices were introduced using polymeric nanorods (nano-PPX) inspired from nature. Natural inspiration ignited this research by observing butterfly wings, water strider legs, rye grass leaves, and their asymmetric functions. Nano-PPX rods, manufactured by an oblique angle polymerization (OAP) method, are asymmetrically aligned structures that have unidirectional wetting properties. Nano-PPX demonstrates similar functions to the directional textured surfaces of animals and plants in terms of wetting, adhesion, and transport. The water pin-release mechanism on the asymmetric nano-PPX surface with adhesion function provides a great transport property. How the asymmetry causes transport is discussed in terms of hysteresis and interface contact of water droplets. In this study, the transport property of nano-PPX rods is used to guide droplets as well as transporting cargo such as microgels. With the addition of tracks on the nano-PPX rods, the surfaces were transformed into basic digital fluidics devices. The track-assisted nano-PPX has been employed to applications (i.e. sorting, mixing, and carrying cargo particles). Thus, digital fluidics devices fabricated on nano-PPX surface is a promising pathway to assemble microgels in the field of bioengineering. The characterization of the nano textured surface was completed using methods such as Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, Contact Angle Goniometry, and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy. These methods helped to understand the physical and chemical properties of nano-PPX. Parameters such as advancing and receding contact angles, nanorod tilt angle, and critical drop volumes were utilized to investigate the anisotropic wetting properties of nano-PPX surface. This investigation explained the directional wetting behavior of the surface as well as approaching new design parameters for adjusting surface properties. The nanorod tilt angle was a key parameter

  5. Modelling and investigation of partial wetting surfaces for drop dynamics using lattice Boltzmann method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pravinraj, T., E-mail: pravinraj1711@gmail.com; Patrikar, Rajendra

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • A LBM model on partial wetting surface for droplet dynamics is presented by introducing a simple initial partial wetting boundary condition in SC model. • With our approach one can tune the splitting volume and time by carefully choosing strip width and position. • It is shown that the droplet spreading on chemically heterogeneous surfaces can be controlled not only by Weber number but also by tuning strip width ratio. • The directional transportation of a droplet due to chemical wetting gradient is simulated and analyzed using hybrid thermodynamic-image processing technique. • Microstructure surface and its influence on the directional wetting based transportation of droplet are demonstrated. - Abstract: Partial wetting surfaces and its influence on the droplet movement of micro and nano scale being contemplated for many useful applications. The dynamics of the droplet usually analyzed with a multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). In this paper, the influence of partial wetting surface on the dynamics of droplet is systematically analyzed for various cases. Splitting of droplets due to chemical gradient of the surface is studied and analyses of splitting time for various widths of the strips for different Weber numbers are computed. With the proposed model one can tune the splitting volume and time by carefully choosing a strip width and droplet position. The droplet spreading on chemically heterogeneous surfaces shows that the spreading can be controlled not only by parameters of Weber number but also by tuning strip width ratio. The transportation of the droplet from hydrophobic surface to hydrophilic surface due to chemical gradient is simulated and analyzed using our hybrid thermodynamic-image processing technique. The results prove that with the progress of time the surface free energy decreases with increase in spreading area. Finally, the transportation of a droplet on microstructure gradient is demonstrated. The model explains

  6. Surface topography and contact mechanics of dry and wet human skin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander E. Kovalev

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The surface topography of the human wrist skin is studied by using optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM methods. By using these techniques the surface roughness power spectrum is obtained. The Persson contact mechanics theory is used to calculate the contact area for different magnifications, for the dry and wet skin. The measured friction coefficient between a glass ball and dry and wet skin can be explained assuming that a frictional shear stress σf ≈ 13 MPa and σf ≈ 5 MPa, respectively, act in the area of real contact during sliding. These frictional shear stresses are typical for sliding on surfaces of elastic bodies. The big increase in friction, which has been observed for glass sliding on wet skin as the skin dries up, can be explained as result of the increase in the contact area arising from the attraction of capillary bridges. Finally, we demonstrated that the real contact area can be properly defined only when a combination of both AFM and optical methods is used for power spectrum calculation.

  7. Impact of Optimized Land Surface Parameters on the Land-Atmosphere Coupling in WRF Simulations of Dry and Wet Extremes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, S.; Santanello, J. A.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.; Harrison, K.

    2011-12-01

    Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture budgets, as well as controlling feedbacks with clouds and precipitation that lead to the persistence of dry and wet regimes. Recent efforts to quantify the strength of L-A coupling in prediction models have produced diagnostics that integrate across both the land and PBL components of the system. In this study, we examine the impact of improved specification of land surface states, anomalies, and fluxes on coupled WRF forecasts during the summers of extreme dry (2006) and wet (2007) conditions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The improved land initialization and surface flux parameterizations are obtained through the use of a new optimization and uncertainty module in NASA's Land Information System (LIS-OPT), whereby parameter sets are calibrated in the Noah land surface model and classified according to the land cover and soil type mapping of the observations and the full domain. The impact of the calibrated parameters on the a) spinup of land surface states used as initial conditions, and b) heat and moisture fluxes of the coupled (LIS-WRF) simulations are then assessed in terms of ambient weather, PBL budgets, and precipitation along with L-A coupling diagnostics. In addition, the sensitivity of this approach to the period of calibration (dry, wet, normal) is investigated. Finally, tradeoffs of computational tractability and scientific validity (e.g.,. relating to the representation of the spatial dependence of parameters) and the feasibility of calibrating to multiple observational datasets are also discussed.

  8. Mathematical Investigation of the Cavitation Phenomenon in the Nozzle with Partially Surface Wetting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jablonská Jana

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Partially surface wetting has a great influence on friction losses in the fluid flow in both the pipeline system and the complex shape of hydraulic elements. In many hydraulic elements (valves, pump impellers, cavitation is generated, which significantly changes the hydraulic flow parameters, so the last part of the article is devoted to the mathematical solution of this phenomena and evaluates the impact of wall wetting on the size and shape of the cavitation area which appears in the nozzle and in small gaps at special conditions. If the cavitation appears e. g. near the wall of pipes, the blades of turbine or a pump, then it destroys the material surface. On the basis of this physical experiment (nozzle, a two-dimensional (2D mathematical cavitation model of Schnerr-Sauer was made and calculated shape and size of the cavitation region was compared with the experiment. Later this verified model of cavitation was used for cavitation research flow with partial surface wetting. The pressure drop and the size of the cavitation area as it flows from partially surface wetting theory was tested depending on the adhesion coefficient.

  9. Distribution of the radionuclide 137Cs in the soils of a wet mountainous forest in Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiu, C.-Y.; Lai, S.-Y.; Lin, Y.-M.; Chiang, H.-C.

    1999-01-01

    The behavior of 137 Cs was studied in the Yuanyang lake ecosystem, a wet mountainous forest in subtropical Taiwan. Soils investigated are either partially podzolic soils or nearly pure peats with a high organic matter concentration in the surface layer. Concentration of 137 Cs was highest in the organic surface layers, particularly in the Oe horizon or in the underlying A horizon. The downwards migration to the mineral horizons is limited, in spite of the high rainfall. Topography is a critical factor for the distribution of 137 Cs. It is shown that the concentration of 137 Cs is highest at the foot of the slope and lower near the summit and near the lakeshore. The variation of the concentration along the landscape has been attributed to erosion-deposition in combination with surface run-off of the undisturbed forest. The amount of 137 Cs in the site studied is significantly higher than at any other place in Taiwan. The accumulation of 137 Cs is attributed to the high rainfall, which brought large amounts of 137 Cs with the precipitation in the early 1960s. A very remarkable feature of the ecosystem is that 137 Cs is not leached to the subsoils, but is stored in the biomass. Due to permanent recycling it remains available, without being leached downward

  10. The Investigation of the Cavitation Phenomenon in the Laval Nozzle with Full and Partial Surface Wetting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jablonská Jana

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the cavitation phenomenon affected by full and partial wetting of the wall. For the numerical computation of flow in the Laval nozzle the Schnerr-Sauer cavitation model was tested and was used for cavitation research of flow within the nozzle considering partial surface wetting. The coefficient of wetting for various materials was determined using experimental, theoretical and numerical methods of fluid flow due to partial surface wetting.

  11. Physically plausible prescription of land surface model soil moisture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauser, Mathias; Orth, René; Thiery, Wim; Seneviratne, Sonia

    2016-04-01

    Land surface hydrology is an important control of surface weather and climate, especially under extreme dry or wet conditions where it can amplify heat waves or floods, respectively. Prescribing soil moisture in land surface models is a valuable technique to investigate this link between hydrology and climate. It has been used for example to assess the influence of soil moisture on temperature variability, mean and extremes (Seneviratne et al. 2006, 2013, Lorenz et al., 2015). However, perturbing the soil moisture content artificially can lead to a violation of the energy and water balances. Here we present a new method for prescribing soil moisture which ensures water and energy balance closure by using only water from runoff and a reservoir term. If water is available, the method prevents soil moisture decrease below climatological values. Results from simulations with the Community Land Model (CLM) indicate that our new method allows to avoid soil moisture deficits in many regions of the world. We show the influence of the irrigation-supported soil moisture content on mean and extreme temperatures and contrast our findings with that of earlier studies. Additionally, we will assess how long into the 21st century the new method will be able to maintain present-day climatological soil moisture levels for different regions. Lorenz, R., Argüeso, D., Donat, M.G., Pitman, A.J., den Hurk, B.V., Berg, A., Lawrence, D.M., Chéruy, F., Ducharne, A., Hagemann, S. and Meier, A., 2015. Influence of land-atmosphere feedbacks on temperature and precipitation extremes in the GLACE-CMIP5 ensemble. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. Seneviratne, S.I., Lüthi, D., Litschi, M. and Schär, C., 2006. Land-atmosphere coupling and climate change in Europe. Nature, 443(7108), pp.205-209. Seneviratne, S.I., Wilhelm, M., Stanelle, T., Hurk, B., Hagemann, S., Berg, A., Cheruy, F., Higgins, M.E., Meier, A., Brovkin, V. and Claussen, M., 2013. Impact of soil moisture

  12. Effect of Wetting Agents and Approaching Anodes on Lead Migration in Electrokinetic Soil Remediation

    OpenAIRE

    Ng, Yee-Sern; Gupta, Bhaskar Sen; Hashim, Mohd Ali

    2015-01-01

    This is the presentation slides for my conference paper "Effect of Wetting Agents and Approaching Anodes on Lead Migration in Electrokinetic Soil Remediation", which was presented in 5th International Conference on Chemical Engineering and Applications, Taipei on 27 August 2014.

  13. Utility of remote sensing-based surface energy balance models to track water stress in rain-fed switchgrass under dry and wet conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattarai, Nishan; Wagle, Pradeep; Gowda, Prasanna H.; Kakani, Vijaya G.

    2017-11-01

    The ability of remote sensing-based surface energy balance (SEB) models to track water stress in rain-fed switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has not been explored yet. In this paper, the theoretical framework of crop water stress index (CWSI; 0 = extremely wet or no water stress condition and 1 = extremely dry or no transpiration) was utilized to estimate CWSI in rain-fed switchgrass using Landsat-derived evapotranspiration (ET) from five remote sensing based single-source SEB models, namely Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), Mapping ET with Internalized Calibration (METRIC), Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS), Simplified Surface Energy Balance Index (S-SEBI), and Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop). CWSI estimates from the five SEB models and a simple regression model that used normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), near-surface temperature difference, and measured soil moisture (SM) as covariates were compared with those derived from eddy covariance measured ET (CWSIEC) for the 32 Landsat image acquisition dates during the 2011 (dry) and 2013 (wet) growing seasons. Results indicate that most SEB models can predict CWSI reasonably well. For example, the root mean square error (RMSE) ranged from 0.14 (SEBAL) to 0.29 (SSEBop) and the coefficient of determination (R2) ranged from 0.25 (SSEBop) to 0.72 (SEBAL), justifying the added complexity in CWSI modeling as compared to results from the simple regression model (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 0.16). All SEB models underestimated CWSI in the dry year but the estimates from SEBAL and S-SEBI were within 7% of the mean CWSIEC and explained over 60% of variations in CWSIEC. In the wet year, S-SEBI mostly overestimated CWSI (around 28%), while estimates from METRIC, SEBAL, SEBS, and SSEBop were within 8% of the mean CWSIEC. Overall, SEBAL was the most robust model under all conditions followed by METRIC, whose performance was slightly worse and better than SEBAL in dry and wet years

  14. Disentangling the long-term effects of disturbance on soil biogeochemistry in a wet tropical forest ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez Del Arroyo, Omar; Silver, Whendee L

    2018-04-01

    Climate change is increasing the intensity of severe tropical storms and cyclones (also referred to as hurricanes or typhoons), with major implications for tropical forest structure and function. These changes in disturbance regime are likely to play an important role in regulating ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient dynamics in tropical and subtropical forests. Canopy opening and debris deposition resulting from severe storms have complex and interacting effects on ecosystem biogeochemistry. Disentangling these complex effects will be critical to better understand the long-term implications of climate change on ecosystem C and nutrient dynamics. In this study, we used a well-replicated, long-term (10 years) canopy and debris manipulation experiment in a wet tropical forest to determine the separate and combined effects of canopy opening and debris deposition on soil C and nutrients throughout the soil profile (1 m). Debris deposition alone resulted in higher soil C and N concentrations, both at the surface (0-10 cm) and at depth (50-80 cm). Concentrations of NaOH-organic P also increased significantly in the debris deposition only treatment (20-90 cm depth), as did NaOH-total P (20-50 cm depth). Canopy opening, both with and without debris deposition, significantly increased NaOH-inorganic P concentrations from 70 to 90 cm depth. Soil iron concentrations were a strong predictor of both C and P patterns throughout the soil profile. Our results demonstrate that both surface- and subsoils have the potential to significantly increase C and nutrient storage a decade after the sudden deposition of disturbance-related organic debris. Our results also show that these effects may be partially offset by rapid decomposition and decreases in litterfall associated with canopy opening. The significant effects of debris deposition on soil C and nutrient concentrations at depth (>50 cm), suggest that deep soils are more dynamic than previously believed, and can serve as

  15. Increases in mean annual temperature do not alter soil bacterial community structure in tropical montane wet forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul C. Selmants; Karen L. Adair; Creighton M. Litton; Christian P. Giardina; Egbert Schwartz

    2016-01-01

    Soil bacteria play a key role in regulating terrestrial biogeochemical cycling and greenhouse gas fluxes across the soil-atmosphere continuum. Despite their importance to ecosystem functioning, we lack a general understanding of how bacterial communities respond to climate change, especially in relatively understudied ecosystems like tropical montane wet...

  16. Flow boiling heat transfer on nanowire-coated surfaces with highly wetting liquid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Sangwoo; Choi, Geehong; Kim, Beom Seok; Cho, Hyung Hee

    2014-01-01

    Owing to the recent advances in nanotechnology, one significant progress in energy technology is increased cooling ability. It has recently been shown that nanowires can improve pool boiling heat transfer due to the unique features such as enhanced wetting and enlarged nucleation sites. Applying such nanowires on a flow boiling, which is another major class of boiling phenomenon that is associated with forced convection, is yet immature and scarce despite its importance in various applications such as liquid cooling of energy, electronics and refrigeration systems. Here, we investigate flow boiling heat transfer on surfaces that are coated with SiNWs (silicon nanowires). Also, we use highly-wetting dielectric liquid, FC-72, as a working fluid. An interesting wetting behavior is observed where the presence of SiNWs reduces wetting and wicking that in turn leads to significant decrease of CHF (critical heat flux) compared to the plain surface, which opposes the current consensus. Also, the effects of nanowire length and Reynolds number on the boiling heat transfer are shown to be highly nonmonotonic. We attempt to explain such an unusual behavior on the basis of wetting, nucleation and forced convection, and we show that such factors are highly coupled in a way that lead to unusual behavior. - Highlights: • Observation of suppressed wettability in the presence of surface roughness (nanowires). • Significant reduction of critical heat flux in the presence of nanowires. • Nonmonotonic behavior of heat transfer coefficient vs. nanowire length and Reynolds number

  17. Adaptable bioinspired special wetting surface for multifunctional oil/water separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavalenka, Maryna N.; Vüllers, Felix; Kumberg, Jana; Zeiger, Claudia; Trouillet, Vanessa; Stein, Sebastian; Ava, Tanzila T.; Li, Chunyan; Worgull, Matthias; Hölscher, Hendrik

    2017-01-01

    Inspired by the multifunctionality of biological surfaces necessary for the survival of an organism in its specific environment, we developed an artificial special wetting nanofur surface which can be adapted to perform different functionalities necessary to efficiently separate oil and water for cleaning accidental oil spills or separating industrial oily wastewater. Initial superhydrophobic nanofur surface is fabricated using a hot pulling method, in which nano- and microhairs are drawn out of the polymer surface during separation from a heated sandblasted steel plate. By using a set of simple modification techniques, which include microperforation, plasma treatment and subsequent control of storage environment, we achieved selective separation of either water or oil, variable oil absorption and continuous gravity driven separation of oil/water mixtures by filtration. Furthermore, these functions can be performed using special wetting nanofur made from various thermoplastics, including biodegradable and recyclable polymers. Additionally, nanofur can be reused after washing it with organic solvents, thus, further helping to reduce the environmental impacts of oil/water separation processes. PMID:28051163

  18. Comparing soil organic carbon dynamics in plantation and secondary forest in wet tropics in Puerto Rico

    Science.gov (United States)

    LI YIQING; MING XU; ZOU XIAOMING; PEIJUN SHI§; YAOQI ZHANG

    2005-01-01

    We compared the soil carbon dynamics between a pine plantation and a secondary forest, both of which originated from the same farmland abandoned in 1976 with the same cropping history and soil conditions, in the wet tropics in Puerto Rico from July 1996 to June 1997. We found that the secondary forest accumulated the heavy-fraction organic carbon (HF-OC) measured by...

  19. Experimental evidence of lateral flow in unsaturated homogeneous isotropic sloping soil due to rainfall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinai, G.; Dirksen, C.

    2006-12-01

    This paper describes laboratory experimental evidence for lateral flow in the top layer of unsaturated sloping soil due to rainfall. Water was applied uniformly on horizontal and V-shaped surfaces of fine sand, at rates about 100 times smaller than the saturated hydraulic conductivity. Flow regimes near the surface and in the soil bulk were studied by using dyes. Streamlines and streak lines and wetting fronts were visually studied and photographed through a vertical glass wall. Near wetting fronts the flow direction was always perpendicular to the fronts owing to dominant matrix potential gradients. Thus, during early wetting of dry sloping sand, the flow direction is directed upslope. Far above a wetting front the flow was vertical due to the dominance of gravity. Downslope flow was observed during decreasing rainfall and dry periods. The lateral movement was largest near the soil surface and decayed with soil depth. Unstable downslope lateral flow close to the soil surface was attributed to non-Darcian flow due to variable temporal and spatial raindrop distributions. The experiments verify the theory that predicts unsaturated downslope lateral flow in sloping soil due to rainfall dynamics only, without apparent soil texture difference or anisotropy. This phenomenon could have significant implications for hillside hydrology, desert agriculture, irrigation management, etc., as well as for the basic mechanisms of surface runoff and erosion.

  20. Microstructure and stability of two sandy loam soils with different soil management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouma, J.

    1969-01-01

    A practical problem initiated this study. In the Haarlemmermeer, a former lake reclaimed about 1850, several farmers had difficulties with soil structure. Land, plowed in autumn, was very wet in spring. Free water was sometimes present on the soil surface. Planting and seeding were long delayed in

  1. REMR Management System - Coatings for Use on Wet or Damp Steel Surfaces

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Beitelman, Alfred

    1997-01-01

    .... The surfaces of these structures normally can be blast cleaned to a white metal grade, but condensation and/or water leaking around seals immediately make the surfaces too wet for the application of many coatings...

  2. Soil CO2 efflux in three wet meadow ecosystems with different C and N status

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zemanová, K.; Čížková, Hana; Šantrůčková, H.

    Suppl.S, č. 9 (2008), s. 49-55 ISSN 1585-8553 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520; CEZ:AV0Z60660521 Keywords : wet meadow * soil CO2 efflux * eutrophication Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 0.898, year: 2008

  3. Effect of biochar addition on short-term N2O and CO2 emissions during repeated drying and wetting of an anthropogenic alluvial soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Fang; Lee, Xinqing; Theng, Benny K G; Wang, Bing; Cheng, Jianzhong; Wang, Qian

    2017-06-01

    Agricultural soils are an important source of greenhouse gases (GHG). Biochar application to such soils has the potential of mitigating global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Under irrigation, the topsoils in arid regions experience repeated drying and wetting during the crop growing season. Biochar incorporation into these soils would change the soil microbial environment and hence affect GHG emissions. Little information, however, is available regarding the effect of biochar addition on carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from agricultural soils undergoing repeated drying and wetting. Here, we report the results of a 49-day aerobic incubation experiment, incorporating biochar into an anthropogenic alluvial soil in an arid region of Xinjiang Province, China, and measuring CO 2 and N 2 O emissions. Under both drying-wetting and constantly moist conditions, biochar amendment significantly increased cumulative CO 2 emission. At the same time, there was a significant reduction (up to ~20 %) in cumulative N 2 O emission, indicating that the addition of biochar to irrigated agricultural soils may effectively slow down global warming in arid regions of China.

  4. Electrical Capacitance Tomography Measurement of the Migration of Ice Frontal Surface in Freezing Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu J.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The tracking of the migration of ice frontal surface is crucial for the understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms in freezing soil. Owing to the distinct advantages, including non-invasive sensing, high safety, low cost and high data acquisition speed, the electrical capacitance tomography (ECT is considered to be a promising visualization measurement method. In this paper, the ECT method is used to visualize the migration of ice frontal surface in freezing soil. With the main motivation of the improvement of imaging quality, a loss function with multiple regularizers that incorporate the prior formation related to the imaging objects is proposed to cast the ECT image reconstruction task into an optimization problem. An iteration scheme that integrates the superiority of the split Bregman iteration (SBI method is developed for searching for the optimal solution of the proposed loss function. An unclosed electrodes sensor is designed for satisfying the requirements of practical measurements. An experimental system of one dimensional freezing in frozen soil is constructed, and the ice frontal surface migration in the freezing process of the wet soil sample containing five percent of moisture is measured. The visualization measurement results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the ECT visualization method

  5. Decontamination of hydrocarbon contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, A.J.

    1991-01-01

    This patent describes the method of treating hydrocarbon contaminated soil. It comprises forming the soil into a flowing particulate stream, forming an aqueous liquid mixture of water and treating substance that reacts with hydrocarbon to form CO 2 and water, dispersing the liquid mixture into the particulate soil stream to wet the particulate, allowing the substance to react with the wetted soil particulate to thereby form CO 2 and water, thereby the resultant soil is beneficially treated, the stream being freely projected to dwell at a level and then fall, and the dispersing includes spraying the liquid mixture into the projected stream at the dwell, the substance consisting of natural bacteria, and at a concentration level in the mixture of between 100 to 3,000 PPM of bacteria to water, the soil forming step including impacting the soil to reduce it to particles less than about 1 inches in cross dimension, and including forming the wetting particulate into a first layer on a surface to allow the substance to react

  6. Surface water ponding on clayey soils managed by conventional and conservation tillage in boreal conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. ALAKUKKU

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Surface water ponding and crop hampering due to soil wetness was monitored in order to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage practices and perennial grass cover on soil infiltrability for five years in situ in gently sloping clayey fields. Thirteen experimental areas, each having three experimental fields, were established in southern Finland. The fields belonged to: autumn mouldboard ploughing (AP, conservation tillage (CT and perennial grass in the crop rotation (PG. In the third year, direct drilled (DD fields were established in five areas. Excluding PG, mainly spring cereals were grown in the fields. Location and surface area of ponded water (in the spring and autumn as well as hampered crop growth (during June-July were determined in each field by using GPS devices and GIS programs. Surface water ponding or crop hampering occurred when the amount of rainfall was clearly greater than the long-term average. The mean of the relative area of the ponded surface water, indicating the risk of surface runoff, and hampered crop growth was larger in the CT fields than in the AP fields. The differences between means were, however, not statistically significant. Complementary soil physical measurements are required to investigate the reasons for the repeated surface water ponding.;

  7. Anisotropic wetting properties on a precision-ground micro-V-grooved Si surface related to their micro-characterized variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, P; Xie, J; Cheng, J; Wu, K K

    2014-01-01

    Micro-characterized variables are proposed to precisely characterize a micro-V-grooved Si surface through the 3D measured topography rather than the designed one. In this study, level and gradient micro-grooved surfaces with depth of 25–80 µm were precisely and smoothly fabricated using a new micro-grinding process rather than laser machining and chemical etching. The objective is to investigate how these accurate micro-characterized variables systematically influence anisotropic wetting and droplet self-movement on such regular micro-structured surfaces without surface chemical modification. First, the anisotropic wetting, droplet sliding, pinning effect and droplet impact were experimentally investigated; then, theoretical anisotropic wetting models were constructed to predict and design the anisotropic wetting. The experiments show that the level micro-V-grooved surface produces the anisotropic wetting and pinning effects. It not only approximates superhydrophobicity but also produces high surface free energy. Moreover, the gradient micro-V-grooved surface with large pitch may lead to much easier droplet sliding than the level one along the micro-groove. The droplet self-movement trend increases with increasing the micro-groove gradient and micro-V-groove ratio. The micro-groove pitch and depth also influence the droplet impact. Theoretical analyses show that the wetting anisotropy and the droplet anisotropy both reach their largest value and disappear for a sharp micro-groove top when the micro-V-groove ratio is equal to 0.70 and 2.58, respectively, which may change the wetting between the composite state and the non-composite state. It is confirmed that the wetting behavior may be designed and predicted by the accurate micro-characterized variables of a regular micro-structured surface. (paper)

  8. Anisotropic wetting properties on a precision-ground micro-V-grooved Si surface related to their micro-characterized variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, P.; Xie, J.; Cheng, J.; Wu, K. K.

    2014-07-01

    Micro-characterized variables are proposed to precisely characterize a micro-V-grooved Si surface through the 3D measured topography rather than the designed one. In this study, level and gradient micro-grooved surfaces with depth of 25-80 µm were precisely and smoothly fabricated using a new micro-grinding process rather than laser machining and chemical etching. The objective is to investigate how these accurate micro-characterized variables systematically influence anisotropic wetting and droplet self-movement on such regular micro-structured surfaces without surface chemical modification. First, the anisotropic wetting, droplet sliding, pinning effect and droplet impact were experimentally investigated; then, theoretical anisotropic wetting models were constructed to predict and design the anisotropic wetting. The experiments show that the level micro-V-grooved surface produces the anisotropic wetting and pinning effects. It not only approximates superhydrophobicity but also produces high surface free energy. Moreover, the gradient micro-V-grooved surface with large pitch may lead to much easier droplet sliding than the level one along the micro-groove. The droplet self-movement trend increases with increasing the micro-groove gradient and micro-V-groove ratio. The micro-groove pitch and depth also influence the droplet impact. Theoretical analyses show that the wetting anisotropy and the droplet anisotropy both reach their largest value and disappear for a sharp micro-groove top when the micro-V-groove ratio is equal to 0.70 and 2.58, respectively, which may change the wetting between the composite state and the non-composite state. It is confirmed that the wetting behavior may be designed and predicted by the accurate micro-characterized variables of a regular micro-structured surface.

  9. Land application of mine water causes minimal uranium loss offsite in the wet-dry tropics: Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mumtaz, Saqib; Streten, Claire; Parry, David L.; McGuinness, Keith A.; Lu, Ping; Gibb, Karen S.

    2015-01-01

    Ranger Uranium Mine (RUM) is situated in the wet-dry tropics of Northern Australia. Land application (irrigation) of stockpile (ore and waste) runoff water to natural woodland on the mine lease is a key part of water management at the mine. Consequently, the soil in these Land Application Areas (LAAs) presents a range of uranium (U) and other metals concentrations. Knowledge of seasonal and temporal changes in soil U and physicochemical parameters at RUM LAAs is important to develop suitable management and rehabilitation strategies. Therefore, soil samples were collected from low, medium, high and very high U sites at RUM LAAs for two consecutive years and the effect of time and season on soil physicochemical parameters particularly U and other major solutes applied in irrigation water was measured. Concentrations of some of the solutes applied in the irrigation water such as sulphur (S), iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) showed significant seasonal and temporal changes. Soil S, Fe and Ca concentration decreased from year 1 to year 2 and from dry to wet seasons during both years. Soil U followed the same pattern except that we recorded an increase in soil U concentrations at most of the RUM LAAs after year 2 wet season compared to year 2 dry season. Thus, these sites did not show a considerable decrease in soil U concentration from year 1 to year 2. Sites which contained elevated U after wet season 2 also had higher moisture content which suggests that pooling of U containing rainwater at these sites may be responsible for elevated U. Thus, U may be redistributed within RUM LAAs due to surface water movement. The study also suggested that a decrease in U concentrations in LAA soils at very high U (>900 mg kg"−"1) sites is most likely due to transport of particulate matter bound U by surface runoff and U may not be lost from the surface soil due to vertical movement through the soil profile. Uranium attached to particulate matter may reduce its potential for

  10. Spatial prediction of near surface soil water retention functions using hydrogeophysics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, J. P.; Franz, T. E.

    2017-12-01

    The hydrological community often turns to widely available spatial datasets such as SSURGO to characterize the spatial variability of soil across a landscape of interest. This has served as a reasonable first approximation when lacking localized soil data. However, previous work has shown that information loss within land surface models primarily stems from parameterization. Localized soil sampling is both expensive and time intense, and thus a need exists in connecting spatial datasets with ground observations. Given that hydrogeophysics is data-dense, rapid, and relatively easy to adopt, it is a promising technique to help dovetail localized soil sampling with larger spatial datasets. In this work, we utilize 2 geophysical techniques; cosmic ray neutron probe and electromagnetic induction, to identify temporally stable soil moisture patterns. This is achieved by measuring numerous times over a range of wet to dry field conditions in order to apply an empirical orthogonal function. We then present measured water retention functions of shallow cores extracted within each temporally stable zone. Lastly, we use soil moisture patterns as a covariate to predict soil hydraulic properties in areas without measurement and validate using a leave-one-out cross validation analysis. Using these approaches to better constrain soil hydraulic property variability, we speculate that further research can better estimate hydrologic fluxes in areas of interest.

  11. Concentrations and geographic distribution of selected organic pollutants in Scottish surface soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhind, S.M.; Kyle, C.E.; Kerr, C.; Osprey, M.; Zhang, Z.L.; Duff, E.I.; Lilly, A.; Nolan, A.; Hudson, G.; Towers, W.; Bell, J.; Coull, M.; McKenzie, C.

    2013-01-01

    Concentrations of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) representing three chemical classes (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and the organic pollutant diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), were determined in surface soil samples (0–5 cm) collected at 20 km grid intersects throughout Scotland over a three-year period. Detectable amounts of all chemical classes and most individual congeners were present in all samples. There were no consistent effects of soil or vegetation type, soil carbon content, pH, altitude or distance from centres of population on concentrations which exhibited extreme variation, even in adjacent samples. It is concluded that soil POPs and DEHP concentrations and associated rates of animal and human exposure were highly variable, influenced by multiple, interacting factors, and not clearly related to local sources but possibly related to wet atmospheric deposition and the organic carbon content of the soil. -- Highlights: •Concentrations of selected organic pollutants in Scottish soils were determined. •Concentrations were highly variable. •There were few effects of soil or vegetation type, soil carbon, pH or altitude. •Distance from cities was not an important determinant of concentrations. •Atmospheric deposition and soil organic carbon content may affect concentrations. -- Soil concentrations of anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants are not clearly related to soil type or pH, vegetation, altitude, or distance from pollutant sources

  12. Behavior of two phenyl urea herbicides in clayey soils and effect of alternating dry-wet conditions on their availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haouari, Jamila; Dahchour, Abdelmalek; Peña-Heras, Arancha; Louchard, Xzavier; Lennartz, Berndt; Alaoui, Mohamed Elbelghiti; Satrallah, Ahmad

    2006-01-01

    Adsorption and mobility of linuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea) and diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea) were studied in clayey soils from the Gharb area (Morocco). Soils A and B were planted with sun flower (Helianthus annuus) while soil C was planted with sugar cane (Saccharum offcinarum). Adsorption was studied for linuron in soils A and B, while mobility was studied only in soil B. Adsorption data were found to fit the Freundlich equation with correlation coefficients r2 > 0.9. Freundlich coefficients (Kf, nf) were in agreement with L and S isotherm types for soils A and B, respectively. Values of Koc (195 and 102) indicate moderate adsorption. Desorption isotherms for linuron showed hysteresis for both soils. The pesticide would be more bound to soil A (H = 8.44) than to soil B (H = 4.01). The effect of alternating wet and dry conditions was tested for soils A and B. Results showed that retention would increase in soil subject to an additional wet and dry cycle. In the case of diuron isotherm was of type L in soil C. Desorption was noticeable at high concentrations and tended to decrease when concentrations diminished. Mobility of linuron was tested in polyvinyle chloride (PVC) columns, which received different treatments before their percolation. The pesticide was more mobile in a previously saturated column. In columns subject to a drying step after saturation with water, linuron mobility was greatly reduced.

  13. Relationship between metal speciation in soil solution and metal adsorption at the root surface of ryegrass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalis, Erwin J J; Temminghoff, Erwin J M; Town, Raewyn M; Unsworth, Emily R; van Riemsdijk, Willem H

    2008-01-01

    The total metal content of the soil or total metal concentration in the soil solution is not always a good indicator for metal availability to plants. Therefore, several speciation techniques have been developed that measure a defined fraction of the total metal concentration in the soil solution. In this study the Donnan Membrane Technique (DMT) was used to measure free metal ion concentrations in CaCl(2) extractions (to mimic the soil solution, and to work under standardized conditions) of 10 different soils, whereas diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) and scanning chronopotentiometry (SCP) were used to measure the sum of free and labile metal concentrations in the CaCl(2) extracts. The DGT device was also exposed directly to the (wetted) soil (soil-DGT). The metal concentrations measured with the speciation techniques are related to the metal adsorption at the root surface of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), to be able to subsequently predict metal uptake. In most cases the metal adsorption related pH-dependently to the metal concentrations measured by DMT, SCP, and DGT in the CaCl(2) extract. However, the relationship between metal adsorption at the root surface and the metal concentrations measured by the soil-DGT was not-or only slightly-pH dependent. The correlations between metal adsorption at the root surface and metal speciation detected by different speciation techniques allow discussion about rate limiting steps in biouptake and the contribution of metal complexes to metal bioavailability.

  14. Soil Carbon Dioxide and Methane Fluxes in a Costa Rican Premontane Wet Forest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hempel, L. A.; Schade, G. W.; Pfohl, A.

    2011-12-01

    A significant amount of the global terrestrial biomass is found in tropical forests, and soil respiration is a vital part of its carbon cycling. However, data on soil trace gas flux rates in the tropics are sparse, especially from previously disturbed regions. To expand the database on carbon cycling in the tropics, this study examined soil flux rate and its variability for CO2 and CH4 in a secondary premontane wet forest south of Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. Data were collected over a six-week period in June and July 2011 during the transition from dry to wet season. Trace gas sampling was performed at three sub-canopy sites of different elevations. The soil is of volcanic origin with a low bulk density, likely an Andisol. An average KCl pH of 4.8 indicates exchangeable aluminum is present, and a NaF pH>11 indicates the soil is dominated by short-range order minerals. Ten-inch diameter PVC rings were used as static flux chambers without soil collars. To find soil CO2 efflux rates, a battery-powered LICOR 840A CO2-H2O Gas Analyzer was used to take measurements in the field, logging CO2 concentration every ten seconds. Additionally, six, 10-mL Nylon syringes were filled with gas samples at 0, 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 minutes after closing the chambers. These samples were analyzed the same day with a SRI 8610 Gas Chromatograph for concentrations of CO2 and CH4. The average CO2 efflux calculated was 1.7±0.8E-2 g/m2/min, and did not differ between the applied analytical methods. Soil respiration depended strongly on soil moisture, with decreasing efflux rates at higher water-filled pore space values. An annual soil respiration rate of 8.5E3 g/m2/yr was estimated by applying the observed relationship between soil moisture and CO2 efflux to annual soil moisture measurements. The relatively high respiration rates could be caused by the high soil moisture and low soil bulk density, providing optimal conditions for microbial respiration. Several diurnal sampling periods at

  15. A simple strategy to realize biomimetic surfaces with controlled anisotropic wetting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Dong; Chen, Qi-Dai; Yao, Jia; Guan, Yong-Chao; Wang, Jian-Nan; Niu, Li-Gang; Fang, Hong-Hua; Sun, Hong-Bo

    2010-02-01

    The study of anisotropic wetting has become one of the most important research areas in biomimicry. However, realization of controlled anisotropic surfaces remains challenging. Here we investigated anisotropic wetting on grooves with different linewidth, period, and height fabricated by laser interference lithography and found that the anisotropy strongly depended on the height. The anisotropy significantly increased from 9° to 48° when the height was changed from 100 nm to 1.3 μm. This was interpreted by a thermodynamic model as a consequence of the increase of free energy barriers versus the height increase. According to the relationship, controlled anisotropic surfaces were rapidly realized by adjusting the grooves' height that was simply accomplished by changing the resin thickness. Finally, the perpendicular contact angle was further enhanced to 131°±2° by surface modification, which was very close to 135°±3° of a common grass leaf.

  16. Condensation and Wetting Dynamics on Micro/Nano-Structured Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olceroglu, Emre

    Because of their adjustable wetting characteristics, micro/nanostructured surfaces are attractive for the enhancement of phase-change heat transfer where liquid-solid-vapor interactions are important. Condensation, evaporation, and boiling processes are traditionally used in a variety of applications including water harvesting, desalination, industrial power generation, HVAC, and thermal management systems. Although they have been studied by numerous researchers, there is currently a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which structured surfaces improve heat transfer during phase-change. This PhD dissertation focuses on condensation onto engineered surfaces including fabrication aspect, the physics of phase-change, and the operational limitations of engineered surfaces. While superhydrophobic condensation has been shown to produce high heat transfer rates, several critical issues remain in the field. These include surface manufacturability, heat transfer coefficient measurement limitations at low heat fluxes, failure due to surface flooding at high supersaturations, insufficient modeling of droplet growth rates, and the inherent issues associated with maintenance of non-wetted surface structures. Each of these issues is investigated in this thesis, leading to several contributions to the field of condensation on engineered surfaces. A variety of engineered surfaces have been fabricated and characterized, including nanostructured and hierarchically-structured superhydrophobic surfaces. The Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is used here as a biological template for the fabrication of nickel nanostructures, which are subsequently functionalized to achieve superhydrophobicity. This technique is simple and sustainable, and requires no applied heat or external power, thus making it easily extendable to a variety of common heat transfer materials and complex geometries. To measure heat transfer rates during superhydrophobic condensation in the presence of non

  17. Functional levels of floor surface roughness for the prevention of slips and falls: clean-and-dry and soapsuds-covered wet surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, In-Ju; Hsiao, Hongwei; Simeonov, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Literature has shown a general trend that slip resistance performance improves with floor surface roughness. However, whether slip resistance properties are linearly correlated with surface topographies of the floors or what roughness levels are required for effective slip resistance performance still remain to be answered. This pilot study aimed to investigate slip resistance properties and identify functional levels of floor surface roughness for practical design applications in reducing the risk of slip and fall incidents. A theory model was proposed to characterize functional levels of surface roughness of floor surfaces by introducing a new concept of three distinctive zones. A series of dynamic friction tests were conducted using 3 shoes and 9 floor specimens under clean-and-dry as well as soapsuds-covered slippery wet environments. The results showed that all the tested floor-shoe combinations provided sufficient slip resistances performance under the clean-and-dry condition. A significant effect of floor type (surface roughness) on dynamic friction coefficient (DFC) was found in the soapsuds-covered wet condition. As compared to the surface roughness effects, the shoe-type effects were relatively small. Under the soapsuds-covered wet condition, floors with 50 μm in Ra roughness scale seemed to represent an upper bound in the functional range of floor surface roughness for slip resistance because further increase of surface roughness provided no additional benefit. A lower bound of the functional range for slip resistance under the soapsuds-covered wet condition was estimated from the requirement of DFC > 0.4 at Ra ≅ 17 μm. Findings from this study may have potential safety implications in the floor surface design for reducing slip and fall hazards. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Investigation into the surface of implanted monocrystalline silicon with the aid of wetting angle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lebedeva, N.N.; Bakovets, V.V.; Sedymova, E.A.; Pridachin, N.B.

    1986-01-01

    The dependence of silicon wetting margical angle on its irradiation dose by ions of electrically active and neutral materials is studied. It has been found that the system of immiscible liquids - ether and water can be successfully used for studying the silicon ion implantation effect on its water wetting. Changing of implanted silicon wetting is bound up with the increase of the defects presence level of surface layers. The specimens annealing reestablishes silicon wetting up to parameters characteristic of non irradiated specimens. The most effective annealing region is within the 550-700 deg C range. The implanted silicon wetting by melts at increased temperatures can be employed for studying kinetics and defect annealing mechanism

  19. Characterization of Polymer Surfaces by the Use of Different Wetting Theories Regarding Acid-Base Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduard Kraus

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The existing wetting methods for the determination of acid-base properties on solid surfaces are discussed. Striving for a better understanding of the adhesive polymer interactions in adhesively joined polymers, the methods of Berger and van Oss-Chaudhury-Good were found as the most suitable methods for the investigation of wetting on solid polymer surfaces. Methods of nonlinear systems by Della Volpe and Siboni were adapted and evaluated on plastic surfaces. In the context of these investigations various data of the surface free energy as well as its components have been identified for a number of polymer surfaces by application of spatial equation solutions.

  20. PREFACE: Dynamics of wetting Dynamics of wetting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grest, Gary S.; Oshanin, Gleb; Webb, Edmund B., III

    2009-11-01

    Capillary phenomena associated with fluids wetting other condensed matter phases have drawn great scientific interest for hundreds of years; consider the recent bicentennial celebration of Thomas Young's paper on equilibrium contact angles, describing the geometric shape assumed near a three phase contact line in terms of the relevant surface energies of the constituent phases [1]. Indeed, nearly a century has passed since the seminal papers of Lucas and Washburn, describing dynamics of capillary imbibition [2, 3]. While it is generally appreciated that dynamics of fluid wetting processes are determined by the degree to which a system is out of capillary equilibrium, myriad complications exist that challenge the fundamental understanding of dynamic capillary phenomena. The topic has gathered much interest from recent Nobel laureate Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, who provided a seminal review of relevant dissipation mechanisms for fluid droplets spreading on solid surfaces [4] Although much about the dynamics of wetting has been revealed, much remains to be learned and intrinsic technological and fundamental interest in the topic drives continuing high levels of research activity. This is enabled partly by improved experimental capabilities for resolving wetting processes at increasingly finer temporal, spatial, and chemical resolution. Additionally, dynamic wetting research advances via higher fidelity computational modeling capabilities, which drive more highly refined theory development. The significance of this topic both fundamentally and technologically has resulted in a number of reviews of research activity in wetting dynamics. One recent example addresses the evaluation of existing wetting dynamics theories from an experimentalist's perspective [5]. A Current Opinion issue was recently dedicated to high temperature capillarity, including dynamics of high temperature spreading [6]. New educational tools have recently emerged for providing instruction in wetting

  1. The impact of surface geometry, cavitation, and condensation on wetting transitions: posts and reentrant structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panter, J. R.; Kusumaatmaja, H.

    2017-03-01

    The fundamental impacts of surface geometry on the stability of wetting states, and the transitions between them are elucidated for square posts and reentrant structures in three dimensions. We identify three principal outcomes of particular importance for future surface design of liquid-repellent surfaces. Firstly, we demonstrate and quantify how capillary condensation and vapour cavitation affect wetting state stabilities. At high contact angles, cavitation is enhanced about wide, closely-spaced square posts, leading to the existence of suspended states without an associated collapsed state. At low contact angles, narrow reentrant pillars suppress condensation and enable the suspension of even highly wetting liquids. Secondly, two distinct collapse mechanisms are observed for 3D reentrant geometries, base contact and pillar contact, which are operative at different pillar heights. As well as morphological differences in the interface of the penetrating liquid, each mechanism is affected differently by changes in the contact angle with the solid. Finally, for highly-wetting liquids, condensates are shown to critically modify the transition pathways in both the base contact and pillar contact modes.

  2. Effect of SUS316L stainless steel surface conditions on the wetting of molten multi-component oxides ceramic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jin, E-mail: wangjinustb@gmail.com [Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, 808-0196 (Japan); Matsuda, Nozomu [Bar and Wire Product Unit, Nippon steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Fukuoka, 802-8686 (Japan); Shinozaki, Nobuya [Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, 808-0196 (Japan); Miyoshi, Noriko [The Center for Instrumental Analysis, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, 804-8550 (Japan); Shiraishi, Takanobu [Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8588 (Japan)

    2015-02-01

    Highlights: • Multi-component oxides had a good wetting on stainless substrates with pretreatments. • Various substrates surface roughness caused the difference of final contact angles. • The wetting rate was slow on polished substrate due to the slow surface oxidation. - Abstract: A study on the effect of SUS316L stainless steel surface conditions on the wetting behavior of molten multi-component oxides ceramic was performed and aimed to contribute to the further understanding of the application of oxides ceramic in penetration treatment of stainless steel coatings and the deposition of stainless steel cermet coatings. The results show that at 1273 K, different surface pre-treatments (polishing and heating) had an important effect on the wetting behavior. The molten multi-component oxides showed good wettability on both stainless steel substrates, however, the wetting process on the polished substrate was significantly slower than that on the heated substrates. The mechanism of the interfacial reactions was discussed based on the microscopic and thermodynamic analysis, the substrates reacted with oxygen generated from the decomposition of the molten multi-component oxides and oxygen contained in the argon atmosphere, and the oxide film caused the molten multi-component oxides ceramic to spread on the substrates surfaces. For the polished substrate, more time was required for the surface oxidation to reach the surface composition of Heated-S, which resulted in relatively slow spreading and wetting rates. Moreover, the variance of the surface roughness drove the final contact angles to slightly different values following the sequence Polished-S > Heated-S.

  3. Land application of mine water causes minimal uranium loss offsite in the wet-dry tropics: Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumtaz, Saqib; Streten, Claire; Parry, David L; McGuinness, Keith A; Lu, Ping; Gibb, Karen S

    2015-11-01

    Ranger Uranium Mine (RUM) is situated in the wet-dry tropics of Northern Australia. Land application (irrigation) of stockpile (ore and waste) runoff water to natural woodland on the mine lease is a key part of water management at the mine. Consequently, the soil in these Land Application Areas (LAAs) presents a range of uranium (U) and other metals concentrations. Knowledge of seasonal and temporal changes in soil U and physicochemical parameters at RUM LAAs is important to develop suitable management and rehabilitation strategies. Therefore, soil samples were collected from low, medium, high and very high U sites at RUM LAAs for two consecutive years and the effect of time and season on soil physicochemical parameters particularly U and other major solutes applied in irrigation water was measured. Concentrations of some of the solutes applied in the irrigation water such as sulphur (S), iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) showed significant seasonal and temporal changes. Soil S, Fe and Ca concentration decreased from year 1 to year 2 and from dry to wet seasons during both years. Soil U followed the same pattern except that we recorded an increase in soil U concentrations at most of the RUM LAAs after year 2 wet season compared to year 2 dry season. Thus, these sites did not show a considerable decrease in soil U concentration from year 1 to year 2. Sites which contained elevated U after wet season 2 also had higher moisture content which suggests that pooling of U containing rainwater at these sites may be responsible for elevated U. Thus, U may be redistributed within RUM LAAs due to surface water movement. The study also suggested that a decrease in U concentrations in LAA soils at very high U (>900 mg kg(-1)) sites is most likely due to transport of particulate matter bound U by surface runoff and U may not be lost from the surface soil due to vertical movement through the soil profile. Uranium attached to particulate matter may reduce its potential for environmental

  4. Reversible switching of wetting properties and erasable patterning of polymer surfaces using plasma oxidation and thermal treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Zeeshan; Atay, Ipek; Soydan, Seren; Yagci, M. Baris; Jonáš, Alexandr; Yilgor, Emel; Kiraz, Alper; Yilgor, Iskender

    2018-05-01

    Polymer surfaces reversibly switchable from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic by exposure to oxygen plasma and subsequent thermal treatment are demonstrated. Two inherently different polymers, hydrophobic segmented polydimethylsiloxane-urea copolymer (TPSC) and hydrophilic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) are modified with fumed silica nanoparticles to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces with roughness on nanometer to micrometer scale. Smooth TPSC and PMMA surfaces are also used as control samples. Regardless of their chemical structure and surface topography, all surfaces display completely reversible wetting behavior changing from hydrophobic to hydrophilic and back for many cycles upon plasma oxidation followed by thermal annealing. Influence of plasma power, plasma exposure time, annealing temperature and annealing time on the wetting behavior of polymeric surfaces are investigated. Surface compositions, textures and topographies are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and white light interferometry (WLI), before and after oxidation and thermal annealing. Wetting properties of the surfaces are determined by measuring their static, advancing and receding water contact angle. We conclude that the chemical structure and surface topography of the polymers play a relatively minor role in reversible wetting behavior, where the essential factors are surface oxidation and migration of polymer molecules to the surface upon thermal annealing. Reconfigurable water channels on polymer surfaces are produced by plasma treatment using a mask and thermal annealing cycles. Such patterned reconfigurable hydrophilic regions can find use in surface microfluidics and optofluidics applications.

  5. Effect of drying-wetting cycles on leaching behavior of cement solidified lead-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiang-Shan; Xue, Qiang; Wang, Ping; Li, Zhen-Ze; Liu, Lei

    2014-12-01

    Lead contaminated soil was treated by different concentration of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Solidified cylindrical samples were dried at 40°C in oven for 48 h subsequent to 24h of immersing in different solution for one drying-wetting. 10 cycles were conducted on specimens. The changes in mass loss of specimens, as well as leaching concentration and pH of filtered leachates were studied after each cycle. Results indicated that drying-wetting cycles could accelerate the leaching and deterioration of solidified specimens. The cumulative leached lead with acetic acid (pH=2.88) in this study was 109, 83 and 71 mg respectively for solidified specimens of cement-to-dry soil (C/Sd) ratios 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4, compared to 37, 30, and 25mg for a semi-dynamic leaching test. With the increase of cycle times, the cumulative mass loss of specimens increased linearly, but pH of filtered leachates decreased. The leachability and deterioration of solidified specimens increased with acidity of solution. Increases of C/Sd clearly reduced the leachability and deterioration behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Oxidation of FGD-CaSO{sub 3} and effect on soil chemical properties when applied to the soil surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liming Chen; Cliff Ramsier; Jerry Bigham; Brian Slater; David Kost; Yong Bok Lee; Warren A. Dick [Ohio State University, Wooster, OH (United States). School of Environment and Natural Resources

    2009-07-15

    Use of high-sulfur coal for power generation in the United States requires the removal of sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) produced during burning in order to meet clean air regulations. If SO{sub 2} is removed from the flue gas using a wet scrubber without forced air oxidation, much of the S product created will be sulfite (SO{sub 3}{sup 2-}). Plants take up S in the form of sulfate (SO{sub 2}{sup 2-}). Sulfite may cause damage to plant roots, especially in acid soils. For agricultural uses, it is thought that SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) products must first oxidize to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in soils before crops are planted. However, there is little information about the oxidation of SO{sub 3}{sup 2-} in FGD product to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} under field conditions. An FGD-CaSO{sub 3} was applied at rates of 0, 1.12, and 3.36 Mg ha{sup -1} to the surface of an agricultural soil (Wooster silt loam, Oxyaquic Fragiudalf). The SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} in the surface soil (0-10 cm) was analyzed on days 3, 7, 17, 45, and 61. The distribution of SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} and Ca in the 0-90 cm soil layer was also determined on day 61. Results indicated that SO{sub 3}{sup 2-} in the FGD-CaSO{sub 3} rapidly oxidized to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} on the field surface during the first week and much of the SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} and Ca moved downward into the 0-50 cm soil layer during the experimental period of two months. It is safe to grow plants in soil treated with FGD-CaSO{sub 3} if the application is made at least three days to several weeks before planting. 20 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs.

  7. Spatial variations of wet deposition rates in an extended region of complex topography deduced from measurements of 210Pb soil inventories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Branford, D.; Mourne, R.W.; Fowler, D.

    1998-01-01

    The radionuclide 210 Pb derived from gaseous 222 Rn present in the atmosphere becomes attached to the same aerosols as the bulk of the main pollutants sulphur and nitrogen. When scavenged from the atmosphere by precipitation, the 210 Pb is readily attached to organic matter in the surface horizons of the soil. Inventories of 210 Pb in soil can thus be used to measure the spatial variations in wet (or cloud) deposition due to orography averaged over many precipitation events (half-life of 210 Pb is 22·3 year). Measurements of soil 210 Pb inventories were made along a transect through complex terrain in the Scottish Highlands to quantify the orographic enhancement of wet deposition near the summits of the three mountains Ben Cruachan, Beinn Dorain and Ben Lawers, which, respectively, lie at distances of approximately 30, 55 and 80 km from the coast in the direction of the prevailing wind. The inventory of 210 Pb on the wind-facing slopes of Ben Cruachan shows an increase with altitude that rises faster than the precipitation rate, which is indicative of seeder-feeder scavenging of orographic cloud occurring around the summit. Results for Beinn Dorain show a smaller rise with altitude whereas those for Ben Lawers give no indication of a rise. It is concluded that the seeder-feeder mechanism in regions of complex topology decreases in effectiveness as a function of distance inland along the direction of the prevailing wind. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  8. Influence of prevailing disturbances on soil biology and biochemistry of montane habitats at Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, India during wet and dry seasons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, S.K.; Singh, Anoop; Rai, J.P.N.

    2011-01-01

    The impact of prevailing disturbances in montane habitats of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) was studied on soil microbial population, biomass, soil respiration and enzyme activities during wet and dry seasons. The physico-chemical characteristics of soils exhibited conspicuous variation in t...

  9. Conditioning of Si-interfaces by wet-chemical oxidation: Electronic interface properties study by surface photovoltage measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angermann, Heike, E-mail: angermann@helmholtz-berlin.de

    2014-09-01

    Highlights: • Determination of electronic interface properties by contact-less surface photovoltage (SPV) technique. • Systematic correlations of substrate morphology and surface electronic properties. • Optimization of surface pre-treatment for flat, saw damage etched, and textured Si solar cell substrates. • Ultra-thin passivating Si oxide layers with low densities of rechargeable states by wet-chemical oxidation and subsequent annealing. • Environmentally acceptable processes, utilizing hot water, diluted HCl, or ozone low cost alternative to current approaches with concentrated chemicals. • The effect of optimized wet-chemical pre-treatments can be preserved during subsequent layer deposition. - Abstract: The field-modulated surface photovoltage (SPV) method, a very surface sensitive technique, was utilized to determine electronic interface properties on wet-chemically oxidized and etched silicon (Si) interfaces. The influence of preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and un-stoichiometric oxides on the resulting the surface charge, energetic distribution D{sub it}(E), and density D{sub it,min} of rechargeable states was studied by simultaneous, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements on polished Si(111) and Si(100) substrates. Based on previous findings and new research, a study of conventional and newly developed wet-chemical oxidation methods was established, correlating the interactions between involved oxidizing and etching solutions and the initial substrate morphology to the final surface conditioning. It is shown, which sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and oxide removal, have to be combined in order to achieve atomically smooth, hydrogen terminated surfaces, as well as ultra-thin oxide layers with low densities of rechargeable states on flat, saw damage etched, and textured Si substrates, as commonly applied in silicon device and solar cell manufacturing. These conventional strategies for wet-chemical pre-treatment are mainly

  10. Conditioning of Si-interfaces by wet-chemical oxidation: Electronic interface properties study by surface photovoltage measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angermann, Heike

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Determination of electronic interface properties by contact-less surface photovoltage (SPV) technique. • Systematic correlations of substrate morphology and surface electronic properties. • Optimization of surface pre-treatment for flat, saw damage etched, and textured Si solar cell substrates. • Ultra-thin passivating Si oxide layers with low densities of rechargeable states by wet-chemical oxidation and subsequent annealing. • Environmentally acceptable processes, utilizing hot water, diluted HCl, or ozone low cost alternative to current approaches with concentrated chemicals. • The effect of optimized wet-chemical pre-treatments can be preserved during subsequent layer deposition. - Abstract: The field-modulated surface photovoltage (SPV) method, a very surface sensitive technique, was utilized to determine electronic interface properties on wet-chemically oxidized and etched silicon (Si) interfaces. The influence of preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and un-stoichiometric oxides on the resulting the surface charge, energetic distribution D it (E), and density D it,min of rechargeable states was studied by simultaneous, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements on polished Si(111) and Si(100) substrates. Based on previous findings and new research, a study of conventional and newly developed wet-chemical oxidation methods was established, correlating the interactions between involved oxidizing and etching solutions and the initial substrate morphology to the final surface conditioning. It is shown, which sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and oxide removal, have to be combined in order to achieve atomically smooth, hydrogen terminated surfaces, as well as ultra-thin oxide layers with low densities of rechargeable states on flat, saw damage etched, and textured Si substrates, as commonly applied in silicon device and solar cell manufacturing. These conventional strategies for wet-chemical pre-treatment are mainly based on

  11. Investigation of static and dynamic wetting transitions of UV responsive tunable wetting surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pant, Reeta; Singha, Subhash; Bandyopadhyay, Aritra; Khare, Krishnacharya

    2014-01-01

    Ultraviolet (UV) radiation responsive surfaces, with tunable wetting properties, are fabricated by spin casting polystyrene/titania nanocomposite dispersion in tetrahydrofuran on silicon substrates. The prepared samples are found hydrophilic due to the presence of the water miscible solvent. Upon annealing, as the solvent evaporates, samples become superhydrophobic due to presence of hydrophobic polystyrene and formation of nano and micro scale surface roughness due to titania nanoparticles. Effect of different annealing temperatures and time on resulting wettability is investigated. Photocatalytic property of titania is exploited to make transition from superhydrophobic to hydrophilic state upon UV exposure. Subsequently, upon annealing again at elevated temperatures for sufficient time, the UV exposed hydrophilic samples recover their superhydrophobicity showing transition from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic state. Detailed static and dynamic study of these reversible transitions, between superhydrophobic and hydrophilic states, due to UV exposure and annealing is presented in this article.

  12. Hot water extraction with in situ wet oxidation: Kinetics of PAHs removal from soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dadkhah, Ali A.; Akgerman, Aydin

    2006-01-01

    Finding environmentally friendly and cost-effective methods to remediate soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is currently a major concern of researchers. In this study, a series of small-scale semi-continuous extractions - with and without in situ wet oxidation - were performed on soils polluted with PAHs, using subcritical water (i.e. liquid water at high temperatures and pressures, but below the critical point) as the removal agent. Experiments were performed in a 300 mL reactor using an aged soil sample. To find the desorption isotherms and oxidation reaction rates, semi-continuous experiments with residence times of 1 and 2 h were performed using aged soil at 250 deg. C and hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agent. In all combined extraction and oxidation flow experiments, PAHs in the remaining soil after the experiments were almost undetectable. In combined extraction and oxidation no PAHs could be detected in the liquid phase after the first 30 min of the experiments. Based on these results, extraction with hot water, if combined with oxidation, should reduce the cost of remediation and can be used as a feasible alternative technique for remediating contaminated soils and sediments

  13. Effect of flaming on wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L. soil seed bank, soil micro organisms and physicochemical characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Salimi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In order to study the effect of flaming on seed viability of Sinapis arvensis L., changes in microorganisms population and physicochemical characteristics of soil after canola (Brassica napus L. harvesting, an experiment was carried out based on randomized complete block design with four replications and eight treatments at Karaj Research Center, Iran, during 2005- 2006. After harvesting canola at the end of spring, wild mustard seeds were distributed evenly on the surface of the soil. In some plots, canola stubbles were left on the ground and in some plots canola stubbles were taken off. Under this condition, the following treatments were applied: Flaming under wet and dry soil condition, burning stubbles under wet and dry soil condition. In other plots canola stubbles were taken off the plots and then flaming was applied under wet and dry soil conditions. Check plots did not receive any treatment. Results indicated that all treatments reduced seed viability, and the highest loss in seedling density occurred in the flaming treatment on dry-soil. Flaming did not have any serious affect on soil microorganisms or on its other physiochemical aspects, however dry-soil treatments proved the safest.

  14. Nitrogen isotope ratios in surface and sub-surface soil horizons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rennie, D.A.; Paul, E.A.

    1975-01-01

    Nitrogen isotope analysis of surface soils and soil-derived nitrate for selected chernozemic and luvisolic soils showed mean delta 15 N values of 11.7 and 11.3, respectively. Isotope enrichment of the total N reached a maximum in the lower B horizon. Sub-soil parent material samples from the one deep profile included in the study indicated a delta 15 N value (NO 3 -N) of 1/3 that of the Ap horizon, at a depth of 180 cm. The delta 15 N of sub-surface soil horizons containing residual fertilizer N were low (-2.2) compared to the surface horizon (9.9). The data reported from this preliminary survey suggest that the natural variations in 15 N abundance between different soils and horizons of the same soil reflect the cumulative effects of soil genesis and soil management. More detailed knowledge and understanding of biological and other processes which control N isotope concentrations in these soils must be obtained before the data reported can be interpreted. (author)

  15. Influence of Surface Biosolids Application on Infiltration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard E. Zartman

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Biosolids from waste water treatment facilities applied to soils not only add plant nutrients, but also increase infiltration and decrease runoff and erosion. Wet biosolids from New York, NY, were surface applied at 0 to 90 Mg ha−1 dry weight to soils near El Paso, Tex. Simulated rainfall intensities of 16.4 cm hr−1 for 30 minutes applied to 0.5 m2 soil plots yielded initial infiltration rates of ~16 cm hr−1 for all plots. Biosolids applications extended the duration of the initially high infiltration rates. After 30 minutes, infiltration rates for bare soil were 3 cm hr−1 without and 10 cm hr−1 with 90 Mg biosolids ha−1. Applied biosolids, plant litter, surface gravel, and plant base contributed surface cover, which absorbed raindrop energy and reduced erosion. Biosolids increased cumulative infiltration on the vegetated, wet soils more than for the dry or bare soils. Biosolids increased cumulative infiltration from 2 to 6 cm on a bare gravelly soil and from 9.3 to 10.6 cm on a vegetated soil.

  16. Fluorescent probes for understanding soil water repellency: the novel application of a chemist's tool to soil science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balshaw, Helen M.; Davies, Matthew L.; Doerr, Stefan H.; Douglas, Peter

    2015-04-01

    Food security and production is one of the key global issues faced by society. It has become essential to work the land efficiently, through better soil management and agronomy whilst protecting the environment from air and water pollution. The failure of soil to absorb water - soil water repellency can lead to major environmental problems such as increased overland flow and soil erosion, poor uptake of agricultural chemicals, and increased risk of groundwater pollution due to the rapid transfer of contaminants and nutrient leaching through uneven wetting and preferential flow pathways. Understanding the causes of soil hydrophobicity is essential for the development of effective methods for its amelioration, supporting environmental stability and food security. Organic compounds deposited on soil mineral or aggregate surfaces have long been recognised as a major factor in causing soil water repellency. It is widely accepted that the main groups of compounds responsible are long-chain acids, alkanes and other organic compounds with hydrophobic properties. However, when reapplied to sands and soils, the degree of water repellency induced by these compounds and mixtures varied widely with compound type, amount, and mixture, in a seemingly unpredictable way. Fluorescent and phosphorescent probes are widely used in chemistry and biochemistry due to their sensitive response to their physical and chemical environment, such as polarity, and viscosity. However, they have to-date not been used to study soil water repellency. Here we present preliminary work on the evaluation of fluorescent probes as tools to study two poorly understood features that determine the degree of wettability for water repellent soils: (i) the distribution of organics on soils; (ii) the changes in polarity at soil surfaces required for water drops to infiltrate. In our initial work we have examined probes adsorbed onto model soils, prepared by adsorption of specific organics onto acid washed sand

  17. The Influence of Surface Anisotropy Crystalline Structure on Wetting of Sapphire by Molten Aluminum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Santillan, Joaquin

    2013-05-01

    The wetting of sapphire by molten aluminum was investigated by the sessile drop technique from 1073 K to 1473 K (800 °C to 1200 °C) at PO2 <10-15 Pa under Ar atmosphere. This study focuses on sapphire crystalline structure and its principle to the interface. The planes " a" and " b" are oxygen terminated structures and wet more by Al, whereas the " c" plane is an aluminum terminated structure. A wetting transition at 1273 K (1000 °C) was obtained and a solid surface tension proves the capillarity trends of the couple.

  18. Changing spatial patterns of evapotranspiration and deep drainage in response to the interactions among impervious surface arrangement, soil characteristics, and weather on a residential parcel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voter, C. B.; Steven, L. I.

    2015-12-01

    The introduction impervious surfaces in urban areas is a key driver of hydrologic change. It is now well understood that the amount of "effective" impervious area directly connected to the storm sewer network is a better indicator of hydrologic behavior than the total amount of impervious area. Most studies in urban hydrology have focused on the relationship between impervious connectivity and stormwater runoff or other surface water flows, with the result that the effect on subsurface flow is not as well understood. In the field, we observe differences in soil moisture availability that are dependent on proximity to impervious features and significant from a root water uptake perspective, which indicates that parcel-scale subsurface and plant water fluxes may also be sensitive to fine-scaled heterogeneity in impervious surface arrangement and connectivity. We use ParFlow with CLM, a watershed model with fully integrated variably-saturated subsurface flow, overland flow, and land-surface processes, to explore the extent to which soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and deep drainage vary under various impervious surface arrangement and soil condition scenarios, as well as under a range of precipitation regimes. We investigate the effect of several impervious surface and soil characteristics, including general lot layout, downspout disconnect, and direction of driveway/sidewalk slope, and soil compaction. We show that that some impervious connectivity schemes transfer more water from impervious areas to pervious ones and promote localized recharge by developing well-defined, fast-moving wetting fronts that are able to penetrate the root zone. Enhanced infiltration is translated more directly to recharge in normal to wet years but partitioned more often to transpiration in dry years, leading to a nonlinear relationship among precipitation, runoff and recharge.

  19. Role of the Soil Thermal Inertia in the short term variability of the surface temperature and consequences for the soil-moisture temperature feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheruy, Frederique; Dufresne, Jean-Louis; Ait Mesbah, Sonia; Grandpeix, Jean-Yves; Wang, Fuxing

    2017-04-01

    A simple model based on the surface energy budget at equilibrium is developed to compute the sensitivity of the climatological mean daily temperature and diurnal amplitude to the soil thermal inertia. It gives a conceptual framework to quantity the role of the atmospheric and land surface processes in the surface temperature variability and relies on the diurnal amplitude of the net surface radiation, the sensitivity of the turbulent fluxes to the surface temperature and the thermal inertia. The performances of the model are first evaluated with 3D numerical simulations performed with the atmospheric (LMDZ) and land surface (ORCHIDEE) modules of the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) climate model. A nudging approach is adopted, it prevents from using time-consuming long-term simulations required to account for the natural variability of the climate and allow to draw conclusion based on short-term (several years) simulations. In the moist regions the diurnal amplitude and the mean surface temperature are controlled by the latent heat flux. In the dry areas, the relevant role of the stability of the boundary layer and of the soil thermal inertia is demonstrated. In these regions, the sensitivity of the surface temperature to the thermal inertia is high, due to the high contribution of the thermal flux to the energy budget. At high latitudes, when the sensitivity of turbulent fluxes is dominated by the day-time sensitivity of the sensible heat flux to the surface temperature and when this later is comparable to the thermal inertia term of the sensitivity equation, the surface temperature is also partially controlled by the thermal inertia which can rely on the snow properties; In the regions where the latent heat flux exhibits a high day-to-day variability, such as transition regions, the thermal inertia has also significant impact on the surface temperature variability . In these not too wet (energy limited) and not too dry (moisture-limited) soil moisture (SM

  20. Particle-assisted wetting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Hui; Yan Feng; Tierno, Pietro; Marczewski, Dawid; Goedel, Werner A

    2005-01-01

    Wetting of a solid surface by a liquid is dramatically impeded if either the solid or the liquid is decorated by particles. Here it is shown that in the case of contact between two liquids the opposite effect may occur; mixtures of a hydrophobic liquid and suitable particles form wetting layers on a water surface though the liquid alone is non-wetting. In these wetting layers, the particles adsorb to, and partially penetrate through, the liquid/air and/or the liquid/water interface. This formation of wetting layers can be explained by the reduction in total interfacial energy due to the replacement of part of the fluid/fluid interfaces by the particles. It is most prominent if the contact angles at the fluid/fluid/particle contact lines are close to 90 0

  1. Heat and water transport in soils and across the soil-atmosphere interface: 2. Numerical analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fetzer, Thomas; Vanderborght, Jan; Mosthaf, Klaus

    2017-01-01

    evaporation decreases from parts of the heterogeneous soil surface, lateral flow and transport processes in the free flow and in the porous medium generate feedbacks that enhance evaporation from wet surface areas. In the second set of simulations, we assume that the vertical fluxes do not vary considerably...

  2. Selection of soil hydraulic properties in a land surface model using remotely-sensed soil moisture and surface temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shellito, P. J.; Small, E. E.; Gutmann, E. D.

    2013-12-01

    Synoptic-scale weather is heavily influenced by latent and sensible heating from the land surface. The partitioning of available energy between these two fluxes as well as the distribution of moisture throughout the soil column is controlled by a unique set of soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) at every location. Weather prediction systems, which use coupled land surface and atmospheric models in their forecasts, must therefore be parameterized with estimates of SHPs. Currently, land surface models (LSMs) obtain SHP values by assuming a correlation exists between SHPs and the soil type, which the USDA maps in 12 classes. This method is spurious because texture is only one control of many that affects SHPs. Alternatively, SHPs can be obtained by calibrating them within the framework of an LSM. Because remotely-sensed data have the potential for continent-wide application, there is a critical need to understand their specific role in calibration efforts and the extent to which such calibrated SHPs can improve model simulations. This study focuses on SHP calibration with soil moisture content (SMC) and land surface temperature (Ts), data that are available from the SMOS and MODIS satellite missions, respectively. The scientific goals of this study are: (1) What is the model performance tradeoff between weighting SMC and Ts differently during the calibration process? (2) What can the tradeoff between calibration using in-situ and remotely-sensed SMC reveal about SHP scaling? (3) How are these relationships influenced by climatic regime and vegetation type? (4) To what extent can calibrated SHPs improve model performance over that of texture-based SHPs? Model calibrations are carried out within the framework of the Noah LSM using the Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM-UA) algorithm in five different climatic regimes. At each site, a five-dimensional parameter space of SHPs is searched to find the location that minimizes the difference between observed and

  3. Estimation of Surface Soil Moisture from Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing Using an Improved Trapezoid Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuting Yang

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Surface soil moisture (SM plays a fundamental role in energy and water partitioning in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. A reliable and operational algorithm is much needed to retrieve regional surface SM at high spatial and temporal resolutions. Here, we provide an operational framework of estimating surface SM at fine spatial resolutions (using visible/thermal infrared images and concurrent meteorological data based on a trapezoidal space defined by remotely sensed vegetation cover (Fc and land surface temperature (LST. Theoretical solutions of the wet and dry edges were derived to achieve a more accurate and effective determination of the Fc/LST space. Subjectivity and uncertainty arising from visual examination of extreme boundaries can consequently be largely reduced. In addition, theoretical derivation of the extreme boundaries allows a per-pixel determination of the VI/LST space such that the assumption of uniform atmospheric forcing over the entire domain is no longer required. The developed approach was tested at the Tibetan Plateau Soil Moisture/Temperature Monitoring Network (SMTMN site in central Tibet, China, from August 2010 to August 2011 using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS Terra images. Results indicate that the developed trapezoid model reproduced the spatial and temporal patterns of observed surface SM reasonably well, with showing a root-mean-square error of 0.06 m3·m−3 at the site level and 0.03 m3·m−3 at the regional scale. In addition, a case study on 2 September 2010 highlighted the importance of the theoretically calculated wet and dry edges, as they can effectively obviate subjectivity and uncertainties in determining the Fc/LST space arising from visual interpretation of satellite images. Compared with Land Surface Models (LSMs in Global Land Data Assimilation System-1, the remote sensing-based trapezoid approach gave generally better surface SM estimates, whereas the LSMs showed

  4. Cs-137 migration in soil near NPPs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silant'ev, A.N.; Shkuratova, I.G.; Khatskevich, R.N.

    1984-01-01

    A convective-diffusion model has been employed for describing Cs-137 migration in soil. The migration parameters were determined by comparing the calculated vertical distribution profiles with the experimental ones. The migration parameters dependence on the soil state has been studied. Cs-137 penetration rate was found to be function of the soil type, surface state, soil wetness and orography. The obtained values are presented. A method is suggested for revealing the soil surface contamination by Cs-137 produced during NPP operation with distinguishing it from the global contamination background. For this purpose Cs-137 content in the upper 5 mm soil layer is estimated [ru

  5. Effects of surface topography and vibrations on wetting: Superhydrophobicity, icephobicity and corrosion resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandran, Rahul

    Concrete and metallic materials are widely used in construction and water industry. The interaction of both these materials with water and ice (or snow) produces undesirable results and is therefore of interest. Water that gets absorbed into the pores of dry concrete expands on freezing and can lead to crack formation. Also, the ice accretion on concrete surfaces such as roadways can have disastrous consequence. Metallic components used in the water industry undergo corrosion due to contact with aqueous corrosive solutions. Therefore, it is desirable to make concrete water/ice-repellent, and to make metallic surfaces corrosion-resistant. Recent advances in micro/nanotechnology have made it possible to design functional micro/nanostructured surfaces with micro/nanotopography providing low adhesion. Some examples of such surfaces are superhydrophobic surfaces, which are extremely water repellent, and icephobic surfaces, which have low ice adhesion, repel incoming water droplets before freezing, or delay ice nucleation. This dissertation investigates the effects of surface micro/nanotopography and small amplitude fast vibrations on the wetting and adhesion of concrete with the goal of producing hydrophobic and icephobic concrete, and on the wetting of metallic surfaces to prevent corrosion. The relationship between surface micro/nanotopography and small fast vibrations is established using the method of separation of motions. Both these small scale effects can be substituted by an effective force or energy. The structure-property relationships in materials and surfaces are established. Both vibrations as well as surface micro/nanopatterns can affect wetting properties such as contact angle and surface free energy. Hydrophobic engineered cementitious composite samples are produced by controlling their surface topography and surface free energy. The surface topography is controlled by varying the concrete mixture composition. The surface free energy of concrete is

  6. Surface properties and wetting behavior of liquid Ag-Sb-Sn alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sklyarchuk V.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Surface tension and density measurements of liquid Ag-Sb-Sn alloys were carried out over a wide temperature range by using the sessile drop method. The surface tension experimental data were analyzed by the Butler thermodynamic model in the regular solution approximation. The wetting characteristics of these alloys on Cu and Ni substrates have been also determined. The new experimental results were compared with the calculated values as well as with data available in the literature.

  7. Effect of cocoa fat content on wetting and surface energy of chocolate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lubomír Lapčík

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was the quantification of the effect of the cocoa fat content on the wetting characteristics and surface free energy of different chocolate compositions. On the market, there are many different types of chocolate products which differ both in the sensory and physico-chemical properties together with their raw material compositions and the contents of the individual components. This paper focuses on differences in the use of different types of fats - cocoa butter, milk fat, equivalents or cocoa butter substitutes in chocolate products. Studied samples (prepared at Carla, Ltd. Company were followed by static contact angles of wetting measurements and by calculated surface free energies. There were investigated the effects of fat content and used fat types of the chocolate products on their final wettabilities and resulting surface free energies. There was found a linear dependence between total fat content and the surface free energy, which was gradually increasing with increasing fat content. Additionally, there were performed TG DTG and NIR spectrometry measurements of the tested materials with the aim to determine the melting point of studied fats used, as well as to determine and identify individual fat components of chocolate products which may affect the resulting value of surface free energy.

  8. Evaporation of nanoscale water on a uniformly complete wetting surface at different temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Yuwei; Wan, Rongzheng

    2018-05-03

    The evaporation of nanoscale water films on surfaces affects many processes in nature and industry. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show the evaporation of a nanoscale water film on a uniformly complete wetting surface at different temperatures. With the increase in temperature, the growth of the water evaporation rate becomes slow. Analyses show that the hydrogen bond (H-bond) lifetimes and orientational autocorrelation times of the outermost water film decrease slowly with the increase in temperature. Compared to a thicker water film, the H-bond lifetimes and orientational autocorrelation times of a monolayer water film are much slower. This suggests that the lower evaporation rate of the monolayer water film on a uniformly complete wetting surface may be caused by the constriction of the water rotation due to the substrate. This finding may be helpful for controlling nanoscale water evaporation within a certain range of temperatures.

  9. Wet season cyanobacterial N enrichment highly correlated with species richness and Nostoc in the northern Australian savannah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Wendy; Büdel, Burkhard; Williams, Stephen

    2018-04-01

    The Boodjamulla National Park research station is situated in the north-western Queensland dry savannah, where the climate is dominated by summer monsoons and virtually dry winters. Under shrub canopies and in between the tussock grasses cyanobacterial crusts almost entirely cover the flood plain soil surfaces. Seasonality drives N fixation, and in the savannah this has a large impact on both plant and soil function. Many cyanobacteria fix dinitrogen that is liberated into the soil in both inorganic and organic N forms. We examined cyanobacterial species richness and bioavailable N spanning 7 months of a typical wet season. Over the wet season cyanobacterial richness ranged from 6 to 19 species. N-fixing Scytonema accounted for seasonal averages between 51 and 93 % of the biocrust. Cyanobacterial richness was highly correlated with N fixation and bioavailable N in 0-1 cm. Key N-fixing species such as Nostoc, Symploca and Gloeocapsa significantly enriched soil N although Nostoc was the most influential. Total seasonal N fixation by cyanobacteria demonstrated the variability in productivity according to the number of wet days as well as the follow-on days where the soil retained adequate moisture. Based on total active days per month we estimated that N soil enrichment via cyanobacteria would be ˜ 5.2 kg ha-1 annually which is comparable to global averages. This is a substantial contribution to the nutrient-deficient savannah soils that are almost entirely reliant on the wet season for microbial turnover of organic matter. Such well-defined seasonal trends and synchronisation in cyanobacterial species richness, N fixation, bioavailable N and C fixation (Büdel et al., 2018) provide important contributions to multifunctional microprocesses and soil fertility.

  10. Hillslope run-off thresholds with shrink–swell clay soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Ryan D.; Abou Najm, Majdi R.; Rupp, David E.; Lane, John W.; Uribe, Hamil C.; Arumí, José Luis; Selker, John S.

    2015-01-01

    Irrigation experiments on 12 instrumented field plots were used to assess the impact of dynamic soil crack networks on infiltration and run-off. During applications of intensity similar to a heavy rainstorm, water was seen being preferentially delivered within the soil profile. However, run-off was not observed until soil water content of the profile reached field capacity, and the apertures of surface-connected cracks had closed >60%. Electrical resistivity measurements suggested that subsurface cracks persisted and enhanced lateral transport, even in wet conditions. Likewise, single-ring infiltration measurements taken before and after irrigation indicated that infiltration remained an important component of the water budget at high soil water content values, despite apparent surface sealing. Overall, although the wetting and sealing of the soil profile showed considerable complexity, an emergent property at the hillslope scale was observed: all of the plots demonstrated a strikingly similar threshold run-off response to the cumulative precipitation amount. 

  11. Wetting of polymer melts on coated and uncoated steel surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vera, Julie; Contraires, Elise; Brulez, Anne-Catherine; Larochette, Mathieu; Valette, Stéphane; Benayoun, Stéphane

    2017-07-01

    A comparative study of the wetting of three different commercial polymer melts on various coated and uncoated steel surfaces is described in this report. The wettability of steel and coatings (three different titanium nitride coatings, TiN, TiNOx, TiNOy, a chromium coating, CrN, and a diamond-like carbon coating, DLC) used for mold in polymer processing is determined at different temperatures between 25 °C and 120 °C. Contact angle measurements of melted polypropylene (PP), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate (PC) on steel and on the different coatings were performed to investigate the wetting behavior under closer-to-processing conditions. Recommendations for good measurement conditions were proposed. Moreover, the surface free energy of each melt polymer was determined. The works of adhesion between all polymers and all substrates were established. Among all tested polymers, the lowest value of the works of adhesion is calculated for ABS and for PC thereafter, and the highest value is calculated for PP. These results will be particularly important for such applications as determining the extent to which these polymers can contribute to the replication quality in injection molding.

  12. Estimation of surface roughness in a semiarid region from C-band ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. E. Sano

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using the C-band European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR data to estimate surface soil roughness in a semiarid rangeland. Radar backscattering coefficients were extracted from a dry and a wet season SAR image and were compared with 47 in situ soil roughness measurements obtained in the rocky soils of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, southeastern Arizona, USA. Both the dry and the wet season SAR data showed exponential relationships with root mean square (RMS height measurements. The dry C-band ERS-1 SAR data were strongly correlated (R² = 0.80, while the wet season SAR data have somewhat higher secondary variation (R² = 0.59. This lower correlation was probably provoked by the stronger influence of soil moisture, which may not be negligible in the wet season SAR data. We concluded that the single configuration C-band SAR data is useful to estimate surface roughness of rocky soils in a semiarid rangeland.

  13. Fabrication of bio-inspired nitinol alloy surface with tunable anisotropic wetting and high adhesive ability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yan L; Zhao, Yue C; Yang, Cheng J; Wang, Fu J; Liu, Xian P; Jing, Xiu B

    2018-10-01

    In this paper, micro/nano-scale structures were fabricated on nitinol alloy (NiTi) to realize tunable anisotropic wetting and high adhesive capability. Laser texturing and silanization process are utilized to change the morphological and chemical properties of substrates. It is noted that these treated substrates exhibit the joint characteristics of anisotropic wetting and high adhesive capability. In order to investigate the influences of laser-texturing and silanization processes on NiTi, these surfaces were evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), a white light confocal microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and goniometer. The relationship between water volume and anisotropic wetting was also established. From the experimental testing, we can obtain the following conclusions: (1) the anisotropic wetting characterized by the difference between the water contact angles (WCAs) in the vertical and parallel directions ranges from 0° to 20.3°, which is far more than the value of natural rice leaves. (2) the water sliding angles (WSAs) kept stable at 180°, successfully mimicking the adhesive ability of rose petals. (3) the silanization process could strengthen the hydrophobicity but weaken anisotropic wetting. These bio-inspired NiTi surfaces have a tremendous potential applications such as microfluidic devices, bio-mimetic materials fabrication and lab on chip. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Surface changes of biopolymers PHB and PLLA induced by Ar+ plasma treatment and wet etching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slepičková Kasálková, N.; Slepička, P.; Sajdl, P.; Švorčík, V.

    2014-08-01

    Polymers, especially group of biopolymers find potential application in a wide range of disciplines due to their biodegradability. In biomedical applications these materials can be used as a scaffold or matrix. In this work, the influence of the Ar+ plasma treatment and subsequent wet etching (acetone/water) on the surface properties of polymers were studied. Two biopolymers - polyhydroxybutyrate with 8% polyhydroxyvalerate (PHB) and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) were used in these experiments. Modified surface layers were analyzed by different methods. Surface wettability was characterized by determination of water contact angle. Changes in elemental composition of modified surfaces were performed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Surface morphology and roughness was examined using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Gravimetry method was used to study the mass loss. It was found that the modification from both with plasma and wet etching leads to dramatic changes of surface properties (surface chemistry, morphology and roughness). Rate of changes of these features strongly depends on the modification parameters.

  15. A novel technique for investigation of complete and partial anisotropic wetting on structured surface by X-ray microtomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santini, M., E-mail: maurizio.santini@unibg.it [Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo (Italy); Guilizzoni, M. [Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Milano (Italy); Fest-Santini, S. [Department of Engineering, University of Bergamo, Bergamo (Italy); Lorenzi, M. [School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, City University London, London (United Kingdom)

    2015-02-15

    An experimental study about the anisotropic wetting behavior of a surface patterned with parallel grooves is presented as an application example of a novel technique for investigation of complete and partial anisotropic wetting on structured surface by X-ray microtomography. Shape of glycerin droplets on such surface is investigated by X-ray micro computed tomography (microCT) acting as a non-intrusive, full volume 3D microscope with micrometric spatial resolution. The reconstructed drop volumes enable to estimate the exact volumes of the drops, their base contours, and 3D static contact angles, based on true cross-sections of the drop-surface couple. Droplet base contours are compared to approximate geometrical contour shapes proposed in the literature. Contact angles along slices parallel and perpendicular to the grooves direction are compared with each other. The effect of the sessile drop volume on the wetting behavior is discussed. The proposed technique, which is applicable for any structured surface, enables the direct measure of Wenzel ratio based on the microCT scan in the wetted region usually inapproachable by any others. Comparisons with simplified models are presented and congruence of results with respect to the minimum resolution needed is evaluated and commented.

  16. A proposal to assess the settlement and subsidence behaviour of noncohesive soils after wetting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hellweg, V.

    1981-01-01

    On the basis of the causes established for the Elbe-Seitenkanal dyke breach in 1976 - which was due a.o. to the settlement of the uniform fine sand placed-serial ground subsidence investigations according to a test method developed by the author were carried through in high-grade steel cylinders of 35 cm diameter and 70 cm height with three very different noncohesive soils to assess the subsidence behaviour after wetting. Besides a critical evaluation of the so far known methods for assessing ground subsidence and direct comparisons with other authors' results and usual laboratory test results, the processes inside the soil samples placed were carefully observed and analysed with the aid of the large experimental devices used. (orig./MSK) [de

  17. Influence of structured sidewalls on the wetting states and superhydrophobic stability of surfaces with dual-scale roughness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Huaping, E-mail: wuhuaping@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Zhu, Kai; Wu, Bingbing [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); Lou, Jia [Piezoelectric Device Laboratory, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211 (China); Zhang, Zheng [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); Chai, Guozhong, E-mail: chaigz@zjut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China)

    2016-09-30

    Highlights: • Apparent contact angle equation of all wetting states on dual-scale rough surfaces is derived. • Structured sidewalls can improve superhydrophobicity than smooth sidewalls. • Structured sidewalls can enlarge ACA than smooth sidewalls. • Structured sidewalls present an advantage over smooth sidewalls in terms of enhancing superhydrophobic stability. - Abstract: The superhydrophobicity of biological surfaces with dual-scale roughness has recently received considerable attention because of the unique wettability of such surfaces. Based on this, artificial micro/nano hierarchical structures with structured sidewalls and smooth sidewalls were designed and the influences of sidewall configurations (i.e., structured and smooth) on the wetting state of micro/nano hierarchical structures were systematically investigated based on thermodynamics and the principle of minimum free energy. Wetting transition and superhydrophobic stability were then analyzed for a droplet on dual-scale rough surfaces with structured and smooth sidewalls. Theoretical analysis results show that dual-scale rough surfaces with structured sidewalls have a larger “stable superhydrophobic region” than those with smooth sidewalls. The dual-scale rough surfaces with smooth sidewalls can enlarge the apparent contact angle (ACA) without improvement in the superhydrophobic stability. By contrast, dual-scale rough surfaces with structured sidewalls present an advantage over those with smooth sidewalls in terms of enlarging ACA and enhancing superhydrophobic stability. The proposed thermodynamic model is valid when compared with previous experimental data and numerical analysis results, which is helpful for designing and understanding the wetting states and superhydrophobic stability of surfaces with dual-scale roughness.

  18. Inclusion of Solar Elevation Angle in Land Surface Albedo Parameterization Over Bare Soil Surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zhiyuan; Wei, Zhigang; Wen, Zhiping; Dong, Wenjie; Li, Zhenchao; Wen, Xiaohang; Zhu, Xian; Ji, Dong; Chen, Chen; Yan, Dongdong

    2017-12-01

    Land surface albedo is a significant parameter for maintaining a balance in surface energy. It is also an important parameter of bare soil surface albedo for developing land surface process models that accurately reflect diurnal variation characteristics and the mechanism behind the solar spectral radiation albedo on bare soil surfaces and for understanding the relationships between climate factors and spectral radiation albedo. Using a data set of field observations, we conducted experiments to analyze the variation characteristics of land surface solar spectral radiation and the corresponding albedo over a typical Gobi bare soil underlying surface and to investigate the relationships between the land surface solar spectral radiation albedo, solar elevation angle, and soil moisture. Based on both solar elevation angle and soil moisture measurements simultaneously, we propose a new two-factor parameterization scheme for spectral radiation albedo over bare soil underlying surfaces. The results of numerical simulation experiments show that the new parameterization scheme can more accurately depict the diurnal variation characteristics of bare soil surface albedo than the previous schemes. Solar elevation angle is one of the most important factors for parameterizing bare soil surface albedo and must be considered in the parameterization scheme, especially in arid and semiarid areas with low soil moisture content. This study reveals the characteristics and mechanism of the diurnal variation of bare soil surface solar spectral radiation albedo and is helpful in developing land surface process models, weather models, and climate models.

  19. Wetting and Dewetting Transitions on Submerged Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Hierarchical Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Huaping; Yang, Zhe; Cao, Binbin; Zhang, Zheng; Zhu, Kai; Wu, Bingbing; Jiang, Shaofei; Chai, Guozhong

    2017-01-10

    The wetting transition on submersed superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchical structures and the influence of trapped air on superhydrophobic stability are predicted based on the thermodynamics and mechanical analyses. The dewetting transition on the hierarchically structured surfaces is investigated, and two necessary thermodynamic conditions and a mechanical balance condition for dewetting transition are proposed. The corresponding thermodynamic phase diagram of reversible transition and the critical reversed pressure well explain the experimental results reported previously. Our theory provides a useful guideline for precise controlling of breaking down and recovering of superhydrophobicity by designing superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchical structures under water.

  20. Robust Initial Wetness Condition Framework of an Event-Based Rainfall–Runoff Model Using Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wooyeon Sunwoo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Runoff prediction in limited-data areas is vital for hydrological applications, such as the design of infrastructure and flood defenses, runoff forecasting, and water management. Rainfall–runoff models may be useful for simulation of runoff generation, particularly event-based models, which offer a practical modeling scheme because of their simplicity. However, there is a need to reduce the uncertainties related to the estimation of the initial wetness condition (IWC prior to a rainfall event. Soil moisture is one of the most important variables in rainfall–runoff modeling, and remotely sensed soil moisture is recognized as an effective way to improve the accuracy of runoff prediction. In this study, the IWC was evaluated based on remotely sensed soil moisture by using the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN method, which is one of the representative event-based models used for reducing the uncertainty of runoff prediction. Four proxy variables for the IWC were determined from the measurements of total rainfall depth (API5, ground-based soil moisture (SSMinsitu, remotely sensed surface soil moisture (SSM, and soil water index (SWI provided by the advanced scatterometer (ASCAT. To obtain a robust IWC framework, this study consists of two main parts: the validation of remotely sensed soil moisture, and the evaluation of runoff prediction using four proxy variables with a set of rainfall–runoff events in the East Asian monsoon region. The results showed an acceptable agreement between remotely sensed soil moisture (SSM and SWI and ground based soil moisture data (SSMinsitu. In the proxy variable analysis, the SWI indicated the optimal value among the proposed proxy variables. In the runoff prediction analysis considering various infiltration conditions, the SSM and SWI proxy variables significantly reduced the runoff prediction error as compared with API5 by 60% and 66%, respectively. Moreover, the proposed IWC framework with

  1. Wetting of a Charged Surface of Glassy Carbon by Molten Alkali-Metal Chlorides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepanov, V. P.

    2018-03-01

    Values of the contact angle of wetting of a surface of glassy carbon by molten chlorides of lithium, sodium, potassium, and cesium are measured by the meniscus weight method to determine the common factors of wettability of solid surfaces by ionic melts upon a change in the salt phase composition and a jump in electric potential. It is found that with a potential shift in the positive direction the shape of the curve of the contact angle's dependence on the potential varies upon substitution of one salt by another: the angle of wetting shrinks monotonously in lithium chloride but remains constant in molten cesium chloride. This phenomenon is explained by the hypothesis that the nature of the halide anion adsorption on the positively charged surface of an electrode is chemical and not electrostatic. It is shown that the adsorption process is accompanied by charge transfer through the interface, with covalent bonding between the adsorbent and adsorbate.

  2. Threshold friction velocity of crusted windblown soils in the Columbia Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wind erosion processes are governed by soil physical properties and surface characteristics. Erosion is initiated when the friction velocity exceeds the threshold friction velocity (u*t) of soils. Although u*t is influenced by soil physical properties such as wetness and crusting, there is little in...

  3. Variation in root activity with season and soil moisture in coconut

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venugopal, Vandana; Balachandran, P.V.

    2007-01-01

    An experiment was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara to study the effect of season and soil moisture regime on the physiological activity of roots in coconut. The experiment has been laid out in CRD with two replications at two different depths (20 and 75 cm) and moisture regimes (irrigated and rain fed) round the year. The 32 P uptake was higher during wet season as compared to dry season in monocrop of coconut. The absorption was more from the surface layers during wet season and roots explored deeper soil layers during dry season. Irrigation in general improved absorption of 32 P in coconut and resulted in higher uptake from the surface soil compared to that under rainfed condition. (author)

  4. Description and testing of three moisture sensors for measuring surface wetness on carbonate building stones

    Science.gov (United States)

    See, R.B.; Reddy, M.M.; Martin, R.G.

    1988-01-01

    Three moisture sensors were tested as a means for determining the surface wetness on carbonate building stones exposed to conditions that produce deposition of moisture. A relative-humidity probe, a gypsum-coated circuit grid, and a limestone-block resistor were tested as sensors for determining surface wetness. Sensors were tested under laboratory conditions of constant relative humidity and temperature and also under on-site conditions of variable relative humidity and temperature for eight weeks at Newcomb, NY. Laboratory tests indicated that relative humidity alone did not cause sensors to become saturated with water. However, the rates of drying indicated by the sensors after an initial saturation were inversely related to the relative humidity. On-site testing of the relative-humidity probe and the gypsum-coated ciruit grid indicated that they respond to a diurnal wetting and drying cycle; the limestone-block resistor responded only to rainfall.

  5. Wet season cyanobacterial N enrichment highly correlated with species richness and Nostoc in the northern Australian savannah

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Williams

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The Boodjamulla National Park research station is situated in the north-western Queensland dry savannah, where the climate is dominated by summer monsoons and virtually dry winters. Under shrub canopies and in between the tussock grasses cyanobacterial crusts almost entirely cover the flood plain soil surfaces. Seasonality drives N fixation, and in the savannah this has a large impact on both plant and soil function. Many cyanobacteria fix dinitrogen that is liberated into the soil in both inorganic and organic N forms. We examined cyanobacterial species richness and bioavailable N spanning 7 months of a typical wet season. Over the wet season cyanobacterial richness ranged from 6 to 19 species. N-fixing Scytonema accounted for seasonal averages between 51 and 93 % of the biocrust. Cyanobacterial richness was highly correlated with N fixation and bioavailable N in 0–1 cm. Key N-fixing species such as Nostoc, Symploca and Gloeocapsa significantly enriched soil N although Nostoc was the most influential. Total seasonal N fixation by cyanobacteria demonstrated the variability in productivity according to the number of wet days as well as the follow-on days where the soil retained adequate moisture. Based on total active days per month we estimated that N soil enrichment via cyanobacteria would be  ∼  5.2 kg ha−1 annually which is comparable to global averages. This is a substantial contribution to the nutrient-deficient savannah soils that are almost entirely reliant on the wet season for microbial turnover of organic matter. Such well-defined seasonal trends and synchronisation in cyanobacterial species richness, N fixation, bioavailable N and C fixation (Büdel et al., 2018 provide important contributions to multifunctional microprocesses and soil fertility.

  6. Contribution of fine filler particles to energy dissipation during wet sliding of elastomer compounds on a rough surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Xiaodong

    2007-01-01

    Elastomer compounds reinforced with precipitated silica can exhibit elevated wet sliding friction on a rough surface in comparison with corresponding compounds filled with carbon black particles. The underlying mechanism is currently not well understood. To unravel this puzzling observation, the variation of wet sliding friction with filler volume fraction is examined at the sliding speed of the order of 1 m s -1 under different lubrication conditions. Depending on the lubrication liquid-water or ethanol-a compound that shows both higher bulk hysteretic loss and lower modulus does not always exhibit a higher wet sliding friction. A thorough characterization of the bulk rheology of the compounds investigated fails to provide the rationale for such behaviour, thus constituting an apparent violation of the conventional viscoelastic understanding of rubber friction on a rough surface. On the other hand, the detected lowering of friction when the lubrication liquid is changed from water to ethanol resembles the effect of liquid medium on interfacial adhesion reported in the literature. Hence, it is suggested that a stronger interfacial attractive interaction should exist in water between the road surface and silica particles on the compound surface immediately next to the road surface. This should be related to the elevated wet sliding friction detected for silica-filled compounds under water lubrication

  7. Wetting-layer formation mechanisms of surface-directed phase separation under different quench depths with off-critical compositions in polymer binary mixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Li-Tang; Xie, Xu-Ming

    2007-02-01

    Focusing on the off-critical condition, the quench depth dependence of surface-directed phase separation in the polymer binary mixture is numerically investigated by combination of the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook theory and the Flory-Huggins-de Gennes theory. Two distinct situations, i.e., for the wetting, the minority component is preferred by the surface and the majority component is preferred by the surface, are discussed in detail. The simulated results show that the formation mechanism of the wetting layer is affected by both the quench depth and the off-critical extent. Moreover, a diagram, illustrating the formation mechanisms of the wetting layer with various quench depths and compositions, is obtained on the basis of the simulated results. It is found that, when the minority component is preferred by the surface, the growth of the wetting layer can exhibit pure diffusion limited growth law, logarithmic growth law, and Lifshitz-Slyozov growth law. However, when the majority component is preferred by the surface, the wetting layer always grows logarithmically, regardless of the quench depth and the off-critical extent. It is interesting that the surface-induced nucleation can be observed in this case. The simulated results demonstrate that the surface-induced nucleation only occurs below a certain value of the quench depth, and a detailed range about it is calculated and indicated. Furthermore, the formation mechanisms of the wetting layer are theoretically analyzed in depth by the chemical potential gradient.

  8. Tribology of thin wetting films between bubble and moving solid surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakashev, Stoyan I; Stöckelhuber, Klaus W; Tsekov, Roumen; Phan, Chi M; Heinrich, Gert

    2014-08-01

    This work shows a successful example of coupling of theory and experiment to study the tribology of bubble rubbing on solid surface. Such kind of investigation is reported for the first time in the literature. A theory about wetting film intercalated between bubble and moving solid surface was developed, thus deriving the non-linear evolution differential equation which accounted for the friction slip coefficient at the solid surface. The stationary 3D film thickness profile, which appears to be a solution of the differential equation, for each particular speed of motion of the solid surface was derived by means of special procedure and unique interferometric experimental setup. This allowed us to determine the 3D map of the lift pressure within the wetting film, the friction force per unit area and the friction coefficient of rubbing at different speeds of motion of the solid surface. Thus, we observed interesting tribological details about the rubbing of the bubble on the solid surface like for example: 1. A regime of mixed friction between dry and lubricated friction exists in the range of 6-170 μm/s, beyond which the rubbing between the bubble and solid becomes completely lubricated and passes through the maximum; 2. The friction coefficient of rubbing has high values at very small speeds of solid's motion and reduces substantially with the increase of the speed of the solid motion until reaching small values, which change insignificantly with the further increase of the speed of the solid. Despite the numerous studies on the motion of bubble/droplet in close proximity to solid wall in the literature, the present investigation appears to be a step ahead in this area as far as we were able to derive 3D maps of the bubble close to the solid surface, which makes the investigation more profound. © 2013.

  9. Photometric properties of Mars soils analogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pommerol, A.; Thomas, N.; Jost, B.; Beck, P.; Okubo, C.; McEwen, A.S.

    2013-01-01

    We have measured the bidirectional reflectance of analogs of dry, wet, and frozen Martian soils over a wide range of phase angles in the visible spectral range. All samples were produced from two geologic samples: the standard JSC Mars-1 soil simulant and Hawaiian basaltic sand. In a first step, experiments were conducted with the dry samples to investigate the effects of surface texture. Comparisons with results independently obtained by different teams with similar samples showed a satisfying reproducibility of the photometric measurements as well as a noticeable influence of surface textures resulting from different sample preparation procedures. In a second step, water was introduced to produce wet and frozen samples and their photometry investigated. Optical microscope images of the samples provided information about their microtexture. Liquid water, even in relatively low amount, resulted in the disappearance of the backscattering peak and the appearance of a forward-scattering peak whose intensity increases with the amount of water. Specular reflections only appeared when water was present in an amount large enough to allow water to form a film at the surface of the sample. Icy samples showed a wide variability of photometric properties depending on the physical properties of the water ice. We discuss the implications of these measurements in terms of the expected photometric behavior of the Martian surface, from equatorial to circum-polar regions. In particular, we propose some simple photometric criteria to improve the identification of wet and/or icy soils from multiple observations under different geometries.

  10. STUDY OF A SOIL WITH SWELLING AND SHRINKING PHENOMENA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Rogobete

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Vertisols are deep clayey soils, with more than 45 % clay, dominated by clay minerals, such as smectites, that expand upon wetting and shrink upon drying. The most important physical characteristics of Vertisols are a low hydraulic conductivity and stickiness when wet and high flow of water through the cracks when dry. They become very hard when dry and in all the time are difficult to work. During the rainy season, the cracks disappear and the soil becomes sticky and plastic with a very slippery surface which makes Vertisols in – trafficable when wet. Water movement in soil that change volume with water content is not well understood and management of swelling soil remains problematic. Swelling or shrinking result in vertical displacement of the wet soil, which involves gravitational work and contributes to an overburden component to the total potential of the soil water. Many swelling soil crack and the network of cracks provides pathways for rapid flow of water which prejudice application of theory based on Darcian flow. One – dimensional flow of water in a swelling system requires material balance equation for both the aqueous and solid phases. The analytical data offers some values particle – size distribution, compression, swelling degree and pressure, plasticity index, elastic modulus, triaxial shear, angle of shear and load carrying capacity in order to realize a foundation study for some constructions.

  11. Neutron probe measurement of soil water content close to soil surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faleiros, M.C.; Ravelo S, A.; Souza, M.D. de

    1993-01-01

    The problem of neutron probe soil water content measurements close to soil surface is analysed from the spatial variability and also from the slow neutron loss to the atmosphere points of view. Results obtained on a dark red latosol of the county of Piracicaba, SP, indicate the possibility of precisely measuring the neutron sphere of influence when different media are used on soil surface. (author). 7 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab

  12. Runoff losses of excreted chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin from surface-applied and soil-incorporated beef cattle feedlot manure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amarakoon, Inoka D; Zvomuya, Francis; Cessna, Allan J; Degenhardt, Dani; Larney, Francis J; McAllister, Tim A

    2014-03-01

    Veterinary antimicrobials in land-applied manure can move to surface waters via rain or snowmelt runoff, thus increasing their dispersion in agro-environments. This study quantified losses of excreted chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin in simulated rain runoff from surface-applied and soil-incorporated beef cattle ( L.) feedlot manure (60 Mg ha, wet wt.). Antimicrobial concentrations in runoff generally reflected the corresponding concentrations in the manure. Soil incorporation of manure reduced the concentrations of chlortetracycline (from 75 to 12 μg L for a 1:1 mixture of chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine and from 43 to 17 μg L for chlortetracycline alone) and sulfamethazine (from 3.9 to 2.6 μg L) in runoff compared with surface application. However, there was no significant effect of manure application method on tylosin concentration (range, 0.02-0.06 μg L) in runoff. Mass losses, as a percent of the amount applied, for chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine appeared to be independent of their respective soil sorption coefficients. Mass losses of chlortetracycline were significantly reduced with soil incorporation of manure (from 6.5 to 1.7% when applied with sulfamethazine and from 6.5 to 3.5% when applied alone). Mass losses of sulfamethazine (4.8%) and tylosin (0.24%) in runoff were not affected by manure incorporation. Although our results confirm that cattle-excreted veterinary antimicrobials can be removed via surface runoff after field application, the magnitudes of chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine losses were reduced by soil incorporation of manure immediately after application. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  13. On the influence of the intermolecular potential on the wetting properties of water on silica surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pafong, E.; Geske, J.; Drossel, B.

    2016-09-01

    We study the wetting properties of water on silica surfaces using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. To describe the intermolecular interaction between water and silica atoms, two types of interaction potential models are used: the standard BródkA and Zerda (BZ) model and the Gulmen and Thompson (GT) model. We perform an in-depth analysis of the influence of the choice of the potential on the arrangement of the water molecules in partially filled pores and on top of silica slabs. We find that at moderate pore filling ratios, the GT silica surface is completely wetted by water molecules, which agrees well with experimental findings, while the commonly used BZ surface is less hydrophilic and is only partially wetted. We interpret our simulation results using an analytical calculation of the phase diagram of water in partially filled pores. Moreover, an evaluation of the contact angle of the water droplet on top of the silica slab reveals that the interaction becomes more hydrophilic with increasing slab thickness and saturates around 2.5-3 nm, in agreement with the experimentally found value. Our analysis also shows that the hydroaffinity of the surface is mainly determined by the electrostatic interaction, but the van der Waals interaction nevertheless is strong enough that it can turn a hydrophobic surface into a hydrophilic surface.

  14. Surface wet-ability modification of thin PECVD silicon nitride layers by 40 keV argon ion treatments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caridi, F.; Picciotto, A.; Vanzetti, L.; Iacob, E.; Scolaro, C.

    2015-10-01

    Measurements of wet-ability of liquid drops have been performed on a 30 nm silicon nitride (Si3N4) film deposited by a PECVD reactor on a silicon wafer and implanted by 40 keV argon ions at different doses. Surface treatments by using Ar ion beams have been employed to modify the wet-ability. The chemical composition of the first Si3N4 monolayer was investigated by means of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The surface morphology was tested by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Results put in evidence the best implantation conditions for silicon nitride to increase or to reduce the wet-ability of the biological liquid. This permits to improve the biocompatibility and functionality of Si3N4. In particular experimental results show that argon ion bombardment increases the contact angle, enhances the oxygen content and increases the surface roughness.

  15. Leaf wetness distribution within a potato crop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heusinkveld, B. G.

    2010-07-01

    The Netherlands has a mild maritime climate and therefore the major interest in leaf wetness is associated with foliar plant diseases. During moist micrometeorological conditions (i.e. dew, fog, rain), foliar fungal diseases may develop quickly and thereby destroy a crop quickly. Potato crop monocultures covering several hectares are especially vulnerable to such diseases. Therefore understanding and predicting leaf wetness in potato crops is crucial in crop disease control strategies. A field experiment was carried out in a large homogeneous potato crop in the Netherlands during the growing season of 2008. Two innovative sensor networks were installed as a 3 by 3 grid at 3 heights covering an area of about 2 hectares within two larger potato crops. One crop was located on a sandy soil and one crop on a sandy peat soil. In most cases leaf wetting starts in the top layer and then progresses downward. Leaf drying takes place in the same order after sunrise. A canopy dew simulation model was applied to simulate spatial leaf wetness distribution. The dew model is based on an energy balance model. The model can be run using information on the above-canopy wind speed, air temperature, humidity, net radiation and within canopy air temperature, humidity and soil moisture content and temperature conditions. Rainfall was accounted for by applying an interception model. The results of the dew model agreed well with the leaf wetness sensors if all local conditions were considered. The measurements show that the spatial correlation of leaf wetness decreases downward.

  16. Surface changes of biopolymers PHB and PLLA induced by Ar{sup +} plasma treatment and wet etching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Slepičková Kasálková, N. [Department of Solid State Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic); Slepička, P., E-mail: petr.slepicka@vscht.cz [Department of Solid State Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic); Sajdl, P. [Department of Power Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic); Švorčík, V. [Department of Solid State Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic)

    2014-08-01

    Polymers, especially group of biopolymers find potential application in a wide range of disciplines due to their biodegradability. In biomedical applications these materials can be used as a scaffold or matrix. In this work, the influence of the Ar{sup +} plasma treatment and subsequent wet etching (acetone/water) on the surface properties of polymers were studied. Two biopolymers – polyhydroxybutyrate with 8% polyhydroxyvalerate (PHB) and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) were used in these experiments. Modified surface layers were analyzed by different methods. Surface wettability was characterized by determination of water contact angle. Changes in elemental composition of modified surfaces were performed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Surface morphology and roughness was examined using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Gravimetry method was used to study the mass loss. It was found that the modification from both with plasma and wet etching leads to dramatic changes of surface properties (surface chemistry, morphology and roughness). Rate of changes of these features strongly depends on the modification parameters.

  17. A new approach of tailoring wetting properties of TiO2 nanotubular surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Isimjan, Tayirjan T.; Yan, Zhu; Yang, D. Q.; Rohani, Sohrab M F; Ray, Ajay

    2012-01-01

    TiO2 nanotube layers were grown on a Ti surface by electrochemical anodization. As prepared, these layers showed a superhydrophilic wetting behavior. Modified with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PTES), the layers showed a

  18. Simulation of the evolution of fused silica's surface defect during wet chemical etching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Taixiang; Yang, Ke; Li, Heyang; Yan, Lianghong; Yuan, Xiaodong; Yan, Hongwei

    2017-08-01

    Large high-power-laser facility is the basis for achieving inertial confinement fusion, one of whose missions is to make fusion energy usable in the near future. In the facility, fused silica optics plays an irreplaceable role to conduct extremely high-intensity laser to fusion capsule. But the surface defect of fused silica is a major obstacle limiting the output power of the large laser facility and likely resulting in the failure of ignition. To mitigate, or event to remove the surface defect, wet chemical etching has been developed as a practical way. However, how the surface defect evolves during wet chemical etching is still not clearly known so far. To address this problem, in this work, the three-dimensional model of surface defect is built and finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is developed to simulate the evolution of surface defect during etching. From the simulation, it is found that the surface defect will get smooth and result in the improvement of surface quality of fused silica after etching. Comparatively, surface defects (e.g. micro-crack, scratch, series of pinholes, etc.) of a typical fused silica at different etching time are experimentally measured. It can be seen that the simulation result agrees well with the result of experiment, indicating the FDTD method is valid for investigating the evolution of surface defect during etching. With the finding of FDTD simulation, one can optimize the treatment process of fused silica in practical etching or even to make the initial characterization of surface defect traceable.

  19. Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces based on ZnO-PDMS nanocomposite coatings and study of its wetting behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chakradhar, R.P.S.; Kumar, V. Dinesh; Rao, J.L.; Basu, Bharathibai J.

    2011-01-01

    Superhydrophobic surfaces based on ZnO-PDMS nanocomposite coatings are demonstrated by a simple, facile, time-saving, wet chemical route. ZnO nanopowders with average particle size of 14 nm were synthesized by a low temperature solution combustion method. Powder X-ray diffraction results confirm that the nanopowders exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure and belong to space group P63mc. Field emission scanning electron micrographs reveal that the nanoparticles are connected to each other to make large network systems consisting of hierarchical structure. The as formed ZnO coating exhibits wetting behaviour with Water Contact Angle (WCA) of ∼108 o , however on modification with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), it transforms to superhydrophobic surface with measured contact and sliding angles for water at 155 o and less than 5 o respectively. The surface properties such as surface free energy (γ p ), interfacial free energy (γ pw ), and the adhesive work (W pw ) were evaluated. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on superhydrophobic coatings revealed that the surface defects play a major role on the wetting behaviour. Advantages of the present method include the cheap and fluorine-free raw materials, environmentally benign solvents, and feasibility for applying on large area of different substrates.

  20. Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces based on ZnO-PDMS nanocomposite coatings and study of its wetting behaviour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakradhar, R. P. S.; Kumar, V. Dinesh; Rao, J. L.; Basu, Bharathibai J.

    2011-08-01

    Superhydrophobic surfaces based on ZnO-PDMS nanocomposite coatings are demonstrated by a simple, facile, time-saving, wet chemical route. ZnO nanopowders with average particle size of 14 nm were synthesized by a low temperature solution combustion method. Powder X-ray diffraction results confirm that the nanopowders exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure and belong to space group P63 mc. Field emission scanning electron micrographs reveal that the nanoparticles are connected to each other to make large network systems consisting of hierarchical structure. The as formed ZnO coating exhibits wetting behaviour with Water Contact Angle (WCA) of ˜108°, however on modification with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), it transforms to superhydrophobic surface with measured contact and sliding angles for water at 155° and less than 5° respectively. The surface properties such as surface free energy ( γp), interfacial free energy ( γpw), and the adhesive work ( Wpw) were evaluated. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on superhydrophobic coatings revealed that the surface defects play a major role on the wetting behaviour. Advantages of the present method include the cheap and fluorine-free raw materials, environmentally benign solvents, and feasibility for applying on large area of different substrates.

  1. Modelling and investigation of partial wetting surfaces for drop dynamics using lattice Boltzmann method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pravinraj, T.; Patrikar, Rajendra

    2017-07-01

    Partial wetting surfaces and its influence on the droplet movement of micro and nano scale being contemplated for many useful applications. The dynamics of the droplet usually analyzed with a multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). In this paper, the influence of partial wetting surface on the dynamics of droplet is systematically analyzed for various cases. Splitting of droplets due to chemical gradient of the surface is studied and analyses of splitting time for various widths of the strips for different Weber numbers are computed. With the proposed model one can tune the splitting volume and time by carefully choosing a strip width and droplet position. The droplet spreading on chemically heterogeneous surfaces shows that the spreading can be controlled not only by parameters of Weber number but also by tuning strip width ratio. The transportation of the droplet from hydrophobic surface to hydrophilic surface due to chemical gradient is simulated and analyzed using our hybrid thermodynamic-image processing technique. The results prove that with the progress of time the surface free energy decreases with increase in spreading area. Finally, the transportation of a droplet on microstructure gradient is demonstrated. The model explains the temporal behaviour of droplet during the spreading, recoiling and translation along with tracking of contact angle hysteresis phenomenon.

  2. SPREADING OF A FLUID JET ON THE CORRUGATED SURFACE OF THE STRUCTURED PACKING OF WET SCRUBBERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gorodilov A.A.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The new packing for wet scrubbers for cooling exhaust gases of furnaces is presented. Spreading features of the fluid jet on the corrugated surface of the proposed packing have been studied. Flow rate of the liquid flowing through slits to the opposite side of the packing element was determined. Several regimes of a fluid flow on the surface of the proposed structured packing were determined. An optimal range of rational flow rates for more intense cooling of exhaust gases is proposed. It was discovered that the range of optimum flow rates may be extended if the surface of the packing element is pre-wetted. The way of increasing the rate of effective interfacial surface area for gas-liquid contact per unit volume of the packing of the scrubber is presented.

  3. Long term effects of wet site timber harvesting and site preparation on soil properties and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) productivity in the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain

    OpenAIRE

    Neaves III, Charles Mitchell

    2017-01-01

    Short term studies have suggested that ground based timber harvesting on wet sites can alter soil properties and inhibit early survival and growth of seedlings. Persistence of such negative effects may translate to losses in forest productivity over a rotation. During the fall and winter of 1989, numerous salvage logging operations were conducted during high soil moisture conditions on wet pine flats in the lower coastal plain of South Carolina following Hurricane Hugo. A long-term experim...

  4. Studies on the wetting properties of plate surfaces used in pulsed extraction columns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tai Derong; Yang Xin; Wang Xinchang

    1991-01-01

    Many factors influence the hydrodynamic characteristics of pulsed column. Of all the factors the surface effect at liquid-liquid interfaces and liquid-solid boundaries may be the most influential factor to the state of droplets. In order to get some understanding of the behaviour of droplets in a pulsed column, the time history of wetting properties of plates under different conditions in 30% TBP (Kerosene) -HNO 3 -UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 -H 2 O systems was studied. The results show that the hydrophilic wetting behaviour of the plates changes into the hydrophobic and neutral conditions, respectively after they have been exposed to air and put in the 'open system' within about 50 days after contacting with process solutions. For the case where the access of air is prohibited at the upper organic phase boundary by a well fitting cover, or supersonic pulse cleaning is used to the cartridge, the behaviour of the metal surface stays in the original good hydrophilic wetting condition constant with time. The uranium charged liquid systems can conserve hydrophilic behaviour better than the non-charged systems under identical conditions. It is also found that the interfacial tension is unvaried with time for saturated process systems, hence it has no effects on the variation of wettability

  5. A Finite Element Method for Free-Surface Flows of Incompressible Fluids in Three Dimensions, Part II: Dynamic Wetting Lines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baer, T.A.; Cairncross, R.A.; Rao, R.R.; Sackinger, P.A.; Schunk, P.R.

    1999-01-29

    To date, few researchers have solved three-dimensional free-surface problems with dynamic wetting lines. This paper extends the free-surface finite element method described in a companion paper [Cairncross, R.A., P.R. Schunk, T.A. Baer, P.A. Sackinger, R.R. Rao, "A finite element method for free surface flows of incompressible fluid in three dimensions, Part I: Boundary-Fitted mesh motion.", to be published (1998)] to handle dynamic wetting. A generalization of the technique used in two dimensional modeling to circumvent double-valued velocities at the wetting line, the so-called kinematic paradox, is presented for a wetting line in three dimensions. This approach requires the fluid velocity normal to the contact line to be zero, the fluid velocity tangent to the contact line to be equal to the tangential component of web velocity, and the fluid velocity into the web to be zero. In addition, slip is allowed in a narrow strip along the substrate surface near the dynamic contact line. For realistic wetting-line motion, a contact angle which varies with wetting speed is required because contact lines in three dimensions typically advance or recede a different rates depending upon location and/or have both advancing and receding portions. The theory is applied to capillary rise of static fluid in a corner, the initial motion of a Newtonian droplet down an inclined plane, and extrusion of a Newtonian fluid from a nozzle onto a moving substrate. The extrusion results are compared to experimental visualization. Subject Categories

  6. Introduction to wetting phenomena

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Indekeu, J.O.

    1995-01-01

    In these lectures the field of wetting phenomena is introduced from the point of view of statistical physics. The phase transition from partial to complete wetting is discussed and examples of relevant experiments in binary liquid mixtures are given. Cahn's concept of critical-point wetting is examined in detail. Finally, a connection is drawn between wetting near bulk criticality and the universality classes of surface critical phenomena. (author)

  7. Surface tension and wetting behaviour of Bi-In-Sn alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ervina Efzan Mohd Noor; Ahmad Badri Ismail; Soong, T.K.; Chin, Y.T.; Luay Bakir Hussain

    2007-01-01

    Concerns about possible landfill contamination, influent discharge from production process are one of the reasons convert from lead-containing electronics to lead-free containing. The surface and interfacial properties of Bi-In-Sn lead-free solder system as a basic system of multicomponent alloys proposed as lead-free solder materials have been studied. The surface tension of Bi-In-Sn lead-free solder system of melting temperature 60 degree Celsius has been measured the temperature range 80 degree Celsius and 140 degree Celsius. The study of the wetting behaviour of Bi-In-Sn lead-free solder system on a Cu substrate has been performed by measuring contact angle on various metal substrates by Optical Microscopy with software. (author)

  8. Ge clusters and wetting layers forming from granular films on the Si(001) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Storozhevykh, M S; Arapkina, L V; Yuryev, V A

    2016-01-01

    The report studies the transformation of a Ge granular film deposited on the Si(001) surface at room temperature into a Ge/Si(001) heterostructure as a result of rapid heating and annealing at 600 °C. As a result of the short-term annealing at 600 °C in conditions of a closed system, the Ge granular film transforms into a usual wetting layer and Ge clusters with multimodal size distribution and Ge oval drops having the highest number density. After the long-term thermal treatment of the Ge film at the same temperature, Ge drops disappear; the large clusters increase their sizes at the expense of the smaller ones. The total density of Ge clusters on the surface drastically decreases. The wetting layer mixed c(4 x 2) + p(2 x 2) reconstruction transforms into a single c(4 x 2) one which is likely to be thermodynamically favoured. Pyramids or domes are not observed on the surface after any annealing. (paper)

  9. The global distribution and dynamics of surface soil moisture

    Science.gov (United States)

    McColl, Kaighin A.; Alemohammad, Seyed Hamed; Akbar, Ruzbeh; Konings, Alexandra G.; Yueh, Simon; Entekhabi, Dara

    2017-01-01

    Surface soil moisture has a direct impact on food security, human health and ecosystem function. It also plays a key role in the climate system, and the development and persistence of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and heatwaves. However, sparse and uneven observations have made it difficult to quantify the global distribution and dynamics of surface soil moisture. Here we introduce a metric of soil moisture memory and use a full year of global observations from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission to show that surface soil moisture--a storage believed to make up less than 0.001% of the global freshwater budget by volume, and equivalent to an, on average, 8-mm thin layer of water covering all land surfaces--plays a significant role in the water cycle. Specifically, we find that surface soil moisture retains a median 14% of precipitation falling on land after three days. Furthermore, the retained fraction of the surface soil moisture storage after three days is highest over arid regions, and in regions where drainage to groundwater storage is lowest. We conclude that lower groundwater storage in these regions is due not only to lower precipitation, but also to the complex partitioning of the water cycle by the surface soil moisture storage layer at the land surface.

  10. Does plant uptake or low soil mineral-N production limit mineral-N losses to surface waters and groundwater from soils under grass in summer?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhatti, Ambreen; McClean, Colin J.; Cresser, Malcolm S.

    2013-01-01

    Summer minima and autumn/winter maxima in nitrate concentrations in rivers are reputedly due to high plant uptake of nitrate from soils in summer. A novel alternative hypothesis is tested here for soils under grass. By summer, residual readily mineralizable plant litter from the previous autumn/winter is negligible and fresh litter input low. Consequently little mineral-N is produced in the soil. Water-soluble and KCl-extractable mineral N in fresh soils and soils incubated outdoors for 7 days have been monitored over 12 months for soil transects at two permanent grassland sites near York, UK, using 6 replicates throughout. Vegetation-free soil is shown to produce very limited mineral-N in summer, despite the warm, moist conditions. Litter accumulates in autumn/winter and initially its high C:N ratio favours N accumulation in the soil. It is also shown that mineral-N generated monthly in situ in soil substantially exceeds the monthly mineral-N inputs via wet deposition at the sites. -- Highlights: •Soil mineral-N has been measured over a year at two grassland sites in the UK. •Rates of mineral-N production have also been measured in vegetation-free soils. •In summer, though soils were warm and moist, rate of mineral-N production was low. •The effect is attributed to low litter inputs in summer when grass is growing well. •Low mineral-N production in summer must be limiting N losses to fresh waters. -- Low mineral-N production in soils under grass limits summer N losses to surface- and ground-waters

  11. Slash Incorporation for Amelioration of Site, Soil and Hydrologic Properties on Pocosins and Wet Flats in North Carolina

    Science.gov (United States)

    William A. Lakel; W. Michael Aust; Emily A. Carter; Bryce J. Stokes; Felipe G. Sanchez

    1999-01-01

    It was hypothesized that mulching and incorporation of slash as part of site preparation treatments could affect soil water characteristics. Two forested wetland sites, an organic pocosin and a mineral wet flat. located in the lower coastal plain of North Carolina, were selected for treatments. Treatments consisted of slash mulching and incorporation in comoinations...

  12. Soil dynamics of the origination of soil tare during sugar beet lifting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vermeulen, G.D.; Koolen, A.J.

    2002-01-01

    High soil tare of sugar beet on wet clay soil after uprooting with share lifters is usually attributed to the fact that the soil becomes sticky due to mechanical impact during uprooting. Results of field experiments have shown good potential for obtaining low soil tare of sugar beet on wet clay soil

  13. Characteristics of organic soil in black spruce forests: Implications for the application of land surface and ecosystem models in cold regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, S.; Manies, K.; Harden, J.; McGuire, A.D.

    2009-01-01

    Soil organic layers (OL) play an important role in landatmosphere exchanges of water, energy and carbon in cold environments. The proper implementation of OL in land surface and ecosystem models is important for predicting dynamic responses to climate warming. Based on the analysis of OL samples of black spruce (Picea mariana), we recommend that implementation of OL for cold regions modeling: (1) use three general organic horizon types (live, fibrous, and amorphous) to represent vertical soil heterogeneity; (2) implement dynamics of OL over the course of disturbance, as there are significant differences of OL thickness between young and mature stands; and (3) use two broad drainage classes to characterize spatial heterogeneity, as there are significant differences in OL thickness between dry and wet sites. Implementation of these suggestions into models has the potential to substantially improve how OL dynamics influence variability in surface temperature and soil moisture in cold regions. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophys.ical Union.

  14. Long-term atmospheric wet deposition of dissolved organic nitrogen in a typical red-soil agro-ecosystem, Southeastern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Jian; Zhou, Jing; Peng, Ying; He, Yuan Q; Yang, Hao; Xu, Liang J; Chan, Andy

    2014-05-01

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) from atmospheric deposition has been a growing concern in the world and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing quickly in China especially Southeastern China. In our study, DON wet deposition was estimated by collecting and analyzing rainwater samples continuously over eight years (2005-2012) in a typical red-soil farmland ecosystem, Southeast China. Results showed that the volume-weighted-average DON concentration varied from 0.2 to 3.3 mg N L(-1) with an average of 1.2 mg N L(-1). DON flux ranged from 5.7 to 71.6 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) and averaged 19.7 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) which accounted for 34.6% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in wet deposition during the eight-year period. Analysis of DON concentration and flux, contribution of DON to TDN, rainfall, rain frequency, air temperature and wind frequency and the application of pig manure revealed possible pollution sources. Significant positive linear relation of annual DON flux and usage of pig manure (Pcycle in the red-soil agro-ecosystem in the future.

  15. Wet deposition and soil content of Beryllium - 7 in a micro-watershed of Minas Gerais (Brazil).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esquivel L, Alexander D; Moreira, Rubens M; Monteiro, Roberto Pellacani G; Dos Santos, Anômora A Rochido; Juri Ayub, Jimena; Valladares, Diego L

    2017-04-01

    Beryllium-7 ( 7 Be) is a natural radionuclide of cosmogenic origin, normally used as a tracer for several environmental processes; such as soil redistribution, sediment source discrimination, atmospheric mass transport, and trace metal scavenging from the atmosphere. In this research the content of 7 Be in soil, its seasonal variation throughout the year and its relationship with the rainfall regime in the Mato Frio creek micro-watershed was investigated, to assess its potential use in estimating soil erosion. The 7 Be content in soil shows a marked variation throughout the year. Minimum 7 Be values were observed in the dry season (from April to September) and were between 7 and 14 times higher in the rainy season (from October to March). The seasonal oscillations in 7 Be soil content could be explained by the asymmetric rainfall regime. A highly linear relationship between rainfall amount and 7 Be deposition was observed in rain water. A good agreement between 7 Be soil content and 7 Be atmospheric deposition was noticed, mainly in wet months. 7 Be penetration in soil reaches a 5 cm depth, this could be explained by the soil type in the region. The soils are Acrisol type, characterized by low pH values and clay illuviation in deeper layers of the soil. In some regions of Brazil special attention should be paid if this radionuclide will be used as soil erosion tracer, taking into account the soil origin and its particular properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Modeled Wet Nitrate Deposition

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Modeled data on nitrate wet deposition was obtained from Dr. Jeff Grimm at Penn State Univ. Nitrate wet depostion causes acidification and eutrophication of surface...

  17. Bacterial polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers from arid soils improve water retention capacity and humidity uptake in sandy soil

    KAUST Repository

    Raddadi, Noura

    2018-05-31

    Water stress is a critical issue for plant growth in arid sandy soils. Here, we aimed to select bacteria producing polyextremotolerant surface-active compounds capable of improving water retention and humidity uptake in sandy soils.From Tunisian desert and saline systems, we selected eleven isolates able to highly emulsify different organic solvents. The bioemulsifying activities were stable with 30% NaCl, at 4 and 120 °C and in a pH range 4-12. Applications to a sandy soil of the partially purified surface-active compounds improved soil water retention up to 314.3% compared to untreated soil. Similarly, after 36 h of incubation, the humidity uptake rate of treated sandy soil was up to 607.7% higher than untreated controls.Overall, results revealed that polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers of bacteria from arid and desert soils represent potential sources to develop new natural soil-wetting agents for improving water retention in arid soils.

  18. Bacterial polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers from arid soils improve water retention capacity and humidity uptake in sandy soil

    KAUST Repository

    Raddadi, Noura; Giacomucci, Lucia; Marasco, Ramona; Daffonchio, Daniele; Cherif, Ameur; Fava, Fabio

    2018-01-01

    Water stress is a critical issue for plant growth in arid sandy soils. Here, we aimed to select bacteria producing polyextremotolerant surface-active compounds capable of improving water retention and humidity uptake in sandy soils.From Tunisian desert and saline systems, we selected eleven isolates able to highly emulsify different organic solvents. The bioemulsifying activities were stable with 30% NaCl, at 4 and 120 °C and in a pH range 4-12. Applications to a sandy soil of the partially purified surface-active compounds improved soil water retention up to 314.3% compared to untreated soil. Similarly, after 36 h of incubation, the humidity uptake rate of treated sandy soil was up to 607.7% higher than untreated controls.Overall, results revealed that polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers of bacteria from arid and desert soils represent potential sources to develop new natural soil-wetting agents for improving water retention in arid soils.

  19. Bacterial polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers from arid soils improve water retention capacity and humidity uptake in sandy soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raddadi, Noura; Giacomucci, Lucia; Marasco, Ramona; Daffonchio, Daniele; Cherif, Ameur; Fava, Fabio

    2018-05-31

    Water stress is a critical issue for plant growth in arid sandy soils. Here, we aimed to select bacteria producing polyextremotolerant surface-active compounds capable of improving water retention and humidity uptake in sandy soils. From Tunisian desert and saline systems, we selected eleven isolates able to highly emulsify different organic solvents. The bioemulsifying activities were stable with 30% NaCl, at 4 and 120 °C and in a pH range 4-12. Applications to a sandy soil of the partially purified surface-active compounds improved soil water retention up to 314.3% compared to untreated soil. Similarly, after 36 h of incubation, the humidity uptake rate of treated sandy soil was up to 607.7% higher than untreated controls. Overall, results revealed that polyextremotolerant bioemulsifiers of bacteria from arid and desert soils represent potential sources to develop new natural soil-wetting agents for improving water retention in arid soils.

  20. Experimental study on soluble chemical transfer to surface runoff from soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Juxiu; Yang, Jinzhong; Hu, Bill X; Sun, Huaiwei

    2016-10-01

    Prevention of chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff, under condition of irrigation and subsurface drainage, would improve surface water quality. In this paper, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the effects of various soil and hydraulic factors on chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff. The factors include maximum depth of ponding water on soil surface, initial volumetric water content of soil, depth of soil with low porosity, type or texture of soil and condition of drainage. In the experiments, two soils, sand and loam, mixed with different quantities of soluble KCl were filled in the sandboxes and prepared under different initial saturated conditions. Simulated rainfall induced surface runoff are operated in the soils, and various ponding water depths on soil surface are simulated. Flow rates and KCl concentration of surface runoff are measured during the experiments. The following conclusions are made from the study results: (1) KCl concentration in surface runoff water would decrease with the increase of the maximum depth of ponding water on soil surface; (2) KCl concentration in surface runoff water would increase with the increase of initial volumetric water content in the soil; (3) smaller depth of soil with less porosity or deeper depth of soil with larger porosity leads to less KCl transfer to surface runoff; (4) the soil with finer texture, such as loam, could keep more fertilizer in soil, which will result in more KCl concentration in surface runoff; and (5) good subsurface drainage condition will increase the infiltration and drainage rates during rainfall event and will decrease KCl concentration in surface runoff. Therefore, it is necessary to reuse drained fertile water effectively during rainfall, without polluting groundwater. These study results should be considered in agriculture management to reduce soluble chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff for reducing non-point sources pollution.

  1. Impact of Soil Moisture Assimilation on Land Surface Model Spin-Up and Coupled LandAtmosphere Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Kumar, Sujay V.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Lawston, P.

    2016-01-01

    Advances in satellite monitoring of the terrestrial water cycle have led to a concerted effort to assimilate soil moisture observations from various platforms into offline land surface models (LSMs). One principal but still open question is that of the ability of land data assimilation (LDA) to improve LSM initial conditions for coupled short-term weather prediction. In this study, the impact of assimilating Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) soil moisture retrievals on coupled WRF Model forecasts is examined during the summers of dry (2006) and wet (2007) surface conditions in the southern Great Plains. LDA is carried out using NASAs Land Information System (LIS) and the Noah LSM through an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) approach. The impacts of LDA on the 1) soil moisture and soil temperature initial conditions for WRF, 2) land-atmosphere coupling characteristics, and 3) ambient weather of the coupled LIS-WRF simulations are then assessed. Results show that impacts of soil moisture LDA during the spin-up can significantly modify LSM states and fluxes, depending on regime and season. Results also indicate that the use of seasonal cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) is more advantageous compared to the traditional annual CDF bias correction strategies. LDA performs consistently regardless of atmospheric forcing applied, with greater improvements seen when using coarser, global forcing products. Downstream impacts on coupled simulations vary according to the strength of the LDA impact at the initialization, where significant modifications to the soil moisture flux- PBL-ambient weather process chain are observed. Overall, this study demonstrates potential for future, higher-resolution soil moisture assimilation applications in weather and climate research.

  2. Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces based on ZnO-PDMS nanocomposite coatings and study of its wetting behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakradhar, R.P.S., E-mail: chakra@nal.res.in [Surface Engineering Division, National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR), Bangalore 560017 (India); Kumar, V. Dinesh [Surface Engineering Division, National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR), Bangalore 560017 (India); Rao, J.L. [Department of Physics, S.V. University, Tirupathi 517502 (India); Basu, Bharathibai J., E-mail: bharathi@nal.res.in [Surface Engineering Division, National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR), Bangalore 560017 (India)

    2011-08-01

    Superhydrophobic surfaces based on ZnO-PDMS nanocomposite coatings are demonstrated by a simple, facile, time-saving, wet chemical route. ZnO nanopowders with average particle size of 14 nm were synthesized by a low temperature solution combustion method. Powder X-ray diffraction results confirm that the nanopowders exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure and belong to space group P63mc. Field emission scanning electron micrographs reveal that the nanoparticles are connected to each other to make large network systems consisting of hierarchical structure. The as formed ZnO coating exhibits wetting behaviour with Water Contact Angle (WCA) of {approx}108{sup o}, however on modification with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), it transforms to superhydrophobic surface with measured contact and sliding angles for water at 155{sup o} and less than 5{sup o} respectively. The surface properties such as surface free energy ({gamma}{sub p}), interfacial free energy ({gamma}{sub pw}), and the adhesive work (W{sub pw}) were evaluated. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on superhydrophobic coatings revealed that the surface defects play a major role on the wetting behaviour. Advantages of the present method include the cheap and fluorine-free raw materials, environmentally benign solvents, and feasibility for applying on large area of different substrates.

  3. Does Surface Roughness Amplify Wetting?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Malijevský, Alexandr

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 141, č. 18 (2014), s. 184703 ISSN 0021-9606 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-09914S Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : density functional theory * wetting * roughness Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.952, year: 2014

  4. Towards the Wetness Characterization of Soil Subsurface Using Fibre Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciocca, F.; Bodet, L.; Simon, N.; Karaulanov, R.; Clarke, A.; Abesser, C.; Krause, S.; Chalari, A.; Mondanos, M.

    2017-12-01

    Active seismic methods combined with detectors deployed at the soil surface, such as vertical collinear geophones, have revealed great potential for hydrogeophysical characterization of the soil vadose zone. In particular, recent findings have highlighted a clear dependence of both P-waves arrival times and surface-wave dispersion on the local degree of soil saturation, visible at laboratory as well as at field scale. In this study, we investigate the sensitivity of a fibre optic Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) to different soil saturation. In vertical seismic applications, DAS have proven to offer equal and often better performance compared to the geophones, with the advantage that a fibre optic cable, whose length can reach 40 km, replaces the array of geophones as sensing element. We present the response to active seismic tests of 20 m of fibre optic cable buried in a poorly permeable bare soil. Tests were conducted in different moments of the year, with saturation monitored by means of independent dielectric probes. Body-wave travel times as well as surface-wave dispersion are compared. Finally, we discuss the possibility to determine a site-specific relation between the Poisson ratio and the soil saturation. This research has been performed in the framework of the British National Environmental Research Council (NERC) funded Distributed intelligent Heat Pulse System (DiHPS) project and of the Marie Curie H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) consortium Hi-Freq.

  5. Grass mulching effect on infiltration, surface runoff and soil loss of three agricultural soils in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adekalu, K O; Olorunfemi, I A; Osunbitan, J A

    2007-03-01

    Mulching the soil surface with a layer of plant residue is an effective method of conserving water and soil because it reduces surface runoff, increases infiltration of water into the soil and retard soil erosion. The effectiveness of using elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) as mulching material was evaluated in the laboratory using a rainfall simulator set at rainfall intensities typical of the tropics. Six soil samples, two from each of the three major soil series representing the main agricultural soils in South Western Nigeria were collected, placed on three different slopes, and mulched with different rates of the grass. The surface runoff, soil loss, and apparent cumulative infiltration were then measured under each condition. The results with elephant grass compared favorably with results from previous experiments using rice straw. Runoff and soil loss decreased with the amount of mulch used and increased with slope. Surface runoff, infiltration and soil loss had high correlations (R = 0.90, 0.89, and 0.86, respectively) with slope and mulch cover using surface response analysis. The mean surface runoff was correlated negatively with sand content, while mean soil loss was correlated positively with colloidal content (clay and organic matter) of the soil. Infiltration was increased and soil loss was reduced greatly with the highest cover. Mulching the soils with elephant grass residue may benefit late cropping (second cropping) by increasing stored soil water for use during dry weather and help to reduce erosion on sloping land.

  6. Surface Modifications in Adhesion and Wetting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longley, Jonathan

    Advances in surface modification are changing the world. Changing surface properties of bulk materials with nanometer scale coatings enables inventions ranging from the familiar non-stick frying pan to advanced composite aircraft. Nanometer or monolayer coatings used to modify a surface affect the macro-scale properties of a system; for example, composite adhesive joints between the fuselage and internal frame of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner play a vital role in the structural stability of the aircraft. This dissertation focuses on a collection of surface modification techniques that are used in the areas of adhesion and wetting. Adhesive joints are rapidly replacing the familiar bolt and rivet assemblies used by the aerospace and automotive industries. This transition is fueled by the incorporation of composite materials into aircraft and high performance road vehicles. Adhesive joints have several advantages over the traditional rivet, including, significant weight reduction and efficient stress transfer between bonded materials. As fuel costs continue to rise, the weight reduction is accelerating this transition. Traditional surface pretreatments designed to improve the adhesion of polymeric materials to metallic surfaces are extremely toxic. Replacement adhesive technologies must be compatible with the environment without sacrificing adhesive performance. Silane-coupling agents have emerged as ideal surface modifications for improving composite joint strength. As these coatings are generally applied as very thin layers (coatings using the buckling instability formed between two materials of a large elastic mismatch. The elastic modulus is found to effectively predict the joint strength of an epoxy/aluminum joint that has been reinforced with silane coupling agents. This buckling technique is extended to investigate the effects of chemical composition on the elastic modulus. Finally, the effect of macro-scale roughness on silane-reinforced joints is investigated

  7. Leaf Cutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) Soil Modification and In Situ CO2 Gas Dynamics in a Neotropical Wet Forest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez Bou, A. S.; Carrasquillo Quintana, O.; Dierick, D.; Harmon, T. C.; Johnson, S.; Schwendenmann, L.; Zelikova, T. J.

    2016-12-01

    The goal of this work is to advance our understanding of soil carbon cycling in highly productive neotropical wet forests. More specifically, we are investigating the influence of leaf cutter ants (LCA) on soil CO2 gas dynamics in primary and secondary forest soils at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. LCA are the dominant herbivore in tropical Americas, responsible for as much as 50% of the total herbivory. Their presence is increasing and their range is expanding because of forest fragmentation and other human impacts. We installed gas sampling wells in LCA (Atta cephalotes) nest and control sites (non-nests in the same soil and forest settings). The experimental design encompassed land cover (primary and secondary forest) and soil type (residual and alluvial). We collected gas samples monthly over an 18-month period. Several of the LCA nests were abandoned during this period. Nevertheless, we continued to sample these sites for LCA legacy effects. In several of the sites, we also installed sensors to continuously monitor soil moisture content, temperature, and CO2 levels. Within the 18-month period we conducted a 2-month field campaign to collect soil and nest vent CO2 efflux data from 3 of the nest-control pairs. Integrating the various data sets, we observed that for most of the sites nest and control soils behaved similarly during the tropical dry season. However, during the wet season gas well CO2 concentrations increased in the control sites while levels in the nests remained at dry season levels. This outcome suggests that ants modify soil gas transport properties (e.g., tortuosity). In situ time series and efflux sampling campaign data corroborated these findings. Abandoned nest CO2 levels were similar to those of the active nests, supporting the notion of a legacy effect from LCA manipulations. For this work, the period of abandonment was relatively short (several months to 1 year maximum), which appears to be insufficient for estimating the

  8. Closing the scale gap between land surface parameterizations and GCMs with a new scheme, SiB3-Bins: SOIL MOISTURE SCALE GAP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, I. T.; Sellers, P. J.; Denning, A. S.; Medina, I.; Kraus, P.

    2017-01-01

    The interaction of land with the atmosphere is sensitive to soil moisture (W). Evapotranspiration (ET) reacts to soil moisture in a nonlinear way, f(W), as soils dry from saturation to wilt point. This nonlinear behavior and the fact that soil moisture varies on scales as small as 1–10 m in nature, while numerical general circulation models (GCMs) have grid cell sizes on the order of 1 to 100s of kilometers, makes the calculation of grid cell-average ET problematic. It is impractical to simulate the land in GCMs on the small scales seen in nature, so techniques have been developed to represent subgrid scale heterogeneity, including: (1) statistical-dynamical representations of grid subelements of varying wetness, (2) relaxation of f(W), (3) moderating f(W) with approximations of catchment hydrology, (4) “tiling” the landscape into vegetation types, and (5) hyperresolution. Here we present an alternative method for representing subgrid variability in W, one proven in a conceptual framework where landscape-scale W is represented as a series of “Bins” of increasing wetness from dry to saturated. The grid cell-level f(W) is defined by the integral of the fractional area of the wetness bins and the value of f(W) associated with each. This approach accounts for the spatiotemporal dynamics of W. We implemented this approach in the SiB3 land surface parameterization and then evaluated its performance against a control, which assumes a horizontally uniform field of W. We demonstrate that the Bins method, with a physical basis, attenuates unrealistic jumps in model state and ET seen in the control runs.

  9. Understanding the wetting properties of nanostructured selenium coatings: the role of nanostructured surface roughness and air-pocket formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tran PA

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Phong A Tran,1,2 Thomas J Webster31Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 2The Particulate Fluid Processing Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 3Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USAAbstract: Wetting properties of biomaterials, in particular nanomaterials, play an important role, as these influence interactions with biological elements, such as proteins, bacteria, and cells. In this study, the wetting phenomenon of titanium substrates coated with selenium nanoparticles was studied using experimental and mathematical modeling tools. Importantly, these selenium-coated titanium substrates were previously reported to increase select protein adsorption (such as vitronectin and fibronectin, to decrease bacteria growth, and increase bone cell growth. Increased selenium nanoparticle coating density resulted in higher contact angles but remained within the hydrophilic regime. This trend was found in disagreement with the Wenzel model, which is widely used to understand the wetting properties of rough surfaces. The trend also did not fit well with the Cassie–Baxter model, which was developed to understand the wetting properties of composite surfaces. A modified wetting model was thus proposed in this study, to understand the contributing factors of material properties to the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of these nanostructured selenium-coated surfaces. The analysis and model created in this study can be useful in designing and/or understanding the wetting behavior of numerous biomedical materials and in turn, biological events (such as protein adsorption as well as bacteria and mammalian cell functions.Keywords: hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, Wenzel model, Cassie–Baxter model, free energy, implant material, proteins, cells, bacteria

  10. [Concentrations and Component Profiles PAHs in Surface Soils and Wheat Grains from the Cornfields Close to the Steel Smelting Industry in Handan, Hebei Province].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Di; Wang, Yi-long; Liu, Wei-jian; Chen, Yuan-chen; Fu, Xiao-fang; Tao, Shu; Liu, Wen-xin

    2016-02-15

    In this study, paired surface soil and mature wheat grain samples were collected in the cornfields near the large Handan Steel Manufacturer; and the total concentrations and compositional profiles of the parent PAHs were measured, then the spatial distribution characteristics and correlation with total organic carbon fractions in soil were determined. Accordingly, a preliminary source identification was performed, and the association between PAHs in surface soil and wheat grain was briefly discussed. The median concentration of total PAHs in surface soils from the cornfields of Handan was 398.9 ng x g(-1) (ranged from 123.4 ng x g(-1) to 1626.4 ng x g(-1), where around 18% and 10% of all the studied soil samples were over the corresponding quality criteria for total PAHs and B [a] P in soils, respectively. The MMW and HMW species were the main components in the compositional profiles of surface soils. Based on the specific isomeric ratios of PAHs species, coal/biomass combustion and transportation fuel (tail gas) were the dominant mixed sources for the local PAHs emission. The fractions of surface soil TOC had significant positive correlations with the total PAHs and also with the individual components with different rings. In addition, the median concentration of total PAHs in wheat grains collected in the cornfields near the Handan Steel Manufacture was 27.0 ng x g(-1) (ranged from 19.0-34.0 ng x g(-1)). The levels in wheat grains were not high, and lower than the related hygienic standards of food proposed by EU and China. The LMW and MMW PAHs with 2 to 4 rings occupied a larger proportion, more than 84% of the total PAHs, which was largely different from the component profiles in surface soils. This situation suggested that the local sources of PAHs in wheat grains may originate not only from surface soil via root absorption and internal transportation, but also from ambient air through dry and wet deposition on the leaf surface (stoma).

  11. Using semi-variogram analysis for providing spatially distributed information on soil surface condition for land surface modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croft, Holly; Anderson, Karen; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

    2010-05-01

    The ability to quantitatively and spatially assess soil surface roughness is important in geomorphology and land degradation studies. Soils can experience rapid structural degradation in response to land cover changes, resulting in increased susceptibility to erosion and a loss of Soil Organic Matter (SOM). Changes in soil surface condition can also alter sediment detachment, transport and deposition processes, infiltration rates and surface runoff characteristics. Deriving spatially distributed quantitative information on soil surface condition for inclusion in hydrological and soil erosion models is therefore paramount. However, due to the time and resources involved in using traditional field sampling techniques, there is a lack of spatially distributed information on soil surface condition. Laser techniques can provide data for a rapid three dimensional representation of the soil surface at a fine spatial resolution. This provides the ability to capture changes at the soil surface associated with aggregate breakdown, flow routing, erosion and sediment re-distribution. Semi-variogram analysis of the laser data can be used to represent spatial dependence within the dataset; providing information about the spatial character of soil surface structure. This experiment details the ability of semi-variogram analysis to spatially describe changes in soil surface condition. Soil for three soil types (silt, silt loam and silty clay) was sieved to produce aggregates between 1 mm and 16 mm in size and placed evenly in sample trays (25 x 20 x 2 cm). Soil samples for each soil type were exposed to five different durations of artificial rainfall, to produce progressively structurally degraded soil states. A calibrated laser profiling instrument was used to measure surface roughness over a central 10 x 10 cm plot of each soil state, at 2 mm sample spacing. The laser data were analysed within a geostatistical framework, where semi-variogram analysis quantitatively represented

  12. Spectral Assessment of Soil Properties: Standoff Quantification of Soil Organic Matter Content in Surface Mineral Soils and Alaskan Peat

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-01

    Soil Properties Standoff Quantification of Soil Organic Matter Content in Surface Mineral Soils and Alaskan Peat En gi ne er R es ea rc h an d D...ERDC 6.2 GRE ARTEMIS STO-R DRTSPORE ERDC TR-17-9 August 2017 Spectral Assessment of Soil Properties Standoff Quantification of Soil Organic...Matter Content in Surface Mineral Soils and Alaskan Peat Stacey L. Jarvis, Karen L. Foley, Robert M. Jones, Stephen D. Newman, and Robyn A. Barbato

  13. The Soil Moisture Dependence of TRMM Microwave Imager Rainfall Estimates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seyyedi, H.; Anagnostou, E. N.

    2011-12-01

    This study presents an in-depth analysis of the dependence of overland rainfall estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) on the soil moisture conditions at the land surface. TMI retrievals are verified against rainfall fields derived from a high resolution rain-gauge network (MESONET) covering Oklahoma. Soil moisture (SOM) patterns are extracted based on recorded data from 2000-2007 with 30 minutes temporal resolution. The area is divided into wet and dry regions based on normalized SOM (Nsom) values. Statistical comparison between two groups is conducted based on recorded ground station measurements and the corresponding passive microwave retrievals from TMI overpasses at the respective MESONET station location and time. The zero order error statistics show that the Probability of Detection (POD) for the wet regions (higher Nsom values) is higher than the dry regions. The Falls Alarm Ratio (FAR) and volumetric FAR is lower for the wet regions. The volumetric missed rain for the wet region is lower than dry region. Analysis of the MESONET-to-TMI ratio values shows that TMI tends to overestimate for surface rainfall intensities less than 12 (mm/h), however the magnitude of the overestimation over the wet regions is lower than the dry regions.

  14. Seasonal reversal of temperature-moisture response of net carbon exchange of biocrusted soils in a cool desert ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, C.; Reed, S.; Howell, A.

    2017-12-01

    Carbon cycling associated with biological soil crusts, which occur in interspaces between vascular plants in drylands globally, may be an important part of the coupled climate-carbon cycle of the Earth system. A major challenge to understanding CO2 fluxes in these systems is that much of the biotic and biogeochemical activity occurs in the upper few mm of the soil surface layer (i.e., the `mantle of fertility'), which exhibits highly dynamic and difficult to measure temperature and moisture fluctuations. Here, we report data collected in a cool desert ecosystem over one year using a multi-sensor approach to simultaneously measuring temperature and moisture of the biocrust surface layer (0-2 mm), and the deeper soil profile (5-20 cm), concurrent with automated measurement of surface soil CO2 effluxes. Our results illuminate robust relationships between microclimate and field CO2 pulses that have previously been difficult to detect and explain. The temperature of the biocrust surface layer was highly variable, ranging from minimum of -9 °C in winter to maximum of 77 °C in summer with a maximum diurnal range of 61 °C. Temperature cycles were muted deeper in the soil profile. During summer, biocrust and soils were usually hot and dry and CO2 fluxes were tightly coupled to pulse wetting events experienced at the biocrust surface, which consistently resulted in net CO2 efflux (i.e., respiration). In contrast, during the winter, biocrust and soils were usually cold and moist, and there was sustained net CO2 uptake via photosynthesis by biocrust organisms, although during cold dry periods CO2 fluxes were minimal. During the milder spring and fall seasons, short wetting events drove CO2 loss, while sustained wetting events resulted in net CO2 uptake. Thus, the upper and lower bounds of net CO2 exchange at a point in time were functions of the seasonal temperature regime, while the actual flux within those bounds was determined by the magnitude and duration of biocrust

  15. Soil surface roughness decay in contrasting climates, tillage types and management systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal Vázquez, Eva; Bertol, Ildegardis; Tondello Barbosa, Fabricio; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge

    2014-05-01

    Soil surface roughness describes the variations in the elevation of the soil surface. Such variations define the soil surface microrelief, which is characterized by a high spatial variability. Soil surface roughness is a property affecting many processes such as depression storage, infiltration, sediment generation, storage and transport and runoff routing. Therefore the soil surface microrelief is a key element in hydrology and soil erosion processes at different spatial scales as for example at the plot, field or catchment scale. In agricultural land soil surface roughness is mainly created by tillage operations, which promote to different extent the formation of microdepressions and microelevations and increase infiltration and temporal retention of water. The decay of soil surface roughness has been demonstrated to be mainly driven by rain height and rain intensity, and to depend also on runoff, aggregate stability, soil reface porosity and soil surface density. Soil roughness formation and decay may be also influenced by antecedent soil moisture (either before tillage or rain), quantity and type of plant residues over the soil surface and soil composition. Characterization of the rate and intensity of soil surface roughness decay provides valuable information about the degradation of the upper most soil surface layer before soil erosion has been initiated or at the very beginning of soil runoff and erosion processes. We analyzed the rate of decay of soil surface roughness from several experiments conducted in two regions under temperate and subtropical climate and with contrasting land use systems. The data sets studied were obtained both under natural and simulated rainfall for various soil tillage and management types. Soil surface roughness decay was characterized bay several parameters, including classic and single parameters such as the random roughness or the tortuosity and parameters based on advanced geostatistical methods or on the fractal theory. Our

  16. A noncontact laser system for measuring soil surface topography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, C.; White, I.; Thwaite, E.G.; Bendeli, A.

    1988-01-01

    Soil surface topography profoundly influences runoff hydrodynamics, soil erosion, and surface retention of water. Here we describe an optical noncontact system for measuring soil surface topography. Soil elevation is measured by projecting a laser beam onto the surface and detecting the position of the interception point. The optical axis of the detection system is oriented at a small angle to the incident beam. A low-power HeNe (Helium-Neon) laser is used as the laser source, a photodiode array is used as the laser image detector and an ordinary 35-mm single lens reflex camera provides the optical system to focus the laser image onto the diode array. A wide spectrum of measurement ranges (R) and resolutions are selectable, from 1 mm to 1 m. These are determined by the laser-camera distance and angle, the focal length of the lens, and the sensing length of the diode array and the number of elements (N) contained in the array. The resolution of the system is approximately R/2N. We show for the system used here that this resolution is approximately 0.2%. In the configuration selected, elevation changes of 0.16 mm could be detected over a surface elevation range of 87 mm. The sampling rate of the system is 1000 Hz, which permits soil surfaces to be measured at speeds of up to 1 m s −1 with measurements taken at 1-mm spacing. Measurements of individual raindrop impacts on the soil and of soil surfaces before and after rain show the versatility of the laser surface profiler, which has applications in studies of erosion processes, surface storage and soil trafficability

  17. Deceleration-driven wetting transition of "gently" deposited drops on textured hydrophobic surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varanasi, Kripa; Kwon, Hyukmin; Paxson, Adam; Patankar, Neelesh

    2010-11-01

    Many applications of rough superhydrophobic surfaces rely on the presence of droplets in a Cassie state on the substrates. A well established understanding is that if sessile droplets are smaller than a critical size, then the large Laplace pressure induces wetting transition from a Cassie to a Wenzel state, i.e., the liquid impales the roughness grooves. Thus, larger droplets are expected to remain in the Cassie state. In this work we report a surprising wetting transition where even a "gentle" deposition of droplets on rough substrates lead to the transition of larger droplets to the Wenzel state. A hitherto unknown mechanism based on rapid deceleration is identified. It is found that modest amount of energy, during the deposition process, is channeled through rapid deceleration into high water hammer pressure which induces wetting transition. A new "phase" diagram is reported which shows that both large and small droplets can transition to Wenzel states due to the deceleration and Laplace mechanisms, respectively. This novel insight reveals for the first time that the attainment of a Cassie state is more restrictive than previous criteria based on the Laplace pressure transition mechanism.

  18. Time-Dependent Wetting Behavior of PDMS Surfaces with Bio-Inspired, Hierarchical Structures

    KAUST Repository

    Mishra, Himanshu

    2015-12-28

    Wetting of rough surfaces involves time-dependent effects, such as surface deformations, non-uniform filling of surface pores within or outside the contact area, and surface chemistries, but the detailed impact of these phenomena on wetting is not entirely clear. Understanding these effects is crucial for designing coatings for a wide range of applications, such as membrane-based oil-water separation and desalination, waterproof linings/windows for automobiles, aircrafts, and naval vessels, and antibiofouling. Herein, we report on time-dependent contact angles of water droplets on a rough polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface that cannot be completely described by the conventional Cassie-Baxter or Wenzel models or the recently proposed Cassie-impregnated model. Shells of sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) were used as lithography-free, robust templates to produce rough PDMS surfaces with hierarchical, periodic features ranging from 10-7-10-4 m. Under saturated vapor conditions, we found that in the short-term (<1 min), the contact angle of a sessile water droplet on the templated PDMS, θSDT = 140° ± 3°, was accurately described by the Cassie-Baxter model (predicted θSDT = 137°); however, after 90 min, θSDT fell to 110°. Fluorescent confocal microscopy confirmed that the initial reduction in θSDT to 110° (the Wenzel limit) was primarily a Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel transition during which pores within the contact area filled gradually, and more rapidly for ethanol-water mixtures. After 90 min, the contact line of the water droplet became pinned, perhaps caused by viscoelastic deformation of the PDMS around the contact line, and a significant volume of water began to flow from the droplet to pores outside the contact region, causing θSDT to decrease to 65° over 48 h on the rough surface. The system we present here to explore the concept of contact angle time dependence (dynamics) and modeling of natural surfaces provides insights into the design and

  19. Time-Dependent Wetting Behavior of PDMS Surfaces with Bio-Inspired, Hierarchical Structures

    KAUST Repository

    Mishra, Himanshu; Schrader, Alex M.; Lee, Dong Woog; Gallo, Adair; Chen, Szu-Ying; Kaufman, Yair; Das, Saurabh; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

    2015-01-01

    Wetting of rough surfaces involves time-dependent effects, such as surface deformations, non-uniform filling of surface pores within or outside the contact area, and surface chemistries, but the detailed impact of these phenomena on wetting is not entirely clear. Understanding these effects is crucial for designing coatings for a wide range of applications, such as membrane-based oil-water separation and desalination, waterproof linings/windows for automobiles, aircrafts, and naval vessels, and antibiofouling. Herein, we report on time-dependent contact angles of water droplets on a rough polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface that cannot be completely described by the conventional Cassie-Baxter or Wenzel models or the recently proposed Cassie-impregnated model. Shells of sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) were used as lithography-free, robust templates to produce rough PDMS surfaces with hierarchical, periodic features ranging from 10-7-10-4 m. Under saturated vapor conditions, we found that in the short-term (<1 min), the contact angle of a sessile water droplet on the templated PDMS, θSDT = 140° ± 3°, was accurately described by the Cassie-Baxter model (predicted θSDT = 137°); however, after 90 min, θSDT fell to 110°. Fluorescent confocal microscopy confirmed that the initial reduction in θSDT to 110° (the Wenzel limit) was primarily a Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel transition during which pores within the contact area filled gradually, and more rapidly for ethanol-water mixtures. After 90 min, the contact line of the water droplet became pinned, perhaps caused by viscoelastic deformation of the PDMS around the contact line, and a significant volume of water began to flow from the droplet to pores outside the contact region, causing θSDT to decrease to 65° over 48 h on the rough surface. The system we present here to explore the concept of contact angle time dependence (dynamics) and modeling of natural surfaces provides insights into the design and

  20. Soil Spectroscopy: An Alternative to Wet Chemistry for Soil Monitoring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nocita, M.; Stevens, A.; van Wesemael, Bas

    2015-01-01

    The soil science community is facing a growing demand of regional, continental, and worldwide databases in order to monitor the status of the soil. However, the availability of such data is very scarce. Cost-effective tools to measure soil properties for large areas (e.g., Europe) are required....... Soil spectroscopy has shown to be a fast, cost-effective, envi-ronmental-friendly, nondestructive, reproducible, and repeatable analytical technique. The main aim of this paper is to describe the state of the art of soil spectroscopy as well as its potential to facilitating soil monitoring. The factors...... constraining the application of soil spectroscopy as an alternative to traditional laboratory analyses, together with the limits of the technique, are addressed. The paper also highlights that the widespread use of spectroscopy to monitor the status of the soil should be encouraged by (1) the creation...

  1. Soil Carbon Dioxide Production and Surface Fluxes: Subsurface Physical Controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risk, D.; Kellman, L.; Beltrami, H.

    Soil respiration is a critical determinant of landscape carbon balance. Variations in soil temperature and moisture patterns are important physical processes controlling soil respiration which need to be better understood. Relationships between soil respi- ration and physical controls are typically addressed using only surface flux data but other methods also exist which permit more rigorous interpretation of soil respira- tion processes. Here we use a combination of subsurface CO_{2} concentrations, surface CO_{2} fluxes and detailed physical monitoring of the subsurface envi- ronment to examine physical controls on soil CO_{2} production at four climate observatories in Eastern Canada. Results indicate that subsurface CO_{2} produc- tion is more strongly correlated to the subsurface thermal environment than the surface CO_{2} flux. Soil moisture was also found to have an important influence on sub- surface CO_{2} production, particularly in relation to the soil moisture - soil profile diffusivity relationship. Non-diffusive profile CO_{2} transport appears to be im- portant at these sites, resulting in a de-coupling of summertime surface fluxes from subsurface processes and violating assumptions that surface CO_{2} emissions are the result solely of diffusion. These results have implications for the study of soil respiration across a broad range of terrestrial environments.

  2. Soil hydraulic parameters and surface soil moisture of a tilled bare soil plot inversely derived from l-band brightness temperatures

    KAUST Repository

    Dimitrov, Marin

    2014-01-01

    We coupled a radiative transfer model and a soil hydrologic model (HYDRUS 1D) with an optimization routine to derive soil hydraulic parameters, surface roughness, and soil moisture of a tilled bare soil plot using measured brightness temperatures at 1.4 GHz (L-band), rainfall, and potential soil evaporation. The robustness of the approach was evaluated using five 28-d data sets representing different meteorological conditions. We considered two soil hydraulic property models: the unimodal Mualem-van Genuchten and the bimodal model of Durner. Microwave radiative transfer was modeled by three different approaches: the Fresnel equation with depth-averaged dielectric permittivity of either 2-or 5-cm-thick surface layers and a coherent radiative transfer model (CRTM) that accounts for vertical gradients in dielectric permittivity. Brightness temperatures simulated by the CRTM and the 2-cm-layer Fresnel model fitted well to the measured ones. L-band brightness temperatures are therefore related to the dielectric permittivity and soil moisture in a 2-cm-thick surface layer. The surface roughness parameter that was derived from brightness temperatures using inverse modeling was similar to direct estimates from laser profiler measurements. The laboratory-derived water retention curve was bimodal and could be retrieved consistently for the different periods from brightness temperatures using inverse modeling. A unimodal soil hydraulic property function underestimated the hydraulic conductivity near saturation. Surface soil moisture contents simulated using retrieved soil hydraulic parameters were compared with in situ measurements. Depth-specific calibration relations were essential to derive soil moisture from near-surface installed sensors. © Soil Science Society of America 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA.

  3. Soil-soil solution distribution coefficient of soil organic matter is a key factor for that of radioiodide in surface and subsurface soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unno, Yusuke; Tsukada, Hirofumi; Takeda, Akira; Takaku, Yuichi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi

    2017-04-01

    We investigated the vertical distribution of the soil-soil-solution distribution coefficients (K d ) of 125 I, 137 Cs, and 85 Sr in organic-rich surface soil and organic-poor subsurface soil of a pasture and an urban forest near a spent-nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Japan. K d of 137 Cs was highly correlated with water-extractable K + . K d of 85 Sr was highly correlated with water-extractable Ca 2+ and SOC. K d of 125 I - was low in organic-rich surface soil, high slightly below the surface, and lowest in the deepest soil. This kinked distribution pattern differed from the gradual decrease of the other radionuclides. The thickness of the high- 125 I - K d middle layer (i.e., with high radioiodide retention ability) differed between sites. K d of 125 I - was significantly correlated with K d of soil organic carbon. Our results also showed that the layer thickness is controlled by the ratio of K d -OC between surface and subsurface soils. This finding suggests that the addition of SOC might prevent further radioiodide migration down the soil profile. As far as we know, this is the first report to show a strong correlation of a soil characteristic with K d of 125 I - . Further study is needed to clarify how radioiodide is retained and migrates in soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Quantifying the changes of soil surface microroughness due to rainfall impact on a smooth surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. K. B. Abban

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the rainfall-induced change in soil microroughness of a bare smooth soil surface in an agricultural field. The majority of soil microroughness studies have focused on surface roughness on the order of ∼ 5–50 mm and have reported a decay of soil surface roughness with rainfall. However, there is quantitative evidence from a few studies suggesting that surfaces with microroughness less than 5 mm may undergo an increase in roughness when subject to rainfall action. The focus herein is on initial microroughness length scales on the order of 2 mm, a low roughness condition observed seasonally in some landscapes under bare conditions and chosen to systematically examine the increasing roughness phenomenon. Three rainfall intensities of 30, 60, and 75 mm h−1 are applied to a smoothened bed surface in a field plot via a rainfall simulator. Soil surface microroughness is recorded via a surface-profile laser scanner. Several indices are utilized to quantify the soil surface microroughness, namely the random roughness (RR index, the crossover length, the variance scale from the Markov–Gaussian model, and the limiting difference. Findings show a consistent increase in roughness under the action of rainfall, with an overall agreement between all indices in terms of trend and magnitude. Although this study is limited to a narrow range of rainfall and soil conditions, the results suggest that the outcome of the interaction between rainfall and a soil surface can be different for smooth and rough surfaces and thus warrant the need for a better understanding of this interaction.

  5. Apparent-contact-angle model at partial wetting and evaporation: impact of surface forces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janeček, V; Nikolayev, V S

    2013-01-01

    This theoretical and numerical study deals with evaporation of a fluid wedge in contact with its pure vapor. The model describes a regime where the continuous wetting film is absent and the actual line of the triple gas-liquid-solid contact appears. A constant temperature higher than the saturation temperature is imposed at the solid substrate. The fluid flow is solved in the lubrication approximation. The introduction of the surface forces in the case of the partial wetting is discussed. The apparent contact angle (the gas-liquid interface slope far from the contact line) is studied numerically as a function of the substrate superheating, contact line velocity, and parameters related to the solid-fluid interaction (Young and microscopic contact angles, Hamaker constant, etc.). The dependence of the apparent contact angle on the substrate temperature is in agreement with existing approaches. For water, the apparent contact angle may be 20° larger than the Young contact angle for 1 K superheating. The effect of the surface forces on the apparent contact angle is found to be weak.

  6. Divergent surface and total soil moisture projections under global warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berg, Alexis; Sheffield, Justin; Milly, Paul C.D.

    2017-01-01

    Land aridity has been projected to increase with global warming. Such projections are mostly based on off-line aridity and drought metrics applied to climate model outputs but also are supported by climate-model projections of decreased surface soil moisture. Here we comprehensively analyze soil moisture projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5, including surface, total, and layer-by-layer soil moisture. We identify a robust vertical gradient of projected mean soil moisture changes, with more negative changes near the surface. Some regions of the northern middle to high latitudes exhibit negative annual surface changes but positive total changes. We interpret this behavior in the context of seasonal changes in the surface water budget. This vertical pattern implies that the extensive drying predicted by off-line drought metrics, while consistent with the projected decline in surface soil moisture, will tend to overestimate (negatively) changes in total soil water availability.

  7. Electric Resistance Tests on Compacted Clay Material under Dynamic Load Coupled with Dry-Wet Cycling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheng Lu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The study of compacted clay material under dynamic load coupled with dry-wet cycling is one of the most important areas in the field of transportation. In this paper, experiments in terms of compacted clay under dynamic load coupled with dry-wet cycling are performed, and synchronous resistivity tests are also conducted. According to the test results, the influences of cumulative plastic strain, dry-wet cycles, and amplitudes on the soil resistivity are analyzed. Then a new damage factor based on resistivity is proposed to evaluate the long-term performance of compacted clay material. The result of research shows that the evolution of the soil resistivity can be divided into two stages, which has a contrary tendency with that of cumulative plastic strain. The dry-wet cycles and amplitudes have a significant effect on the damage of the compacted soil, which indicates that the dry-wet cycling of compacted soil materials should not be ignored in road engineering, especially in rainy and humid areas.

  8. Surface Corrosion and Microstructure Degradation of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Subjected to Wet-Dry Cycles in Sulfate Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wuman Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The hydration products of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA cement are different from those of Portland cement. The degradation of CSA cement subjected to wet-dry cycles in sulfate solution was studied in this paper. The surface corrosion was recorded and the microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The results show that SO42-, Na+, Mg2+, and Cl− have an effect on the stability of ettringite. In the initial period of sulfate attack, salt crystallization is the main factor leading to the degradation of CSA cement specimens. The decomposition and the carbonation of ettringite will cause long-term degradation of CSA cement specimens under wet-dry cycles in sulfate solution. The surface spalling and microstructure degradation increase significantly with the increase of wet-dry cycles, sulfate concentration, and water to cement ratio. Magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride reduce the degradation when the concentration of sulfate ions is a constant value.

  9. Effects of soil surface management practices on soil and tree ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effects on soil, leaf and fruit element concentrations of organic (compost, straw mulch and hand weeding) and integrated (inorganic fertilisers and herbicide usage; IP) soil surface management practices in the tree rows, in combination with weed covers, cover crops and straw mulch in the work rows, were investigated in a ...

  10. Overcoming soil compaction in surface mine reclamation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sweigard, R.J. (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (USA). Dept. of Mining Engineering)

    1991-01-01

    Rubber-tyred soil reconstruction equipment causes compaction of soil and means surface mine operators cannot satisfy crop yield standards defined by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Soil compaction can be overcome by either modifying the reconstruction process or alleviating the problem, for example by deep tillage, once it occurs. The Dept. of Mining Engineering at the Institute of Mining and Minerals Research is conducting a laboratory investigation into a method of injecting low density porous organic material into a bin containing soil at the same time as the soil is ripped. This should prevent voids collapsing when subjected to forces from farm equipment and natural sources. Soil analyses are performed before and after the injection. Ripping and injection with ground pecan shells had a residual effect on nuclear bulk density compared to the initially compacted case and also showed an improvement in hydraulic conductivity. Work is in progress on modifying the system to handle other injection material and should lead on to field tests on a prototype involving both soil analysis and crop yield determination. 1 fig.

  11. Overcoming soil compaction in surface mine reclamation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sweigard, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    Rubber-tyred soil reconstruction equipment causes compaction of soil and means surface mine operators cannot satisfy crop yield standards defined by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Soil compaction can be overcome by either modifying the reconstruction process or alleviating the problem, for example by deep tillage, once it occurs. The Dept. of Mining Engineering at the Institute of Mining and Minerals Research is conducting a laboratory investigation into a method of injecting low density porous organic material into a bin containing soil at the same time as the soil is ripped. This should prevent voids collapsing when subjected to forces from farm equipment and natural sources. Soil analyses are performed before and after the injection. Ripping and injection with ground pecan shells had a residual effect on nuclear bulk density compared to the initially compacted case and also showed an improvement in hydraulic conductivity. Work is in progress on modifying the system to handle other injection material and should lead on to field tests on a prototype involving both soil analysis and crop yield determination. 1 fig

  12. Estimation of bare soil surface temperature from air temperature and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Soil surface temperature has critical influence on climate, agricultural and hydrological activities since it serves as a good indicator of the energy budget of the earth's surface. Two empirical models for estimating soil surface temperature from air temperature and soil depth temperature were developed. The coefficient of ...

  13. Antecedent moisture content and soil texture effects on infiltration and erosion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamedov, A. I.; Huang, C.; Levy, G. J.

    2006-12-01

    Water infiltration, seal formation, runoff and erosion depend on the soil's inherent properties and surface conditions. Most erosion models consider only soil inherent properties (mainly texture) in assessing infiltration and erosion without consideration of spatial and temporary variation in the surface condition, particularly the antecedent moisture content. We studied the interaction of two different surface conditions, i.e. antecedent moisture content (AMC) and aging (timing after wetting) on infiltration (IR), seal formation (runoff generation) and erosion in four soils varying from loam to clay. Soil samples were packed in erosion box and wetted with different amounts of water (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 16 mm) to obtain a wide moisture range (i.e., pF 0-6.2, or from air dry to full saturation). The boxes were put in plastic bags and allowed to age for 0.01, 1, 3, or 7 days. Then the soil in the erosion box exposed to 60 mm of rain. At no aging final IR of soils did not change significantly, but runoff volume (a measure for seal development) and soil loss increased with an increase in AMC mainly because of aggregate breakdown. For any given aging, the highest IR and smallest runoff volume and soil loss were obtained at the intermediate AMC levels (pF 2.4-4.2, between wilting point and field capacity). For instance, in the clay soil to which 3 mm of water (pF~2.7) was added, as aging increased from one to seven days, final IR increased from 5.3 to 7.9 mm h-1, while runoff and soil loss decreased from 34 mm to 22 mm, and from 630 to 360 g m2 respectively. At this AMC range, increasing aging time resulted in up to 40% increase in IR and decrease in runoff or soil loss. This tendency significantly more pronounced for clay soils because water-filled pores in the clay fabric were considered active in the stabilization process and the development of cohesive bonds between and within particles during the aging period. The results of this study are important for soil

  14. Hydrophobic Surfaces: Topography Effects on Wetting by Supercooled Water and Freezing Delay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heydari, Golrokh; Thormann, Esben; Järn, Mikael

    2013-01-01

    Hydrophobicity, and in particular superhydrophobicity, has been extensively considered to promote ice-phobicity. Dynamic contact angle measurements above 0 °C have been widely used to evaluate the water repellency. However, it is the wetting properties of supercooled water at subzero temperatures...... and the derived work of adhesion that are important for applications dealing with icing. In this work we address this issue by determining the temperature-dependent dynamic contact angle of microliter-sized water droplets on a smooth hydrophobic and a superhydrophobic surface with similar surface chemistry....... The data highlight how the work of adhesion of water in the temperature interval from about 25 °C to below −10 °C is affected by surface topography. A marked decrease in contact angle on the superhydrophobic surface is observed with decreasing temperature, and we attribute this to condensation below...

  15. Effect of microstructure and surface features on wetting angle of a Fe-3.2 wt%C.E. cast iron with water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riahi, Samira; Niroumand, Behzad; Dorri Moghadam, Afsaneh; Rohatgi, Pradeep K.

    2018-05-01

    In the present study, variation in surface wetting behavior of a hypoeutectic cast iron with its microstructural features and surface roughness was investigated. Samples with an identical composition, i.e. Fe-3.2 wt%C.E., and different microstructures (a gray cast iron with A-type flake graphite and a white cast iron) were fabricated by gravity casting of molten cast iron in a chill mold at different cooling rates. A variation of surface roughness was also developed by polishing, a four-stage electroetching and a four-stage mechanical abrading on the samples. Roughness and water contact angles of all surfaces were then measured. The surface roughness factor and the solid fraction in contact with water by the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter contact models were also calculated and compared with the corresponding measured contact angles to find out which regime was active. Results indicated that the surface microstructure and the type of constituents present at the surface influenced the cast iron surface wettability and that it was possible to change the surface contact angle by modification of the surface microstructure. The mechanically abraded gray cast iron followed the Wenzel-type regime while the electroetched surfaces of gray cast iron exhibited a transition from Wenzel to Cassie-Baxter type regime. In white cast iron, the results indicated Wenzel type behavior in the electroetched samples while for the mechanically abraded samples, none of these two models could predict the wetting behavior. Furthermore, the wetting angles of both gray and white cast irons were measured after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks of air exposure. The results showed that the wetting angles of both samples increased to above 90° after one week of air exposure which was likely due to adsorption of low surface energy hydrocarbons on the surfaces.

  16. Contact angle and local wetting at contact line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ri; Shan, Yanguang

    2012-11-06

    This theoretical study was motivated by recent experiments and theoretical work that had suggested the dependence of the static contact angle on the local wetting at the triple-phase contact line. We revisit this topic because the static contact angle as a local wetting parameter is still not widely understood and clearly known. To further clarify the relationship of the static contact angle with wetting, two approaches are applied to derive a general equation for the static contact angle of a droplet on a composite surface composed of heterogeneous components. A global approach based on the free surface energy of a thermodynamic system containing the droplet and solid surface shows the static contact angle as a function of local surface chemistry and local wetting state at the contact line. A local approach, in which only local forces acting on the contact line are considered, results in the same equation. The fact that the local approach agrees with the global approach further demonstrates the static contact angle as a local wetting parameter. Additionally, the study also suggests that the wetting described by the Wenzel and Cassie equations is also the local wetting of the contact line rather than the global wetting of the droplet.

  17. Measuring and understanding soil water repellency through novel interdisciplinary approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balshaw, Helen; Douglas, Peter; Doerr, Stefan; Davies, Matthew

    2017-04-01

    Food security and production is one of the key global issues faced by society. It has become evermore essential to work the land efficiently, through better soil management and agronomy whilst protecting the environment from air and water pollution. The failure of soil to absorb water - soil water repellency - can lead to major environmental problems such as increased overland flow and soil erosion, poor uptake of agricultural chemicals and increased risk of groundwater pollution due to the rapid transfer of contaminants and nutrient leaching through uneven wetting and preferential flow pathways. Understanding the causes of soil hydrophobicity is essential for the development of effective methods for its amelioration, supporting environmental stability and food security. Organic compounds deposited on soil mineral or aggregate surfaces have long been recognised as a major factor in causing soil water repellency. It is widely accepted that the main groups of compounds responsible are long-chain acids, alkanes and other organic compounds with hydrophobic properties. However, when reapplied to sands and soils, the degree of water repellency induced by these compounds and mixtures varied widely with compound type, amount and mixture, in a seemingly unpredictable way. Our research to date involves two new approaches for studying soil wetting. 1) We challenge the theoretical basis of current ideas on the measured water/soil contact angle measurements. Much past and current discussion involves Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter models to explain anomalously high contact angles for organics on soils, however here we propose that these anomalously high measured contact angles are a consequence of the measurement of a water drop on an irregular non-planar surface rather than the thermodynamic factors of the Cassie-Baxter and Wenzel models. In our analysis we have successfully used a much simpler geometric approach for non-flat surfaces such as soil. 2) Fluorescent and phosphorescent

  18. Uptake of gaseous formaldehyde by soil surfaces: a combination of adsorption/desorption equilibrium and chemical reactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Li

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Gaseous formaldehyde (HCHO is an important precursor of OH radicals and a key intermediate molecule in the oxidation of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs. Budget analyses reveal large discrepancies between modeled and observed HCHO concentrations in the atmosphere. Here, we investigate the interactions of gaseous HCHO with soil surfaces through coated-wall flow tube experiments applying atmospherically relevant HCHO concentrations of  ∼  10 to 40 ppbv. For the determination of uptake coefficients (γ, we provide a Matlab code to account for the diffusion correction under laminar flow conditions. Under dry conditions (relative humidity  =  0 %, an initial γ of (1.1 ± 0.05  ×  10−4 is determined, which gradually drops to (5.5 ± 0.4  ×  10−5 after 8 h experiments. Experiments under wet conditions show a smaller γ that drops faster over time until reaching a plateau. The drop of γ with increasing relative humidity as well as the drop over time can be explained by the adsorption theory in which high surface coverage leads to a reduced uptake rate. The fact that γ stabilizes at a non-zero plateau suggests the involvement of irreversible chemical reactions. Further back-flushing experiments show that two-thirds of the adsorbed HCHO can be re-emitted into the gas phase while the residual is retained by the soil. This partial reversibility confirms that HCHO uptake by soil is a complex process involving both adsorption/desorption and chemical reactions which must be considered in trace gas exchange (emission or deposition at the atmosphere–soil interface. Our results suggest that soil and soil-derived airborne particles can either act as a source or a sink for HCHO, depending on ambient conditions and HCHO concentrations.

  19. Uptake of gaseous formaldehyde by soil surfaces: a combination of adsorption/desorption equilibrium and chemical reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guo; Su, Hang; Li, Xin; Kuhn, Uwe; Meusel, Hannah; Hoffmann, Thorsten; Ammann, Markus; Pöschl, Ulrich; Shao, Min; Cheng, Yafang

    2016-08-01

    Gaseous formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important precursor of OH radicals and a key intermediate molecule in the oxidation of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Budget analyses reveal large discrepancies between modeled and observed HCHO concentrations in the atmosphere. Here, we investigate the interactions of gaseous HCHO with soil surfaces through coated-wall flow tube experiments applying atmospherically relevant HCHO concentrations of ˜ 10 to 40 ppbv. For the determination of uptake coefficients (γ), we provide a Matlab code to account for the diffusion correction under laminar flow conditions. Under dry conditions (relative humidity = 0 %), an initial γ of (1.1 ± 0.05) × 10-4 is determined, which gradually drops to (5.5 ± 0.4) × 10-5 after 8 h experiments. Experiments under wet conditions show a smaller γ that drops faster over time until reaching a plateau. The drop of γ with increasing relative humidity as well as the drop over time can be explained by the adsorption theory in which high surface coverage leads to a reduced uptake rate. The fact that γ stabilizes at a non-zero plateau suggests the involvement of irreversible chemical reactions. Further back-flushing experiments show that two-thirds of the adsorbed HCHO can be re-emitted into the gas phase while the residual is retained by the soil. This partial reversibility confirms that HCHO uptake by soil is a complex process involving both adsorption/desorption and chemical reactions which must be considered in trace gas exchange (emission or deposition) at the atmosphere-soil interface. Our results suggest that soil and soil-derived airborne particles can either act as a source or a sink for HCHO, depending on ambient conditions and HCHO concentrations.

  20. A universal meteorological method to identify potential risk of wind erosion on heavy-textured soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Středová Hana

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The climate of Central Europe, mainly winter seasons with no snow cover at lower altitudes and a spring drought as well, might cause erosion events on heavy-textured soils. The aim of this paper is to define a universal method to identify the potential risk of wind erosion on heavy-textured soils. The categorization of potential wind erosion risk due to meteorological conditions is based on: (i an evaluation of the number of freeze-thaw episodes forming bare soil surfaces during the cold period of year; and (ii, an evaluation of the number of days with wet soil surfaces during the cold period of year. In the period 2001–2012 (from November to March, episodes with temperature changes from positive to negative and vice versa (thaw-freeze and freeze-thaw cycles and the effects of wet soil surfaces in connection with aggregate disintegration, are identified. The data are spatially interpolated by GIS tools for areas in the Czech Republic with heavy-textured soils. Blending critical categories is used to locate potential risks. The level of risk is divided into six classes. Those areas identified as potentially most vulnerable are the same localities where the highest number of erosive episodes on heavy-textured soils was documented.

  1. Wet–dry cycles impact DOM retention in subsurface soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Olshansky

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Transport and reactivity of carbon in the critical zone are highly controlled by reactions of dissolved organic matter (DOM with subsurface soils, including adsorption, transformation and exchange. These reactions are dependent on frequent wet–dry cycles common to the unsaturated zone, particularly in semi-arid regions. To test for an effect of wet–dry cycles on DOM interaction and stabilization in subsoils, samples were collected from subsurface (Bw horizons of an Entisol and an Alfisol from the Catalina-Jemez Critical Zone Observatory and sequentially reacted (four batch steps with DOM extracted from the corresponding soil litter layers. Between each reaction step, soils either were allowed to air dry (wet–dry treatment before introduction of the following DOM solution or were maintained under constant wetness (continually wet treatment. Microbial degradation was the dominant mechanism of DOM loss from solution for the Entisol subsoil, which had higher initial organic C content, whereas sorptive retention predominated in the lower C Alfisol subsoil. For a given soil, bulk dissolved organic C losses from solution were similar across treatments. However, a combination of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS spectroscopic analyses revealed that wet–dry treatments enhanced the interactions between carboxyl functional groups and soil particle surfaces. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM data suggested that cation bridging by Ca2+ was the primary mechanism for carboxyl association with soil surfaces. STXM data also showed that spatial fractionation of adsorbed OM on soil organo-mineral surfaces was diminished relative to what might be inferred from previously published observations pertaining to DOM fractionation on reaction with specimen mineral phases. This study provides direct evidence of the role of wet–dry cycles in affecting sorption reactions of DOM to a complex soil

  2. Antecedent wetness conditions based on ERS scatterometer data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brocca, L.; Melone, F.; Moramarco, T.; Morbidelli, R.

    2009-01-01

    SummarySoil moisture is widely recognized as a key parameter in environmental processes mainly for the role of rainfall partitioning into runoff and infiltration. Therefore, for storm rainfall-runoff modeling the estimation of the antecedent wetness conditions ( AWC) is one of the most important aspect. In this context, this study investigates the potential of scatterometer on board of the ERS satellites for the assessment of wetness conditions in three Tiber sub-catchments (Central Italy), of which one includes an experimental area for soil moisture monitoring. The satellite soil moisture data are taken from the ERS/METOP soil moisture archive. First, the scatterometer-derived soil wetness index ( SWI) data are compared with two on-site soil moisture data sets acquired by different methodologies on areas of different extension ranging from 0.01 km 2 to ˜60 km 2. Moreover, the reliability of SWI to estimate the AWC at a catchment scale is investigated considering the relationship between SWI and the soil potential maximum retention parameter, S, of the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) method for abstraction. Several flood events occurred from 1992 to 2005 are selected for this purpose. Specifically, the performance of the SWI for S estimation is compared with two antecedent precipitation indices ( API) and one base flow index ( BFI). The S values obtained through the observed direct runoff volume and rainfall depth are used as benchmark. Results show the great reliability of the SWI for the estimation of wetness conditions both at the plot and catchment scale despite the complex orography of the investigated areas. As far as the comparison with on site soil moisture data set is concerned, the SWI is found quite reliable in representing the soil moisture at layer depth of 15 cm, with a mean correlation coefficient equal to 0.81. The characteristic time length parameter variations, as expected, is depended on soil type, with values in accordance with

  3. Rapid immobilisation and leaching of wet-deposited nitrate in upland organic soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, Chris D.; Norris, Dave; Ostle, Nick; Grant, Helen; Rowe, Edwin C.; Curtis, Chris J.; Reynolds, Brian

    2008-01-01

    Nitrate (NO 3 - ) is often observed in surface waters draining terrestrial ecosystems that remain strongly nitrogen (N) limited. It has been suggested that this occurs due to hydrological bypassing of soil or vegetation N retention, particularly during high flows. To test this hypothesis, artificial rain events were applied to 12 replicate soil blocks on a Welsh podzolic acid grassland hillslope, labelled with 15 N-enriched NO 3 - and a conservative bromide (Br - ) tracer. On average, 31% of tracer-labelled water was recovered within 4 h, mostly as mineral horizon lateral flow, indicating rapid vertical water transfer through the organic horizon via preferential flowpaths. However, on average only 6% of 15 N-labelled NO 3 - was recovered. Around 80% of added NO 3 - was thus rapidly immobilised, probably by microbial communities present on the surfaces of preferential flowpaths. Transitory exceedance of microbial N-uptake capacity during periods of high water and N flux may therefore provide a mechanism for NO 3 - leaching. - Nitrate retention occurs rapidly in organic soils along preferential flowpaths

  4. USDA soil classification system dictates site surface management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowmer, W.J.

    1985-01-01

    Success or failure of site surface management practices greatly affects long-term site stability. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil classification system best documents those parameters which control the success of installed practices for managing both erosion and surface drainage. The USDA system concentrates on soil characteristics in the upper three meters of the surface that support the associated flora both physically and physiologically. The USDA soil survey first identifies soil series based on detailed characteristics that are related to production potential. Using the production potential, land use capability classes are developed. Capability classes reveal the highest and best agronomic use for the site. Lower number classes are considered arable while higher number classes are best suited for grazing agriculture. Application of ecological principles based on the USDA soil survey reveals the current state of the site relative to its ecological potential. To assure success, site management practices must be chosen that are compatible with both production capability and current state of the site

  5. Perennial Grass Bioenergy Cropping on Wet Marginal Land

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Das, Srabani; Teuffer, Karin; Stoof, Cathelijne R.; Walter, Michael F.; Walter, M.T.; Steenhuis, Tammo S.; Richards, Brian K.

    2018-01-01

    The control of soil moisture, vegetation type, and prior land use on soil health parameters of perennial grass cropping systems on marginal lands is not well known. A fallow wetness-prone marginal site in New York (USA) was converted to perennial grass bioenergy feedstock production. Quadruplicate

  6. Extreme Wetting-Resistant Multiscale Nano-/Microstructured Surfaces for Viscoelastic Liquid Repellence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aoythip Chunglok

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate exceptional wetting-resistant surfaces capable of repelling low surface tension, non-Newtonian, and highly viscoelastic liquids. Theoretical analysis and experimental result confirm that a higher level of multiscale roughness topography composed of at least three structural length scales, ranging from nanometer to supermicron sizes, is crucial for the reduction of liquid-solid adhesion hysteresis. With Cassie-Baxter nonwetting state satisfied at all roughness length scales, the surface has been proven to effectively repel even highly adhesive liquid. Practically, this high-level hierarchical structure can be achieved through fractal-like structures of silica aggregates induced by siloxane oligomer interparticle bridges. The induced aggregation and surface functionalization of the silica particles can be performed simultaneously within a single reaction step, by utilizing trifunctional fluoroalkylsilane precursors that largely form a disordered fluoroalkylsiloxane grafting layer under the presence of sufficient native moisture preadsorbed at the silica surface. Spray-coating deposition of a particle surface layer on a precoated primer layer ensures facile processability and scalability of the fabrication method. The resulting low-surface-energy multiscale roughness exhibits outstanding liquid repellent properties, generating equivalent lotus effect for highly viscous and adhesive natural latex concentrate, with apparent contact angles greater than 160°, and very small roll-off angles of less than 3°.

  7. Air-side performance of a micro-channel heat exchanger in wet surface conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srisomba Raviwat

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The effects of operating conditions on the air-side heat transfer, and pressure drop of a micro-channel heat exchanger under wet surface conditions were studied experimentally. The test section was an aluminum micro-channel heat exchanger, consisting of a multi-louvered fin and multi-port mini-channels. Experiments were conducted to study the effects of inlet relative humidity, air frontal velocity, air inlet temperature, and refrigerant temperature on air-side performance. The experimental data were analyzed using the mean enthalpy difference method. The test run was performed at relative air humidities ranging between 45% and 80%; air inlet temperature ranges of 27, 30, and 33°C; refrigerant-saturated temperatures ranging from 18 to 22°C; and Reynolds numbers between 128 and 166. The results show that the inlet relative humidity, air inlet temperature, and the refrigerant temperature had significant effects on heat transfer performance and air-side pressure drop. The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop for the micro-channel heat exchanger under wet surface conditions are proposed in terms of the Colburn j factor and Fanning f factor.

  8. Spatial Variability of Soil-Water Storage in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: Measurement and Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oroza, C.; Bales, R. C.; Zheng, Z.; Glaser, S. D.

    2017-12-01

    Predicting the spatial distribution of soil moisture in mountain environments is confounded by multiple factors, including complex topography, spatial variably of soil texture, sub-surface flow paths, and snow-soil interactions. While remote-sensing tools such as passive-microwave monitoring can measure spatial variability of soil moisture, they only capture near-surface soil layers. Large-scale sensor networks are increasingly providing soil-moisture measurements at high temporal resolution across a broader range of depths than are accessible from remote sensing. It may be possible to combine these in-situ measurements with high-resolution LIDAR topography and canopy cover to estimate the spatial distribution of soil moisture at high spatial resolution at multiple depths. We study the feasibility of this approach using six years (2009-2014) of daily volumetric water content measurements at 10-, 30-, and 60-cm depths from the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory. A non-parametric, multivariate regression algorithm, Random Forest, was used to predict the spatial distribution of depth-integrated soil-water storage, based on the in-situ measurements and a combination of node attributes (topographic wetness, northness, elevation, soil texture, and location with respect to canopy cover). We observe predictable patterns of predictor accuracy and independent variable ranking during the six-year study period. Predictor accuracy is highest during the snow-cover and early recession periods but declines during the dry period. Soil texture has consistently high feature importance. Other landscape attributes exhibit seasonal trends: northness peaks during the wet-up period, and elevation and topographic-wetness index peak during the recession and dry period, respectively.

  9. Responses of soil respiration and barley growth to modified supply of oxygen in the soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. SIMOJOKI

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Roots of dry-land plants are supplied with oxygen mainly by molecular diffusion from soil air. Roots may suffer from hypoxia if soil aeration is reduced by compaction and wetting. Although the mechanisms involved are well known, more research is needed to relate soil aeration status to plant growth. The effects of reduced oxygen supply on soil respiration and the growth of barley seedlings were studied in pot experiments with fine sand soil, where the soil air composition was varied by flushing the soil with gas streams containing 0%, 2%, 6%, 10% or 20% O2 independently of compactness (bulk density 1.4, 1.6 Mg m-3 and wetness (air space 0-5%, >5%. Plant growth decreased only at 0-2% O2 in the loose moist soil but as early as 20% O2 in the wet soil. Soil compaction impaired plant growth regardless of wetting and aeration. In the loose moist soil cropped with barley, the respiration rate (emission of CO2 did not decrease at 6% O2 but decreased clearly at 0-2% O2. The results compared fairly well with the critical oxygen concentrations calculated by a simple multicylindrical model, in which the water-film thickness around the roots was estimated using soil water retention data.

  10. Porewater biogeochemistry and soil metabolism in dwarf red mangrove habitats (Twin Cays, Belize)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, R.Y.; Porubsky, W.P.; Feller, Ilka C.; McKee, K.L.; Joye, S.B.

    2008-01-01

    Seasonal variability in biogeochemical signatures was used to elucidate the dominant pathways of soil microbial metabolism and elemental cycling in an oligotrophic mangrove system. Three interior dwarf mangrove habitats (Twin Cays, Belize) where surface soils were overlain by microbial mats were sampled during wet and dry periods of the year. Porewater equilibration meters and standard biogeochemical methods provided steady-state porewater profiles of pH, chloride, sulfate, sulfide, ammonium, nitrate/nitrite, phosphate, dissolved organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, reduced iron and manganese, dissolved inorganic carbon, methane and nitrous oxide. During the wet season, the salinity of overlying pond water and shallow porewaters decreased. Increased rainwater infiltration through soils combined with higher tidal heights appeared to result in increased organic carbon inventories and more reducing soil porewaters. During the dry season, evaporation increased both surface water and porewater salinities, while lower tidal heights resulted in less reduced soil porewaters. Rainfall strongly influenced inventories of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, possibly due to more rapid decay of mangrove litter during the wet season. During both times of year, high concentrations of reduced metabolites accumulated at depth, indicating substantial rates of organic matter mineralization coupled primarily to sulfate reduction. Nitrous oxide and methane concentrations were supersaturated indicating considerable rates of nitrification and/or incomplete denitrification and methanogenesis, respectively. More reducing soil conditions during the wet season promoted the production of reduced manganese. Contemporaneous activity of sulfate reduction and methanogenesis was likely fueled by the presence of noncompetitive substrates. The findings indicate that these interior dwarf areas are unique sites of nutrient and energy regeneration and may be critical to the overall persistence

  11. Formation and development of salt crusts on soil surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Dai, Sheng; Shin, Hosung; Santamarina, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    The salt concentration gradually increases at the soil free surface when the evaporation rate exceeds the diffusive counter transport. Eventually, salt precipitates and crystals form a porous sodium chloride crust with a porosity of 0.43 ± 0.14. After detaching from soils, the salt crust still experiences water condensation and salt deliquescence at the bottom, brine transport across the crust driven by the humidity gradient, and continued air-side precipitation. This transport mechanism allows salt crust migration away from the soil surface at a rate of 5 μm/h forming salt domes above soil surfaces. The surface characteristics of mineral substrates and the evaporation rate affect the morphology and the crystal size of precipitated salt. In particular, substrate hydrophobicity and low evaporation rate suppress salt spreading.

  12. Formation and development of salt crusts on soil surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Dai, Sheng

    2015-12-14

    The salt concentration gradually increases at the soil free surface when the evaporation rate exceeds the diffusive counter transport. Eventually, salt precipitates and crystals form a porous sodium chloride crust with a porosity of 0.43 ± 0.14. After detaching from soils, the salt crust still experiences water condensation and salt deliquescence at the bottom, brine transport across the crust driven by the humidity gradient, and continued air-side precipitation. This transport mechanism allows salt crust migration away from the soil surface at a rate of 5 μm/h forming salt domes above soil surfaces. The surface characteristics of mineral substrates and the evaporation rate affect the morphology and the crystal size of precipitated salt. In particular, substrate hydrophobicity and low evaporation rate suppress salt spreading.

  13. Modulation of Soil Initial State on WRF Model Performance Over China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Haile; Jin, Qinjian; Yi, Bingqi; Mullendore, Gretchen L.; Zheng, Xiaohui; Jin, Hongchun

    2017-11-01

    The soil state (e.g., temperature and moisture) in a mesoscale numerical prediction model is typically initialized by reanalysis or analysis data that may be subject to large bias. Such bias may lead to unrealistic land-atmosphere interactions. This study shows that the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) dramatically underestimates soil temperature and overestimates soil moisture over most parts of China in the first (0-10 cm) and second (10-25 cm) soil layers compared to in situ observations in July 2013. A correction based on the global optimal dual kriging is employed to correct CFSR bias in soil temperature and moisture using in situ observations. To investigate the impacts of the corrected soil state on model forecasts, two numerical model simulations—a control run with CFSR soil state and a disturbed run with the corrected soil state—were conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. All the simulations are initiated 4 times per day and run 48 h. Model results show that the corrected soil state, for example, warmer and drier surface over the most parts of China, can enhance evaporation over wet regions, which changes the overlying atmospheric temperature and moisture. The changes of the lifting condensation level, level of free convection, and water transport due to corrected soil state favor precipitation over wet regions, while prohibiting precipitation over dry regions. Moreover, diagnoses indicate that the remote moisture flux convergence plays a dominant role in the precipitation changes over the wet regions.

  14. Plot and field scale soil moisture dynamics and subsurface wetness control on runoff generation in a headwater in the Ore Mountains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Zehe

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available This study presents an application of an innovative sampling strategy to assess soil moisture dynamics in a headwater of the Weißeritz in the German eastern Ore Mountains. A grassland site and a forested site were instrumented with two Spatial TDR clusters (STDR that consist of 39 and 32 coated TDR probes of 60 cm length. Distributed time series of vertically averaged soil moisture data from both sites/ensembles were analyzed by statistical and geostatistical methods. Spatial variability and the spatial mean at the forested site were larger than at the grassland site. Furthermore, clustering of TDR probes in combination with long-term monitoring allowed identification of average spatial covariance structures at the small field scale for different wetness states. The correlation length of soil water content as well as the sill to nugget ratio at the grassland site increased with increasing average wetness and but, in contrast, were constant at the forested site. As soil properties at both the forested and grassland sites are extremely variable, this suggests that the correlation structure at the forested site is dominated by the pattern of throughfall and interception. We also found a very strong correlation between antecedent soil moisture at the forested site and runoff coefficients of rainfall-runoff events observed at gauge Rehefeld. Antecedent soil moisture at the forest site explains 92% of the variability in the runoff coefficients. By combining these results with a recession analysis we derived a first conceptual model of the dominant runoff mechanisms operating in this catchment. Finally, we employed a physically based hydrological model to shed light on the controls of soil- and plant morphological parameters on soil average soil moisture at the forested site and the grassland site, respectively. A homogeneous soil setup allowed, after fine tuning of plant morphological parameters, most of the time unbiased predictions of the observed

  15. Effect of soil surface roughness on infiltration water, ponding and runoff on tilled soils under rainfall simulation experiments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhao, Longshan; Hou, Rui; Wu, Faqi; Keesstra, Saskia

    2018-01-01

    Agriculture has a large effect on the properties of the soil and with that on soil hydrology. The partitioning of rainfall into infiltration and runoff is relevant to understand runoff generation, infiltration and soil erosion. Tillage manages soil surface properties and generates soil surface

  16. Solving the Controversy on the Wetting Transparency of Graphene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Donggyu; Pugno, Nicola M; Buehler, Markus J; Ryu, Seunghwa

    2015-10-26

    Since its discovery, the wetting transparency of graphene, the transmission of the substrate wetting property over graphene coating, has gained significant attention due to its versatility for potential applications. Yet, there have been debates on the interpretation and validity of the wetting transparency. Here, we present a theory taking two previously disregarded factors into account and elucidate the origin of the partial wetting transparency. We show that the liquid bulk modulus is crucial to accurately calculate the van der Waals interactions between the liquid and the surface, and that various wetting states on rough surfaces must be considered to understand a wide range of contact angle measurements that cannot be fitted with a theory considering the flat surface. In addition, we reveal that the wetting characteristic of the substrate almost vanishes when covered by any coating as thick as graphene double layers. Our findings reveal a more complete picture of the wetting transparency of graphene as well as other atomically thin coatings, and can be applied to study various surface engineering problems requiring wettability-tuning.

  17. Release of cadmium in contaminated paddy soil amended with NPK fertilizer and lime under water management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xiao-Qing; Xiao, Xi-Yuan; Guo, Zhao-Hui; Xie, Ye-Hua; Zhu, Hui-Wen; Peng, Chi; Liang, Yu-Qin

    2018-05-03

    Agricultural soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd) pose a risk to receiving surface water via drainage or runoff. A 90-day laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the release characteristics and transformation of Cd from contaminated paddy soil amended with agrochemical (NPK fertilizer) and lime (L) under water management regimes of continuous flooding (F) and drying-wetting cycles (DW). The result showed that the dissolved Cd concentrations in overlying water of the fertilizer treatment under flooding (NPK+F) and drying-wetting (NPK+DW) reached up to 81.0 μg/L and 276 μg/L, and were much higher than that from the corresponding controls without NPK fertilizer addition at the end of experiment. The Cd concentration showed significantly negative correlation with overlying water pH, but positive correlation with soil redox potential and concentrations of dissolved total nitrogen, sulfate and manganese in overlying water (P < 0.05), indicating that drying-wetting cycles and N fertilizer addition may enhance soil Cd release. The Cd concentrations in overlying water from all treatments except NPK+L+F treatment exceeded the Cd threshold limit of Chinese Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (10 μg/L Grade V) and poses potential risk to surface water quality. Meanwhile, the proportion of Cd in the acid-soluble fraction from all incubated soil except NPK+L+F treatment increased compared to before incubation. The results indicated that continuous flooding was a reasonable water management candidate coupled with lime addition for immobilizing soil Cd. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Soil CO2 Dynamics in a Tree Island Soil of the Pantanal: The Role of Soil Water Potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Mark S.; Couto, Eduardo Guimarães; Pinto Jr, Osvaldo B.; Milesi, Juliana; Santos Amorim, Ricardo S.; Messias, Indira A. M.; Biudes, Marcelo Sacardi

    2013-01-01

    The Pantanal is a biodiversity hotspot comprised of a mosaic of landforms that differ in vegetative assemblages and flooding dynamics. Tree islands provide refuge for terrestrial fauna during the flooding period and are particularly important to the regional ecosystem structure. Little soil CO2 research has been conducted in this region. We evaluated soil CO2 dynamics in relation to primary controlling environmental parameters (soil temperature and soil water). Soil respiration was computed using the gradient method using in situ infrared gas analyzers to directly measure CO2 concentration within the soil profile. Due to the cost of the sensors and associated equipment, this study was unreplicated. Rather, we focus on the temporal relationships between soil CO2 efflux and related environmental parameters. Soil CO2 efflux during the study averaged 3.53 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1, and was equivalent to an annual soil respiration of 1220 g C m−2 y−1. This efflux value, integrated over a year, is comparable to soil C stocks for 0–20 cm. Soil water potential was the measured parameter most strongly associated with soil CO2 concentrations, with high CO2 values observed only once soil water potential at the 10 cm depth approached zero. This relationship was exhibited across a spectrum of timescales and was found to be significant at a daily timescale across all seasons using conditional nonparametric spectral Granger causality analysis. Hydrology plays a significant role in controlling CO2 efflux from the tree island soil, with soil CO2 dynamics differing by wetting mechanism. During the wet-up period, direct precipitation infiltrates soil from above and results in pulses of CO2 efflux from soil. The annual flood arrives later, and saturates soil from below. While CO2 concentrations in soil grew very high under both wetting mechanisms, the change in soil CO2 efflux was only significant when soils were wet from above. PMID:23762259

  19. Delayed frost formation on hybrid nanostructured surfaces with patterned high wetting contrast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Youmin; Zhou, Peng; Yao, Shuhuai

    2014-11-01

    Engineering icephobic surfaces that can retard the frost formation and accumulation are important to vehicles, wind turbines, power lines, and HVAC systems. For condensation frosting, superhydrophobic surfaces promote self-removal of condensed droplets before freezing and consequently delay the frost growth. However, a small thermal fluctuation may lead to a Cassie-to-Wenzel transition, and thus dramatically enhance the frost formation and adhesion. In this work, we investigated the heterogeneous ice nucleation on hybrid nanostructured surfaces with patterned high wetting contrast. By judiciously introducing hydrophilic micro-patches into superhydrophobic nanostructured surface, we demonstrated that such a novel hybrid structure can efficiently defer the ice nucleation as compared to a superhydrophobic surface with nanostructures only. We observed efficient droplet jumping and higher coverage of droplets with diameter smaller than 10 μm, both of which suppress frost formation. The hybrid surface avoids the formation of liquid-bridges for Cassie-to-Wenzel transition, therefore eliminating the `bottom-up' droplet freezing from the cold substrate. These findings provide new insights to improve anti-frosting and anti-icing by using heterogeneous wettability in multiscale structures.

  20. Ice nucleation on nanotextured surfaces: the influence of surface fraction, pillar height and wetting states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metya, Atanu K; Singh, Jayant K; Müller-Plathe, Florian

    2016-09-29

    In this work, we address the nucleation behavior of a supercooled monatomic cylindrical water droplet on nanoscale textured surfaces using molecular dynamics simulations. The ice nucleation rate at 203 K on graphite based textured surfaces with nanoscale roughness is evaluated using the mean fast-passage time method. The simulation results show that the nucleation rate depends on the surface fraction as well as the wetting states. The nucleation rate enhances with increasing surface fraction for water in the Cassie-Baxter state, while contrary behavior is observed for the case of Wenzel state. Based on the spatial histogram distribution of ice formation, we observed two pathways for ice nucleation. Heterogeneous nucleation is observed at a high surface fraction. However, the probability of homogeneous ice nucleation events increases with decreasing surface fraction. We further investigate the role of the nanopillar height in ice nucleation. The nucleation rate is enhanced with increasing nanopillar height. This is attributed to the enhanced contact area with increasing nanopillar height and the shift in nucleation events towards the three-phase contact line associated with the nanotextured surface. The ice-surface work of adhesion for the Wenzel state is found to be 1-2 times higher than that in the Cassie-Baxter state. Furthermore, the work of adhesion of ice in the Wenzel state is found to be linearly dependent on the contour length of the droplet, which is in line with that reported for liquid droplets.

  1. Potential feedbacks between snow cover, soil moisture and surface energy fluxes in Southern Norway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brox Nilsen, Irene; Tallaksen, Lena M.; Stordal, Frode

    2017-04-01

    At high latitudes, the snow season has become shorter during the past decades because snowmelt is highly sensitive to a warmer climate. Snowmelt influences the energy balance by changing the albedo and the partitioning between latent and sensible heat fluxes. It further influences the water balance by changing the runoff and soil moisture. In a previous study, we identified southern Norway as a region where significant temperature changes in summer could potentially be explained by land-atmosphere interactions. In this study we hypothesise that changes in snow cover would influence the summer surface fluxes in the succeeding weeks or months. The exceptionally warm summer of 2014 was chosen as a test bed. In Norway, evapotranspiration is not soil moisture limited, but energy limited, under normal conditions. During warm summers, however, such as in 2014, evapotranspiration can be restricted by the available soil moisture. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model we replace the initial ground conditions for 2014 with conditions representative of a snow-poor spring and a snow-rich spring. WRF was coupled to Noah-MP at 3 km horizontal resolution in the inner domain, and the simulations covered mid-May through September 2014. Boundary conditions used to force WRF were taken from the Era-Interim reanalysis. Snow, runoff, soil moisture and soil temperature observational data were provided by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate for validation. The validation shows generally good agreement with observations. Preliminary results show that the reduced snowpack, hereafter "sim1" increased the air temperature by up to 5 K and the surface temperature by up to 10 K in areas affected by snow changes. The increased snowpack, hereafter "sim2", decreased the air and surface temperature by the same amount. These are weekly mean values for the first eight simulation weeks from mid May. Because of the higher net energy available ( 100 Wm-2) in sim 1, both

  2. Fabrication of Nanostructured Polymer Surfaces and Characterization of their Wetting Properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Nis Korsgaard

    . • Simulations of wetting transitions. • Clean room fabrication of functional surfaces, and production of micro- and nanostructured mold inserts. • Injection molding of micro- and nanostructured polymer parts on a commercial injection molding machine. • Co-invented a patented technique for microstructuring steel...... molds able to produce superhydrophobic polymer parts. The patented microstructuring technique generates microstructures similar to those found on the leaf of the lotus flower, without the overlaying nanostructure. Despite the lack of hierarchical structures, the microstructured surface shows excellent...... structures and the irregular structures produced by the patented microstructuring technique. The second study bridges the gap between silicon structures produced by planar processes in the clean room and the smooth multi-height structures often found in nature. Finally i have demonstrated a novel type...

  3. Remediation of gasoline-contaminated soil by passive volatilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donaldson, S.G.; Miller, G.C.; Miller, W.W.

    1992-01-01

    Loss of 10 hydrocarbons characteristic of those found in gasoline (benzene; n-heptane; toluene; m-xylene; n-nonane; n-propylbenzene; 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene; n-butylbenzene; 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene; and n-dodecane) from 20-cm soil layers was investigated in several field experiments. Soil was spiked with 50 mg kg -1 of each compound, placed in pans outdoors, and subjected to one of five treatments: dry, unmixed soil; dry soil mixed weekly; soil watered once only; soil watered periodically; and soil watered and mixed periodically. Significantly greater rates of loss occurred from wet soils, with an average of 5.7% remaining in wet and mixed treatments at the 18- to 20-cm depth on Day 32 of the spring experiment, compared with 61% remaining in dry, unmixed soils. Following wetting of the soil by rain, less than 8% overall remained in any soil layer by Day 64. Loss was greatest during the summer experiment. By Day 32, only tetramethylbenzene and dodecane were measurable for the wet treatments, with totals below 5% at the 18- to 20-cm depth. An average of 48.6% remained in the dry soils. The final experiment during fall 1989 demonstrated loss of 500 mg kg -1 of unleaded gasoline from spiked soil. No measurable amounts remained after 8 d in wet and mixed treatments and 16 d in wet, unmixed treatments, bu 3.5% remained after 32 d in initially dry soil

  4. A new remote optical wetness sensor and its applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heusinkveld, B.G.; Berkowicz, S.M.; Jacobs, A.F.G.; Hillen, W.C.A.M.; Holtslag, A.A.M.

    2008-01-01

    An optical wetness sensor (OWS) was developed for continuous surface wetness measurements. The sensor is an all-weather instrument that does not interfere with the surface wetting and drying process and is unaffected by solar radiation. It is equipped with its own light source with which it can scan

  5. Spatial prediction of near surface soil water retention functions using hydrogeophysics and empirical orthogonal functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, Justin; Franz, Trenton E.

    2018-06-01

    The hydrological community often turns to widely available spatial datasets such as the NRCS Soil Survey Geographic database (SSURGO) to characterize the spatial variability of soil properties. When used to spatially characterize and parameterize watershed models, this has served as a reasonable first approximation when lacking localized or incomplete soil data. Within agriculture, soil data has been left relatively coarse when compared to numerous other data sources measured. This is because localized soil sampling is both expensive and time intense, thus a need exists in better connecting spatial datasets with ground observations. Given that hydrogeophysics is data-dense, rapid, non-invasive, and relatively easy to adopt, it is a promising technique to help dovetail localized soil sampling with spatially exhaustive datasets. In this work, we utilize two common near surface geophysical methods, cosmic-ray neutron probe and electromagnetic induction, to identify temporally stable spatial patterns of measured geophysical properties in three 65 ha agricultural fields in western Nebraska. This is achieved by repeat geophysical observations of the same study area across a range of wet to dry field conditions in order to evaluate with an empirical orthogonal function. Shallow cores were then extracted within each identified zone and water retention functions were generated in the laboratory. Using EOF patterns as a covariate, we quantify the predictive skill of estimating soil hydraulic properties in areas without measurement using a bootstrap validation analysis. Results indicate that sampling locations informed via repeat hydrogeophysical surveys, required only five cores to reduce the cross-validation root mean squared error by an average of 64% as compared to soil parameters predicted by a commonly used benchmark, SSURGO and ROSETTA. The reduction to five strategically located samples within the 65 ha fields reduces sampling efforts by up to ∼90% as compared to

  6. Distribuição de água no solo aplicado por gotejamento enterrado e superficial Soil water distribution for subsurface and surface drip irrigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allan C. Barros

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Devido à falta de estudos sobre o movimento da água quando aplicada abaixo da superfície, realizou-se este trabalho com o objetivo de avaliar a distribuição de água aplicada pelo sistema de gotejamento enterrado e convencional. O experimento de campo foi conduzido na área experimental do Departamento de Engenharia Rural da ESALQ/USP - Piracicaba, SP. Para o estudo, trincheiras foram abertas e instaladas sondas de TDR, dispostas a 0,05; 0,15; 0,25; 0,35 e 0,45 m profundidade, e a 0,05; 0,15; 0,25; 0,35 m comprimento, totalizando 17 sondas por trincheira. Os tratamentos foram baseados na profundidade de aplicação (0,0 e 0,10 m e vazão aplicada (2 e 4 L h-1: ENT2; ENT4; SUP2 e SUP4. A cada hora era aplicado 1 L de água (total de 10 L, seguida de leituras com o TDR. Medições do disco úmido e saturado foram feitas com régua milimetrada; além disso, estabeleceu-se um volume controle onde foi avaliada a uniformidade de aplicação; assim, foi possível verificar, em relação aos sistemas superficiais, que os sistemas enterrados apresentaram menor área superficial molhada e atingiram maior largura e profundidade; já as maiores concentrações foram obtidas próximas ao ponto de emissão.Studies of sub-surface water movement is an interesting topic in irrigation but, in spite of the its importance, there is little literature. One of the purposes of this study was to contribute to this subject and evaluate the distribution of water applied by both subsurface drip irrigation (SDI and conventional irrigation. Experiments were conducted at the Department of Rural Engineering (ESALQ/USP, located at Piracicaba, SP. Trenches were opened and 17 three-rod TDR probes were installed, placed at 0.05, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35 and 0.45 m depths, and to 0.05, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35 m intervals. This procedure was repeated using a dripper buried at 0 and 0.10 m for each discharge rate of 2 and 4 L h-1 tested. Wetted soil volume was observed with 1 L of water

  7. Western US high June 2015 temperatures and their relation to global warming and soil moisture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philip, Sjoukje Y.; Kew, Sarah F.; Hauser, Mathias; Guillod, Benoit P.; Teuling, Adriaan J.; Whan, Kirien; Uhe, Peter; Oldenborgh, Geert Jan van

    2018-04-01

    The Western US states Washington (WA), Oregon (OR) and California (CA) experienced extremely high temperatures in June 2015. The temperature anomalies were so extreme that they cannot be explained with global warming alone. We investigate the hypothesis that soil moisture played an important role as well. We use a land surface model and a large ensemble from the weather@home modelling effort to investigate the coupling between soil moisture and temperature in a warming world. Both models show that May was anomalously dry, satisfying a prerequisite for the extreme heat wave, and they indicate that WA and OR are in a wet-to-dry transitional soil moisture regime. We use two different land surface-atmosphere coupling metrics to show that there was strong coupling between temperature, latent heat flux and the effect of soil moisture deficits on the energy balance in June 2015 in WA and OR. June temperature anomalies conditioned on wet/dry conditions show that both the mean and extreme temperatures become hotter for dry soils, especially in WA and OR. Fitting a Gaussian model to temperatures using soil moisture as a covariate shows that the June 2015 temperature values fit well in the extrapolated empirical temperature/drought lines. The high temperature anomalies in WA and OR are thus to be expected, given the dry soil moisture conditions and that those regions are in the transition from a wet to a dry regime. CA is already in the dry regime and therefore the necessity of taking soil moisture into account is of lower importance.

  8. Light structures phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lawrence O Davies

    Full Text Available The upper few millimeters of soil harbour photosynthetic microbial communities that are structurally distinct from those of underlying bulk soil due to the presence of light. Previous studies in arid zones have demonstrated functional importance of these communities in reducing soil erosion, and enhancing carbon and nitrogen fixation. Despite being widely distributed, comparative understanding of the biodiversity of the soil surface and underlying soil is lacking, particularly in temperate zones. We investigated the establishment of soil surface communities on pasture soil in microcosms exposed to light or dark conditions, focusing on changes in phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface (0-3 mm and bulk soil (3-12 mm using ribosomal marker gene analyses. Microbial community structure changed with time and structurally similar phototrophic communities were found at the soil surface and in bulk soil in the light exposed microcosms suggesting that light can influence phototroph community structure even in the underlying bulk soil. 454 pyrosequencing showed a significant selection for diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Nostoc punctiforme and Anabaena spp., in addition to the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus. The soil surface also harboured distinct heterotrophic bacterial and fungal communities in the presence of light, in particular, the selection for the phylum Firmicutes. However, these light driven changes in bacterial community structure did not extend to the underlying soil suggesting a discrete zone of influence, analogous to the rhizosphere.

  9. Diagnosing the Role of Transpiration in the Transition from Dry to Wet Season Over the Amazon Using Satellite Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, J. S.; Fu, R.; Yin, L.; Chae, J.

    2013-12-01

    Reanalysis data indicates that land surface evapotranspiration plays a key role in determining the timing of wet season onset over the Amazon. Here, we use satellite observations of water vapor and its stable isotopes, carbon dioxide, leaf area index, and precipitation together with reanalysis data to explore the importance of transpiration in initiating the transition from dry season to wet season over the Amazon. The growth of vegetation in this region is primarily limited by the availability of sunlight rather than the availability of soil moisture, so that the increase of solar radiation during the dry season coincides with dramatic increases in leaf area index within forested ecosystems. This period of plant growth is accompanied by uptake of carbon dioxide and enrichment of heavy isotopes in water vapor, particularly near the land surface. Reanalysis data indicate that this pre-wet season enrichment of HDO is accompanied by sharp increases in the surface latent heat flux, which eventually triggers sporadic moist convection. The transport of transpiration-enriched near-surface air by this convection causes a dramatic increase in free-tropospheric HDO in late August and September. September also marks transition points in the annual cycles of leaf area index (maximum) and carbon dioxide (minimum). The increase in convective activity during this period creates convergence, enhancing moisture transport into the region and initiating the wet season.

  10. Optimisation of electronic interface properties of a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells by wet-chemical surface pre-treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angermann, H. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Abt. Siliziumphotovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany)], E-mail: angermann@hmi.de; Korte, L.; Rappich, J.; Conrad, E.; Sieber, I.; Schmidt, M. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Abt. Siliziumphotovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Huebener, K.; Hauschild, J. [Freie Universitaet Berlin, FB Physik, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

    2008-08-30

    The relation between structural imperfections at structured silicon surfaces, energetic distribution of interface state densities, recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces and solar cell characteristics have been intensively investigated using non-destructive, surface sensitive techniques, surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of Si(111) pyramids. Special wet-chemical smoothing and oxide removal procedures for structured substrates were developed, in order to reduce the preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and density of electronically active defects. H-termination and passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological process. We achieved significantly lower micro-roughness, densities of surface states D{sub it}(E) and recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces on wafers with randomly distributed pyramids, compared to conventional pre-treatments. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H/c-Si/BSF/Al), the c-Si surface becomes part of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, whose recombination activity determines cell performance. With textured substrates, the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency.

  11. Optimisation of electronic interface properties of a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells by wet-chemical surface pre-treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angermann, H.; Korte, L.; Rappich, J.; Conrad, E.; Sieber, I.; Schmidt, M.; Huebener, K.; Hauschild, J.

    2008-01-01

    The relation between structural imperfections at structured silicon surfaces, energetic distribution of interface state densities, recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces and solar cell characteristics have been intensively investigated using non-destructive, surface sensitive techniques, surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of Si(111) pyramids. Special wet-chemical smoothing and oxide removal procedures for structured substrates were developed, in order to reduce the preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and density of electronically active defects. H-termination and passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological process. We achieved significantly lower micro-roughness, densities of surface states D it (E) and recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces on wafers with randomly distributed pyramids, compared to conventional pre-treatments. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H/c-Si/BSF/Al), the c-Si surface becomes part of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, whose recombination activity determines cell performance. With textured substrates, the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency

  12. Fourier and granulometry methods on 3D images of soil surfaces for evaluating soil aggregate size distribution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, T.; Green, O.; Munkholm, Lars Juhl

    2016-01-01

    The goal of this research is to present and compare two methods for evaluating soil aggregate size distribution based on high resolution 3D images of the soil surface. The methods for analyzing the images are discrete Fourier transform and granulometry. The results of these methods correlate...... with a measured weight distribution of the soil aggregates. The results have shown that it is possible to distinguish between the cultivated and the uncultivated soil surface. A sensor system suitable for capturing in-situ high resolution 3D images of the soil surface is also described. This sensor system...

  13. Parameter estimation of a two-horizon soil profile by combining crop canopy and surface soil moisture observations using GLUE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sreelash, K.; Sekhar, M.; Ruiz, L.; Tomer, S. K.; Guérif, M.; Buis, S.; Durand, P.; Gascuel-Odoux, C.

    2012-08-01

    SummaryEstimation of soil parameters by inverse modeling using observations on either surface soil moisture or crop variables has been successfully attempted in many studies, but difficulties to estimate root zone properties arise when heterogeneous layered soils are considered. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of combining observations on surface soil moisture and crop variables - leaf area index (LAI) and above-ground biomass for estimating soil parameters (water holding capacity and soil depth) in a two-layered soil system using inversion of the crop model STICS. This was performed using GLUE method on a synthetic data set on varying soil types and on a data set from a field experiment carried out in two maize plots in South India. The main results were (i) combination of surface soil moisture and above-ground biomass provided consistently good estimates with small uncertainity of soil properties for the two soil layers, for a wide range of soil paramater values, both in the synthetic and the field experiment, (ii) above-ground biomass was found to give relatively better estimates and lower uncertainty than LAI when combined with surface soil moisture, especially for estimation of soil depth, (iii) surface soil moisture data, either alone or combined with crop variables, provided a very good estimate of the water holding capacity of the upper soil layer with very small uncertainty whereas using the surface soil moisture alone gave very poor estimates of the soil properties of the deeper layer, and (iv) using crop variables alone (else above-ground biomass or LAI) provided reasonable estimates of the deeper layer properties depending on the soil type but provided poor estimates of the first layer properties. The robustness of combining observations of the surface soil moisture and the above-ground biomass for estimating two layer soil properties, which was demonstrated using both synthetic and field experiments in this study, needs now to

  14. Short dry spells in the wet season increase mortality of tropical pioneer seedlings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelbrecht, Bettina M J; Dalling, James W; Pearson, Timothy R H; Wolf, Robert L; Gálvez, David A; Koehler, Tobias; Tyree, Melvin T; Kursar, Thomas A

    2006-06-01

    Variation in plant species performance in response to water availability offers a potential axis for temporal and spatial habitat partitioning and may therefore affect community composition in tropical forests. We hypothesized that short dry spells during the wet season are a significant source of mortality for the newly emerging seedlings of pioneer species that recruit in treefall gaps in tropical forests. An analysis of a 49-year rainfall record for three forests across a rainfall gradient in central Panama confirmed that dry spells of > or = 10 days during the wet season occur on average once a year in a deciduous forest, and once every other year in a semi-deciduous moist and an evergreen wet forest. The effect of wet season dry spells on the recruitment of pioneers was investigated by comparing seedling survival in rain-protected dry plots and irrigated control plots in four large artificially created treefall gaps in a semi-deciduous tropical forest. In rain-protected plots surface soil layers dried rapidly, leading to a strong gradient in water potential within the upper 10 cm of soil. Seedling survival for six pioneer species was significantly lower in rain-protected than in irrigated control plots after only 4 days. The strength of the irrigation effect differed among species, and first became apparent 3-10 days after treatments started. Root allocation patterns were significantly, or marginally significantly, different between species and between two groups of larger and smaller seeded species. However, they were not correlated with seedling drought sensitivity, suggesting allocation is not a key trait for drought sensitivity in pioneer seedlings. Our data provide strong evidence that short dry spells in the wet season differentially affect seedling survivorship of pioneer species, and may therefore have important implications to seedling demography and community dynamics.

  15. Water Productivity of Irrigated Rice under Transplanting, Wet Seeding and Dry Seeding Methods of Cultivation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murali, NS.

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Water productivity (WP of irrigated lowland rice was determined during the 1994 dry (January to May and wet (August to December seasons on a heavy clay acid sulphate soil. Treatments consisted of three cultivation methods : transplanted rice, pregerminated seeds broadcasted on puddled soil (wet seeding and dry seeds broadcasted on unpuddled soil (dry seeding. In wet and dry seeded plots, continuous standing water condition was initiated 17 days after sowing. Total water requirement for rice production was highest in transplanted plots (755 mm in wet season and 1154 mm in dry season and was lowest in dry seeded plots (505 mm in wet season and 1040 mm in dry season. Dry seeding required no water for land preparation but transplanting and wet seeding methods required 18 - 20 % of total water requirement in dry season and 27 - 29 % in wet season. Total percolation was maximum (99 mm in wet season and 215 mm in dry season in dry seeding method and was minimum (62 mm in wet season and 94 mm in dry season in transplanting method. In dry and wet seeding methods, daily percolation gradually decreased with the age of the crop. Total seepage loss did not show any significant difference between the cultivation methods in the two seasons. Grain yield was not affected by the three cultivation methods in both seasons. Water productivity (the ratio between grain yield and total amount of water used in production was 3.5 - 4.1 kg ha-1 mm-1, 3.8 - 4.4 kg ha-1 mm-1 and 4.1 - 5.5 kg ha-1 mm-1 in transplanted, wet seeded and dry seeded rice, respectively. Labour requirement for land preparation and sowing was maximum in transplanted (219 - 226 man-hours ha-1 followed by wet (104 -112 man-hours ha-1 and dry seeded (94 - 99 man-hours ha-1 methods. However, in wet season extra labour (77 man-hours ha-1 was required for weeding after crop establishment in dry and wet seeding methods. Crop maturity was 20 days earlier in wet and dry seeding methods compared to

  16. Soil and soil cover changes in spruce forests after final logging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. M. Lapteva

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Soil cover transformation and changes of morphological and chemical properties of Albeluvisols in clear-cuttings of middle taiga spruce forests were studied. The observed changes in structure and properties of podzolic texturally-differentiated soils at cuttings of spruce forests in the middle taiga subzone do not cause their transition to any other soil type. Soil cover of secondary deciduous-coniferous forests which replace cut forests are characterized with a varied soil contour and a combination of the main type of podzolic soils under undisturbed spruce forests. The increased surface hydromorphism in cut areas causes formation of complicated sub-types of podzolic texturally differentiated soils (podzolic surface-gley soils with microprofile of podzol and enlarges their ratio (up to 35–38 % in soil cover structure. Temporary soil over-wetting at the initial (5–10 years stage of after-cutting self-restoring vegetation succession provides for soil gleyzation, improves yield and segregation of iron compounds, increases the migratory activity of humic substances. Low content and resources of total nitrogen in forest litters mark anthropogenic transformation processes of podzolic soils at this stage. Later (in 30–40 years after logging, soils in cut areas still retain signs of hydromorphism. Forest litters are denser, less acidic and thick with a low weight ratio of organic carbon as compared with Albeluvisols of undisturbed spruce forest. The upper mineral soil horizons under secondary deciduous-coniferous forests contain larger amounts of total iron, its mobile (oxalate-dissolvable components, and Fe-Mn-concretions.

  17. Soil Response to Global Change: Soil Process Domains and Pedogenic Thresholds (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadwick, O.; Kramer, M. G.; Chorover, J.

    2013-12-01

    The capacity of soil to withstand perturbations, whether driven by climate, land use change, or spread of invasive species, depends on its chemical composition and physical state. The dynamic interplay between stable, well buffered soil process domains and thresholds in soil state and function is a strong determinant of soil response to forcing from global change. In terrestrial ecosystems, edaphic responses are often mediated by availability of water and its flux into and through soils. Water influences soil processes in several ways: it supports biological production, hence proton-donor, electron-donor and complexing-ligand production; it determines the advective removal of dissolution products, and it can promote anoxia that leads microorganisms to utilize alternative electron acceptors. As a consequence climate patterns strongly influence global distribution of soil, although within region variability is governed by other factors such as landscape age, parent material and human land use. By contrast, soil properties can vary greatly among climate regions, variation which is guided by the functioning of a suite of chemical processes that tend to maintain chemical status quo. This soil 'buffering' involves acid-base reactions as minerals weather and oxidation-reduction reactions that are driven by microbial respiration. At the planetary scale, soil pH provides a reasonable indicator of process domains and varies from about 3.5 to10, globally, although most soils lie between about 4.5 and 8.5. Those that are above 7.5 are strongly buffered by the carbonate system, those that are characterized by neutral pH (7.5-6) are buffered by release of non-hydrolyzing cations from primary minerals and colloid surfaces, and those that are buffered by hydrolytic aluminum on colloidal surfaces. Alkali and alkaline (with the exception of limestone parent material) soils are usually associated with arid and semiarid conditions, neutral pH soils with young soils in both dry and wet

  18. Mapping Surface Heat Fluxes by Assimilating SMAP Soil Moisture and GOES Land Surface Temperature Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yang; Steele-Dunne, Susan C.; Farhadi, Leila; van de Giesen, Nick

    2017-12-01

    Surface heat fluxes play a crucial role in the surface energy and water balance. In situ measurements are costly and difficult, and large-scale flux mapping is hindered by surface heterogeneity. Previous studies have demonstrated that surface heat fluxes can be estimated by assimilating land surface temperature (LST) and soil moisture to determine two key parameters: a neutral bulk heat transfer coefficient (CHN) and an evaporative fraction (EF). Here a methodology is proposed to estimate surface heat fluxes by assimilating Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) soil moisture data and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) LST data into a dual-source (DS) model using a hybrid particle assimilation strategy. SMAP soil moisture data are assimilated using a particle filter (PF), and GOES LST data are assimilated using an adaptive particle batch smoother (APBS) to account for the large gap in the spatial and temporal resolution. The methodology is implemented in an area in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Assessment against in situ observations suggests that soil moisture and LST estimates are in better agreement with observations after assimilation. The RMSD for 30 min (daytime) flux estimates is reduced by 6.3% (8.7%) and 31.6% (37%) for H and LE on average. Comparison against a LST-only and a soil moisture-only assimilation case suggests that despite the coarse resolution, assimilating SMAP soil moisture data is not only beneficial but also crucial for successful and robust flux estimation, particularly when the uncertainties in the model estimates are large.

  19. Continuous Long-Term Modeling of Shallow Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction: Implications for a Wet Prairie Restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijayarathne, D. B.; Gomezdelcampo, E.

    2017-12-01

    The existence of wet prairies is wholly dependent on the groundwater and surface water interaction. Any process that alters this interaction has a significant impact on the eco-hydrology of wet prairies. The Oak Openings Region (OOR) in Northwest Ohio supports globally rare wet prairie habitats and the precious few remaining have been drained by ditches, altering their natural flow and making them an unusually variable and artificial system. The Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA) model from the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center was used to assess the long-term impacts of land-use change on wet prairie restoration. This study is the first spatially explicit, continuous, long-term modeling approach for understanding the response of the shallow groundwater system of the OOR to human intervention, both positive and negative. The GSSHA model was calibrated using a 2-year weekly time series of water table elevations collected with an array of piezometers in the field. Basic statistical analysis indicates a good fit between observed and simulated water table elevations on a weekly level, though the model was run on an hourly time step and a pixel size of 10 m. Spatially-explicit results show that removal of a local ditch may not drastically change the amount of ponding in the area during spring storms, but large flooding over the entire area would occur if two other ditches are removed. This model is being used by The Nature Conservancy and Toledo Metroparks to develop different scenarios for prairie restoration that minimize its effect on local homeowners.

  20. Groundwater influence on soil moisture memory and land-atmosphere interactions over the Iberian Peninsula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-de la Torre, Alberto; Miguez-Macho, Gonzalo

    2017-04-01

    We investigate the memory introduced in soil moisture fields by groundwater long timescales of variation in the semi-arid regions of the Iberian Peninsula with the LEAFHYDRO soil-vegetation-hydrology model, which includes a dynamic water table fully coupled to soil moisture and river flow via 2-way fluxes. We select a 10-year period (1989-1998) with transitions from wet to dry to again wet long lasting conditions and we carry out simulations at 2.5 km spatial resolution forced by ERA-Interim and a high-resolution precipitation analysis over Spain and Portugal. The model produces a realistic water table that we validate with hundreds of water table depth observation time series (ranging from 4 to 10 years) over the Iberian Peninsula. Modeled river flow is also compared to observations. Over shallow water table regions, results highlight the groundwater buffering effect on soil moisture fields over dry spells and long-term droughts, as well as the slow recovery of pre-drought soil wetness once climatic conditions turn wetter. Groundwater sustains river flow during dry summer periods. The longer lasting wet conditions in the soil when groundwater is considered increase summer evapotranspiration, that is mostly water-limited. Our results suggest that groundwater interaction with soil moisture should be considered for climate seasonal forecasting and climate studies in general over water-limited regions where shallow water tables are significantly present and connected to land surface hydrology.

  1. Evaporation from rain-wetted forest in relation to canopy wetness, canopy cover, and net radiation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klaassen, W.

    2001-01-01

    Evaporation from wet canopies is commonly calculated using E-PM, the Penman-Monteith equation with zero surface resistance. However, several observations show a lower evaporation from rain-wetted forest. Possible causes for the difference between E-PM and experiments are evaluated to provide rules

  2. Soil Surface Runoff Scheme for Improving Land-Hydrology and Surface Fluxes in Simple SiB (SSiB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sud, Y. C.; Mocko, David M.

    1999-01-01

    Evapotranspiration on land is hard to measure and difficult to simulate. On the scale of a GCM grid, there is large subgrid-scale variability of orography, soil moisture, and vegetation. Our hope is to be able to tune the biophysical constants of vegetation and soil parameters to get the most realistic space-averaged diurnal cycle of evaporation and its climatology. Field experiments such as First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE), Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), and LBA help a great deal in improving our evapotranspiration schemes. However, these improvements have to be matched with, and coupled to, consistent improvement in land-hydrology; otherwise, the runoff problems will intrinsically reflect on the soil moisture and evapotranspiration errors. Indeed, a realistic runoff simulation also ensures a reasonable evapotranspiration simulation provided the precipitation forcing is reliable. We have been working on all of the above problems to improve the simulated hydrologic cycle. Through our participation in the evaluation and intercomparison of land-models under the behest of Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP), we identified a few problems with Simple SiB (SSIB; Xue et al., 1991) hydrology in regions of significant snowmelt. Sud and Mocko (1999) show that inclusion of a separate snowpack model, with its own energy budget and fluxes with the atmosphere aloft and soil beneath, helps to ameliorate some of the deficiencies of delayed snowmelt and excessive spring season runoff. Thus, much more realistic timing of melt water generation was simulated with the new snowpack model in the subsequent GSWP re-evaluations using 2 years of ISLSCP Initiative I forcing data for 1987 and 1988. However, we noted an overcorrection of the low meltwater infiltration of SSiB. While the improvement in snowmelt timing was found everywhere, the snowmelt infiltration has became excessive in some regions, e.g., Lena river basin. This leads to much reduced runoff in many basins as

  3. Surface Soil Moisture Memory Estimated from Models and SMAP Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Q.; Mccoll, K. A.; Li, C.; Lu, H.; Akbar, R.; Pan, M.; Entekhabi, D.

    2017-12-01

    Soil moisture memory(SMM), which is loosely defined as the time taken by soil to forget an anomaly, has been proved to be important in land-atmosphere interaction. There are many metrics to calculate the SMM timescale, for example, the timescale based on the time-series autocorrelation, the timescale ignoring the soil moisture time series and the timescale which only considers soil moisture increment. Recently, a new timescale based on `Water Cycle Fraction' (Kaighin et al., 2017), in which the impact of precipitation on soil moisture memory is considered, has been put up but not been fully evaluated in global. In this study, we compared the surface SMM derived from SMAP observations with that from land surface model simulations (i.e., the SMAP Nature Run (NR) provided by the Goddard Earth Observing System, version 5) (Rolf et al., 2014). Three timescale metrics were used to quantify the surface SMM as: T0 based on the soil moisture time series autocorrelation, deT0 based on the detrending soil moisture time series autocorrelation, and tHalf based on the Water Cycle Fraction. The comparisons indicate that: (1) there are big gaps between the T0 derived from SMAP and that from NR (2) the gaps get small for deT0 case, in which the seasonality of surface soil moisture was removed with a moving average filter; (3) the tHalf estimated from SMAP is much closer to that from NR. The results demonstrate that surface SMM can vary dramatically among different metrics, while the memory derived from land surface model differs from the one from SMAP observation. tHalf, with considering the impact of precipitation, may be a good choice to quantify surface SMM and have high potential in studies related to land atmosphere interactions. References McColl. K.A., S.H. Alemohammad, R. Akbar, A.G. Konings, S. Yueh, D. Entekhabi. The Global Distribution and Dynamics of Surface Soil Moisture, Nature Geoscience, 2017 Reichle. R., L. Qing, D.L. Gabrielle, A. Joe. The "SMAP_Nature_v03" Data

  4. Visual wetness perception based on image color statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawayama, Masataka; Adelson, Edward H; Nishida, Shin'ya

    2017-05-01

    Color vision provides humans and animals with the abilities to discriminate colors based on the wavelength composition of light and to determine the location and identity of objects of interest in cluttered scenes (e.g., ripe fruit among foliage). However, we argue that color vision can inform us about much more than color alone. Since a trichromatic image carries more information about the optical properties of a scene than a monochromatic image does, color can help us recognize complex material qualities. Here we show that human vision uses color statistics of an image for the perception of an ecologically important surface condition (i.e., wetness). Psychophysical experiments showed that overall enhancement of chromatic saturation, combined with a luminance tone change that increases the darkness and glossiness of the image, tended to make dry scenes look wetter. Theoretical analysis along with image analysis of real objects indicated that our image transformation, which we call the wetness enhancing transformation, is consistent with actual optical changes produced by surface wetting. Furthermore, we found that the wetness enhancing transformation operator was more effective for the images with many colors (large hue entropy) than for those with few colors (small hue entropy). The hue entropy may be used to separate surface wetness from other surface states having similar optical properties. While surface wetness and surface color might seem to be independent, there are higher order color statistics that can influence wetness judgments, in accord with the ecological statistics. The present findings indicate that the visual system uses color image statistics in an elegant way to help estimate the complex physical status of a scene.

  5. Wet-dry cycles effect on ash water repellency. A laboratory experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Paulo; Cerdà, Artemi; Oliva, Marc; Mataix, Jorge; Jordán, Antonio

    2014-05-01

    In the immediate period after the fire, the ash layer has a strong influence on soil hydrological processes, as runoff, infiltration and erosion. Ash is very dynamic in the space and time. Until the first rainfall periods, ash is (re)distributed by the wind. After it can cover the soil surface, infiltrate or transported to other areas by water transport (Pereira et al., 2013a, b). This will have strong implications on nutrient redistribution and vegetation recovery. Ash layer may affect soil water repellency in different ways, depending on fire severity, soil properties and vegetation. Ash produced at low temperatures after low-severity burning is usually hydrophobic (Bodi et al., 2011, 2012). Wet-dry cycles have implications on ash physical and chemical properties, changing their effects in space and time. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects of fire temperature and severity on ash water repellency. Pinus sylvestris needles were collected in a Lithuania forest in Dzukija National Park (53º 54' N and 24º 22' E), transported to laboratory and washed with deionized water to remove soil particles and other residues. Needle samples were dried during 24 hours and exposed to different temperatures: 200, 300, 400 and 500 ºC, during 2 hours. Ash colour was analysed according to the Munsell Soil Color charts. Ash was black (10 YR 2/1) at 200 ºC, very dark grey (10YR 3/1) at 300 ºC, gray (10YR 5/1) at 400 ºC and light gray (10YR 7/1) at 500 ºC. Ten samples of ash released after each treatment were placed in plastic dishes (50 mm in diameter) in an amount enough to form a 5 mm thick layer, and ash water repellency was measured according to the Water Drop Penetration Test. Later, ash was carefully wetted with 15 ml of deionized water and placed in an oven during 4 days (96 hours), as in Bodí et al. (2012). This procedure was repeated 5 times in order to observe the effects of wet-dry cycles in ash water repellency. The results showed significant differences

  6. Influence of short chain organic acids and bases on the wetting properties and surface energy of submicrometer ceramic powders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neirinck, Bram; Soccol, Dimitri; Fransaer, Jan; Van der Biest, Omer; Vleugels, Jef

    2010-08-15

    The effect of short chained organic acids and bases on the surface energy and wetting properties of submicrometer alumina powder was assessed. The surface chemistry of treated powders was determined by means of Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform spectroscopy and compared to untreated powder. The wetting of powders was measured using a modified Washburn method, based on the use of precompacted powder samples. The geometric factor needed to calculate the contact angle was derived from measurements of the porous properties of the powder compacts. Contact angle measurements with several probe liquids before and after modification allowed a theoretical estimation of the surface energy based on the surface tension component theory. Trends in the surface energy components were linked to observations in infrared spectra. The results showed that the hydrophobic character of the precompacted powder depends on both the chain length and polar group of the modifying agent. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Evaluating sensitivity of unsaturated soil properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Rahman, R.O.; El-Kamash, A.M.; Nagy, M.E.; Khalill, M.Y.

    2005-01-01

    The assessment of near surface disposal performance relay on numerical models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport. These models use the unsaturated soil properties as input parameters, which are subject to uncertainty due to measurements errors and the spatial variability in the subsurface environment. To ascertain how much the output of the model will depend on the unsaturated soil properties the parametric sensitivity analysis is used. In this paper, a parametric sensitivity analysis of the Van Genuchten moisture retention characteristic (VGMRC) model will be presented and conducted to evaluate the relative importance of the unsaturated soil properties under different pressure head values that represent various dry and wet conditions. (author)

  8. Biological soil crusts exhibit a dynamic response to seasonal rain and release from grazing with implications for soil stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jimenez, Aguilar A.; Huber-Sannwald, E.; Belnap, J.; Smart, D.R.; Arredondo, Moreno J.T.

    2009-01-01

    In Northern Mexico, long-term grazing has substantially degraded semiarid landscapes. In semiarid systems, ecological and hydrological processes are strongly coupled by patchy plant distribution and biological soil crust (BSC) cover in plant-free interspaces. In this study, we asked: 1) how responsive are BSC cover/composition to a drying/wetting cycle and two-year grazing removal, and 2) what are the implications for soil erosion? We characterized BSC morphotypes and their influence on soil stability under grazed/non-grazed conditions during a dry and wet season. Light- and dark-colored cyanobacteria were dominant at the plant tussock and community level. Cover changes in these two groups differed after a rainy season and in response to grazing removal. Lichens with continuous thalli were more vulnerable to grazing than those with semi-continuous/discontinuous thalli after the dry season. Microsites around tussocks facilitated BSC colonization compared to interspaces. Lichen and cyanobacteria morphotypes differentially enhanced resistance to soil erosion; consequently, surface soil stability depends on the spatial distribution of BSC morphotypes, suggesting soil stability may be as dynamic as changes in the type of BSC cover. Longer-term spatially detailed studies are necessary to elicit spatiotemporal dynamics of BSC communities and their functional role in biotically and abiotically variable environments. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Scale Dependence of Land Atmosphere Interactions in Wet and Dry Regions as Simulated with NU-WRF over the Southwestern and Southeast US

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yaping; Wu, Di; Lau, K.- M.; Tao, Wei-Kuo

    2016-01-01

    Large-scale forcing and land-atmosphere interactions on precipitation are investigated with NASA-Unified WRF (NU-WRF) simulations during fast transitions of ENSO phases from spring to early summer of 2010 and 2011. The model is found to capture major precipitation episodes in the 3-month simulations without resorting to nudging. However, the mean intensity of the simulated precipitation is underestimated by 46% and 57% compared with the observations in dry and wet regions in the southwestern and south-central United States, respectively. Sensitivity studies show that large-scale atmospheric forcing plays a major role in producing regional precipitation. A methodology to account for moisture contributions to individual precipitation events, as well as total precipitation, is presented under the same moisture budget framework. The analysis shows that the relative contributions of local evaporation and large-scale moisture convergence depend on the dry/wet regions and are a function of temporal and spatial scales. While the ratio of local and large-scale moisture contributions vary with domain size and weather system, evaporation provides a major moisture source in the dry region and during light rain events, which leads to greater sensitivity to soil moisture in the dry region and during light rain events. The feedback of land surface processes to large-scale forcing is well simulated, as indicated by changes in atmospheric circulation and moisture convergence. Overall, the results reveal an asymmetrical response of precipitation events to soil moisture, with higher sensitivity under dry than wet conditions. Drier soil moisture tends to suppress further existing below-normal precipitation conditions via a positive soil moisture-land surface flux feedback that could worsen drought conditions in the southwestern United States.

  10. Nanowall formation by maskless wet-etching on a femtosecond laser irradiated silicon surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Siwoo; Jo, Kukhyun; Keum, Hee-sung; Chae, Sangmin; Kim, Yonghyeon; Choi, Jiyeon; Lee, Hyun Hwi; Kim, Hyo Jung

    2018-04-01

    We found that micro-cells surrounded by nanowalls can be formed by a maskless wet-etching process on Si (100) surfaces possessing Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structure (LIPSS) by femtosecond laser irradiation. The LIPSS process could produce periodic one-dimensional micron scale ripples on a Si surface, which could be developed into micro-cells by a subsequent etching process. The solution etching conditions strongly affected both the micro-cell and nanowall shapes such as the height and the thickness of nanowalls. The tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution created thin nanowalls and the resulting micro-cells with a well-flattened bottom while the KOH solution formed thick walls and incomplete micro-cells. The bottoms of micro-cells surrounded by the nanowalls were considerably flat with a 3.10 nm surface roughness. A pentacene layer was deposited on the micro-cells of a Si surface to evaluate the film properties by grazing incidence wide angle x-ray scattering measurements. The pentacene film on the micro-cell Si surface showed a strong film phase, which was comparable to the film phase grown on the atomically flat Si surface.

  11. Tyre contact length on dry and wet road surfaces measured by three-axial accelerometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matilainen, Mika; Tuononen, Ari

    2015-02-01

    We determined the tyre contact length on dry and wet roads by measuring the accelerations of the inner liner with a three-axial accelerometer. The influence of the tyre pressure, driving velocity, and tread depth on the contact length was studied in both types of road surface conditions. On dry asphalt the contact length was almost constant, regardless of the driving velocity. On wet asphalt the presence of water could be detected even at low driving velocities (e.g. 20 km/h for a worn tyre) as the contact length began to decrease from that found in the dry asphalt situation. In addition to improving the performance of active safety systems and driver warning systems, the contact length information could be beneficial for classifying and studying the aquaplaning behaviour of tyres.

  12. Wet Oxidation of Fine Soil Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons: A Way towards a Remediation Cycle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Cristina Collivignarelli

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this experimental study was to assess the feasibility of using a wet oxidation (WO process for treating fine soil with a high level of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs. Two samples of soil were spiked with two different contaminants (motor oil, and motor oil + diesel. The samples were subjected to a WO bench plant test, where the effect of the main process parameters (i.e., temperature and reaction time on the removal of TPHs was investigated. Results show that the WO process is effective for the decontamination of hydrocarbons, and a strong reduction (>85% can be obtained with the typical working conditions of a full-scale plant (temperature = 250 °C, reaction time = 30 min. The solid residue resulting from the WO process was characterized in order to evaluate the recovery options. In terms of chemical characterization, the contents of the pollutants comply with the Italian regulations for commercial and industrial site use. Moreover, the results of the leaching test suggested that these residues could be reused for ceramic and brick manufacturing processes.

  13. Study on Surface Integrity of AISI 1045 Carbon Steel when machined by Carbide Cutting Tool under wet conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamin N. Fauzi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the evaluation of surface roughness and roughness profiles when machining carbon steel under wet conditions with low and high cutting speeds. The workpiece materials and cutting tools selected in this research were AISI 1045 carbon steel and canela carbide inserts graded PM25, respectively. The cutting tools undergo machining tests by CNC turning operations and their performances were evaluated by their surface roughness value and observation of the surface roughness profile. The machining tests were held at varied cutting speeds of 35 to 53 m/min, feed rate of 0.15 to 0.50 mm/rev and a constant depth of cut of 1 mm. From the analysis, it was found that surface roughness increased as the feed rate increased. Varian of surface roughness was suspected due to interaction between cutting speeds and feed rates as well as nose radius conditions; whether from tool wear or the formation of a built-up edge. This study helps us understand the effect of cutting speed and feed rate on surface integrity, when machining AISI 1045 carbon steel using carbide cutting tools, under wet cutting conditions.

  14. Soil water storage, rainfall and runoff relationships in a tropical dry forest catchment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrick, Kegan K.; Branfireun, Brian A.

    2014-12-01

    In forested catchments, the exceedance of rainfall and antecedent water storage thresholds is often required for runoff generation, yet to our knowledge these threshold relationships remain undescribed in tropical dry forest catchments. We, therefore, identified the controls of streamflow activation and the timing and magnitude of runoff in a tropical dry forest catchment near the Pacific coast of central Mexico. During a 52 day transition phase from the dry to wet season, soil water movement was dominated by vertical flow which continued until a threshold soil moisture content of 26% was reached at 100 cm below the surface. This satisfied a 162 mm storage deficit and activated streamflow, likely through lateral subsurface flow pathways. High antecedent soil water conditions were maintained during the wet phase but had a weak influence on stormflow. We identified a threshold value of 289 mm of summed rainfall and antecedent soil water needed to generate >4 mm of stormflow per event. Above this threshold, stormflow response and magnitude was almost entirely governed by rainfall event characteristics and not antecedent soil moisture conditions. Our results show that over the course of the wet season in tropical dry forests the dominant controls on runoff generation changed from antecedent soil water and storage to the depth of rainfall.

  15. Copper in Surface Soil of Veles Region, Macedonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panchevski, Zlatko; Stafilov, Trajche; Frontasyeva, Marina V.

    2006-01-01

    For the first time a systematic study of copper distribution in surface soil over of the Veles region, known for its lead and zinc industrial activity, was undertaken. A total of 201 soil samples were collected according to a dense net (0.5 km) in urban and less dense net (1 km) in rural areas. Copper was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) using microwave digestion technique with two different types of solvents: aqua regia (HCI and HNO 3 )and the mixture of strong acids (HNO 3 , HCI, and HF). So far the same soil samples were subjected to reactor non-destructive multi-element instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), it served as a reference analytical technique for bulk copper determination. The results obtained by two methods of FAAS and INAA are discussed. GIS technology was applied to reveal the areas most affected by copper contamination. It was found that the content of copper in soil samples around the lead and zinc smelter plant is the highest and reaches 1800 mg/kg. Copper content in surface soil all around the town of Veles exceeds maximum permissible level for urban surface soil. Elevated copper content in some rural areas of the Veles region most likely could be explained through using copper containing fungicides for agricultural needs. (Author)

  16. a Research on Monitoring Surface Deformation and Relationships with Surface Parameters in Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Permafrost

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mi, S. J.; Li, Y. T.; Wang, F.; Li, L.; Ge, Y.; Luo, L.; Zhang, C. L.; Chen, J. B.

    2017-09-01

    The Qinghai Tibetan Plateau permafrost has been the largest permafrost region in middle-low latitude in the world for its high altitude. For the large area permafrost, especially surface deformation brought by it, have serious influence on the road engineering, road maintaining and regional economic development. Consequently, it is essential to monitor the surface deformation and study factors that influent it. We monitored an area named Wudaoliang from July 25, 2015 to June 1, 2016 and 15 Sentinel images were obtained during this time. The area we chose is about 35 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide, and the national road 109 of China passes through the area. The traditional PS-INSAR (Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) method is not suitable because less historical images in the research area and leading to the number of PS (Persistent Scatterer) points is not enough to obtain accurate deformation results. Therefore, in this paper, we used another method which named QUASI-PSInSAR (QUASI Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) to acquire deformation for it has the advantage to weaken or eliminate the effects of spatial and temporal correlation, which has proved by other scholar. After processing 15 images in the SARproz software, we got the conclusions that, 1) the biggest deformation velocity in the whole area was about 127.9mm/year and about 109.3 mm/year in the road; 2) apparent deformation which have surface deformation more than 30mm/year was about 1.7Km in the road. Meanwhile, soil moisture(SM), Land surface temperature (LST) and surface water(SW), which are primary parameters of the land surface over the same time were reversed by using Sentinel data, Landsat data and ZY-3 data, respectively. After analyzing SM, LST , SW and deformation, we obtained that wet areas which had bigger SM, lower LST and more SW, had greater percentage of severe deformation than arid areas; besides, deformation pattern were

  17. Model-based surface soil moisture (SSM) retrieval algorithm using multi-temporal RISAT-1 C-band SAR data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Dharmendra K.; Maity, Saroj; Bhattacharya, Bimal; Misra, Arundhati

    2016-05-01

    Accurate measurement of surface soil moisture of bare and vegetation covered soil over agricultural field and monitoring the changes in surface soil moisture is vital for estimation for managing and mitigating risk to agricultural crop, which requires information and knowledge to assess risk potential and implement risk reduction strategies and deliver essential responses. The empirical and semi-empirical model-based soil moisture inversion approach developed in the past are either sensor or region specific, vegetation type specific or have limited validity range, and have limited scope to explain physical scattering processes. Hence, there is need for more robust, physical polarimetric radar backscatter model-based retrieval methods, which are sensor and location independent and have wide range of validity over soil properties. In the present study, Integral Equation Model (IEM) and Vector Radiative Transfer (VRT) model were used to simulate averaged backscatter coefficients in various soil moisture (dry, moist and wet soil), soil roughness (smooth to very rough) and crop conditions (low to high vegetation water contents) over selected regions of Gujarat state of India and the results were compared with multi-temporal Radar Imaging Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data in σ°HH and σ°HV polarizations, in sync with on field measured soil and crop conditions. High correlations were observed between RISAT-1 HH and HV with model simulated σ°HH & σ°HV based on field measured soil with the coefficient of determination R2 varying from 0.84 to 0.77 and RMSE varying from 0.94 dB to 2.1 dB for bare soil. Whereas in case of winter wheat crop, coefficient of determination R2 varying from 0.84 to 0.79 and RMSE varying from 0.87 dB to 1.34 dB, corresponding to with vegetation water content values up to 3.4 kg/m2. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods were adopted for model-based soil moisture inversion. The training datasets for the NNs were

  18. [Influences of biochar and nitrogen fertilizer on soil nematode assemblage of upland red soil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yan-yan; Wang, Ming-wei; Chen, Xiao-vun; Liu, Man-qiang; Chen, Xiao-min; Cheng, Yan-hong; Huang, Qian-ru; Hu, Feng

    2016-01-01

    The use of biochar as soil remediation amendment has received more and more concerns, but little attention has been paid to its effect on soil fauna. Based on the field experiment in an upland red soil, we studied the influences of different application rates of biochar (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 t · hm⁻²) and nitrogen fertilizer (60, 90, 120 kg N · hm⁻²) on soil basic properties and nematode assemblages during drought and wet periods. Our results showed that the biochar amendment significantly affect soil moisture and pH regardless of drought or wet period. With the increasing of biochar application, soil pH significantly increased, while soil moisture increased first and then decreased. Soil microbial properties (microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, microbial biomass C/N, basal respiration) were also significantly affected by the application of biochar and N fertilizer. Low doses of biochar could stimulate the microbial activity, while high doses depressed microbial activity. For example, averaged across different N application rates, biochar amendment at less than 30 t · hm⁻² could increase microbial activity in the drought and wet periods. Besides, the effects of biochar also depended on wet or drought period. When the biochar application rate higher than 30 t · hm⁻², the microbial biomass C was significantly higher in the drought period than the control, but no differences were observed in the wet period. On the contrary, microbial biomass N showed a reverse pattern. Dissolved organic matter and mineral N were affected by biochar and N fertilizer significantly in the drought period, however, in the wet period they were only affected by N fertilizer rather than biochar. There was significant interaction between biochar and N fertilizer on soil nematode abundance and nematode trophic composition independent of sampling period. Combined high doses of both biochar and N fertilization promoted soil nematode abundance. Moreover, the biochar amendment

  19. Effects of nutrient additions on ecosystem carbon cycle in a Puerto Rican tropical wet forest

    Science.gov (United States)

    YIQING LI; MING XU; XIAOMING ZOU

    2006-01-01

    Wet tropical forests play a critical role in global ecosystem carbon (C) cycle, but C allocation and the response of different C pools to nutrient addition in these forests remain poorly understood. We measured soil organic carbon (SOC), litterfall, root biomass, microbial biomass and soil physical and chemical properties in a wet tropical forest from May 1996 to July...

  20. Threshold friction velocity influenced by wetness of soils within the Columbia Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windblown dust impacts air quality in the Columbia Plateau of the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Wind erosion of agricultural lands, which is the predominate source of windblown dust in the region, occurs when the friction velocity exceeds the threshold friction velocity (TFV) of the surface. Soil moisture...

  1. Fabrication of a bionic microstructure on a C/SiC brake lining surface: Positive applications of surface defects for surface wetting control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, M. L.; Ren, C. Z.; Xu, H. Z.; Zhou, C. L.

    2018-05-01

    The material removal processes generate interesting surface topographies, unfortunately, that was usually considered to be surface defects. To date, little attention has been devoted to the positive applications of these interesting surface defects resulted from laser ablation to improve C/SiC surface wettability. In this study, the formation mechanism behind surface defects (residual particles) is discussed first. The results showed that the residual particles with various diameters experienced regeneration and migration, causing them to accumulate repeatedly. The effective accumulation of these residual particles with various diameters provides a new method about fabricating bionic microstructures for surface wetting control. The negligible influence of ablation processes on the chemical component of the subsurface was studied by comparing the C-O-Si weight percentage at the C/SiC subsurface. A group of microstructures were fabricated under different laser trace and different laser parameters. Surface wettability experimental results for different types of microstructures were compared. The results showed that the surface wettability increased as the laser scanning speed decreased. The surface wettability increased with the density of the laser scanning trace. We also demonstrated the application of optimized combination of laser parameters and laser trace to simulate a lotus leaf's microstructure on C/SiC surfaces. The parameter selection depends on the specific material properties.

  2. Effect of periodic wetting and drying on selective sorption of 137Cs by mixtures of soil and organomineral sorbent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popov, V. E.; Maslova, K. M.; Stepina, I. A.

    2014-05-01

    The incubation of sandy soddy-podzolic soil with a three-component organomineral sorbent (OMS) on the basis of sapropel, neutralized hydrolysis lignin, and clay-salt slime under alternating wetting-drying (W-D) conditions for two years has increased the selective sorption of 137Cs by 2.5-5 times. The addition of 5% OMS increases the effect of periodic W-D cycles on the selective sorption of 137Cs compared to the addition of 10% OMS. The relationship between the 137Cs interception potential and the number of W-D cycles has been predicted on the basis of the additivity rule and under the assumption that this potential linearly depends on the number of W-D cycles. The predicted values of the 137Cs interception potential almost coincide with the experimental data for the mixtures of sandy soddy-podzolic soil with 10% OMS and are lower than the experimental values by 60% for the mixtures of soil with 10% OMS.

  3. Surface soil contamination standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boothe, G.F.

    1979-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to define surface soil contamination limits for radioactive materials below which posting, restrictions and environmental controls are not necessary in order to protect personnel and the environment. The standards can also be used to determine if solid waste or other material is contaminated relative to disposal requirements. The derivation of the standards is given

  4. The effect of row structure on soil moisture retrieval accuracy from passive microwave data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xingming, Zheng; Kai, Zhao; Yangyang, Li; Jianhua, Ren; Yanling, Ding

    2014-01-01

    Row structure causes the anisotropy of microwave brightness temperature (TB) of soil surface, and it also can affect soil moisture retrieval accuracy when its influence is ignored in the inversion model. To study the effect of typical row structure on the retrieved soil moisture and evaluate if there is a need to introduce this effect into the inversion model, two ground-based experiments were carried out in 2011. Based on the observed C-band TB, field soil and vegetation parameters, row structure rough surface assumption (Q p model and discrete model), including the effect of row structure, and flat rough surface assumption (Q p model), ignoring the effect of row structure, are used to model microwave TB of soil surface. Then, soil moisture can be retrieved, respectively, by minimizing the difference of the measured and modeled TB. The results show that soil moisture retrieval accuracy based on the row structure rough surface assumption is approximately 0.02 cm(3)/cm(3) better than the flat rough surface assumption for vegetated soil, as well as 0.015 cm(3)/cm(3) better for bare and wet soil. This result indicates that the effect of row structure cannot be ignored for accurately retrieving soil moisture of farmland surface when C-band is used.

  5. Leaf surface wetness and evaporation studies with a β-ray gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barthakur, N.N.

    1984-01-01

    Surface wetness duration was measured by a β-ray gauge as a function of wind velocity in the laboratory. The instrument was field-tested as a dewmeter over a wax bean canopy. Diurnal variations of the net count rate through a turgid tobacco leaf measured by a β-ray gauge system corresponded with the stomatal movement. The approximate exponential relationship of the transmission of β-particles with absorber thickness was found acceptable to study rates of evaporation from free water and through pores. The cumulative rate of evaporation of free water varied linearly with time. Three distinct stages of evaporation rates were observed through a porous medium. (author)

  6. Evaluation of factors affecting soil carbon sequestration services of stormwater wet retention ponds in varying climate zones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merriman, L S; Moore, T L C; Wang, J W; Osmond, D L; Al-Rubaei, A M; Smolek, A P; Blecken, G T; Viklander, M; Hunt, W F

    2017-04-01

    The carbon sequestration services of stormwater wet retention ponds were investigated in four different climates: U.S., Northern Sweden, Southern Sweden, and Singapore, representing a range of annual mean temperatures, growing season lengths and rainfall depths: geographic factors that were not statistically compared, but have great effect on carbon (C) accumulation. A chronosequence was used to estimate C accumulations rates; C accumulation and decomposition rates were not directly measured. C accumulated significantly over time in vegetated shallow water areas (0-30cm) in the USA (78.4gCm -2 yr -1 ), in vegetated temporary inundation zones in Sweden (75.8gCm -2 yr -1 ), and in all ponds in Singapore (135gCm -2 yr -1 ). Vegetative production appeared to exert a stronger influence on relative C accumulation rates than decomposition. Comparing among the four climatic zones, the effects of increasing rainfall and growing season lengths (vegetative production) outweighed the effects of higher temperature on decomposition rates. Littoral vegetation was a significant source to the soil C pool relative to C sources draining from watersheds. Establishment of vegetation in the shallow water zones of retention ponds is vital to providing a C source to the soil. Thus, the width of littoral shelves containing this vegetation along the perimeter may be increased if C sequestration is a design goal. This assessment establishes that stormwater wet retention ponds can sequester C across different climate zones with generally annual rainfall and lengths of growing season being important general factors for C accumulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Assessment of methane emission and oxidation at Air Hitam Landfill site cover soil in wet tropical climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abushammala, Mohammed F M; Basri, Noor Ezlin Ahmad; Elfithri, Rahmah

    2013-12-01

    Methane (CH₄) emissions and oxidation were measured at the Air Hitam sanitary landfill in Malaysia and were modeled using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change waste model to estimate the CH₄ generation rate constant, k. The emissions were measured at several locations using a fabricated static flux chamber. A combination of gas concentrations in soil profiles and surface CH₄ and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions at four monitoring locations were used to estimate the CH₄ oxidation capacity. The temporal variations in CH₄ and CO₂ emissions were also investigated in this study. Geospatial means using point kriging and inverse distance weight (IDW), as well as arithmetic and geometric means, were used to estimate total CH₄ emissions. The point kriging, IDW, and arithmetic means were almost identical and were two times higher than the geometric mean. The CH₄ emission geospatial means estimated using the kriging and IDW methods were 30.81 and 30.49 gm(−2) day(−1), respectively. The total CH₄ emissions from the studied area were 53.8 kg day(−1). The mean of the CH₄ oxidation capacity was 27.5 %. The estimated value of k is 0.138 year(−1). Special consideration must be given to the CH₄ oxidation in the wet tropical climate for enhancing CH₄ emission reduction.

  8. Distribution coefficient Kd in surface soils collected in Aomori prefecture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukada, Hirofumi; Hasegawa, Hidenao; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi; Inaba, Jiro

    2000-01-01

    Soil-solution distribution coefficients (Kds), which are the ratio of an element concentration in a soil solid phase to that in a solution phase, for 32 elements in Andosols, Wet Andosols and Gleyed Andosols collected throughout Aomori Prefecture were determined. A dried soil sample was mixed with a 10-fold amount of pure water in a PPCO centrifuge tube, and then gently shaken for 24 h. The Kd values were obtained by measurement of element concentrations in solid and solution phases (batch method). The Kd values in this work were up to three orders of magnitude higher than the IAEA reported values, and their 95% confidence intervals were within two orders of magnitude. Most Kd values of elements were decreasing with increasing electrical conductivity of the solution phase. The Kd of Ca had a good correlation with that of Sr. However, the correlation between the Kds of K and Cs was not good. The Kd values were also determined by another method. The soil solutions were separated from the fresh soil samples by means of high speed centrifuging. The Kd values were calculated from the element concentration in solid phase and soil solution (centrifugation method). The Kd values obtained by the centrifugation method agreed within one order of magnitude with those by the batch method, and both variation patterns in elements correlated well. (author)

  9. Soil surface CO2 flux in a boreal black spruce fire chronosequence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chuankuan; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Gower, Stith T.

    2003-02-01

    Understanding the effects of wildfire on the carbon (C) cycle of boreal forests is essential to quantifying the role of boreal forests in the global carbon cycle. Soil surface CO2 flux (Rs), the second largest C flux in boreal forests, is directly and indirectly affected by fire and is hypothesized to change during forest succession following fire. The overall objective of this study was to measure and model Rs for a black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) postfire chronosequence in northern Manitoba, Canada. The experiment design was a nested factorial that included two soil drainage classes (well and poorly drained) × seven postfire aged stands. Specific objectives were (1) to quantify the relationship between Rs and soil temperature for different aged boreal black spruce forests in well-drained and poorly drained soil conditions, (2) to examine Rs dynamics along postfire successional stands, and (3) to estimate annual soil surface CO2 flux for these ecosystems. Soil surface CO2 flux was significantly affected by soil drainage class (p = 0.014) and stand age (p = 0.006). Soil surface CO2 flux was positively correlated to soil temperature (R2 = 0.78, p aged stand combination. Soil surface CO2 flux was significantly greater at the well-drained than the poorly drained stands (p = 0.007) during growing season. Annual soil surface CO2 flux for the 1998, 1995, 1989, 1981, 1964, 1930, and 1870 burned stands averaged 226, 412, 357, 413, 350, 274, and 244 g C m-2 yr-1 in the well-drained stands and 146, 380, 300, 303, 256, 233, and 264 g C m-2 yr-1 in the poorly drained stands. Soil surface CO2 flux during the winter (from 1 November to 30 April) comprised from 5 to 19% of the total annual Rs. We speculate that the smaller soil surface CO2 flux in the recently burned than the older stands is mainly caused by decreased root respiration.

  10. Effect of rainfall infiltration into unsaturated soil using soil column

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, A.; Mukhlisin, M.; Jaafar, O.

    2018-02-01

    Rainfall especially in tropical region caused infiltration to the soil slope. The infiltration may change pore water pressure or matric suction of the soil. The event of rainfall infiltration into soil is a complex mechanism. Therefore, the main objectives of this research paper is to study the influence of rainfall intensity and duration that changed pore water pressure to soil. There are two types of soils used in this study; forest soil and kaolin. Soil column apparatus is used for experiments. Rainfall were applied to the soil and result for 3, 6, 12, 24, 72, 120 and 168 hours were retrieved. Result shows that for the both types of soil, the negative pore water pressures were increased during wetting process and gradually decreased towards drying process. The results also show that pore water pressure at top part was increased greatly as the wetting process started compared to the middle and bottom part of the column.

  11. Two-dimensional LIF measurements of humidity and OH density resulting from evaporated water from a wet surface in plasma for medical use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagi, Ippei; Ono, Ryo; Oda, Tetsuji; Takaki, Koichi

    2015-01-01

    In plasma medicine, plasma is applied to a wet surface and is often accompanied by dry-gas flow. The dry-gas flow affects water evaporation from the wet surface and influences production of reactive species derived from water vapor, such as OH radicals. In this study, the effect of the dry-gas flow on two-dimensional distributions of humidity and OH radical density are examined by measuring them using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). First, humidity is measured when nitrogen flows from a quartz tube of 4 mm inner diameter onto distilled water and agar media from 5 mm distance. NO gas is added to the nitrogen as a tracer and humidity is obtained from the quenching rate of NO molecules measured using LIF. This measurement has a spatial resolution of 0.2 mm 3 and a temporal resolution of less than 220 ns. The two-dimensional humidity distribution shows that the dry-gas flow pushes away water vapor evaporating from the wet surface. As a result, a low-humidity region is formed near the quartz tube nozzle and a high-humidity region is formed near the wet surface. The thickness of the low-humidity region reduces with increasing gas flow rate. It is 0.1–0.5 mm for the flow rate of higher than 0.3 l min −1 . Next, the OH density is measured when a nanosecond pulsed streamer discharge is applied to a distilled water surface with dry-air flow. The OH density decreases with increasing gas flow rate due to decreased humidity. When the flow rate is lower than 0.1 l min −1 , the OH distribution is approximately uniform in the plasma region, while the humidity distribution shows a large gradient. The importance of the thin high-humidity region on the flux of reactive species onto the wet surface is discussed. (paper)

  12. The soil-water characteristic curve at low soil-water contents: Relationships with soil specific surface area and texture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Resurreccion, A C; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, M

    2011-01-01

    dominate over capillary forces, have also been used to estimate soil specific surface area (SA). In the present study, the dry end of the SWRC was measured with a chilled-mirror dew point psychrometer for 41 Danish soils covering a wide range of clay (CL) and organic carbon (OC) contents. The 41 soils were...

  13. Wetting and surface tension of bismate glass melt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shim, Seung-Bo; Kim, Dong-Sun; Hwang, Seongjin; Kim, Hyungsun

    2009-01-01

    Lead oxide glass frits are used widely in the electronics industry for low-temperature firing. On the other hand, one of the low-sintering and low-melting lead-free glass systems available, the bismate glass system, is considered to be an alternative to lead oxide glass. In order to extend the applications of Bi 2 O 3 glasses, this study examined the thermophysical properties of low-melting Bi 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -ZnO-BaO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glass frits with various ZnO/B 2 O 3 ratios. The fundamental thermal properties, such as glass transition temperature and softening point, were examined by differential thermal analysis and a glass softening point determination system. The wetting angles, viscosities and surface tension of the various bismate glasses on an alumina substrate were measured using hot-stage microscopy and the sessile drop method. These thermophysical properties will be helpful in understanding the work of adhesion and the liquid spread kinetics of glass frits.

  14. Relations between soil surface roughness, tortuosity, tillage treatments, rainfall intensity and soil and water losses from a red yellow latosol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julieta Bramorski

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The soil surface roughness increases water retention and infiltration, reduces the runoff volume and speed and influences soil losses by water erosion. Similarly to other parameters, soil roughness is affected by the tillage system and rainfall volume. Based on these assumptions, the main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tillage treatments on soil surface roughness (RR and tortuosity (T and to investigate the relationship with soil and water losses in a series of simulated rainfall events. The field study was carried out at the experimental station of EMBRAPA Southeastern Cattle Research Center in São Carlos (Fazenda Canchim, in São Paulo State, Brazil. Experimental plots of 33 m² were treated with two tillage practices in three replications, consisting of: untilled (no-tillage soil (NTS and conventionally tilled (plowing plus double disking soil (CTS. Three successive simulated rain tests were applied in 24 h intervals. The three tests consisted of a first rain of 30 mm/h, a second of 30 mm/h and a third rain of 70 mm/h. Immediately after tilling and each rain simulation test, the surface roughness was measured, using a laser profile meter. The tillage treatments induced significant changes in soil surface roughness and tortuosity, demonstrating the importance of the tillage system for the physical surface conditions, favoring water retention and infiltration in the soil. The increase in surface roughness by the tillage treatments was considerably greater than its reduction by rain action. The surface roughness and tortuosity had more influence on the soil volume lost by surface runoff than in the conventional treatment. Possibly, other variables influenced soil and water losses from the no-tillage treatments, e.g., soil type, declivity, slope length, among others not analyzed in this study.

  15. Soil moisture effects during bioventing in fuel-contaminated arid soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwick, T.C.; Leeson, A.; Hinchee, R.E.; Hoeppel, R.E.; Bowling, L.

    1995-01-01

    This study evaluated the effects of soil moisture addition on microbial activity during bioventing of dry, sandy soils at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), Twentynine Palms, California. Soils at the site have been contaminated to a depth of approximately 80 ft (24 m) with gasoline, JP-5 jet fuel, and diesel fuel. Based on the low soil moisture measured at the site (2 to 3% by weight), it was determined that soil moisture may be limiting biodegradation. To evaluate the effect that moisture addition had on microbial activity under field conditions, a subsurface drip irrigation system was installed above the fuel hydrocarbon plume. Irrigation water was obtained from two monitoring wells on the site, where groundwater was approximately 192 ft (59 m) below ground surface. Advancement of the wetting front was monitored. In situ respiration rates increased significantly after moisture addition. The results of this study provide evidence for the potential applicability of moisture addition in conjunction with bioventing for site remediation in arid environments. Further work is planned to investigate optimization of moisture addition

  16. Sensitivity of the biosphere-atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS) to the inclusion of variable soil characteristics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilson, M.F.; Henderson-Sellers, A.; Dickinson, R.E.; Kennedy, P.J.

    1987-03-01

    The soils data of Wilson and Henderson-Sellers have been incorporated into the land-surface parameterization scheme of the NCAR Community Climate Model after Dickinson. A stand-alone version of this land-surface scheme, termed the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS), has been tested in a series of sensitivity experiments designed to assess the sensitivity of the scheme to the inclusion of variable soil characteristics. The cases investigated were for conditions designed to represent a low-latitude, evergreen forest; a low-latitude sand desert; a high-latitude coniferous forest; high-latitude tundra; and prairie grasslands, each for a specified time of year. The tundra included spring snowmelt and the grassland incorporated snow accumulation. The sensitivity experiments included varying the soil texture from a coarse texture typical of sand through a medium texture typical of loam to a fine texture typical of clay. The sensitivity of the formation to the specified total and upper soil column depth and the response to altering the parameterization of the soil albedo dependence upon soil wetness and snow-cover were also examined. The biosphere-atmosphere transfer scheme showed the greatest sensitivity to the soil texture variation, particularly to the associated variation in the hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity parameters. There was only a very small response to the change in the soil albedo dependence on wetness and, although the sensitivity to the snow-covered soil albedo via the response to roughness length/snowmasking depth was significant, the results were predictable. Soil moisture responses can also be initiated by changes in vegetation characteristics such as the stomatal resistance through changed canopy interaction which modify the radiation and water budgets of the soil surface.

  17. A new approach of tailoring wetting properties of TiO2 nanotubular surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Isimjan, Tayirjan T.

    2012-11-01

    TiO2 nanotube layers were grown on a Ti surface by electrochemical anodization. As prepared, these layers showed a superhydrophilic wetting behavior. Modified with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PTES), the layers showed a superhydrophobic behavior. We demonstrate how to change the surface characteristics of the TiO2 nanotube layers in order to achieve any desirable degree of hydrophobicity between 100° to 170°. The treated superhydrophobic TiO2 nanotube layers have an advanced contact angle exceeding 165°, a receding angle more than 155°and a slide angle less than 5°. It is found that the surface morphology of the film which depends on anodization time among other variables, has a great influence on the superhydrophobic properties of the surface after PTES treatment. The hydrodynamic properties of the surface are discussed in terms of both Cassie and Wenzel mechanisms. The layers are characterized with dynamic contact angle measurements, SEM, and XPS analyses. © 2012 American Scientific Publishers.

  18. Soil and gas and radon entry potentials for substructure surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, J.; Sextro, R.G.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on measurement techniques and parameters that describe the potential for areas of a building substructure to have high soil gas and radon entry rates which have been developed. Flows and pressures measured at test holes in substructure surfaces while the substructure was intentionally depressurized were used in a highly simplified electrical circuit to model the substructure/soil network. Data from four New Jersey houses indicate that the soil was a factor of two to six times more resistant to soil gas flow than substructure surfaces, concrete slab floors, including perimeter gaps, cracks, and other penetrations, were approximately five times more resistant to soil gas movement than hollow block walls, and radon entry potentials were highest for slab floors. These indices of entry potential may be useful for characterizing the relative leakiness of below-grade substructure surfaces and for determining the selection and placement of radon control systems

  19. The wetting of cladding materials and other metals and alloys by sodium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodkin, E.N.; Nicholas, M.G.

    1976-05-01

    The sessile drop technique has been used to investigate the wetting behaviour between sodium and various metals and alloys including FV548, 316L, M316 and PE16. Unoxidised smooth surfaces of these alloys were not wetted by sodium containing 20 ppm of oxygen at temperatures below 300 0 C but were well wetted with advancing contact angles of 20 0 or less at temperatures of 550 0 to 600 0 C. Cold working and surface roughness had little effect on wetting behaviour but other factors exercised significant influences. Chemically or electrolytically polished M316 and PE16 surfaces were less readily wetted than those which had been prepared by mechanical polishing. In general, preoxidation of the alloy surfaces and increased oxygen contamination of the sodium had detrimental effects on wetting behaviour. On the other hand, increasing the chromium content of the alloys, decreasing the oxygen content of the sodium or ion bombarding the alloy sample surfaces had beneficial effects. Auger spectroscopy studies revealed a correlation between the chromium/oxygen ratio of PE16 surfaces and their wettability. The implications of this and other factors on fast reactor coolant/clad wetting behaviour is discussed. (author)

  20. 100 Area soil washing: Bench scale tests on 116-F-4 pluto crib soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Field, J.G.

    1994-01-01

    The Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a bench-scale treatability study on a pluto crib soil sample from 100 Area of the Hanford Site. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of physical separation (wet sieving), treatment processes (attrition scrubbing, and autogenous surface grinding), and chemical extraction methods as a means of separating radioactively-contaminated soil fractions from uncontaminated soil fractions. The soil washing treatability study was conducted on a soil sample from the 116-F-4 Pluto Crib that had been dug up as part of an excavation treatability study. Trace element analyses of this soil showed no elevated concentrations above typically uncontaminated soil background levels. Data on the distribution of radionuclide in various size fractions indicated that the soil-washing tests should be focused on the gravel and sand fractions of the 116-F-4 soil. The radionuclide data also showed that 137 Cs was the only contaminant in this soil that exceeded the test performance goal (TPG). Therefore, the effectiveness of subsequent soil-washing tests for 116-F-4 soil was evaluated on the basis of activity attenuation of 137 Cs in the gravel- and sand-size fractions

  1. 100 Area soil washing: Bench scale tests on 116-F-4 pluto crib soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Field, J.G.

    1994-06-10

    The Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a bench-scale treatability study on a pluto crib soil sample from 100 Area of the Hanford Site. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of physical separation (wet sieving), treatment processes (attrition scrubbing, and autogenous surface grinding), and chemical extraction methods as a means of separating radioactively-contaminated soil fractions from uncontaminated soil fractions. The soil washing treatability study was conducted on a soil sample from the 116-F-4 Pluto Crib that had been dug up as part of an excavation treatability study. Trace element analyses of this soil showed no elevated concentrations above typically uncontaminated soil background levels. Data on the distribution of radionuclide in various size fractions indicated that the soil-washing tests should be focused on the gravel and sand fractions of the 116-F-4 soil. The radionuclide data also showed that {sup 137}Cs was the only contaminant in this soil that exceeded the test performance goal (TPG). Therefore, the effectiveness of subsequent soil-washing tests for 116-F-4 soil was evaluated on the basis of activity attenuation of {sup 137}Cs in the gravel- and sand-size fractions.

  2. The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) Wet Chemistry Experiment on the Mars 2001 Lander

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grannan, S. M.; Meloy, T. P.; Hecht, H.; Anderson, M. S.; Buehler, M.; Frant, M.; Kounaves, S. P.; Manatt, K. S.; Pike, W. T.; Schubert, W.

    1999-01-01

    The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) is an instrument suite that will fly on the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander Spacecraft. MECA is sponsored by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) program and will evaluate potential hazards that the dust and soil of Mars might present to astronauts and their equipment on a future human mission to Mars. Four elements constitute the integrated MECA payload: a microscopy station, patch plates, an electrometer, and the wet chemistry experiment (WCE). The WCE is the first application of electrochemical sensors to study soil chemistry on another planetary body, in addition to being the first measurement of soil/water solution properties on Mars. The chemical composition and properties of the watersoluble materials present in the Martian soil are of considerable interest to the planetary science community because characteristic salts are formed by the water-based weathering of rocks, the action of volcanic gases, and biological activity. Thus the characterization of water-soluble soil materials on Mars can provide information on the geochemical history of the planet surface. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  3. Effect of soil surface management on radiocesium concentrations in apple orchard and fruit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusaba, Shinnosuke; Matsuoka, Kaori; Abe, Kazuhiro

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the effect of soil surface management on radiocesium accumulation in an apple orchard in Fukushima Prefecture over 4 years after Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in mid-March 2011. Different types of soil surface management such as clean cultivation, intertillage management, intertillage with bark compost application, sod culture, and zeolite application were employed. The radiocesium concentrations in soil were higher in the surface layer (0–5 cm) than in the other layers. The radiocesium concentration in the surface layer soil with sod culture in 2014 increased non-significantly compared with that observed in 2011. The radiocesium concentration in the mid-layer soil (5–15 cm) managed with intertillage was higher than that in soil managed using other types of management. The radiocesium amount in the organic matter on the soil surface was the highest in sod culture, and was significantly lower in the management with intertillage. The radiocesium concentration in fruit decreased exponentially during the 4 years in each types of soil surface management. The decrease in radiocesium concentration showed similar trends with each type of soil surface management, even if the concentration in each soil layer varied according to the management applied. Furthermore, intertillage with bark compost application did not affect the radiocesium concentration in fruit. These results suggest that the soil surface management type that affected the radiocesium distribution in the soil or the compost application with conventional practice did not affect its concentration in fruit of apple trees for at least 4 years since the nuclear power plant accident, at a radiocesium deposition level similar to that recorded in Fukushima City. (author)

  4. An experimental study on mass loading of soil particles on plant surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, J. G.; Gerzabek, M. H.; Mueck, K.

    1994-01-01

    Radionuclide contaminated soil adhered to plant surfaces can contribute to human ingestion dose. To determine this contribution, a method of 46 Sc neutron activation analysis was established and tested, by which a detection limit of 0.05 mg soil per g dry plant biomass can be obtained. In the field and greenhouse experiment the mass loading of soil on ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and broadbean (Vicia faba L.) was investigated and the contribution from rainsplash and wind erosion were evaluated separately. Soil retained on plant surfaces in field conditions in Seibersdorf/Austria was 5.77 ± 1.44 mg soil per g dry plant for ryegrass and 9.51 ± 0.73 mg soil per g dry plant for broadbean. Estimates of contribution from rainsplash and wind erosion to soil contamination of plants during the experimental period are 68 % and 32 % for broadbean 47 % and 53 % for ryegrass respectively. Mass loading results from field studies indicate that soil adhesion on plant surfaces can contribute up to 23 % of plant 137 Cs contamination, the transfer factors modified by mass loading decline differently, depending on 137 Cs concentration of the soil and the soil mass adhered to plant surfaces. (author)

  5. Topographic soil wetness index derived from combined Alaska-British Columbia datasets for the Gulf of Alaska region

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Amore, D. V.; Biles, F. E.

    2016-12-01

    The flow of water is often highlighted as a priority in land management planning and assessments related to climate change. Improved measurement and modeling of soil moisture is required to develop predictive estimates for plant distributions, soil moisture, and snowpack, which all play important roles in ecosystem planning in the face of climate change. Drainage indexes are commonly derived from GIS tools with digital elevation models. Soil moisture classes derived from these tools are useful digital proxies for ecosystem functions associated with the concentration of water on the landscape. We developed a spatially explicit topographically derived soil wetness index (TWI) across the perhumid coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) of Alaska and British Columbia. Developing applicable drainage indexes in complex terrain and across broad areas required careful application of the appropriate DEM, caution with artifacts in GIS covers and mapping realistic zones of wetlands with the indicator. The large spatial extent of the model has facilitated the mapping of forest habitat and the development of water table depth mapping in the region. A key element of the TWI is the merging of elevation datasets across the US-Canada border where major rivers transect the international boundary. The unified TWI allows for seemless mapping across the international border and unified ecological applications. A python program combined with the unified DEM allows end users to quickly apply the TWI to all areas of the PCTR. This common platform can facilitate model comparison and improvements to local soil moisture conditions, generation of streamflow, and ecological site conditions. In this presentation we highlight the application of the TWI for mapping risk factors related to forest decline and the development of a regional water table depth map. Improved soil moisture maps are critical for deriving spatial models of changes in soil moisture for both plant growth and streamflow across

  6. Patterns and possible mechanisms of soil CO2 uptake in sandy soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fa, Ke-Yu; Zhang, Yu-Qing; Wu, Bin; Qin, Shu-Gao; Liu, Zhen; She, Wei-Wei

    2016-02-15

    It has been reported that soils in drylands can absorb CO2, although the patterns and mechanisms of such a process remain under debate. To address this, we investigated the relationships between soil CO2 flux and meteorological factors and soil properties in Northwest China to reveal the reasons for "anomalous" soil CO2 flux in a desert ecosystem. Soil CO2 flux increased significantly and exponentially with surficial turbulence at the diel scale under dry conditions (Psoil CO2 flux demonstrated remarkable negative correlation with soil air pressure (Psoil water content was insufficient to dissolve the absorbed CO2 in dry conditions, but was sufficient in wet conditions. The concentration of soil HCO3(-) in the morning was higher than in the evening in dry conditions, but this pattern was reversed in wet conditions. These results imply that CO2 outgassing induced by turbulence, expansion of soil air, CO2 effusion from soil water, and carbonate precipitation during daytime can explain the abiotic diurnal CO2 release. Moreover, CO2 pumping from the atmosphere into the soil, caused mainly by carbonate dissolution, can account for nocturnal CO2 absorption in dry conditions. The abiotic soil CO2 flux pattern (CO2 absorption throughout the diel cycle) in wet conditions can be attributed to downward mass flow of soil CO2 and intensified soil air shrinkage, CO2 dissolving in soil water, and carbonate dissolution. These results provide a basis for determining the location of abiotic fixed carbon within soils in desert ecosystems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Antireflective surface structures in glass by self-assembly of SiO2 nanoparticles and wet etching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maier, Thomas; Bach, David; Müllner, Paul; Hainberger, Rainer; Brückl, Hubert

    2013-08-26

    We describe the fabrication of an antireflective surface structure with sub-wavelength dimensions on a glass surface using scalable low-cost techniques involving sol-gel coating, thermal annealing, and wet chemical etching. The glass surface structure consists of sand dune like protrusions with 250 nm periodicity and a maximum peak-to-valley height of 120 nm. The antireflective structure increases the transmission of the glass up to 0.9% at 700 nm, and the transmission remains enhanced over a wide spectral range and for a wide range of incident angles. Our measurements reveal a strong polarization dependence of the transmission change.

  8. Smog nitrogen and the rapid acidification of forest soil, San Bernardino Mountains, southern California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Yvonne A; Fenn, Mark; Meixner, Thomas; Shouse, Peter J; Breiner, Joan; Allen, Edith; Wu, Laosheng

    2007-03-21

    We report the rapid acidification of forest soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. After 30 years, soil to a depth of 25 cm has decreased from a pH (measured in 0.01 M CaCl2) of 4.8 to 3.1. At the 50-cm depth, it has changed from a pH of 4.8 to 4.2. We attribute this rapid change in soil reactivity to very high rates of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N) added to the soil surface (72 kg ha(-1) year(-1)) from wet, dry, and fog deposition under a Mediterranean climate. Our research suggests that a soil textural discontinuity, related to a buried ancient landsurface, contributes to this rapid acidification by controlling the spatial and temporal movement of precipitation into the landsurface. As a result, the depth to which dissolved anthropogenic N as nitrate (NO3) is leached early in the winter wet season is limited to within the top approximately 130 cm of soil where it accumulates and increases soil acidity.

  9. Smog Nitrogen and the Rapid Acidification of Forest Soil, San Bernardino Mountains, Southern California

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yvonne A. Wood

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the rapid acidification of forest soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. After 30 years, soil to a depth of 25 cm has decreased from a pH (measured in 0.01 M CaCl2 of 4.8 to 3.1. At the 50-cm depth, it has changed from a pH of 4.8 to 4.2. We attribute this rapid change in soil reactivity to very high rates of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N added to the soil surface (72 kg ha–1 year–1 from wet, dry, and fog deposition under a Mediterranean climate. Our research suggests that a soil textural discontinuity, related to a buried ancient landsurface, contributes to this rapid acidification by controlling the spatial and temporal movement of precipitation into the landsurface. As a result, the depth to which dissolved anthropogenic N as nitrate (NO3 is leached early in the winter wet season is limited to within the top ~130 cm of soil where it accumulates and increases soil acidity.

  10. Soil heat flux and day time surface energy balance closure

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Soil heat flux; surface energy balance; Bowen's ratio; sensible and latent ... The energy storage term for the soil layer 0–0.05 m is calculated and the ground heat ... When a new method that accounts for both soil thermal conduction and soil ...

  11. Long-range alpha detection applied to soil surface monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caress, R.W.; Allander, K.S.; Bounds, J.A.; Catlett, M.M.; MacArthur, D.W.; Rutherford, D.A.

    1992-01-01

    The long-range alpha detection (LRAD) technique depends on the detection of ion pairs generated by alpha particles losing energy in air rather than on detection of the alpha particles themselves. Typical alpha particles generated by uranium will travel less than 3 cm in air. In contrast, the ions have been successfully detected many inches or feet away from the contamination. Since LRAD detection systems are sensitive to all ions simultaneously, large LRAD soil surface monitors (SSMS) can be used to collect all of the ions from a large sample. The LRAD SSMs are designed around the fan-less LRAD detector. In this case a five-sided box with an open bottom is placed on the soil surface. Ions generated by alpha decays on the soil surface are collected on a charged copper plate within the box. These ions create a small current from the plate to ground which is monitored with a sensitive electrometer. The current measured is proportional to the number of ions in the box, which is, in turn, proportional to the amount of alpha contamination on the surface of the soil. This report includes the design and construction of a 1-m by 1-m SSM as well as the results of a study at Fernald, OH, as part of the Uranium in Soils Integrated Demonstration

  12. Quantification of chemical transport processes from the soil to surface runoff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Kun; Huang, Chi-Hua; Wang, Guang-Qian; Fu, Xu-Dong; Parker, Gary

    2013-01-01

    There is a good conceptual understanding of the processes that govern chemical transport from the soil to surface runoff, but few studies have actually quantified these processes separately. Thus, we designed a laboratory flow cell and experimental procedures to quantify the chemical transport from soil to runoff water in the following individual processes: (i) convection with a vertical hydraulic gradient, (ii) convection via surface flow or the Bernoulli effect, (iii) diffusion, and (iv) soil loss. We applied different vertical hydraulic gradients by setting the flow cell to generate different seepage or drainage conditions. Our data confirmed the general form of the convection-diffusion equation. However, we now have additional quantitative data that describe the contribution of each individual chemical loading process in different surface runoff and soil hydrological conditions. The results of this study will be useful for enhancing our understanding of different geochemical processes in the surface soil mixing zone. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  13. Temporal variations in near surface soil moisture at two contrasting sites in the Wye catchment and their control on storm streamflow generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, G.; Crane, S. B.

    Near surface soil moisture measurements were recorded at hourly intervals at two contrasting sites within the Cyff sub-catchment using a prototype capacitance probe system. In a mire area within a valley bottom, over the twelve month recording period, very little change in moisture content occurred. At the other site, a well drained area on a steeply sloping hillside, major variations occurred with significant soil moisture deficits being generated during a particularly dry summer. Soil moisture on the slope responded rapidly to rainfall inputs during wet periods, with little response during particularly dry periods. A number of rainfall events was analysed to determine whether changes in soil moisture could be used to characterise storm hydrographs for the Cyff and the Gwy, two sub-catchments being composed of differing percentages of mire area and steep slopes. It was found that percentage runoff for the Cyff was correlated with antecedent soil moisture on the slope, though the agreements for peak flow and lag time were poorer. For the Gwy, poor agreements were obtained for all three hydrograph characteristics. A simple formulation, based on storm rainfall and antecedent soil moisture deficits in the slope and mire areas, gave good agreement with storm streamflow volumes.

  14. Temporal variations in near surface soil moisture at two contrasting sites in the Wye catchment and their control on storm streamflow generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Roberts

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Near surface soil moisture measurements were recorded at hourly intervals at two contrasting sites within the Cyff sub-catchment using a prototype capacitance probe system. In a mire area within a valley bottom, over the twelve month recording period, very little change in moisture content occurred. At the other site, a well drained area on a steeply sloping hillside, major variations occurred with significant soil moisture deficits being generated during a particularly dry summer. Soil moisture on the slope responded rapidly to rainfall inputs during wet periods, with little response during particularly dry periods. A number of rainfall events was analysed to determine whether changes in soil moisture could be used to characterise storm hydrographs for the Cyff and the Gwy, two sub-catchments being composed of differing percentages of mire area and steep slopes. It was found that percentage runoff for the Cyff was correlated with antecedent soil moisture on the slope, though the agreements for peak flow and lag time were poorer. For the Gwy, poor agreements were obtained for all three hydrograph characteristics. A simple formulation, based on storm rainfall and antecedent soil moisture deficits in the slope and mire areas, gave good agreement with storm streamflow volumes.

  15. Control of Eolian soil erosion from waste site surface barriers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ligotke, M.W.

    1994-11-01

    Physical models were tested in a wind tunnel to determine optimum surface-ravel admixtures for protecting silt-loam soil from erosion by, wind and saltating, sand stresses. The tests were performed to support the development of a natural-material surface barrier for and waste sites. Plans call for a 2-m deep silt-loam soil reservoir to retain infiltrating water from rainfall and snowmelt. The objective of the study was to develop a gravel admixture that would produce an erosion-resistant surface layer during, periods of extended dry climatic stress. Thus, tests were performed using simulated surfaces representing dry, unvegetated conditions present just after construction, after a wildfire, or during an extended drought. Surfaces were prepared using silt-loam soil mixed with various grades of sand and Travel. Wind-induced surface shear stresses were controlled over the test surfaces, as were saltating, sand mass flow rates and intensities. Tests were performed at wind speeds that approximated and exceeded local 100-year peak gust intensities. Surface armors produced by pea gravel admixtures were shown to provide the best protection from wind and saltating sand stresses. Compared with unprotected silt-loam surfaces, armored surfaces reduced erosion rates by more than 96%. Based in part on wind tunnel results, a pea gravel admixture of 15% will be added to the top 1 in of soil in a prototype barrier under construction in 1994. Field tests are planned at the prototype site to provide data for comparison with wind tunnel results

  16. Synthesis of soil-hydraulic properties and infiltration timescales in wildfire-affected soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebel, Brian A.; Moody, John A.

    2017-01-01

    We collected soil-hydraulic property data from the literature for wildfire-affected soils, ash, and unburned soils. These data were used to calculate metrics and timescales of hydrologic response related to infiltration and surface runoff generation. Sorptivity (S) and wetting front potential (Ψf) were significantly different (lower) in burned soils compared with unburned soils, whereas field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) was not significantly different. The magnitude and duration of the influence of capillarity during infiltration was greatly reduced in burned soils, causing faster ponding times in response to rainfall. Ash had large values of S and Kfs but moderate values of Ψf, compared with unburned and burned soils, indicating ash has long ponding times in response to rainfall. The ratio of S2/Kfs was nearly constant (~100 mm) for unburned soils but more variable in burned soils, suggesting that unburned soils have a balance between gravity and capillarity contributions to infiltration that may depend on soil organic matter, whereas in burned soils the gravity contribution to infiltration is greater. Changes in S and Kfs in burned soils act synergistically to reduce infiltration and accelerate and amplify surface runoff generation. Synthesis of these findings identifies three key areas for future research. First, short timescales of capillary influences on infiltration indicate the need for better measurements of infiltration at times less than 1 min to accurately characterize S in burned soils. Second, using parameter values, such as Ψf, from unburned areas could produce substantial errors in hydrologic modeling when used without adjustment for wildfire effects, causing parameter compensation and resulting underestimation of Kfs. Third, more thorough measurement campaigns that capture soil-structural changes, organic matter impacts, quantitative water repellency trends, and soil-water content along with soil-hydraulic properties could drive the

  17. Effects of Near Soil Surface Characteristics on the Soil Detachment Process in a Chronological Series of Vegetation Restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bing

    2017-04-01

    The effects of near soil surface characteristics on the soil detachment process might be different at different stages of vegetation restoration. This study was performed to investigate the effects of the near soil surface factors of plant litter, biological soil crusts (BSCs), dead roots and live roots on the soil detachment process by overland flow at different stages of restoration. Soil samples (1 m long, 0.1 m wide, and 0.05 m high) under four treatment conditions were collected from 1-yr-old and 24-yr-old natural grasslands and subjected to flow scouring under five different shear stresses ranging from 5.3 to 14.6 Pa. The results indicated that the effects of near soil surface characteristics on soil detachment were substantial during the process of vegetation restoration. The total reduction in the soil detachment capacity of the 1-yr-old grassland was 98.1%, and of this total, 7.9%, 30.0% and 60.2% was attributed to the litter, BSCs and plant roots, respectively. In the 24-yr-old grassland, the soil detachment capacity decreased by 99.0%, of which 13.2%, 23.5% and 62.3% was caused by the litter, BSCs and plant roots, respectively. Combined with the previously published data of a 7-yr-old grassland, the influence of plant litter on soil detachment was demonstrated to increase with restoration time, but soil detachment was also affected by the litter type and composition. The role of BSCs was greater than that of plant litter in reducing soil detachment during the early stages of vegetation recovery. However, its contribution weakened with time since restoration. The influence of plant roots accounted for at least half or up to two-thirds of the total near soil surface factors, of which more than 72.6% was attributed to the physical binding effects of the roots. The chemical bonding effect of the roots increased with time since restoration and was greater than the effect of the litter on soil detachment in the late stages of vegetation restoration. The

  18. Annual variation of 7Be soil inventory in a semiarid region of central Argentina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lohaiza, F.; Velasco, H.; Juri Ayub, J.; Rizzotto, M.; Di Gregorio, D.E.; Huck, H.; Valladares, D.L.

    2014-01-01

    Reliable information on environmental radionuclides atmospheric entrance, and their distribution along the soil profile, is a necessary condition for using these soil and sediment tracers to investigate key environmental processes. To address this need, 7 Be content in rainwater and the wet deposition in a semiarid region at San Luis Province, Argentina, were studied. Following these researches, in the same region, we have assessed the 7 Be content along a soil profile, during 2.5 years from September 2009 to January 2012. As expected, the specific activity values in soil samples in the wet period (November–April) were higher than in the dry period (May–October). During the investigated period (2009 – beginning 2012) and for all sampled points, the maximum value of the 7 Be specific activity (Bq kg −1 ) was measured at the surface level. A typical decreasing exponential function of 7 Be areal activity (Bq m −2 ) with soil mass depth (kg m −2 ) was found and the key distribution parameters were determined for each month. The minimum value of areal activity was 51 Bq m −2 in August, and the maximum was 438 Bq m −2 in February. The relaxation mass depth ranges from 2.9 kg m −2 in March to 1.3 kg m −2 in August. 7 Be wet deposition can explain in a very significant proportion the 7 Be inventory in soil. During the period of winds in the region (September and October), the 7 Be content in soil was greater than the expected contribution from wet deposition, situation that is compatible with a higher relative contribution of dry deposition at this period of the year. - Highlights: • The 7 Be content along the soil profile in a semiarid region of Argentina was assessed. • The 7 Be areal activity on soil shows an exponentially decreasing distribution with mass depth. • The relaxation mass depth ranging from 2.9 kg m −2 to 1.3 kg m −2 in wet and dry period respectively. • A simple model is used to determine the 7 Be content in soil from the 7

  19. Linking soil type and rainfall characteristics towards estimation of surface evaporative capacitance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Or, D.; Bickel, S.; Lehmann, P.

    2017-12-01

    Separation of evapotranspiration (ET) to evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) components for attribution of surface fluxes or for assessment of isotope fractionation in groundwater remains a challenge. Regional estimates of soil evaporation often rely on plant-based (Penman-Monteith) ET estimates where is E is obtained as a residual or a fraction of potential evaporation. We propose a novel method for estimating E from soil-specific properties, regional rainfall characteristics and considering concurrent internal drainage that shelters soil water from evaporation. A soil-dependent evaporative characteristic length defines a depth below which soil water cannot be pulled to the surface by capillarity; this depth determines the maximal soil evaporative capacitance (SEC). The SEC is recharged by rainfall and subsequently emptied by competition between drainage and surface evaporation (considering canopy interception evaporation). We show that E is strongly dependent on rainfall characteristics (mean annual, number of storms) and soil textural type, with up to 50% of rainfall lost to evaporation in loamy soil. The SEC concept applied to different soil types and climatic regions offers direct bounds on regional surface evaporation independent of plant-based parameterization or energy balance calculations.

  20. Surface microstructures of daisy florets (Asteraceae) and characterization of their anisotropic wetting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, Kerstin; Bennemann, Michael; Bohn, Holger F; Barthlott, Wilhelm; Albach, Dirk C

    2013-01-01

    The surface microstructures on ray florets of 62 species were characterized and compared with modern phylogenetic data of species affiliation in Asteraceae to determine sculptural patterns and their occurrence in the tribes of Asteraceae. Their wettability was studied to identify structural-induced droplet adhesion, which can be used for the development of artificial surfaces for water harvesting and passive surface water transport. The wettability was characterized by contact angle (CA) and tilt angle measurements, performed on fresh ray florets and their epoxy resin replica. The CAs on ray florets varied between 104° and 156°, but water droplets did not roll off when surface was tilted at 90°. Elongated cell structures and cuticle folding orientated in the same direction as the cell elongation caused capillary forces, leading to anisotropic wetting, with extension of water droplets along the length axis of epidermis cells. The strongest elongation of the droplets was also supported by a parallel, cell-overlapping cuticle striation. In artificial surfaces made of epoxy replica of ray florets, this effect was enhanced. The distribution of the identified four structural types exhibits a strong phylogenetic signal and allows the inference of an evolutionary trend in the modification of floret epidermal cells. (paper)

  1. Surface microstructures of daisy florets (Asteraceae) and characterization of their anisotropic wetting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Kerstin; Bennemann, Michael; Bohn, Holger F; Albach, Dirk C; Barthlott, Wilhelm

    2013-09-01

    The surface microstructures on ray florets of 62 species were characterized and compared with modern phylogenetic data of species affiliation in Asteraceae to determine sculptural patterns and their occurrence in the tribes of Asteraceae. Their wettability was studied to identify structural-induced droplet adhesion, which can be used for the development of artificial surfaces for water harvesting and passive surface water transport. The wettability was characterized by contact angle (CA) and tilt angle measurements, performed on fresh ray florets and their epoxy resin replica. The CAs on ray florets varied between 104° and 156°, but water droplets did not roll off when surface was tilted at 90°. Elongated cell structures and cuticle folding orientated in the same direction as the cell elongation caused capillary forces, leading to anisotropic wetting, with extension of water droplets along the length axis of epidermis cells. The strongest elongation of the droplets was also supported by a parallel, cell-overlapping cuticle striation. In artificial surfaces made of epoxy replica of ray florets, this effect was enhanced. The distribution of the identified four structural types exhibits a strong phylogenetic signal and allows the inference of an evolutionary trend in the modification of floret epidermal cells.

  2. Migration of radionuclides in sub-surface soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachhuber, H.; Bunzl, K.; Dietl, F.; Kretner, R.; Schimmack, W.; Schultz, W.

    1981-08-01

    The object of the investigations was to draw the most realistic conclusions about the spreading rate of the radionuclides Sr, I, Cs and Ce in a model accident contaminating the earth surface for various subsurface soils taken from the environment of the Gorleben salt done. The retardation factors were hence determined for these radionuclides in columntests in undisturbed soil samples and the distribution coefficients determined in disturbed soil samples by shaking tests (batch method). The following mobility series can be given very globally for the examined soil profiles where especially columnar-results had been used: Ranker (Trebel) J > Sr > Ce > Cs, Podsol (Gorleben) J > Cs > Sr > Ce, Braunerde (Bruenkendorf) J approx. >= Sr > Ce approx. >= Cs. Arable Soils: Podsol (Gorleben) J > Sr > Cs > Ce, Parabraunerde (Eschweiler) J > Sr > Ce approx. >= Cs. (orig./HP) [de

  3. Tracing nitrate pollution sources and transformation in surface- and ground-waters using environmental isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yan; Li, Fadong; Zhang, Qiuying; Li, Jing; Liu, Qiang

    2014-01-01

    Water pollution in the form of nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 − –N) contamination is a major concern in most agricultural areas in the world. Concentrations and nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of nitrate, as well as oxygen and deuterium isotopic compositions of surface and groundwater from a typical irrigated region in the North China Plain (NCP) collected from May to October in 2012 were analyzed to examine the major nitrate sources and transformations. Concentrations of NO 3 − –N ranged from 0.2 to 29.6 mg/L (mean of 11.2 mg/L) in surface water, and from 0.1 to 19.4 mg/L (mean of 2.8 mg/L) in groundwater. Approximately 46.7% of the surface water samples and 10% of the groundwater samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standard for NO 3 − –N. Surface water samples that exceeded the standard were collected mainly in the dry season (May and October), while groundwater samples that exceeded the standard were collected in the wet season (June). Overall, the highest nitrate levels were observed in surface water in May and in groundwater in June, indicating that fertilizer application, precipitation, and irrigation strongly influence the NO 3 − –N concentrations. Analyses of isotopic compositions suggest that the main sources of nitrate are nitrification of fertilizer and sewage in surface water, in contrast, mineralization of soil organic N and sewage is the groundwater sources during the dry season. When fertilizers are applied, nitrate will be transported by precipitation through the soil layers to the groundwater in the wet season (June). Denitrification only occurred in surface water in the wet season. Attempts should be made to minimize overuse of nitrogen fertilizers and to improve nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated agricultural regions. - Highlights: • Nitrate sources in surface and groundwater were identified by multiple isotopes. • Nitrate pollution displayed obvious seasonal variations. • Nitrate of

  4. Tracing nitrate pollution sources and transformation in surface- and ground-waters using environmental isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yan [Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li, Fadong, E-mail: lifadong@igsnrr.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Zhang, Qiuying [Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021 (China); Li, Jing [Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Liu, Qiang [Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

    2014-08-15

    Water pollution in the form of nitrate nitrogen (NO{sub 3}{sup −}–N) contamination is a major concern in most agricultural areas in the world. Concentrations and nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of nitrate, as well as oxygen and deuterium isotopic compositions of surface and groundwater from a typical irrigated region in the North China Plain (NCP) collected from May to October in 2012 were analyzed to examine the major nitrate sources and transformations. Concentrations of NO{sub 3}{sup −}–N ranged from 0.2 to 29.6 mg/L (mean of 11.2 mg/L) in surface water, and from 0.1 to 19.4 mg/L (mean of 2.8 mg/L) in groundwater. Approximately 46.7% of the surface water samples and 10% of the groundwater samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standard for NO{sub 3}{sup −}–N. Surface water samples that exceeded the standard were collected mainly in the dry season (May and October), while groundwater samples that exceeded the standard were collected in the wet season (June). Overall, the highest nitrate levels were observed in surface water in May and in groundwater in June, indicating that fertilizer application, precipitation, and irrigation strongly influence the NO{sub 3}{sup −}–N concentrations. Analyses of isotopic compositions suggest that the main sources of nitrate are nitrification of fertilizer and sewage in surface water, in contrast, mineralization of soil organic N and sewage is the groundwater sources during the dry season. When fertilizers are applied, nitrate will be transported by precipitation through the soil layers to the groundwater in the wet season (June). Denitrification only occurred in surface water in the wet season. Attempts should be made to minimize overuse of nitrogen fertilizers and to improve nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated agricultural regions. - Highlights: • Nitrate sources in surface and groundwater were identified by multiple isotopes. • Nitrate pollution displayed obvious

  5. Vertical and lateral soil moisture patterns on a Mediterranean karst hillslope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Canton Yolanda

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The need for a better understanding of factors controlling the variability of soil water content (θ in space and time to adequately predict the movement of water in the soil and in the interphase soil-atmosphere is widely recognised. In this paper, we analyse how soil properties, surface cover and topography influence soil moisture (θ over karstic lithology in a sub-humid Mediterranean mountain environment. For this analysis we have used 17 months of θ measurements with a high temporal resolution from different positions on a hillslope at the main recharge area of the Campo de Dalías aquifer, in Sierra de Gádor (Almería, SE Spain. Soil properties and surface cover vary depending on the position at the hillslope, and this variability has an important effect on θ. The higher clay content towards the lower position of the hillslope explains the increase of θ downslope at the subsurface horizon throughout the entire period studied. In the surface horizon (0-0.1 m, θ patterns coincide with those found at the subsurface horizon (0.1-0.35 m during dry periods when the main control is also exerted by the higher percentage of clay that increases downslope and limits water depletion through evaporation. However, in wet periods, the wettest regime is found in the surface horizon at the upper position of the hillslope where plant cover, soil organic matter content, available water, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Kunsat and infiltration rates are higher than in the lower positions. The presence of rock outcrops upslope the θ sampling area, acts as runoff sources, and subsurface flow generation between surface and subsurface horizons also may increase the differences between the upper and the lower positions of the hillslope during wet periods. Both rock and soil cracks and fissures act disconnecting surface water fluxes and reducing run-on to the lower position of the hillslope and thus they affect θ pattern as well as groundwater recharge

  6. Surface passivation by Al2O3 and a-SiNx: H films deposited on wet-chemically conditioned Si surfaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bordihn, S.; Mertens, V.; Engelhart, P.; Kersten, K.; Mandoc, M.M.; Müller, J.W.; Kessels, W.M.M.

    2012-01-01

    The surface passivation of p- and n-type silicon by different chemically grown SiO2 films (prepared by HNO3, H2SO4/H2O2 and HCl/H2O2 treatments) was investigated after PECVD of a-SiNx:H and ALD of Al2O3 capping films. The wet chemically grown SiO2 films were compared to thermally grown SiO2 and the

  7. Soil surface CO2 fluxes and the carbon budget of a grassland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, J. M.; Garcia, R.; Verma, S. B.

    1992-01-01

    Measurements of soil surface CO2 fluxes are reported for three sites within the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE) area, and simple empirical equations are fit to the data to provide predictions of soil fluxes from environmental observations. A prototype soil chamber, used to make the flux measurements, is described and tested by comparing CO2 flux measurements to a 40-L chamber, a 1-m/cu chamber, and eddy correlation. Results suggest that flux measurements with the prototype chamber are consistent with measurements by other methods to within about 20 percent. A simple empirical equation based on 10-cm soil temperature, 0- to 10-cm soil volumetric water content, and leaf area index predicts the soil surface CO2 flux with a rms error of 1.2 micro-mol sq m/s for all three sites. Further evidence supports using this equation to evaluate soil surface CO2 during the 1987 FIFE experiment. The soil surface CO2 fluxes when averaged over 24 hours are comparable to daily gross canopy photosynthetic rates. For 6 days of data the net daily accumulation of carbon is about 0.6 g CO2 sq m/d; this is only a few percent of the daily gross accumulation of carbon by photosynthesis. As the soil became drier in 1989, the net accumulation of carbon by the prairie increased, suggesting that the soil flux is more sensitive to temperature and drought than the photosynthetic fluxes.

  8. An experimental study on mass loading of soil particles on plant surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, J.; Gerzabek, M.H.; Mueck, K.

    1994-03-01

    Radionuclide contaminated soil adhered to plant surfaces can contribute to human ingestion dose. To determine this contribution, a method of 46 Sc neutron activation analysis was established and tested, by which a detection limit of 0.05 mg soil per g dry plant biomass can be obtained. In the field and greenhouse experiment the mass loading of soil on ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and broad bean (Vicia faba L.) was investigated and the contribution from rainsplash and wind erosion were evaluated separately. Soil retained on plant surfaces in field conditions in Seibersdorf/Austria was 5.77 ± 1.44 mg soil per g dry plant for ryegrass and 9.51 ± 0.73 mg soil per g dry plant for broad bean. Estimates of contribution from rainsplash and wind erosion to soil contamination of plant during the experimental period are 68 % and 32 % for broadbean, 47 % and 53 % for ryegrass, respectively. Mass loading results from field studies indicate that soil adhesion on plant surfaces can contribute up to 23 % of plant 137 Cs contamination, the transfer factors modified by mass loading decline differently, depending on 137 Cs concentration of the soil and the soil mass adhered to plant surfaces. (authors)

  9. The sensitivity of US wildfire occurrence to pre-season soil moisture conditions across ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Daniel; Reager, John T.; Zajic, Brittany; Rousseau, Nick; Rodell, Matthew; Hinkley, Everett

    2018-01-01

    It is generally accepted that year-to-year variability in moisture conditions and drought are linked with increased wildfire occurrence. However, quantifying the sensitivity of wildfire to surface moisture state at seasonal lead-times has been challenging due to the absence of a long soil moisture record with the appropriate coverage and spatial resolution for continental-scale analysis. Here we apply model simulations of surface soil moisture that numerically assimilate observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission with the USDA Forest Service’s historical Fire-Occurrence Database over the contiguous United States. We quantify the relationships between pre-fire-season soil moisture and subsequent-year wildfire occurrence by land-cover type and produce annual probable wildfire occurrence and burned area maps at 0.25 degree resolution. Cross-validated results generally indicate a higher occurrence of smaller fires when months preceding fire season are wet, while larger fires are more frequent when soils are dry. This is consistent with the concept of increased fuel accumulation under wet conditions in the pre-season. These results demonstrate the fundamental strength of the relationship between soil moisture and fire activity at long lead-times and are indicative of that relationship’s utility for the future development of national-scale predictive capability.

  10. Controls on surface soil drying rates observed by SMAP and simulated by the Noah land surface model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shellito, Peter J.; Small, Eric E.; Livneh, Ben

    2018-03-01

    Drydown periods that follow precipitation events provide an opportunity to assess controls on soil evaporation on a continental scale. We use SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) observations and Noah simulations from drydown periods to quantify the role of soil moisture, potential evaporation, vegetation cover, and soil texture on soil drying rates. Rates are determined using finite differences over intervals of 1 to 3 days. In the Noah model, the drying rates are a good approximation of direct soil evaporation rates, and our work suggests that SMAP-observed drying is also predominantly affected by direct soil evaporation. Data cover the domain of the North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 and span the first 1.8 years of SMAP's operation. Drying of surface soil moisture observed by SMAP is faster than that simulated by Noah. SMAP drying is fastest when surface soil moisture levels are high, potential evaporation is high, and when vegetation cover is low. Soil texture plays a minor role in SMAP drying rates. Noah simulations show similar responses to soil moisture and potential evaporation, but vegetation has a minimal effect and soil texture has a much larger effect compared to SMAP. When drying rates are normalized by potential evaporation, SMAP observations and Noah simulations both show that increases in vegetation cover lead to decreases in evaporative efficiency from the surface soil. However, the magnitude of this effect simulated by Noah is much weaker than that determined from SMAP observations.

  11. Soil Hydrological Attributes of an Integrated Crop-Livestock Agroecosystem: Increased Adaptation through Resistance to Soil Change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liebig, M.A; Tanaka, D.L; Kronberg, S.L; Karn, J.F; Scholljegerdes, E.J

    2011-01-01

    Integrated crop-livestock systems have been purported to have significant agronomic and environmental benefits compared to specialized, single-enterprise production systems. However, concerns exist regarding the effect of livestock in integrated systems to cause soil compaction, thereby decreasing infiltration of water into soil. Such concerns are compounded by projections of more frequent high-intensity rainfall events from anticipated climate change, which would act to increase surface runoff and soil erosion. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of residue management, frequency of hoof traffic, season, and production system (e.g., integrated annual cropping versus perennial grass) on infiltration rates from 2001 through 2008 in central North Dakota, USA. Imposed treatments had no effect on infiltration rate at three, six, and nine years after study establishment, implying that agricultural producers should not be concerned with inhibited infiltration in integrated annual cropping systems, where winter grazing is used. The use of no-till management, coupled with annual freeze/thaw and wet/dry cycles, likely conferred an inherent resistance to change in near-surface soil properties affecting soil hydrological attributes. Accordingly, caution should be exercised in applying these results to other regions or management systems.

  12. Wetting and dewetting of extracellular matrix and glycocalix models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Motomu; Rehfeldt, Florian; Schneider, Matthias F; Mathe, Gerald; Albersdoerfer, Antero; Neumaier, Klaus R; Purrucker, Oliver; Sackmann, Erich

    2005-01-01

    In this paper, we study wetting and dewetting of hydrated biopolymer layers mediating cell-cell and cell-tissue contacts, called the extracellular matrix and cell surface glycocalix, by the combination of various physical techniques. Here, the sum of the net effects of the various interfacial forces, which is referred to as the disjoining pressure, is used as a semi-quantitative measure to describe the thermodynamics of hydrated interlayers. The disjoining pressure can be measured by applying external forces to maintain the equilibrium distance between two parallel surfaces (in biology, two neighbouring plasma membranes). Using artificial models of the extracellular matrix and glycocalix, we describe stable cell-cell contacts in terms of the wetting (or spreading) of complex fluids on polymer surfaces. In fact, the adjustment of the wetting interaction via thin hydrating layers enables us to transform three-dimensional cell membranes into quasi-two-dimensional films on macroscopically large surfaces. Fine-tuning of local wetting conditions at the interface further allows for the selective wetting of native cell membranes on microstructured polysaccharide films, which has a large potential for individual detection of biological functions in confined geometries

  13. Exploiting Soil Moisture, Precipitation, and Streamflow Observations to Evaluate Soil Moisture/Runoff Coupling in Land Surface Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crow, W. T.; Chen, F.; Reichle, R. H.; Xia, Y.; Liu, Q.

    2018-05-01

    Accurate partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff is a fundamental objective of land surface models tasked with characterizing the surface water and energy balance. Temporal variability in this partitioning is due, in part, to changes in prestorm soil moisture, which determine soil infiltration capacity and unsaturated storage. Utilizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active Passive Level-4 soil moisture product in combination with streamflow and precipitation observations, we demonstrate that land surface models (LSMs) generally underestimate the strength of the positive rank correlation between prestorm soil moisture and event runoff coefficients (i.e., the fraction of rainfall accumulation volume converted into stormflow runoff during a storm event). Underestimation is largest for LSMs employing an infiltration-excess approach for stormflow runoff generation. More accurate coupling strength is found in LSMs that explicitly represent subsurface stormflow or saturation-excess runoff generation processes.

  14. Influence of hydraulic hysteresis on the mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils and interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khoury, Charbel N.

    Unsaturated soils are commonly widespread around the world, especially at shallow depths from the surface. The mechanical behavior of this near surface soil is influenced by the seasonal variations such as rainfall or drought, which in turn may have a detrimental effect on many structures (e.g. retaining walls, shallow foundations, mechanically stabilized earth walls, soil slopes, and pavements) in contact with it. Thus, in order to better understand this behavior, it is crucial to study the complex relationship between soil moisture content and matric suction (a stress state variable defined as pore air pressure minus pore water pressure) known as the Soil Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC). In addition, the influence of hydraulic hysteresis on the behavior of unsaturated soils, soil-structure interaction (i.e. rough and smooth steel interfaces, soil-geotextile interfaces) and pavement subgrade (depicted herein mainly by resilient modulus, Mr) was also studied. To this end, suction-controlled direct shear tests were performed on soils, rough and smooth steel interfaces and geotextile interface under drying (D) and wetting after drying (DW). The shearing behavior is examined in terms of the two stress state variables, matric suction and net normal stress. Results along the D and DW paths indicated that peak shear strength increased with suction and net normal stress; while in general, the post peak shear strength was not influenced by suction for rough interfaces and no consistent trend was observed for soils and soil-geotextiles interfaces. Contrary to saturated soils, results during shearing at higher suction values (i.e. 25 kPa and above) showed a decrease in water content eventhough the sample exhibited dilation. A behavior postulated to be related to disruption of menisci and/or non-uniformity of pore size which results in an increase in localized pore water pressures. Interestingly, wetting after drying (DW) test results showed higher peak and post peak shear

  15. Surface runoff and soil erosion by difference of surface cover characteristics using by an oscillating rainfall simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J. K.; Kim, M. S.; Yang, D. Y.

    2017-12-01

    Sediment transfer within hill slope can be changed by the hydrologic characteristics of surface material on hill slope. To better understand sediment transfer of the past and future related to climate changes, studies for the changes of soil erosion due to hydrological characteristics changes by surface materials on hill slope are needed. To do so, on-situ rainfall simulating test was conducted on three different surface conditions, i.e. well covered with litter layer condition (a), undisturbed bare condition (b), and disturbed bare condition (c) and these results from rainfall simulating test were compared with that estimated using the Limburg Soil Erosion Model (LISEM). The result from the rainfall simulating tests showed differences in the infiltration rate (a > b > c) and the highest soil erosion rate was occurred on c condition. The result from model also was similar to those from rainfall simulating tests, however, the difference from the value of soil erosion rate between two results was quite large on b and c conditions. These results implied that the difference of surface conditions could change the surface runoff and soil erosion and the result from the erosion model might significantly underestimate on bare surface conditions rather than that from rainfall simulating test.

  16. Monitoring changes in soil water content on adjustable soil slopes of a soil column using time domain reflectometry (TDR) techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wan Zakaria Wan Muhd Tahir; Lakam Anak Mejus; Johari Abdul Latif

    2004-01-01

    Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is one of non-destructive methods and widely used in hydrology and soil science for accurate and flexible measurement of soil water content The TDR technique is based on measuring the dielectric constant of soil from the propagation of an electromagnetic pulse traveling along installed probe rods (parallel wire transmission line). An adjustable soil column i.e., 80 cm (L) x 35 cm (H) x 44 cm (W) instrumented with six pairs of vertically installed CS615 reflectometer probes (TDR rods) was developed and wetted under a laboratory simulated rainfall and their sub-surface moisture variations as the slope changes were monitored using TDR method Soil samples for gravimetric determination of water content, converted to a volume basis were taken at selected times and locations after the final TDR reading for every slope change made of the soil column Comparisons of water contents by TDR with those from grawmetric samples at different slopes of soil column were examined. The accuracy was found to be comparable and to some extent dependent upon the variability of the soil. This study also suggests that the response of slope (above 20 degrees) to the gradual increase in water content profile may cause soil saturation faster and increased overland flow (runoff especially on weak soil conditions

  17. Effects of surface roughness on deviation angle and performance losses in wet steam turbines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagheri Esfe, H.; Kermani, M.J.; Saffar Avval, M.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, effects of turbine blade roughness and steam condensation on deviation angle and performance losses of the wet stages are investigated. The steam is assumed to obey non-equilibrium thermodynamic model, in which abrupt formation of liquid droplets produces condensation shocks. An AUSM-van Leer hybrid scheme is used to solve two-phase turbulent transonic steam flow around turbine rotor tip sections. The dominant solver of the computational domain is taken to be the AUSM scheme (1993) that in regions with large gradients smoothly switches to van Leer scheme (1979). This guarantees a robust hybrid scheme throughout the domain. It is observed that as a result of condensation, the aerothermodymics of the flow field changes. For example for a supersonic wet case with exit isentropic Mach number M e,is  = 1.45, the deviation angle and total pressure loss coefficient change by 65% and 200%, respectively, when compared with dry case. It is also observed that losses due to surface roughness in subsonic regions are much larger than those in supersonic regions. Hence, as a practical guideline for maintenance sequences, cleaning of subsonic parts of steam turbines should be considered first. - Highlights: • Two-phase turbulent transonic steam flow is numerically studied in this paper. • As a result of condensation, aerothermodynamics of the flow field changes. • Surface roughness has almost negligible effect on deviation angle. • Surface roughness plays an important role in performance losses. • Contribution of different loss mechanisms for smooth and rough blades are computed.

  18. Model determination and validation for reactive wetting processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yost, F.G.; O`Toole, E.J.; Sackinger, P.A. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Swiler, T.P. [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering

    1998-01-01

    It is shown that dissolutive wetting initially yields a metastable equilibrium. A compact model for the kinetics of approach to this metastable state is described. The technique for constructing these kinetics stems from the early work of Onsager and begins with a relationship for the entropy production. From this, a coupled set of nonlinear, ordinary differential equations can be written directly. The equations are solved numerically for the wetted area and compared with experimental data. The model captures many of the subtle complexities of dissolutive wetting such as multiple metastable states. Sessile drop experiments involving a variety of Bi-Sn alloys on solid Bi substrates were performed. Substrates prepared from small and large-grained polycrystals and single crystals were used to measure equilibrium and metastable contact angles and estimate the surface tension and equilibrium contact angle of the solid-liquid interface. The substrates were also used to investigate the coupling of the dissolution and wetting processes and to investigate the effect of substrate grain size on wetting. It was determined that the equilibrium wetting geometry is independent of linear scale and that grain size has little influence on wetting or dissolution in the Bi-Sn system. To investigate the atomic behavior of liquids at interfaces during wetting, the authors simulated wetting in the Ag-Cu system using molecular dynamics with atomic potentials and observed both atomic dynamics and structural correlations of the liquid-solid interface. The authors found that spreading is prompted by interactions between the liquid and the substrate surface that cause the liquid layer in contact with the substrate to take on some of the symmetry of the substrate surface and result in the formation of a liquid monolayer that extends beyond the major part of the liquid droplet.

  19. Nocturnal soil CO2 uptake and its relationship to sub-surface soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes in a Chihuahuan Desert shrubland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Despite their prevalence, little attention has been given to quantifying aridland soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes over prolonged, annually occurring dry periods. We measured surface soil respiration (Rsoil), volumetric soil moisture and temperature in inter- and under-canopy soils, sub-surface soi...

  20. Wetting kinetics of nanodroplets on lyophilic nanopillar-arrayed surfaces: A molecular dynamics study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zong, Diyuan; Yang, Zhen; Duan, Yuanyuan

    2017-10-01

    Wetting kinetics of water droplets on substrates with lyophilic nanopillars was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Early spreading of the droplet is hindered by the nanopillars because of the penetration of the liquid which induce an extra dissipation in the droplet. Droplet spreading is mainly controlled by liquid viscosity and surface tension and not dependent on solid wettability. Propagation of the fringe film is hindered by the enhanced solid wettability because of the energy barrier introduced by the interaction between water molecules and nanopillars which increase with solid wettability.

  1. Defoliation and Soil Compaction Jointly Drive Large-Herbivore Grazing Effects on Plants and Soil Arthropods on Clay Soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Klink, R.; Schrama, M.; Nolte, S.; Bakker, J. P.; WallisDeVries, M. F.; Berg, M. P.

    In addition to the well-studied impacts of defecation and defoliation, large herbivores also affect plant and arthropod communities through trampling, and the associated soil compaction. Soil compaction can be expected to be particularly important on wet, fine-textured soils. Therefore, we

  2. Defoliation and Soil Compaction Jointly Drive Large-Herbivore Grazing Effects on Plants and Soil Arthropods on Clay Soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Klink, R.; Schrama, M.; Nolte, S.; Bakker, Jan P.; WallisDeVries, M.F.; Berg, M.P.

    2015-01-01

    In addition to the well-studied impacts of defecation and defoliation, large herbivores also affect plant and arthropod communities through trampling, and the associated soil compaction. Soil compaction can be expected to be particularly important on wet, fine-textured soils. Therefore, we

  3. Evaporation dynamics of completely wetting drops on geometrically textured surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mekhitarian, Loucine; Sobac, Benjamin; Dehaeck, Sam; Haut, Benoît; Colinet, Pierre

    2017-10-01

    This study deals with the evaporation dynamics of completely wetting and highly volatile drops deposited on geometrically textured but chemically homogeneous surfaces. The texturation consists in a cylindrical pillars array with a square pitch. The triple line dynamics and the drop shape are characterized by an interferometric method. A parametric study is realized by varying the radius and the height of the pillars (at fixed interpillar distance), allowing to distinguish three types of dynamics: i) an evaporation-dominated regime with a receding triple line; ii) a spreading-dominated regime with an initially advancing triple line; iii) a cross-over region with strong pinning effects. The overall picture is in qualitative agreement with a mathematical model showing that the selected regime mostly depends on the value of a dimensionless parameter comparing the time scales for evaporation and spreading into the substrate texture.

  4. Distribution of 137Cs in the Surface Soil of Serpong Nuclear Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lubis, E.

    2011-01-01

    The distribution of 137 Cs in the surface soil layer of Serpong Nuclear Site (SNS) was investigated by field sampling. The Objectives of the investigation is finding the profile of 137 Cs distribution in the surface soil and the T f value that can be used for estimation of radiation dose from livestock product-man pathways. The results indicates that the 137 Cs activity in surface soil of SNS is 0.80 ± 0.29 Bq/kg, much lower than in the Antarctic. The contribution value of 137 Cs from the operation of G.A. Siwabessy Reactor until now is undetectable. The T f of 137 Cs from surface soil to Panisetum Purpureum, Setaria Spha Celata and Imperata Cylindrica grasses were 0.71 ± 0.14, 0.84 ± 0.27 and 0.81 ± 0.11 respectively. The results show that value of the transfer factor of 137 Cs varies between cultivated and uncultivated soil and also with the soils with thick humus. (author)

  5. Distribution of 137Cs In the Surface Soil of Serpong Nuclear Site

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Lubis

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The distribution of 137Cs in the surface soil layer of Serpong Nuclear Site (SNS was investigated by field sampling. The Objectives of the investigation is finding the profile of 137Cs distribution in the surface soil and the Tf value that can be used for estimation of radiation dose from livestock product-man pathways. The results indicates that the 137Cs activity in surface soil of SNS is 0.80 ± 0,29 Bq/kg, much lower than in the Antarctic. The contribution value of 137Cs from the operation of G.A.Siwabessy Reactor until now is undetectable. The Tf of 137Cs from surface soil to Panisetum Purpureum, Setaria Spha Celata and Imperata Cylindrica grasses were 0.71 ± 0.14, 0.84 ± 0.27 and 0.81 ± 0.11 respectively. The results show that value of the transfer factor of 137Cs varies between cultivated and uncultivated soil and also with the soils with thick humus

  6. Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces - A velocity-rate-controlled, pressure-bias-modulated system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stubbs, S. M.; Tanner, J. A.

    1976-01-01

    During maximum braking the average ratio of drag-force friction coefficient developed by the antiskid system to maximum drag-force friction coefficient available at the tire/runway interface was higher on dry surfaces than on wet surfaces. The gross stopping power generated by the brake system on the dry surface was more than twice that obtained on the wet surfaces. With maximum braking applied, the average ratio of side-force friction coefficient developed by the tire under antiskid control to maximum side-force friction available at the tire/runway interface of a free-rolling yawed tire was shown to decrease with increasing yaw angle. Braking reduced the side-force friction coefficient on a dry surface by 75 percent as the wheel slip ratio was increased to 0.3; on a flooded surface the coefficient dropped to near zero for the same slip ratio. Locked wheel skids were observed when the tire encountered a runway surface transition from dry to flooded, due in part to the response time required for the system to sense abrupt changes in the runway friction; however, the antiskid system quickly responded by reducing brake pressure and cycling normally during the remainder of the run on the flooded surface.

  7. NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): Field measurements of snowpack properties and soil moisture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly Elder; Don Cline; Glen E. Liston; Richard Armstrong

    2009-01-01

    A field measurement program was undertaken as part NASA's Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX). Extensive snowpack and soil measurements were taken at field sites in Colorado over four study periods during the two study years (2002 and 2003). Measurements included snow depth, density, temperature, grain type and size, surface wetness, surface roughness, and...

  8. A radiosity-based model to compute the radiation transfer of soil surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Feng; Li, Yuguang

    2011-11-01

    A good understanding of interactions of electromagnetic radiation with soil surface is important for a further improvement of remote sensing methods. In this paper, a radiosity-based analytical model for soil Directional Reflectance Factor's (DRF) distributions was developed and evaluated. The model was specifically dedicated to the study of radiation transfer for the soil surface under tillage practices. The soil was abstracted as two dimensional U-shaped or V-shaped geometric structures with periodic macroscopic variations. The roughness of the simulated surfaces was expressed as a ratio of the height to the width for the U and V-shaped structures. The assumption was made that the shadowing of soil surface, simulated by U or V-shaped grooves, has a greater influence on the soil reflectance distribution than the scattering properties of basic soil particles of silt and clay. Another assumption was that the soil is a perfectly diffuse reflector at a microscopic level, which is a prerequisite for the application of the radiosity method. This radiosity-based analytical model was evaluated by a forward Monte Carlo ray-tracing model under the same structural scenes and identical spectral parameters. The statistics of these two models' BRF fitting results for several soil structures under the same conditions showed the good agreements. By using the model, the physical mechanism of the soil bidirectional reflectance pattern was revealed.

  9. Soil erosion rates from mixed soil and gravel surfaces in a wind tunnel: A preliminary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ligotke, M.W.

    1988-12-01

    Tests of wind erosion were performed in a controlled-environment wind tunnel to support the development of natural-material protective barriers for long-term isolation of radioactive waste. Barrier performance standards currently being developed for internal and external barrier performance are expected to mandate a surface layer that is resistant to wind erosion. The purpose of this study was to initiate a series of tests to determine suitable soil and gravel mixtures for such a barrier and to test worst-case surface layer conditions under the influence of high wind speeds. Six mixed soil and gravel surfaces were prepared, weathered to represent natural wind-blown desert areas, and subjected to controlled wind erosion forces in a wind tunnel. The applied erosive forces, including surface shear forces, were characterized to provide a means of relating wind tunnel results with actual field conditions. Soil particle losses from the surfaces caused by suspension, saltation, and surface creep were monitored by aerosol sample probes and mass balance measurements. 23 refs., 22 figs., 3 tabs

  10. Probing the intrinsically oil-wet surfaces of pores in North Sea chalk at subpore resolution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassenkam, Tue; Skovbjerg, Lone Lindbæk; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane

    2009-01-01

    been drilled in a water-bearing formation. At this site, the chalk has never seen oil, though at other locations, the same stratigraphic horizon with the same rock properties is known to be a productive oil reservoir. Thus the properties of the investigated particle surfaces are inherent to the chalk......Ultimate Oil recovery from chalk reservoirs is limited by many factors - including the grain size and the surface properties of the small mainly biogenic calcite particles that chalk is made off . Wettability, the tendency for water or oil to spread over a surface, of the particle surfaces is one...... of the controlling factors for the effectiveness of water flooding, one of the most common methods to improve oil recovery in Chalk reservoirs. Understanding surface wetting and its variability at scales smaller than the pore dimension will potentially provide clues for more effective oil production methods. We used...

  11. Evaporation of tiny water aggregation on solid surfaces with different wetting properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shen; Tu, Yusong; Wan, Rongzheng; Fang, Haiping

    2012-11-29

    The evaporation of a tiny amount of water on the solid surface with different wettabilities has been studied by molecular dynamics simulations. From nonequilibrium MD simulations, we found that, as the surface changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, the evaporation speed did not show a monotonic decrease as intuitively expected, but increased first, and then decreased after it reached a maximum value. The analysis of the simulation trajectory and calculation of the surface water interaction illustrate that the competition between the number of water molecules on the water-gas surface from where the water molecules can evaporate and the potential barrier to prevent those water molecules from evaporating results in the unexpected behavior of the evaporation. This finding is helpful in understanding the evaporation on biological surfaces, designing artificial surfaces of ultrafast water evaporating, or preserving water in soil.

  12. Using lagged dependence to identify (de)coupled surface and subsurface soil moisture values

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carranza, Coleen D. U.; van der Ploeg, Martine J.; Torfs, Paul J. J. F.

    2018-04-01

    Recent advances in radar remote sensing popularized the mapping of surface soil moisture at different spatial scales. Surface soil moisture measurements are used in combination with hydrological models to determine subsurface soil moisture values. However, variability of soil moisture across the soil column is important for estimating depth-integrated values, as decoupling between surface and subsurface can occur. In this study, we employ new methods to investigate the occurrence of (de)coupling between surface and subsurface soil moisture. Using time series datasets, lagged dependence was incorporated in assessing (de)coupling with the idea that surface soil moisture conditions will be reflected at the subsurface after a certain delay. The main approach involves the application of a distributed-lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to simultaneously represent both the functional relation and the lag structure in the time series. The results of an exploratory analysis using residuals from a fitted loess function serve as a posteriori information to determine (de)coupled values. Both methods allow for a range of (de)coupled soil moisture values to be quantified. Results provide new insights into the decoupled range as its occurrence among the sites investigated is not limited to dry conditions.

  13. Heterogeneity of soil surface temperature induced by xerophytic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The diurnal maximum and diurnal variations of soil surface temperatures under canopy vary strongly with different .... elevation of 1300 m above sea level), located at the southeastern fringe of ... cipitation is the only source of soil water replenish- ment. ...... 2001 Effects of nutrients and shade on tree-grass inter- actions in an ...

  14. Predicted infiltration for sodic/saline soils from reclaimed coastal areas: sensitivity to model parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dongdong; She, Dongli; Yu, Shuang'en; Shao, Guangcheng; Chen, Dan

    2014-01-01

    This study was conducted to assess the influences of soil surface conditions and initial soil water content on water movement in unsaturated sodic soils of reclaimed coastal areas. Data was collected from column experiments in which two soils from a Chinese coastal area reclaimed in 2007 (Soil A, saline) and 1960 (Soil B, nonsaline) were used, with bulk densities of 1.4 or 1.5 g/cm(3). A 1D-infiltration model was created using a finite difference method and its sensitivity to hydraulic related parameters was tested. The model well simulated the measured data. The results revealed that soil compaction notably affected the water retention of both soils. Model simulations showed that increasing the ponded water depth had little effect on the infiltration process, since the increases in cumulative infiltration and wetting front advancement rate were small. However, the wetting front advancement rate increased and the cumulative infiltration decreased to a greater extent when θ₀ was increased. Soil physical quality was described better by the S parameter than by the saturated hydraulic conductivity since the latter was also affected by the physical chemical effects on clay swelling occurring in the presence of different levels of electrolytes in the soil solutions of the two soils.

  15. Predicted Infiltration for Sodic/Saline Soils from Reclaimed Coastal Areas: Sensitivity to Model Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongdong Liu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to assess the influences of soil surface conditions and initial soil water content on water movement in unsaturated sodic soils of reclaimed coastal areas. Data was collected from column experiments in which two soils from a Chinese coastal area reclaimed in 2007 (Soil A, saline and 1960 (Soil B, nonsaline were used, with bulk densities of 1.4 or 1.5 g/cm3. A 1D-infiltration model was created using a finite difference method and its sensitivity to hydraulic related parameters was tested. The model well simulated the measured data. The results revealed that soil compaction notably affected the water retention of both soils. Model simulations showed that increasing the ponded water depth had little effect on the infiltration process, since the increases in cumulative infiltration and wetting front advancement rate were small. However, the wetting front advancement rate increased and the cumulative infiltration decreased to a greater extent when θ0 was increased. Soil physical quality was described better by the S parameter than by the saturated hydraulic conductivity since the latter was also affected by the physical chemical effects on clay swelling occurring in the presence of different levels of electrolytes in the soil solutions of the two soils.

  16. Effect of dental tool surface texture and material on static friction with a wet gloved fingertip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laroche, Charles; Barr, Alan; Dong, Hui; Rempel, David

    2007-01-01

    Hand injuries are an important cause of pain and disability among dentists and dental hygienists and may be due to the high pinch forces involved in periodontal work. The pinch forces required to perform scaling may be reduced by increasing the friction between the tool and fingers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether modifying the tool material, surface texture, or glove type altered the coefficient of static friction for a wet gloved finger. Seven tools with varying surface topography were machined from 13 mm diameter stainless steel and Delrin and mounted to a 6-component force plate. The textures tested were a fine, medium and coarse diamond knurled pattern and a medium and fine annular pattern (concentric rings). Thirteen subjects pulled their gloved, wet thumb pad along the long axis of the tool while maintaining a normal force of 40 N. Latex and nitrile gloves were tested. The coefficient of static friction was calculated from the shear force history. The mean coefficients of static friction ranged from 0.20 to 0.65. The coefficient of static friction was higher for a smooth tool of Delrin than one of stainless steel. Differences in the coefficient of static friction were observed between the coarse and medium knurled patterns and the fine knurled and annular patterns. Coefficients of static friction were higher for the nitrile glove than the latex glove for tools with texture. These findings may be applied to the design of hand tools that require fine motor control with a wet, gloved hand.

  17. Soil aggregate stability and size-selective sediment transport with surface runoff as affected by organic residue amendment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Pu; Arter, Christian; Liu, Xingyu; Keller, Martin; Schulin, Rainer

    2017-12-31

    Aggregate breakdown influences the availability of soil particles for size-selective sediment transport with surface runoff during erosive rainfall events. Organic matter management is known to affect aggregate stability against breakdown, but little is known about how this translates into rainfall-induced aggregate fragmentation and sediment transport under field conditions. In this study, we performed field experiments in which artificial rainfall was applied after pre-wetting on three pairs of arable soil plots (1.5×0.75m) six weeks after incorporating a mixture of grass and wheat straw into the topsoil of one plot in each pair (OI treatment) but not on the other plot (NI treatment). Artificial rainfall was applied for approximately 2h on each pair at an intensity of 49.1mmh -1 . In both treatments, discharge and sediment concentration in the discharge were correlated and followed a similar temporal pattern after the onset of surface runoff: After a sharp increase at the beginning both approached a steady state. But the onset of runoff was more delayed on the OI plots, and the discharge and sediment concentration were in average only roughly half as high on the OI as on the NI plots. With increasing discharge the fraction of coarse sediment increased. This relationship did not differ between the two treatments. Thus, due to the lower discharge, the fraction of fine particles in the exported sediment was larger in the runoff from the OI plots than from the NI plots. The later runoff onset and lower discharge rate was related to a higher initial aggregate stability on the OI plots. Terrestrial laser scanning proved to be a very valuable method to map changes in the micro-topography of the soil surfaces. It revealed a much less profound decrease in surface roughness on the OI than on the NI plots. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Towards large-scale paludiculture: addressing the challenges of biomass harvesting in wet and rewetted peatlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Schröder

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Peatland drainage causes peat degradation, which results in high greenhouse gas emissions and ongoing subsidence of the ground surface. To avoid further land degradation, the rewetting of peatlands is essential. The new land use concept of paludiculture - the use of wet and rewetted peatlands for agriculture and forestry - now offers possibilities for landowners and land managers to continue using these sites under wet conditions. But new challenges arise due to the limited bearing capacity of wet soils, which restricts accessibility for machinery. Whilst many site-specific technical solutions for harvesting on wet peatland are available, it remains unclear whether current machinery is suitable for use in the large-scale implementation of paludiculture. Repeated crossings of the same ground can easily disturb the upper peat layer and cause serious problems for the removal of biomass. In this article we present available machinery and approaches to biomass harvesting; and explore how the number of transport runs required for biomass removal varies with productivity of the site, cargo capacity and working width of the harvesting machinery. The results are used in a discussion of logistics and infrastructure requirements to facilitate the implementation of paludiculture. Whilst there is still considerable scope for improvement of harvesting technologies, our results show that a peat-conserving harvest from wet and rewetted peatlands is possible with adjustments to harvesting technique, logistics and site infrastructure.

  19. Building predictive models of soil particle-size distribution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Samuel-Rosa

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Is it possible to build predictive models (PMs of soil particle-size distribution (psd in a region with complex geology and a young and unstable land-surface? The main objective of this study was to answer this question. A set of 339 soil samples from a small slope catchment in Southern Brazil was used to build PMs of psd in the surface soil layer. Multiple linear regression models were constructed using terrain attributes (elevation, slope, catchment area, convergence index, and topographic wetness index. The PMs explained more than half of the data variance. This performance is similar to (or even better than that of the conventional soil mapping approach. For some size fractions, the PM performance can reach 70 %. Largest uncertainties were observed in geologically more complex areas. Therefore, significant improvements in the predictions can only be achieved if accurate geological data is made available. Meanwhile, PMs built on terrain attributes are efficient in predicting the particle-size distribution (psd of soils in regions of complex geology.

  20. Soil surface CO2 fluxes on the Konza Prairie

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, J. M.; Garcia, R.; Verma, Shoshi B.

    1990-01-01

    The utilization of a soil chamber to measure fluxes of soil-surface CO2 fluxes is described in terms of equipment, analytical methods, and estimate quality. A soil chamber attached to a gas-exchange system measures the fluxes every 5-15 min, and the data are compared to measurements of the CO2 fluxes from the canopy and from the soil + canopy. The soil chamber yields good measurements when operated in a closed system that is ported to the free atmosphere, and the CO2 flux is found to have a diurnal component.

  1. Effect of Management Practices on Soil Microstructure and Surface Microrelief

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Garcia Moreno

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Soil surface roughness (SSR and porosity were evaluated from soils located in two farms belonging to the Plant Breeding Institute of the University of Sidney. The sites differ in their soil management practices; the first site (PBI was strip-tilled during early fall (May 2010, and the second site (JBP was under power harrowed tillage at the end of July 2010. Both sites were sampled in mid-August. At each location, SSR was measured for three 1 m2 subplots using shadow analysis. To evaluate porosity and aggregation, soil samples were scanned using X-ray computed tomography with 5 μm resolution. The results show a strong negative correlation between SSR and porosity, 20.13% SSR and 41.38% porosity at PBI versus 42.00% SSR and 18.35% porosity at JBP. However, soil images show that when soil surface roughness is higher due to conservation and soil management practices, the processes of macroaggregation and structural porosity are enhanced. Further research must be conducted on SSR and porosity in different types of soils, as they provide complementary information on the evaluation of soil erosion susceptibility.

  2. Global characterization of surface soil moisture drydowns

    Science.gov (United States)

    McColl, Kaighin A.; Wang, Wei; Peng, Bin; Akbar, Ruzbeh; Short Gianotti, Daniel J.; Lu, Hui; Pan, Ming; Entekhabi, Dara

    2017-04-01

    Loss terms in the land water budget (including drainage, runoff, and evapotranspiration) are encoded in the shape of soil moisture "drydowns": the soil moisture time series directly following a precipitation event, during which the infiltration input is zero. The rate at which drydowns occur—here characterized by the exponential decay time scale τ—is directly related to the shape of the loss function and is a key characteristic of global weather and climate models. In this study, we use 1 year of surface soil moisture observations from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission to characterize τ globally. Consistent with physical reasoning, the observations show that τ is lower in regions with sandier soils, and in regions that are more arid. To our knowledge, these are the first global estimates of τ—based on observations alone—at scales relevant to weather and climate models.

  3. Simulations of tropical rainforest albedo: is canopy wetness important?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia N.M. Yanagi

    Full Text Available Accurate information on surface albedo is essential for climate modelling, especially for regions such as Amazonia, where the response of the regional atmospheric circulation to the changes on surface albedo is strong. Previous studies have indicated that models are still unable to correctly reproduce details of the seasonal variation of surface albedo. Therefore, it was investigated the role of canopy wetness on the simulated albedo of a tropical rainforest by modifying the IBIS canopy radiation transfer code to incorporate the effects of canopy wetness on the vegetation reflectance. In this study, simulations were run using three versions of the land surface/ecosystem model IBIS: the standard version, the same version recalibrated to fit the data of albedo on tropical rainforests and a modified version that incorporates the effects of canopy wetness on surface albedo, for three sites in the Amazon forest at hourly and monthly scales. The results demonstrated that, at the hourly time scale, the incorporation of canopy wetness on the calculations of radiative transfer substantially improves the simulations results, whereas at the monthly scale these changes do not substantially modify the simulated albedo.

  4. Analysis of Wetting and Contact Angle Hysteresis on Chemically Patterned Surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Xu, Xianmin; Wang, Xiaoping

    2011-01-01

    Wetting and contact angle hysteresis on chemically patterned surfaces in two dimensionsare analyzed from a stationary phase-field model for immiscible two phase fluids. We first study the sharp-interface limit of the model by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. We then justify the results rigorously by the γ-convergence theory for the related variational problem and study the properties of the limiting minimizers. The results also provide a clear geometric picture of the equilibrium configuration of the interface. This enables us to explicitly calculate the total surface energy for the two phase systems on chemically patterned surfaces with simple geometries, namely the two phase flow in a channel and the drop spreading. By considering the quasi-staticmotion of the interface described by the change of volume (or volume fraction), we can follow the change-of-energy landscape which also reveals the mechanism for the stick-slip motion of the interface and contact angle hysteresis on the chemically patterned surfaces. As the interface passes throughpatterned surfaces, we observe not only stick-slip of the interface and switching of the contact angles but also the hysteresis of contact point and contact angle. Furthermore, as the size of the patternde creases to zero, the stick-slip becomes weaker but the hysteresis becomes stronger in the sense that one observes either the advancing contact angle or the receding contact angle (when the interface ismoving in the opposite direction) without the switching in between. © 2011 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

  5. Two Solutions of Soil Moisture Sensing with RFID for Landslide Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sérgio Francisco Pichorim

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Two solutions for UHF RFID tags for soil moisture sensing were designed and are described in this paper. In the first, two conventional tags (standard transponders are employed: one, placed close to the soil surface, is the sensor tag, while the other, separated from the soil, is the reference for system calibration. By transmission power ramps, the tag’s turn-on power levels are measured and correlated with soil condition (dry or wet. In the second solution, the SL900A chip, which supports up to two external sensors and an internal temperature sensor, is used. An interdigital capacitive sensor was connected to the transponder chip and used for soil moisture measurement. In a novel design for an UHF RFID tag the sensor is placed below the soil surface, while the transponder and antenna are above the soil to improve communication. Both solutions are evaluated practically and results show the presence of water in soil can be remotely detected allowing for their application in landslide monitoring.

  6. Residues of endosulfan in surface and subsurface agricultural soil and its bioremediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odukkathil, Greeshma; Vasudevan, Namasivayam

    2016-01-01

    The persistence of many hydrophobic pesticides has been reported by various workers in various soil environments and its bioremediation is a major concern due to less bioavailability. In the present study, the pesticide residues in the surface and subsurface soil in an area of intense agricultural activity in Pakkam Village of Thiruvallur District, Tamilnadu, India, and its bioremediation using a novel bacterial consortium was investigated. Surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface soils (15-30 cm and 30-40 cm) were sampled, and pesticides in different layers of the soil were analyzed. Alpha endosulfan and beta endosulfan concentrations ranged from 1.42 to 3.4 mg/g and 1.28-3.1 mg/g in the surface soil, 0.6-1.4 mg/g and 0.3-0.6 mg/g in the subsurface soil (15-30 cm), and 0.9-1.5 mg/g and 0.34-1.3 mg/g in the subsurface soil (30-40 cm) respectively. Residues of other persistent pesticides were also detected in minor concentrations. These soil layers were subjected to bioremediation using a novel bacterial consortium under a simulated soil profile condition in a soil reactor. The complete removal of alpha and beta endosulfan was observed over 25 days. Residues of endosulfate were also detected during bioremediation, which was subsequently degraded on the 30th day. This study revealed the existence of endosulfan in the surface and subsurface soils and also proved that the removal of such a ubiquitous pesticide in the surface and subsurface environment can be achieved in the field by bioaugumenting a biosurfactant-producing bacterial consortium that degrades pesticides. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Wet-dry seasonal and vertical geochemical variations in soil water and their driving forces under different land covers in southwest China karst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Peng; Hu, Bill X.; Wu, Chuanhao; Xu, Kai

    2017-04-01

    Karst aquifers supply drinking water for 25% of the world's population, and they are, however, vulnerable to climate change. Bimonthly hydrochemical data in karst soil water samples from July 2010 to July 2011 were obtained to reveal the seasonal and vertical geochemical variations in soil water under five vegetation types in Qingmuguan, a small karst catchment in southwest China. Soil water chemistry was dominated by Ca2+, HCO3-, and SO42- because of the dissolution of limestone, dolomite, and gypsum minerals in the strata. The predominant hydrochemical types in soil water were Ca2+-HCO3-, Ca2+-SO42-, and mixed Ca2+-HCO3-SO42-. Ca2+ and HCO3- concentrations ranked in the following order: shrub land > dry land > afforestation farmland > bamboo land > grassland. In warm and wet seasons, the main ion concentrations in soil water from grasslands were low. Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3-, SO42-, and Cl- concentrations in soil water from other lands were high. An opposite trend was observed in cold and dry seasons. Marked seasonal variations were observed in Ca2+, HCO3-, and NO3- in soil water from dry land. The main ion concentrations in soil water from bamboo lands decreased as soil depth increased. By contrast, the chemistry of soil water from other lands increased as soil depth increased. Their ions were accumulated in depth. A consistent high and low variation between the main ions in soil water and the contents of carbonate and CO2 was found in the soil. Hydrochemical changes in soil water were regulated by the effects of dilution and soil CO2.

  8. Distribution of technetium-99 in surface soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shigeo

    2000-01-01

    Technetium-99 ( 99 Tc) is an important fission product which has been widely distributed in the environment as a result of fallout from nuclear weapons testing. In order to improve our understanding of the behavior of 99 Tc in the environment, it is essential that we obtain more reliable information on the levels, distribution and fate of 99 Tc in the environment. In this study, the concentration of global fallout 99 Tc, in several surface soil samples (0 - 20 cm) collected in Japan, were determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy). The range of 99 Tc in rice paddy field, upland field and other soils determined in this study were 0.006 - 0.11, 0.004 - 0.008 and 0.007 - 0.02 Bq kg -1 dry, respectively. 137 Cs was used as a comparative indicator for the source of 99 Tc, because the fission yields from 235 U and 239 Pu were about the same (ca. 6%) for the two isotopes, and the behavior and distribution of 137 Cs in the environment is reasonably well understood. The 137 Cs contents in rice paddy field, upland field and other soils range between 1.7 - 28, 1.4 - 9.2 and -1 dry, respectively. The activity ratios of 99 Tc/ 137 Cs in all soil samples were (0.6 - 5.9) x 10 -3 . Most of the measured ratios were one order of magnitude higher than the theoretical one obtained from fission. However, this ratio in soil, presumably depends on not only both the characteristic of radionuclides and the soil, but also on their contents after deposition to the earth's surface. (author)

  9. Soil aggregate and organic carbon distribution at dry land soil and paddy soil: the role of different straws returning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rong; Lan, Muling; Liu, Jiang; Gao, Ming

    2017-12-01

    Agriculture wastes returning to soil is one of common ways to reuse crop straws in China. The returned straws are expected to improve the fertility and structural stability of soil during the degradation of straw it selves. The in situ effect of different straw (wheat, rice, maize, rape, and broad bean) applications for soil aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution were studied at both dry land soil and paddy soil in this study. Wet sieving procedures were used to separate soil aggregate sizes. Aggregate stability indicators including mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, mean weight of specific surface area, and the fractal dimension were used to evaluate soil aggregate stability after the incubation of straws returning. Meanwhile, the variation and distribution of SOC in different-sized aggregates were further studied. Results showed that the application of straws, especially rape straw at dry land soil and rice straw at paddy soil, increased the fractions of macro-aggregate (> 0.25 mm) and micro-aggregate (0.25-0.053 mm). Suggesting the nutrients released from straw degradation promotes the growing of soil aggregates directly and indirectly. The application of different straws increased the SOC content at both soils and the SOC mainly distributed at  0.25 and 0.25-0.053 mm aggregates with dry land soil. Rape straw in dry land and rice straw in paddy field could stabilize soil aggregates and increasing SOC contents best.

  10. Asymmetric liquid wetting and spreading on surfaces with slanted micro-pillar arrays

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Xiaoming

    2013-01-01

    Uni-directional liquid spreading on asymmetric silicone-fabricated nanostructured surfaces has recently been reported. In this work, uniformly deflected polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro-pillars covered with silver films were fabricated. Asymmetric liquid wetting and spreading behaviors in a preferential direction were observed on the slanted micro-pillar surfaces and a micro-scale thin liquid film advancing ahead of the bulk liquid droplet was clearly observed by high-speed video imaging. It is found that the slanted micro-pillar array is able to promote or inhibit the propagation of this thin liquid film in different directions by the asymmetric capillary force. The spreading behavior of the bulk liquid was guided and finally controlled by this micro-scale liquid film. Different spreading regimes are defined by the relationship between the liquid intrinsic contact angle and the critical angles, which were determined by the pillar height, pillar deflection angle and inter-pillar spacing. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.

  11. Mineralogical and geochemical patterns of urban surface soils, the example of Pforzheim, Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norra, Stefan; Lanka-Panditha, Mahesh; Kramar, Utz; Stueben, Doris

    2006-01-01

    This study presents a combined geochemical and mineralogical survey of urban surface soils. Many studies on urban soils are restricted to purely chemical surveys in order to investigate soil pollution caused by anthropogenic activities such as traffic, heating, industrial processing, waste disposal and many more. In environmental studies, chemical elements are often distinguished as lithogenic and anthropogenic elements. As a novel contribution to those studies, the authors combined the analysis of a broad set of chemical elements with the analysis of the main mineralogical phases. The semi-quantification of mineralogical phases supported the assignment of groups of chemical elements to lithogenic or anthropogenic origin. Minerals are important sinks for toxic elements. Thus, knowledge about their distribution in soils is crucial for the assessment of the environmental hazards due to pollution of urban soils. In Pforzheim, surface soils (0-5 cm depth) from various land use types (forest, agriculture, urban green space, settlement areas of various site densities) overlying different geological units (clastic and chemical sediments) were investigated. Urban surface soils of Pforzheim reflect to a considerable degree the mineral and chemical composition of parent rocks. Irrespective of the parent rocks, elevated concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Sn, Ag) were found in soils throughout the whole inner urban settlement area of Pforzheim indicating pollution. These pollutants will tend to accumulate in inner urban surface soils according to the available adsorption capacity, which is normally higher in soils overlying limestone than in soils overlying sandstone. However, inner urban surface soils overlying sandstone show elevated concentrations of carbonates, phyllo-silicates and Fe and elevated pH values compared with forest soils overlying sandstone. Thus, in comparison to forest soils overlying sandstones, inner urban soils overlying sandstone affected by

  12. Qualitative soil moisture assessment in semi-arid Africa - the role of experience and training on inter-rater reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinderer, M.; Komakech, H. C.; Müller, D.; Wiesenberg, G. L. B.; Seibert, J.

    2015-08-01

    Soil and water management is particularly relevant in semi-arid regions to enhance agricultural productivity. During periods of water scarcity, soil moisture differences are important indicators of the soil water deficit and are traditionally used for allocating water resources among farmers of a village community. Here we present a simple, inexpensive soil wetness classification scheme based on qualitative indicators which one can see or touch on the soil surface. It incorporates the local farmers' knowledge on the best soil moisture conditions for seeding and brick making in the semi-arid environment of the study site near Arusha, Tanzania. The scheme was tested twice in 2014 with farmers, students and experts (April: 40 persons, June: 25 persons) for inter-rater reliability, bias of individuals and functional relation between qualitative and quantitative soil moisture values. During the test in April farmers assigned the same wetness class in 46 % of all cases, while students and experts agreed on about 60 % of all cases. Students who had been trained in how to apply the method gained higher inter-rater reliability than their colleagues with only a basic introduction. When repeating the test in June, participants were given improved instructions, organized in small subgroups, which resulted in a higher inter-rater reliability among farmers. In 66 % of all classifications, farmers assigned the same wetness class and the spread of class assignments was smaller. This study demonstrates that a wetness classification scheme based on qualitative indicators is a robust tool and can be applied successfully regardless of experience in crop growing and education level when an in-depth introduction and training is provided. The use of a simple and clear layout of the assessment form is important for reliable wetness class assignments.

  13. Qualitative soil moisture assessment in semi-arid Africa: the role of experience and training on inter-rater reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinderer, M.; Komakech, H.; Müller, D.; Seibert, J.

    2015-03-01

    Soil and water management is particularly relevant in semi-arid regions to enhance agricultural productivity. During periods of water scarcity soil moisture differences are important indicators of the soil water deficit and are traditionally used for allocating water resources among farmers of a village community. Here we present a simple, inexpensive soil wetness classification scheme based on qualitative indicators which one can see or touch on the soil surface. It incorporates the local farmers' knowledge on the best soil moisture conditions for seeding and brick making in the semi-arid environment of the study site near Arusha, Tanzania. The scheme was tested twice in 2014 with farmers, students and experts (April: 40 persons, June: 25 persons) for inter-rater reliability, bias of individuals and functional relation between qualitative and quantitative soil moisture values. During the test in April farmers assigned the same wetness class in 46% of all cases while students and experts agreed in about 60% of all cases. Students who had been trained in how to apply the method gained higher inter-rater reliability than their colleagues with only a basic introduction. When repeating the test in June, participants were given improved instructions, organized in small sub-groups, which resulted in a higher inter-rater reliability among farmers. In 66% of all classifications farmers assigned the same wetness class and the spread of class assignments was smaller. This study demonstrates that a wetness classification scheme based on qualitative indicators is a robust tool and can be applied successfully regardless of experience in crop growing and education level when an in-depth introduction and training is provided. The use of a simple and clear layout of the assessment form is important for reliable wetness class assignments.

  14. Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces: Hydromechanically controlled system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanner, J. A.; Stubbs, S. M.; Smith, E. G.

    1981-01-01

    The investigation utilized one main gear wheel, brake, and tire assembly of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 series 10 airplane. The landing-gear strut was replaced by a dynamometer. During maximum braking, average braking behavior indexes based upon brake pressure, brake torque, and drag-force friction coefficient developed by the antiskid system were generally higher on dry surfaces than on wet surfaces. The three braking behavior indexes gave similar results but should not be used interchangeably as a measure of the braking of this antiskid sytem. During the transition from a dry to a flooded surface under heavy braking, the wheel entered into a deep skid but the antiskid system reacted quickly by reducing brake pressure and performed normally during the remainder of the run on the flooded surface. The brake-pressure recovery following transition from a flooded to a dry surface was shown to be a function of the antiskid modulating orifice.

  15. Mitigation of Prion Infectivity and Conversion Capacity by a Simulated Natural Process—Repeated Cycles of Drying and Wetting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Qi; Eckland, Thomas; Telling, Glenn; Bartz, Jason; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon

    2015-01-01

    Prions enter the environment from infected hosts, bind to a wide range of soil and soil minerals, and remain highly infectious. Environmental sources of prions almost certainly contribute to the transmission of chronic wasting disease in cervids and scrapie in sheep and goats. While much is known about the introduction of prions into the environment and their interaction with soil, relatively little is known about prion degradation and inactivation by natural environmental processes. In this study, we examined the effect of repeated cycles of drying and wetting on prion fitness and determined that 10 cycles of repeated drying and wetting could reduce PrPSc abundance, PMCA amplification efficiency and extend the incubation period of disease. Importantly, prions bound to soil were more susceptible to inactivation by repeated cycles of drying and wetting compared to unbound prions, a result which may be due to conformational changes in soil-bound PrPSc or consolidation of the bonding between PrPSc and soil. This novel finding demonstrates that naturally-occurring environmental process can degrade prions. PMID:25665187

  16. Low-temperature wafer direct bonding of silicon and quartz glass by a two-step wet chemical surface cleaning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chenxi; Xu, Jikai; Zeng, Xiaorun; Tian, Yanhong; Wang, Chunqing; Suga, Tadatomo

    2018-02-01

    We demonstrate a facile bonding process for combining silicon and quartz glass wafers by a two-step wet chemical surface cleaning. After a post-annealing at 200 °C, strong bonding interfaces with no defects or microcracks were obtained. On the basis of the detailed surface and bonding interface characterizations, the bonding mechanism was explored and discussed. The amino groups terminated on the cleaned surfaces might contribute to the bonding strength enhancement during the annealing. This cost-effective bonding process has great potentials for silicon- and glass-based heterogeneous integrations without requiring a vacuum system.

  17. Combined Radar-Radiometer Surface Soil Moisture and Roughness Estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbar, Ruzbeh; Cosh, Michael H.; O'Neill, Peggy E.; Entekhabi, Dara; Moghaddam, Mahta

    2017-01-01

    A robust physics-based combined radar-radiometer, or Active-Passive, surface soil moisture and roughness estimation methodology is presented. Soil moisture and roughness retrieval is performed via optimization, i.e., minimization, of a joint objective function which constrains similar resolution radar and radiometer observations simultaneously. A data-driven and noise-dependent regularization term has also been developed to automatically regularize and balance corresponding radar and radiometer contributions to achieve optimal soil moisture retrievals. It is shown that in order to compensate for measurement and observation noise, as well as forward model inaccuracies, in combined radar-radiometer estimation surface roughness can be considered a free parameter. Extensive Monte-Carlo numerical simulations and assessment using field data have been performed to both evaluate the algorithms performance and to demonstrate soil moisture estimation. Unbiased root mean squared errors (RMSE) range from 0.18 to 0.03 cm3cm3 for two different land cover types of corn and soybean. In summary, in the context of soil moisture retrieval, the importance of consistent forward emission and scattering development is discussed and presented.

  18. Evaluation of land surface model simulations of evapotranspiration over a 12 year crop succession: impact of the soil hydraulic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrigues, S.; Olioso, A.; Calvet, J.-C.; Martin, E.; Lafont, S.; Moulin, S.; Chanzy, A.; Marloie, O.; Desfonds, V.; Bertrand, N.; Renard, D.

    2014-10-01

    Evapotranspiration has been recognized as one of the most uncertain term in the surface water balance simulated by land surface models. In this study, the SURFEX/ISBA-A-gs simulations of evapotranspiration are assessed at local scale over a 12 year Mediterranean crop succession. The model is evaluated in its standard implementation which relies on the use of the ISBA pedotransfer estimates of the soil properties. The originality of this work consists in explicitly representing the succession of crop cycles and inter-crop bare soil periods in the simulations and assessing its impact on the dynamic of simulated and measured evapotranspiration over a long period of time. The analysis focuses on key soil parameters which drive the simulation of evapotranspiration, namely the rooting depth, the soil moisture at saturation, the soil moisture at field capacity and the soil moisture at wilting point. The simulations achieved with the standard values of these parameters are compared to those achieved with the in situ values. The portability of the ISBA pedotransfer functions is evaluated over a typical Mediterranean crop site. Various in situ estimates of the soil parameters are considered and distinct parametrization strategies are tested to represent the evapotranspiration dynamic over the crop succession. This work shows that evapotranspiration mainly results from the soil evaporation when it is continuously simulated over a Mediterranean crop succession. The evapotranspiration simulated with the standard surface and soil parameters of the model is largely underestimated. The deficit in cumulative evapotranspiration amounts to 24% over 12 years. The bias in daily daytime evapotranspiration is -0.24 mm day-1. The ISBA pedotransfer estimates of the soil moisture at saturation and at wilting point are overestimated which explains most of the evapotranspiration underestimation. The overestimation of the soil moisture at wilting point causes the underestimation of

  19. Shallow soil moisture – ground thaw interactions and controls – Part 1: Spatiotemporal patterns and correlations over a subarctic landscape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. J. Guan

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Soil moisture and ground thaw state are both indicative of a hillslope's ability to transfer water. In cold regions, in particular, it is widely known that the depth of the active layer and wetness of surface soils are important for runoff generation, but the diversity of interactions between ground thaw and surface soil moisture themselves has not been studied. To fill this knowledge gap, detailed shallow soil moisture and thaw depth surveys were conducted along systematic grids at the Baker Creek Basin, Northwest Territories. Multiple hillslopes were studied to determine how the interactions differed along a spectrum of topological, typological and topographic situations across the landscape. Overall results did not show a simple link between soil moisture and ground thaw as was expected. Instead, correlation was a function of wetness. The interaction between soil moisture and ground thaw was more dependent at wetter sites. This indicates that interactive soil moisture and thaw depth behaviour on hillslopes in cold regions changes with location and cannot necessarily be lumped together in hydrological models. To explore further why these differences arise, a companion paper (Guan et al., 2010 will examine how the hydrological and energy fluxes influenced the patterns of moisture and thaw among the study sites.

  20. A new top boundary condition for modeling surface diffusive exchange of a generic volatile tracer: theoretical analysis and application to soil evaporation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Y. Tang

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available We describe a new top boundary condition (TBC for representing the air–soil diffusive exchange of a generic volatile tracer. This new TBC (1 accounts for the multi-phase flow of a generic tracer; (2 accounts for effects of soil temperature, pH, solubility, sorption, and desorption processes; (3 enables a smooth transition between wet and dry soil conditions; (4 is compatible with the conductance formulation for modeling air–water volatile tracer exchange; and (5 is applicable to site, regional, and global land models.

    Based on the new TBC, we developed new formulations for bare-soil resistance and corresponding soil evaporation efficiency. The new soil resistance is predicted as the reciprocal of the harmonic sum of two resistances: (1 gaseous and aqueous molecular diffusion and (2 liquid mass flow resulting from the hydraulic pressure gradient between the soil surface and center of the topsoil control volume. We compared the predicted soil evaporation efficiency with those from several field and laboratory soil evaporation measurements and found good agreement with the typically observed two-stage soil evaporation curves. Comparison with the soil evaporation efficiency equation of Lee and Pielke (1992; hereafter LP92 indicates that their equation can overestimate soil evaporation when the atmospheric resistance is low and underestimate soil evaporation when the soil is dry. Using a synthetic inversion experiment, we demonstrated that using inverted soil resistance data from field measurements to derive empirical soil resistance formulations resulted in large uncertainty because (1 the inverted soil resistance data are always severely impacted by measurement error and (2 the derived empirical equation is very sensitive to the number of data points and the assumed functional form of the resistance.

    We expect the application of our new TBC in land models will provide a consistent representation for the diffusive tracer

  1. Reduction of soil tare by improved uprooting of sugar beet : a soil dynamic approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vermeulen, G.D.

    2001-01-01

    The relative amount of soil in sugar beet lots, called soil tare, should be reduced to curtail the cost and negative aspects of soil tare. Highest soil tare occurs in beet lots harvested out of wet clay soil. The main problem is that commonly-used share lifters press the soil against the

  2. Wetting of doped carbon nanotubes by water droplets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kotsalis, E. M.; Demosthenous, E.; Walther, Jens Honore

    2005-01-01

    We study the wetting of doped single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes by water droplets using molecular dynamics simulations. Chemisorbed hydrogen is considered as a model of surface impurities. We study systems with varying densities of surface impurities and we observe increased wetting......, as compared to the pristine nanotube case, attributed to the surface dipole moment that changes the orientation of the interfacial water. We demonstrate that the nature of the impurity is important as here hydrogen induces the formation of an extended hydrogen bond network between the water molecules...

  3. Faunal Drivers of Soil Flux Dynamics via Alterations in Crack Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeCarlo, Keita; Caylor, Kelly

    2016-04-01

    Organismal activity, in addition to its role in ecological feedbacks, has the potential to serve as instigators or enhancers of atmospheric and hydrologic processes via alterations in soil structural regimes. We investigated the biomechanical effect of faunal activity on soil carbon dynamics via changes in soil crack structure, focusing on three dryland soil systems: bioturbated, biocompacted and undisturbed soils. Carbon fluxes were characterized using a closed-system respiration chamber, with CO2 concentration differences measured using an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA). Results show that faunal influences play a divergent biomechanics role in bulk soil cracking: bioturbation induced by belowground fauna creates "surficial" (shallow, large, well-connected) networks relative to the "systematic" (deep, moderate, poorly connected) networks created by aboveground fauna. The latter also shows a "memory" of past wetting/drying events in the consolidated soil through a crack layering effect. These morphologies further drive differences in soil carbon flux: under dry conditions, bioturbated and control soils show a persistently high and low mean carbon flux, respectively, while biocompacted soils show a large diurnal trend, with daytime lows and nighttime highs comparable to the control and bioturbated soils, respectively. Overall fluxes under wet conditions are considerably higher, but also more variable, though higher mean fluxes are observed in the biocompacted and bioturbated soils. Our results suggest that the increased surface area in the bioturbated soils create enhanced but constant diffusive processes, whereas the increased thermal gradient in the biocompacted soils create novel convective processes that create high fluxes that are diurnal in nature.

  4. A missing piece of the puzzle in climate change hotspots: Near-surface turbulent interactions controlling ET-soil moisture coupling in semiarid areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haghighi, Erfan; Gianotti, Daniel J.; Rigden, Angela J.; Salvucci, Guido D.; Kirchner, James W.; Entekhabi, Dara

    2017-04-01

    Being located in the transitional zone between dry and wet climate areas, semiarid ecosystems (and their associated ecohydrological processes) play a critical role in controlling climate change and global warming. Land evapotranspiration (ET), which is a central process in the climate system and a nexus of the water, energy and carbon cycles, typically accounts for up to 95% of the water budget in semiarid areas. Thus, the manner in which ET is partitioned into soil evaporation and plant transpiration in these settings is of practical importance for water and carbon cycling and their feedbacks to the climate system. ET (and its partitioning) in these regions is primarily controlled by surface soil moisture which varies episodically under stochastic precipitation inputs. Important as the ET-soil moisture relationship is, it remains empirical, and physical mechanisms governing its nature and dynamics are underexplored. Thus, the objective of this study is twofold: (1) to provide observational evidence for the influence of surface cover conditions on ET-soil moisture coupling in semiarid regions using soil moisture data from NASA's SMAP satellite mission combined with independent observationally based ET estimates, and (2) to develop a relatively simple mechanistic modeling platform improving our physical understanding of interactions between micro and macroscale processes controlling ET and its partitioning in partially vegetated areas. To this end, we invoked concepts from recent progress in mechanistic modeling of turbulent energy flux exchange in bluff-rough regions, and developed a physically based ET model that explicitly accounts for how vegetation-induced turbulence in the near-surface region influences soil drying and thus ET rates and dynamics. Model predictions revealed nonlinearities in the strength of the ET-soil moisture relationship (i.e., ∂ET/∂θ) as vegetation cover fraction increases, accounted for by the nonlinearity of surface

  5. Spatial and temporal estimation of soil loss for the sustainable management of a wet semi-arid watershed cluster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rejani, R; Rao, K V; Osman, M; Srinivasa Rao, Ch; Reddy, K Sammi; Chary, G R; Pushpanjali; Samuel, Josily

    2016-03-01

    The ungauged wet semi-arid watershed cluster, Seethagondi, lies in the Adilabad district of Telangana in India and is prone to severe erosion and water scarcity. The runoff and soil loss data at watershed, catchment, and field level are necessary for planning soil and water conservation interventions. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a spatial soil loss estimation model for Seethagondi cluster using RUSLE coupled with ARCGIS and was used to estimate the soil loss spatially and temporally. The daily rainfall data of Aphrodite for the period from 1951 to 2007 was used, and the annual rainfall varied from 508 to 1351 mm with a mean annual rainfall of 950 mm and a mean erosivity of 6789 MJ mm ha(-1) h(-1) year(-1). Considerable variation in land use land cover especially in crop land and fallow land was observed during normal and drought years, and corresponding variation in the erosivity, C factor, and soil loss was also noted. The mean value of C factor derived from NDVI for crop land was 0.42 and 0.22 in normal year and drought years, respectively. The topography is undulating and major portion of the cluster has slope less than 10°, and 85.3% of the cluster has soil loss below 20 t ha(-1) year(-1). The soil loss from crop land varied from 2.9 to 3.6 t ha(-1) year(-1) in low rainfall years to 31.8 to 34.7 t ha(-1) year(-1) in high rainfall years with a mean annual soil loss of 12.2 t ha(-1) year(-1). The soil loss from crop land was higher in the month of August with an annual soil loss of 13.1 and 2.9 t ha(-1) year(-1) in normal and drought year, respectively. Based on the soil loss in a normal year, the interventions recommended for 85.3% of area of the watershed includes agronomic measures such as contour cultivation, graded bunds, strip cropping, mixed cropping, crop rotations, mulching, summer plowing, vegetative bunds, agri-horticultural system, and management practices such as broad bed furrow, raised sunken beds, and harvesting available water

  6. Water repellency of clay, sand and organic soils in Finland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. RASA

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Water repellency (WR delays soil wetting process, increases preferential flow and may give rise to surface runoff and consequent erosion. WR is commonly recognized in the soils of warm and temperate climates. To explore the occurrence of WR in soils in Finland, soil R index was studied on 12 sites of different soil types. The effects of soil management practice, vegetation age, soil moisture and drying temperature on WR were studied by a mini-infiltrometer with samples from depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm. All studied sites exhibited WR (R index >1.95 at the time of sampling. WR increased as follows: sand (R = 1.8-5.0 < clay (R = 2.4-10.3 < organic (R = 7.9-undefined. At clay and sand, WR was generally higher at the soil surface and at the older sites (14 yr., where organic matter is accumulated. Below 41 vol. % water content these mineral soils were water repellent whereas organic soil exhibited WR even at saturation. These results show that soil WR also reduces water infiltration at the prevalent field moisture regime in the soils of boreal climate. The ageing of vegetation increases WR and on the other hand, cultivation reduces or hinders the development of WR.;

  7. Characteristics of wetting temperature during spray cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitsutake, Yuichi; Monde, Masanori; Hidaka, Shinichirou

    2006-01-01

    An experimental study has been done to elucidate the effects of mass flux and subcooling of liquid and thermal properties of solid on the wetting temperature during cooling of a hot block with spray. A water spray was impinged at one of the end surfaces of a cylindrical block initially heated at 400 or 500degC. The experimental condition was mass fluxes G=1-9 kg/m 2 s and degrees of subcooling ΔT sub =20, 50, 80 K. Three blocks of copper, brass and carbon steel were prepared. During spray cooling internal block temperature distribution and sputtering sound pressure level were recorded and the surface temperature and heat flux were evaluated with 2D inverse heat conducting analysis. Cooling process on cooling curves is divided into four regimes categorized by change in a flow situation and the sound level. The wetting temperature defined as the wall temperature at a minimum heat flux point was measured over an extensive experimental range. The wetting wall temperature was correlated well with the parameter of GΔT sub . The wetting wall temperature increases as GΔT sub increases and reaches a constant value depending on the material of the surface at higher region of GΔT sub . (author)

  8. Measurement and analysis of the re-wetting front velocity during quench cooling of hot horizontal tubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takrouri, Kifah, E-mail: takroukj@mcmaster.ca [Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Luxat, John, E-mail: luxatj@mcmaster.ca [Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Hamed, Mohamed [Thermal Processing Laboratory (TPL), Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Two phase flow & re-wetting front velocity were studied for quench of hot tubes. • The velocity decreased as temperature difference between tube and coolant decreased. • Increasing surface curvature was found to decrease the re-wetting front velocity. • Increasing tube thermal conductivity decreased the velocity. • Correlations were developed to predict the front velocity. - Abstract: When a liquid is put into contact with a hot dry surface, there exists a maximum temperature called the re-wetting temperature below which the liquid is in actual contact with the surface. Re-wetting occurs after destabilization of a vapor film that exists between the hot surface and the liquid. If re-wetting is established at a location on the hot surface, a wet patch appears at that location and starts to spread to cover and cool the entire surface. The outer edge of the wet patch is called the re-wetting front and can proceed only if the surface ahead of it cools down to the re-wetting temperature. Study of re-wetting heat transfer is very important in nuclear reactor safety for limiting the extent of core damage during the early stages of severe accidents after loss of coolant accidents LOCA and is essential for predicting the rate at which the coolant cools an overheated core. One of the important parameters in re-wetting cooling is the velocity at which the re-wetting front moves on the surface. In this study, experimental tests were carried out to investigate the re-wetting front velocity on hot horizontal cylindrical tubes being cooled by a vertical rectangular water multi-jet system. Effects of initial surface temperature in the range 400–740 °C, water subcooling in the range 15–80 °C and jet velocity in the range 0.17–1.43 m/s on the re-wetting front velocity were investigated. The two-phase flow behavior was observed by using a high-speed camera. The re-wetting front velocity was found to increase by increasing water subcooling, decreasing

  9. Infection of Phytophthora palmivora from Soil in Cocoa Plantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agus Purwantara

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Phytophthora palmivora causes serious losses on cocoa in Indonesia and world-wide. The research aimed to assess the potential of soil as source of inocula for Phytophthora diseases in cocoa. Soil samples were baited using a healthy cocoa pod tissue, and the pathogen was isolated for morphological and molecular identification. Baiting technique was successfully used to detect the presence of P. palmivora in soil samples, and this was confirmed by morphological and molecular identification. P. palmivora can be detected in soil in all year around in wet areas indicating that soil is a massive and consistent source of inocula. Surveys conducted on the soil of Amazonian, Amelonado and Trinitario blocks of various ages showed that P. palmivora can be found in old and young cocoa blocks, even as young as 3 or 4 years. P. palmivora infection from soil to the pods appears to be mainly through contact or rain splash. Baiting with whole healthy pods exposed at different heights above undisturbed litter and above bare soil showed that the infection still occurred at 100 cm above the soil, even though it decreased gradually with the height. Infection from litter was not different to that from bare soil, indicating that the litter layer is not acting physically as a shield preventing rain from splashing the inocula up from wet soil to the pods. However, in tests for the possibility of P. palmivora carried through air convection, no pod was found to be infected, suggesting that the pathogen was not carried through convective accend of aerosol droplets from soil surface up to pods in the canopy.Key words : Theobroma cacao, pod rot, stem canker, baiting.

  10. Methods of soil organic carbon determination in Brazilian savannah soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Hiromi Sato

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Several methods exist for determining soil organic carbon, and each one has its own advantages and limitations. Consequently, a comparison of the experimental results obtained when these methods are employed is hampered, causing problems in the comparison of carbon stocks in soils. This study aimed at evaluating the analytical procedures used in the determination of carbon and their relationships with soil mineralogy and texture. Wet combustion methods, including Walkley-Black, Mebius and Colorimetric determination as well as dry combustion methods, such as Elemental and Gravimetric Analysis were used. Quantitative textural and mineralogical (kaolinite, goethite and gibbsite analyses were also carried out. The wet digestion methods underestimated the concentration of organic carbon, while the gravimetric method overestimated. Soil mineralogy interfered with the determination of carbon, with emphasis on the gravimetric method that was greatly influenced by gibbsite.

  11. CO2 response to rewetting of hydrophobic soils - Can soil water repellency inhibit the 'Birch effect'?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Garcia, Carmen; Urbanek, Emilia; Doerr, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    Rewetting of dry soils is known to cause a short-term CO2 pulse commonly known as the 'Birch effect'. The displacement of CO2 with water during the process of wetting has been recognised as one of the sources of this pulse. The 'Birch effect' has been extensively observed in many soils, but some studies report a lack of such phenomenon, suggesting soil water repellency (SWR) as a potential cause. Water infiltration in water repellent soils can be severely restricted, causing overland flow or increased preferential flow, resulting in only a small proportion of soil pores being filled with water and therefore small gas-water replacement during wetting. Despite the suggestions of a different response of CO2 fluxes to wetting under hydrophobic conditions, this theory has never been tested. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that CO2 pulse does not occur during rewetting of water repellent soils. Dry homogeneous soils at water-repellent and wettable status have been rewetted with different amounts of water. CO2 flux as a response to wetting has been continuously measured with the CO2 flux analyser. Delays in infiltration and non-uniform heterogeneous water flow were observed in water repellent soils, causing an altered response in the CO2 pulse in comparison to typically observed 'Birch effect' in wettable systems. The main conclusion from the study is that water repellency not only affects water relations in soil, but has also an impact on greenhouse gas production and transport and therefore should be included as an important parameter during the sites monitoring and modelling of gas fluxes.

  12. Wetting and greening Tibetan Plateau in early summer in recent decades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenxia; Zhou, Tianjun; Zhang, Lixia

    2017-06-01

    The Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays an essential role in the global hydrological cycle. Unlike the well-recognized surface warming, changes in precipitation over the TP and the underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous. A significant increase in the amount of precipitation over the southeastern TP in May over 1979-2014 (13.46% decade-1 of the climatology) is identified in this study, based on homogenized daily rain gauge data. Both the increased precipitation frequency and intensity have contributions. The coherent increases in soil moisture content and vegetation activities further confirm the precipitation trend, indicating a wetting and greening TP in the early summer in recent decades. The moisture budget analysis shows that this wetting trend in the past four decades is dominated by the increased water vapor convergence due to circulation changes, while increases in specific humidity play a minor role. The wetting trend over the TP in May results directly from the earlier onset of the South Asian summer monsoon (ASM) since the late 1970s associated with the phase transition of Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation around the late 1990s. The earlier onset of the ASM triggers low-level southwesterly anomalies over the northern Indian Ocean, promoting moisture convergence and increased precipitation over the TP in May. Specifically, the increased amount of precipitation after the onset of the ASM explains 95% of the increase in the total amount of precipitation in May.

  13. Alternate wetting and drying decreases methylmercury in flooded rice (Oryza sativa) systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanner, K. Christy; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark C.; Fleck, Jacob; Linquist, Bruce A.

    2018-01-01

    In flooded soils, including those found in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields, microbes convert inorganic Hg to more toxic methylmercury (MeHg). Methylmercury is accumulated in rice grain, potentially affecting health. Methylmercury in rice field surface water can bioaccumulate in wildlife. We evaluated how introducing aerobic periods into an otherwise continuously flooded rice growing season affects MeHg dynamics. Conventional continuously flooded (CF) rice field water management was compared with alternate wetting and drying, where irrigation was stopped twice during the growing season, allowing soil to dry to 35% volumetric moisture content, at which point plots were reflooded (AWD-35). Methylmercury studies began at harvest in Year 3 and throughout Year 4 of a 4-yr replicated field experiment. Bulk soil, water, and plant samples were analyzed for MeHg and total Hg (THg), and iron (Fe) speciation was measured in soil samples. Rice grain yield over 4 yr did not differ between treatments. Soil chemistry responded quickly to AWD-35 dry-downs, showing significant oxidation of Fe(II) accompanied by a significant reduction of MeHg concentration (76% reduction at harvest) compared with CF. Surface water MeHg decreased by 68 and 39% in the growing and fallow seasons, respectively, suggesting that the effects of AWD-35 management can last through to the fallow season. The AWD-35 treatment reduced rice grain MeHg and THg by 60 and 32%, respectively. These results suggest that the more aerobic conditions caused by AWD-35 limited the activity of Hg(II)-methylating microbes and may be an effective way to reduce MeHg concentrations in rice ecosystems.

  14. Standard practice for measurement of time-of-wetness on surfaces exposed to wetting conditions as in atmospheric corrosion testing

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    1989-01-01

    1.1 This practice covers a technique for monitoring time-of-wetness (TOW) on surfaces exposed to cyclic atmospheric conditions which produce depositions of moisture. 1.2 The practice is also applicable for detecting and monitoring condensation within a wall or roof assembly and in test apparatus. 1.3 Exposure site calibration or characterization can be significantly enhanced if TOW is measured for comparison with other sites, particularly if this data is used in conjunction with other site-specific instrumentation techniques. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

  15. Revised Rapid Soils Analysis Kit (RSAK) - Wet Methodology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    procedural steps in conducting a wet RSAK experiment. ............................ 14 Figure 12. Introductory screen to begin RSAK data input in...used to calculate the construction curves are provided in Berney and Wahl (2008). ERDC TR-18-1 16 Figure 12. Introductory screen to begin RSAK...platform to provide a robust data set for statistical evaluation. Atterberg limits conducted by the ERDC Materials Test Center are considered the

  16. Exoemission of Ethiopian soils and the endemicity of non-filarial elephantiasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davies, J.E. (Birmingham Univ. (UK). Dept. of Anatomy); Townsend, P.D. (Sussex Univ., Brighton (UK))

    1983-01-01

    Non-filarial elephantiasis is an endemic disease in the bare-footed population of Ethiopia. The distribution of this condition is linked with that of local red clay soil. Recently, thermoluminescence has been successfully used to distinguish between endemic and non-endemic soils. Instrinsic lattice defects, frozen in during cooling of volcanic material, are considered to be responsible for characteristic thermoluminescence signals. However, the biological reactivity of the absorbed soil particles will depend upon their surface properties. Exoemission has therefore been studied in samples from both endemic (5 samples) and non-endemic (4 samples) areas. All samples from endemic areas, on first heating, demonstrate an emission peak at 75/sup 0/C. Post-irradiation storage of samples in a moist atmosphere tends to decrease emissivity while wetting irreversibly reduces the response to irradiation. In an hydrated biological environment, this surface reactivity may be linked to the pathogenicity of the soil particles.

  17. Exoemission of Ethiopian soils and the endemicity of non-filarial elephantiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, J.E.

    1983-01-01

    Non-filarial elephantiasis is an endemic disease in the bare-footed population of Ethiopia. The distribution of this condition is linked with that of local red clay soil. Recently, thermoluminescence has been successfully used to distinguish between endemic and non-endemic soils. Instrinsic lattice defects, frozen in during cooling of volcanic material, are considered to be responsible for characteristic thermoluminescence signals. However, the biological reactivity of the absorbed soil particles will depend upon their surface properties. Exoemission has therefore been studied in samples from both endemic (5 samples) and non-endemic (4 samples) areas. All samples from endemic areas, on first heating, demonstrate an emission peak at 75 0 C. Post-irradiation storage of samples in a moist atmosphere tends to decrease emissivity while wetting irreversibly reduces the response to irradiation. In an hydrated biological environement, this surface reactivity may be linked to the pathogenicity of the soil particles. (author)

  18. Distribution of 137Cs in the Surface Soil of Serpong Nuclear Site

    OpenAIRE

    Lubis, E

    2011-01-01

    The distribution of 137Cs in the surface soil layer of Serpong Nuclear Site (SNS) was investigated by field sampling. The Objectives of the investigation is finding the profile of 137Cs distribution in the surface soil and the Tf value that can be used for estimation of radiation dose from livestock product-man pathways. The results indicates that the 137Cs activity in surface soil of SNS is 0.80 ± 0,29 Bq/kg, much lower than in the Antarctic. The contribution value of 137Cs from the operatio...

  19. Spatial Heterogeneity and Sources of Soil Carbon in Southern African Savannas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macko, S.; Wang, L.; Okin, G.

    2007-12-01

    Soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the largest and most dynamic reservoirs of C on Earth, with nearly twice as much C stored in SOC than in the biosphere and atmosphere combined. SOC storage in global tropical savannas constitutes approximately 56 Gt of C, which rises to 216 Gt of C (i.e., about 17% of the terrestrial non- agricultural SOC), when woodlands, shrublands, and desert scrub are included. Savannas cover about 20% of the global land surface, including about one-half of Africa, Australia and South America. The shared dominance of trees and grasses in savannas, the dominant physiognomy in southern Africa, add more complexity to soil C pool partitioning and dynamics than is found in landscapes with a single physiognomy. Here, the spatial variability of the soil C pool was investigated with particular emphasis on understanding the contribution to SOC from trees and grasses at two savanna sites of the Kalahari Transect, one wet and the other dry. Using a combination of stable isotope techniques and geostatistics, the results showed that spatial patterns of soil δ13 C exist and were related to the distributions of woody (C3) and herbaceous (C4) vegetation at both sites. Heterogeneity of the sources of SOC, as well as heterogeneity in the amount of SOC, was greater at the dry site relative to the wet site. At the dry site, the grasses were the major contributor to soil C whereas in the wet site, woody vegetation was the major contributor, regardless of the location with respect to woody canopies.

  20. A new probability density function for spatial distribution of soil water storage capacity leads to SCS curve number method

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Dingbao

    2018-01-01

    Following the Budyko framework, soil wetting ratio (the ratio between soil wetting and precipitation) as a function of soil storage index (the ratio between soil wetting capacity and precipitation) is derived from the SCS-CN method and the VIC type of model. For the SCS-CN method, soil wetting ratio approaches one when soil storage index approaches infinity, due to the limitation of the SCS-CN method in which the initial soil moisture condition is not explicitly represented. However, for the ...

  1. Long term wet spent nuclear fuel storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-04-01

    The meeting showed that there is continuing confidence in the use of wet storage for spent nuclear fuel and that long-term wet storage of fuel clad in zirconium alloys can be readily achieved. The importance of maintaining good water chemistry has been identified. The long-term wet storage behaviour of sensitized stainless steel clad fuel involves, as yet, some uncertainties. However, great reliance will be placed on long-term wet storage of spent fuel into the future. The following topics were treated to some extent: Oxidation of the external surface of fuel clad, rod consolidation, radiation protection, optimum methods of treating spent fuel storage water, physical radiation effects, and the behaviour of spent fuel assemblies of long-term wet storage conditions. A number of papers on national experience are included

  2. Two-Dimensional Wetting Transition Modeling with the Potts Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Daisiane M.; Mombach, José C. M.

    2017-12-01

    A droplet of a liquid deposited on a surface structured in pillars may have two states of wetting: (1) Cassie-Baxter (CB), the liquid remains on top of the pillars, also known as heterogeneous wetting, or (2) Wenzel, the liquid fills completely the cavities of the surface, also known as homogeneous wetting. Studies show that between these two states, there is an energy barrier that, when overcome, results in the transition of states. The transition can be achieved by changes in geometry parameters of the surface, by vibrations of the surface or by evaporation of the liquid. In this paper, we present a comparison of two-dimensional simulations of the Cassie-Wenzel transition on pillar-structured surfaces using the cellular Potts model (CPM) with studies performed by Shahraz et al. In our work, we determine a transition diagram by varying the surface parameters such as the interpillar distance ( G) and the pillar height ( H). Our results were compared to those obtained by Shahraz et al. obtaining good agreement.

  3. Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. E. Barrett

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Polar deserts are characterized by severe spatial-temporal limitations of liquid water. In soil active layers of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, liquid water is infrequently available over most of the arid terrestrial landscape. However, soils on the margins of glacial melt-water streams and lakes are visibly wet during the brief Austral summer when temperatures permit the existence of liquid water. We examined the role of these hydrologic margins as preferential zones for the transformation and transport of nutrient elements and solutes in an environment where geochemical weathering and biological activity is strictly limited by the dearth of liquid water. We report on hydropedological investigations of aquatic-terrestrial transition zones adjacent to 11 stream and lake systems in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Our results show that wetted zones extended 1–11 m from the edges of lotic and lentic systems. While capillary demand and surface evaporation drive a one-way flux of water through these zones, the scale of these transition zones is determined by the topography and physical characteristics of the surrounding soils. Nutrient concentrations and fluxes appear to be influenced by both the hydrology and microbial-mediated biogeochemical processes. Salt concentrations are enriched near the distal boundary of the wetted fronts due to evapo-concentration of pore water in lake margin soils, while organic matter, ammonium and phosphate concentrations are highest in stream channel sediments where potential for biological activity is greatest. Thus, in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, intermittently wet soils on the margins of streams and lakes are important zones of both geochemical cycling and biological activity.

  4. Soil-water content characterisation in a modified Jarvis-Stewart model: A case study of a conifer forest on a shallow unconfined aquifer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guyot, Adrien; Fan, Junliang; Oestergaard, Kasper T.; Whitley, Rhys; Gibbes, Badin; Arsac, Margaux; Lockington, David A.

    2017-01-01

    Groundwater-vegetation-atmosphere fluxes were monitored for a subtropical coastal conifer forest in South-East Queensland, Australia. Observations were used to quantify seasonal changes in transpiration rates with respect to temporal fluctuations of the local water table depth. The applicability of a Modified Jarvis-Stewart transpiration model (MJS), which requires soil-water content data, was assessed for this system. The influence of single depth values compared to use of vertically averaged soil-water content data on MJS-modelled transpiration was assessed over both a wet and a dry season, where the water table depth varied from the surface to a depth of 1.4 m below the surface. Data for tree transpiration rates relative to water table depth showed that trees transpire when the water table was above a threshold depth of 0.8 m below the ground surface (water availability is non-limiting). When the water table reached the ground surface (i.e., surface flooding) transpiration was found to be limited. When the water table is below this threshold depth, a linear relationship between water table depth and the transpiration rate was observed. MJS modelling results show that the influence of different choices for soil-water content on transpiration predictions was insignificant in the wet season. However, during the dry season, inclusion of deeper soil-water content data improved the model performance (except for days after isolated rainfall events, here a shallower soil-water representation was better). This study demonstrated that, to improve MJS simulation results, appropriate selection of soil water measurement depths based on the dynamic behaviour of soil water profiles through the root zone was required in a shallow unconfined aquifer system.

  5. Temporal observations of surface soil moisture using a passive microwave sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, T.J.; O'Neill, P.

    1987-01-01

    A series of 10 aircraft flights was conducted over agricultural fields to evaluate relationships between observed surface soil moisture and soil moisture predicted using passive microwave sensor observations. An a priori approach was used to predict values of surface soil moisture for three types of fields: tilled corn, no-till corn with soybean stubble, and idle fields with corn stubble. Acceptable predictions were obtained for the tilled corn fields, while poor results were obtained for the others. The source of error is suspected to be the density and orientation of the surface stubble layer; however, further research is needed to verify this explanation. Temporal comparisons between observed, microwave predicted, and soil water-simulated moisture values showed similar patterns for tilled well-drained fields. Divergences between the observed and simulated measurements were apparent on poorly drained fields. This result may be of value in locating and mapping hydrologic contributing areas

  6. Physical soil degradation in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boels, D.; Havinga, L.

    1980-01-01

    Soils used in agriculture are subjected to a wide variety of human activities. Soil tillage and soil impravement operations may loose the soil, while soil wetting due to rainfall, and farming operations as sowing, spraying, weed control and harvesting but also grazing cattle may compact the soil.

  7. Effects of artificial soil surface management on changes of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Studies of size distribution, stability of the aggregates, and other soil properties are very important due to their influence on tilth, water infiltration, and nutrient dynamics and more importantly on accelerated erosion but are affected by soil surface management. Both chemical e.g. pH, organic carbon, (OC), exchangeable ...

  8. Raising surface water levels in peat areas with dairy farming upscaling hydrological, agronomical and economic effects from farm-scale to local scale.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vos, de J.A.; Bakel, van P.J.T.; Hoving, I.E.; Smidt, R.A.

    2010-01-01

    Raising surface water levels in peat areas is a measure to reduce soil subsidence, to prevent decay of wooden foundations and to stimulate wet nature restoration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, in these areas dairy farms are present and farming at wetter soils is difficult due to lower

  9. Effect of top soil wettability on water evaporation and plant growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Bharat; Shah, D O; Mishra, Brijesh; Joshi, P A; Gandhi, Vimal G; Fougat, R S

    2015-07-01

    In general, agricultural soil surfaces being hydrophilic in nature get easily wetted by water. The water beneath the soil moves through capillary effect and comes to the surface of the soil and thereafter evaporates into the surrounding air due to atmospheric conditions such as sunlight, wind current, temperature and relative humidity. To lower the water loss from soil, an experiment was designed in which a layer of hydrophobic soil was laid on the surface of ordinary hydrophilic soil. This technique strikingly decreased loss of water from the soil. The results indicated that the evaporation rate significantly decreased and 90% of water was retained in the soil in 83 h by the hydrophobic layer of 2 cm thickness. A theoretical calculation based on diffusion of water vapour (gas phase) through hydrophobic capillaries provide a meaningful explanation of experimental results. A greater retention of water in the soil by this approach can promote the growth of plants, which was confirmed by growing chick pea (Cicer arietinum) plants and it was found that the length of roots, height of shoot, number of branches, number of leaves, number of secondary roots, biomass etc. were significantly increased upon covering the surface with hydrophobic soil in comparison to uncovered ordinary hydrophilic soil of identical depth. Such approach can also decrease the water consumption by the plants particularly grown indoors in residential premises, green houses and poly-houses etc. and also can be very useful to prevent water loss and enhance growth of vegetation in semi-arid regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Effects of Land Cover / Land Use, Soil Texture, and Vegetation on the Water Balance of Lake Chad Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babamaaji, R. A.; Lee, J.

    2013-12-01

    Lake Chad Basin (LCB) has experienced drastic changes of land cover and poor water management practices during the last 50 years. The successive droughts in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in the shortage of surface water and groundwater resources. This problem of drought has a devastating implication on the natural resources of the Basin with great consequence on food security, poverty reduction and quality of life of the inhabitants in the LCB. Therefore, understanding the effects of land use / land cover must be a first step to find how they disturb cycle especially the groundwater in the LCB. The abundance of groundwater is affected by the climate change through the interaction with surface water, such as lakes and rivers, and disuse recharge through an infiltration process. Quantifying the impact of climate change on the groundwater resource requires reliable forecasting of changes in the major climatic variables and other spatial variations including the land use/land cover, soil texture, topographic slope, and vegetation. In this study, we employed a spatially distributed water balance model WetSpass to simulate a long-term average change of groundwater recharge in the LCB of Africa. WetSpass is a water balance-based model to estimate seasonal and spatial distribution of surface runoff, interception, evapotranspiration, and groundwater recharge. The model is especially suitable for studying the effect of land use/land cover change on the water regime in the LCB. The present study describes the concept of the model and its application to the development of recharge map of the LCB. The study shows that major role in the water balance of LCB. The mean yearly actual evapotranspiration (ET) from the basin range from 60mm - 400 mm, which is 90 % (69mm - 430) of the annual precipitation from 2003 - 2010. It is striking that about 50 - 60 % of the total runoff is produced on build-up (impervious surfaces), while much smaller contributions are obtained from vegetated

  11. Rapid Deceleration-Driven Wetting Transition during Pendant Drop Deposition on Superhydrophobic Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Hyuk-Min; Paxson, Adam T.; Varanasi, Kripa K.; Patankar, Neelesh A.

    2011-01-01

    A hitherto unknown mechanism for wetting transition is reported. When a pendant drop settles upon deposition, there is a virtual “collision” where its center of gravity undergoes rapid deceleration. This induces a high water hammer-type pressure that causes wetting transition. A new phase diagram shows that both large and small droplets can transition to wetted states due to the new deceleration driven and the previously known Laplace mechanisms, respectively. It is explained how the attainment of a nonwetted Cassie-Baxter state is more restrictive than previously known.

  12. Distribution of {sup 137}Cs in the Surface Soil of Serpong Nuclear Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lubis, E., E-mail: erlub@batan.go.id [Center for Radioactive Waste Technology, National Nuclear Energy Agency, Serpong (Indonesia)

    2011-08-15

    The distribution of {sup 137}Cs in the surface soil layer of Serpong Nuclear Site (SNS) was investigated by field sampling. The Objectives of the investigation is finding the profile of {sup 137}Cs distribution in the surface soil and the T{sub f} value that can be used for estimation of radiation dose from livestock product-man pathways. The results indicates that the {sup 137}Cs activity in surface soil of SNS is 0.80 {+-} 0.29 Bq/kg, much lower than in the Antarctic. The contribution value of {sup 137}Cs from the operation of G.A. Siwabessy Reactor until now is undetectable. The T{sub f} of {sup 137}Cs from surface soil to Panisetum Purpureum, Setaria Spha Celata and Imperata Cylindrica grasses were 0.71 {+-} 0.14, 0.84 {+-} 0.27 and 0.81 {+-} 0.11 respectively. The results show that value of the transfer factor of {sup 137}Cs varies between cultivated and uncultivated soil and also with the soils with thick humus. (author)

  13. From soaking wet to bone dry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Båstrup-Spohr, Lars; Sand-Jensen, Kaj; Nicolajsen, Sascha Veggerby

    2015-01-01

    A hydrological gradient from pond to dry limestone pavements on the Island of Öland, South Sweden. Methods Plant community composition and six morpho-physiogical plant traits were measured along a pronounced gradient in water supply and soil depth. The strength of filtering was quantified using a trait...... and resistance to water loss on drying. For individual traits, the strength of filtering waxes and wanes along the gradient. This strongly suggests that the mechanism, through which species are filtered into communities, acts through different traits as environmental conditions change along the gradient......, and most traits are strongly filtered only in parts of the gradient (e.g. root porosity in wet soils and water loss on drying on thin dry soils). Evidence for congruence between trait dispersion indices and the CATS model was established, underpinning the importance to plant community assembly...

  14. Response of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Soil Layer to a High Altitude, Dense Aerosol Cover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garratt, J. R.; Pittock, A. B.; Walsh, K.

    1990-01-01

    The response of the atmospheric boundary layer to the appearance of a high-altitude smoke layer has been investigated in a mesoscale numerical model of the atmosphere. Emphasis is placed on the changes in mean boundary-layer structure and near-surface temperatures when smoke of absorption optical depth (AOD) in the, range 0 to 1 is introduced. Calculations have been made at 30°S, for different soil thermal properties and degrees of surface wetness, over a time period of several days during which major smoke-induced cooling occurs. The presence of smoke reduces the daytime mixed-layer depth and, for large enough values of AOD, results in a daytime surface inversion with large cooling confined to heights of less than a few hundred meters. Smoke-induced reductions in daytime soil and air temperatures of several degrees are typical, dependent critically upon soil wetness and smoke AOD. Locations near the coast experience reduced cooling whenever there is a significant onshore flow related to a sea breeze (this would also be the case with a large-scale onshore flow). The sea breeze itself disappears for large enough smoke AOD and, over sloping coastal terrain, a smoke-induced, offshore drainage flow may exist throughout the diurnal cycle.

  15. Biogeochemistry of paddy soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kögel-Knabner, I.; Amelung, W.; Cao, Z.; Fiedler, S.; Frenzel, P.; Jahn, R.; Kalbitz, K.; Kölbl, A.; Schloter, M.

    2010-01-01

    Paddy soils make up the largest anthropogenic wetlands on earth. They may originate from any type of soil in pedological terms, but are highly modified by anthropogenic activities. The formation of these Anthrosols is induced by tilling the wet soil (puddling), and the flooding and drainage regime

  16. Physical and chemical properties of the Martian soil: Review of resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoker, C. R.; Gooding, James L.; Banin, A.; Clark, Benton C.; Roush, Ted

    1991-01-01

    The chemical and physical properties of Martian surface materials are reviewed from the perspective of using these resources to support human settlement. The resource potential of Martian sediments and soils can only be inferred from limited analyses performed by the Viking Landers (VL), from information derived from remote sensing, and from analysis of the SNC meteorites thought to be from Mars. Bulk elemental compositions by the VL inorganic chemical (x ray fluorescence) analysis experiments have been interpreted as evidence for clay minerals (possibly smectites) or mineraloids (palagonite) admixed with sulfate and chloride salts. The materials contained minerals bearing Fe, Ti, Al, Mg and Si. Martian surface materials may be used in many ways. Martian soil, with appropriate preconditioning, can probably be used as a plant growth medium, supplying mechanical support, nutrient elements, and water at optimal conditions to the plants. Loose Martian soils could be used to cover structures and provide radiation shielding for surface habitats. Martian soil could be wetted and formed into abode bricks used for construction. Duricrete bricks, with strength comparable to concrete, can probably be formed using compressed muds made from martian soil.

  17. Retention of available P in acid soils of tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    CHEN Jianhui; ZOU Xiaoming; YANG Xiaodong

    2007-01-01

    Precipitation of mineral phosphate is often recognized as a factor of limiting the availability of P in acidic soils of tropical and subtropical forests.For this paper,we studied the extractable P pools and their transformation rates in soils of a tropical evergreen forest at Xishuangbanna and a subtropical montane wet forest at the Ailao Mountains in order to understand the biogeochemical processes regulating P availability in acidic soils.The two forests differ in forest humus layer;it is deep in the Ailao forest while little is present in the Xishuangbanna forest.The extractable P pools by resin and sodium-bicarbonate decreased when soil organic carbon content was reduced.The lowest levels of extractable P pools occurred in the surface (0-10 era) mineral soils of the Xishuangbanna forest.However,microbial P in the mineral soil of the Xishuangbauna forest was twice that in the Ailao forest.Potential rates of microbial P immobilization were greater than those of organic P mineralization in mineral soils for both forests.We suggest that microbial P immobilization plays an essential role in avoiding mineral P precipitation and retaining available P of plant in tropical acidic soils,whereas both floor mass accumulation and microbial P immobilization function benefit retaining plant available P in subtropical montane wet forests.

  18. The two-phase flow IPTT method for measurement of nonwetting-wetting liquid interfacial areas at higher nonwetting saturations in natural porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Hua; Ouni, Asma El; Lin, Dan; Wang, Bingguo; Brusseau, Mark L

    2016-07-01

    Interfacial areas between nonwetting-wetting (NW-W) liquids in natural porous media were measured using a modified version of the interfacial partitioning tracer test (IPTT) method that employed simultaneous two-phase flow conditions, which allowed measurement at NW saturations higher than trapped residual saturation. Measurements were conducted over a range of saturations for a well-sorted quartz sand under three wetting scenarios of primary drainage (PD), secondary imbibition (SI), and secondary drainage (SD). Limited sets of experiments were also conducted for a model glass-bead medium and for a soil. The measured interfacial areas were compared to interfacial areas measured using the standard IPTT method for liquid-liquid systems, which employs residual NW saturations. In addition, the theoretical maximum interfacial areas estimated from the measured data are compared to specific solid surface areas measured with the N 2 /BET method and estimated based on geometrical calculations for smooth spheres. Interfacial areas increase linearly with decreasing water saturation over the range of saturations employed. The maximum interfacial areas determined for the glass beads, which have no surface roughness, are 32±4 and 36±5 cm -1 for PD and SI cycles, respectively. The values are similar to the geometric specific solid surface area (31±2 cm -1 ) and the N 2 /BET solid surface area (28±2 cm -1 ). The maximum interfacial areas are 274±38, 235±27, and 581±160 cm -1 for the sand for PD, SI, and SD cycles, respectively, and ~7625 cm -1 for the soil for PD and SI. The maximum interfacial areas for the sand and soil are significantly larger than the estimated smooth-sphere specific solid surface areas (107±8 cm -1 and 152±8 cm -1 , respectively), but much smaller than the N 2 /BET solid surface area (1387±92 cm -1 and 55224 cm -1 , respectively). The NW-W interfacial areas measured with the two-phase flow method compare well to values measured using the standard

  19. Ceramic joining through reactive wetting of alumina with calcium ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    phase analysis of the fractured joint surface clearly indicate reactive wetting of the alumina ceramics. This wetting enhances ... ally considered oxide materials for many applications. .... three cases but is more pronounced in the case of C12A7.

  20. Spatio-temporal Root Zone Soil Moisture Estimation for Indo - Gangetic Basin from Satellite Derived (AMSR-2 and SMOS) Surface Soil Moisture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sure, A.; Dikshit, O.

    2017-12-01

    Root zone soil moisture (RZSM) is an important element in hydrology and agriculture. The estimation of RZSM provides insight in selecting the appropriate crops for specific soil conditions (soil type, bulk density, etc.). RZSM governs various vadose zone phenomena and subsequently affects the groundwater processes. With various satellite sensors dedicated to estimating surface soil moisture at different spatial and temporal resolutions, estimation of soil moisture at root zone level for Indo - Gangetic basin which inherits complex heterogeneous environment, is quite challenging. This study aims at estimating RZSM and understand its variation at the level of Indo - Gangetic basin with changing land use/land cover, topography, crop cycles, soil properties, temperature and precipitation patterns using two satellite derived soil moisture datasets operating at distinct frequencies with different principles of acquisition. Two surface soil moisture datasets are derived from AMSR-2 (6.9 GHz - `C' Band) and SMOS (1.4 GHz - `L' band) passive microwave sensors with coarse spatial resolution. The Soil Water Index (SWI), accounting for soil moisture from the surface, is derived by considering a theoretical two-layered water balance model and contributes in ascertaining soil moisture at the vadose zone. This index is evaluated against the widely used modelled soil moisture dataset of GLDAS - NOAH, version 2.1. This research enhances the domain of utilising the modelled soil moisture dataset, wherever the ground dataset is unavailable. The coupling between the surface soil moisture and RZSM is analysed for two years (2015-16), by defining a parameter T, the characteristic time length. The study demonstrates that deriving an optimal value of T for estimating SWI at a certain location is a function of various factors such as land, meteorological, and agricultural characteristics.

  1. Sampling for Beryllium Surface Contamination using Wet, Dry and Alcohol Wipe Sampling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerr, Kent [Central Missouri State Univ., Warrensburg, MO (United States)

    2004-12-01

    This research project was conducted at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Kansas City Plant, operated by Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, in conjunction with the Safety Sciences Department of Central Missouri State University, to compare relative removal efficiencies of three wipe sampling techniques currently used at Department of Energy facilities. Efficiencies of removal of beryllium contamination from typical painted surfaces were tested by wipe sampling with dry Whatman 42 filter paper, with water-moistened (Ghost Wipe) materials, and by methanol-moistened wipes. Test plates were prepared using 100 mm X 15 mm Pyrex Petri dishes with interior surfaces spray painted with a bond coat primer. To achieve uniform deposition over the test plate surface, 10 ml aliquots of solution containing 1 beryllium and 0.1 ml of metal working fluid were transferred to the test plates and subsequently evaporated. Metal working fluid was added to simulate the slight oiliness common on surfaces in metal working shops where fugitive oil mist accumulates over time. Sixteen test plates for each wipe method (dry, water, and methanol) were processed and sampled using a modification of wiping patterns recommended by OSHA Method 125G. Laboratory and statistical analysis showed that methanol-moistened wipe sampling removed significantly more (about twice as much) beryllium/oil-film surface contamination as water-moistened wipes (p< 0.001), which removed significantly more (about twice as much) residue as dry wipes (p <0.001). Evidence for beryllium sensitization via skin exposure argues in favor of wipe sampling with wetting agents that provide enhanced residue removal efficiency.

  2. Dynamics of liquid nitrogen cooling process of solid surface at wetting contact coefficient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smakulski, P; Pietrowicz, S

    2015-01-01

    Liquid cryogens cooling by direct contact is very often used as a method for decreasing the temperature of electronic devices or equipment i.e. HTS cables. Somehow, cooldown process conducted in that way could not be optimized, because of cryogen pool boiling characteristic and low value of the heat transfer coefficient. One of the possibilities to increase the efficiency of heat transfer, as well as the efficiency of cooling itself, it is to use a spray cooling method. The paper shows dynamics analysis of liquid nitrogen cooling solid surface process. The model of heat transfer for the single droplet of liquid nitrogen, which hits on a flat and smooth surface with respect to the different Weber numbers, is shown. Temperature profiles in calculation domains are presented, as well as the required cooling time. The numerical calculations are performed for different initial and boundary conditions, to study how the wetting contact coefficient is changing, and how it contributed to heat transfer between solid and liquid cryogen. (paper)

  3. A New Empirical Model for Radar Scattering from Bare Soil Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Baghdadi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to propose a new semi-empirical radar backscattering model for bare soil surfaces based on the Dubois model. A wide dataset of backscattering coefficients extracted from synthetic aperture radar (SAR images and in situ soil surface parameter measurements (moisture content and roughness is used. The retrieval of soil parameters from SAR images remains challenging because the available backscattering models have limited performances. Existing models, physical, semi-empirical, or empirical, do not allow for a reliable estimate of soil surface geophysical parameters for all surface conditions. The proposed model, developed in HH, HV, and VV polarizations, uses a formulation of radar signals based on physical principles that are validated in numerous studies. Never before has a backscattering model been built and validated on such an important dataset as the one proposed in this study. It contains a wide range of incidence angles (18°–57° and radar wavelengths (L, C, X, well distributed, geographically, for regions with different climate conditions (humid, semi-arid, and arid sites, and involving many SAR sensors. The results show that the new model shows a very good performance for different radar wavelengths (L, C, X, incidence angles, and polarizations (RMSE of about 2 dB. This model is easy to invert and could provide a way to improve the retrieval of soil parameters.

  4. Production development and utilization of Zimmer Station wet FGD by-products. Final report. Volume 5, A laboratory greenhouse study conducted in fulfillment of Phase 2, Objective 2 titled. Use of FGD by-product gypsum enriched with magnesium hydroxide as a soil amendment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yibirin, H. [Ohio State Univ., Wooster, OH (United States); Stehouwer, R. C. [Ohio State Univ., Wooster, OH (United States); Bigham, J. M. [Ohio State Univ., Wooster, OH (United States); Soto, U. I. [Ohio State Univ., Wooster, OH (United States)

    1997-01-31

    The Clean Air Act, as revised in 1992, has spurred the development of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technologies that have resulted in large volumes of wet scrubber sludges. In general, these sludges must be dewatered, chemically treated, and disposed of in landfills. Disposal is an expensive and environmentally questionable process for which suitable alternatives must be found. Wet scrubbing with magnesium (Mg)-enhanced lime has emerged as an efficient, cost effective technology for SO2 removal. When combined with an appropriate oxidation system, the wet scrubber sludge can be used to produce gypsum (CaSO4-2H2O) and magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] of sufficient purity for beneficial re-use. Product value generally increases with purity of the by-product(s). The pilot plant at the CINERGY Zimmer Station near Cincinnati produces gypsum by products that can be formulated to contain varying amounts of Mg(OH)2. Such materials may have agricultural value as soil conditioners, liming agents and sources of plant nutrients (Ca, Mg, S). This report describes a greenhouse study designed to evaluate by-product gypsum and Mg gypsum from the Zimmer Station pilot plant as amendments for improving the quality of agricultural soils and mine spoils that are currently unproductive because of phytotoxic conditions related to acidity and high levels of toxic dissolved aluminum (Al). In particular, the technical literature contains evidence to suggest that gypsum may be more effective than agricultural limestone in modifying soil chemical conditions below the immediate zone of application. Representative samples of by-product gypsum and Mg(OH)2 from the Zimmer Station were initially characterized. The gypsum was of high chemical purity and consisted of well crystalline, lath-shaped particles of low specific surface area. By contrast, the by-product Mg(OH)2 was a high surface area material (50 m2 g

  5. The influence of time on the magnetic properties of late Quaternary periglacial and alluvial surface and buried soils along the Delaware River, USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gary E Stinchcomb

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Magnetic susceptibility of soils has been used as a proxy for rainfall, but other factors can contribute to magnetic enhancement in soils. Here we explore influence of century- to millennial-scale duration of soil formation on periglacial and alluvial soil magnetic properties by assessing three terraces with surface and buried soils ranging in exposure ages from <0.01 to ~16 kyrs along the Delaware River in northeastern USA. The A and B soil horizons have higher Xlf, Ms, and S-ratios compared to parent material, and these values increase in a non-linear fashion with increasing duration of soil formation. Magnetic remanence measurements show a mixed low- and high-coercivity mineral assemblage likely consisting of goethite, hematite and maghemite that contributes to the magnetic enhancement of the soil. Room-temperature and low-temperature field-cooled and zero field-cooled remanence curves confirm the presence of goethite and magnetite and show an increase in magnetization with increasing soil age. These data suggest that as the Delaware alluvial soils weather, the concentration of secondary ferrimagnetic minerals increase in the A and B soil horizons. We then compared the time-dependent Xlf from several age-constrained buried alluvial soils with known climate data for the region during the Quaternary. Contradictory to most studies that suggest a link between increases in magnetic susceptibility and high moisture, increased magnetic enhancement of Delaware alluvial soils coincides with dry climate intervals. Early Holocene enhanced soil Xlf (9.5 – 8.5 ka corresponds with a well-documented cool-dry climate episode. This relationship is probably related to less frequent flooding during dry intervals allowing more time for low-coercive pedogenic magnetic minerals to form and accumulate, which resulted in increased Xlf. Middle Holocene enhanced Xlf (6.1 – 4.3 ka corresponds with a transitional wet/dry phase and a previously documented incision

  6. Adaptive Surface Modeling of Soil Properties in Complex Landforms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Liu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Spatial discontinuity often causes poor accuracy when a single model is used for the surface modeling of soil properties in complex geomorphic areas. Here we present a method for adaptive surface modeling of combined secondary variables to improve prediction accuracy during the interpolation of soil properties (ASM-SP. Using various secondary variables and multiple base interpolation models, ASM-SP was used to interpolate soil K+ in a typical complex geomorphic area (Qinghai Lake Basin, China. Five methods, including inverse distance weighting (IDW, ordinary kriging (OK, and OK combined with different secondary variables (e.g., OK-Landuse, OK-Geology, and OK-Soil, were used to validate the proposed method. The mean error (ME, mean absolute error (MAE, root mean square error (RMSE, mean relative error (MRE, and accuracy (AC were used as evaluation indicators. Results showed that: (1 The OK interpolation result is spatially smooth and has a weak bull's-eye effect, and the IDW has a stronger ‘bull’s-eye’ effect, relatively. They both have obvious deficiencies in depicting spatial variability of soil K+. (2 The methods incorporating combinations of different secondary variables (e.g., ASM-SP, OK-Landuse, OK-Geology, and OK-Soil were associated with lower estimation bias. Compared with IDW, OK, OK-Landuse, OK-Geology, and OK-Soil, the accuracy of ASM-SP increased by 13.63%, 10.85%, 9.98%, 8.32%, and 7.66%, respectively. Furthermore, ASM-SP was more stable, with lower MEs, MAEs, RMSEs, and MREs. (3 ASM-SP presents more details than others in the abrupt boundary, which can render the result consistent with the true secondary variables. In conclusion, ASM-SP can not only consider the nonlinear relationship between secondary variables and soil properties, but can also adaptively combine the advantages of multiple models, which contributes to making the spatial interpolation of soil K+ more reasonable.

  7. Uptake of gaseous formaldehyde onto soil surfaces: a coated-wall flow tube study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guo; Su, Hang; Li, Xin; Meusel, Hannah; Kuhn, Uwe; Pöschl, Ulrich; Shao, Min; Cheng, Yafang

    2015-04-01

    Gaseous formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important intermediate molecule and source of HO2 radicals. However, discrepancies exist between model simulated and observed HCHO concentrations, suggesting missing sources or sinks in the HCHO budget. Multiphase processes on the surface of soil and airborne soil-derived particles have been suggested as an important mechanism for the production/removal of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols. In this work, the uptake of gaseous HCHO on soil surfaces were investigated through coated-wall flow tube experiments with HCHO concentration ranging from 10 to 40 ppbv. The results show that the adsorption of HCHO occurred on soil surfaces, and the uptake coefficient dropped gradually (i.e., by a factor of 5 after 1 hour) as the reactive surface sites were consumed. The HCHO uptake coefficient was found to be affected by the relative humidity (RH), decreasing from (2.4 ± 0.5) × 10-4 at 0% RH to (3.0 ± 0.08) × 10-5 at 70% RH, due to competition of water molecule absorption on the soil surface. A release of HCHO from reacted soil was also detected by applying zero air, suggesting the nature of reversible physical absorption and the existence of an equilibrium at the soil-gas interface. It implies that soil could be either a source or a sink for HCHO, depending on the ambient HCHO concentration. We also develop a Matlab program to calculate the uptake coefficient under laminar flow conditions based on the Cooney-Kim-Davis method.

  8. Simulated and measured soil wetting patterns for overlap zone ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2011-10-17

    Oct 17, 2011 ... Drip irrigation is one of the most useful methods that is widely used in the arid and semi- ... Simulations of the water content and wetting front were close to the observed data. ... many researchers have employed numerical models to ... Field experiments were conducted in 2010 at the management of.

  9. Delivery to the Wet Chemistry Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-01-01

    This portion of a picture acquired by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Robotic Arm Camera documents the delivery of soil to one of four Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) cells on the 30th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Approximately one cubic centimeter of this soil was then introduced into the cell and mixed with water for chemical analysis. WCL is part of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument suite on board the Phoenix lander. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

  10. Updated global soil map for the Weather Research and Forecasting model and soil moisture initialization for the Noah land surface model

    Science.gov (United States)

    DY, C. Y.; Fung, J. C. H.

    2016-08-01

    A meteorological model requires accurate initial conditions and boundary conditions to obtain realistic numerical weather predictions. The land surface controls the surface heat and moisture exchanges, which can be determined by the physical properties of the soil and soil state variables, subsequently exerting an effect on the boundary layer meteorology. The initial and boundary conditions of soil moisture are currently obtained via National Centers for Environmental Prediction FNL (Final) Operational Global Analysis data, which are collected operationally in 1° by 1° resolutions every 6 h. Another input to the model is the soil map generated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (FAO-UNESCO) soil database, which combines several soil surveys from around the world. Both soil moisture from the FNL analysis data and the default soil map lack accuracy and feature coarse resolutions, particularly for certain areas of China. In this study, we update the global soil map with data from Beijing Normal University in 1 km by 1 km grids and propose an alternative method of soil moisture initialization. Simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting model show that spinning-up the soil moisture improves near-surface temperature and relative humidity prediction using different types of soil moisture initialization. Explanations of that improvement and improvement of the planetary boundary layer height in performing process analysis are provided.

  11. Wetting properties of liquid lithium on lithium compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krat, S.A., E-mail: stepan.krat@gmail.com [Center for Plasma Material Interactions, Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (United States); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation); Popkov, A.S. [Center for Plasma Material Interactions, Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (United States); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation); Gasparyan, Yu. M.; Pisarev, A.A. [National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation); Fiflis, Peter; Szott, Matthew; Christenson, Michael; Kalathiparambil, Kishor; Ruzic, David N. [Center for Plasma Material Interactions, Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (United States)

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • Contact angles of liquid lithium and Li{sub 3}N, Li{sub 2}O, Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3} were measured. • Liquid lithium wets lithium compounds at relatively low temperatures: Li{sub 3}N at 257 °C, Li{sub 2}O at 259 °C, Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3} at 323 °C. • Li wets Li{sub 2}O and Li{sub 3}N better than previously measured fusion-relevant materials (W, Mo, Ta, TZM, stainless steel). • Li wets Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3} better than most previously measured fusion-relevant materials (W, Mo, Ta). - Abstract: Liquid metal plasma facing components (LMPFC) have shown a potential to supplant solid plasma facing components materials in the high heat flux regions of magnetic confinement fusion reactors due to the reduction or elimination of concerns over melting, wall damage, and erosion. To design a workable LMPFC, one must understand how liquid metal interacts with solid underlying structures. Wetting is an important factor in such interaction, several designs of LMPFC require liquid metal to wet the underlying solid structures. The wetting of lithium compounds (lithium nitride, oxide, and carbonate) by 200 °C liquid lithium at various surface temperature from 230 to 330 °C was studied by means of contact angle measurements. Wetting temperatures, defined as the temperature above which the contact angle is less than 90°, were measured. The wetting temperature was 257 °C for nitride, 259 °C for oxide, and 323 °C for carbonate. Surface tensions of solid lithium compounds were calculated from the contact angle measurements.

  12. Wetting-dewetting films: the role of structural forces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolov, Alex; Wasan, Darsh

    2014-04-01

    The liquid wetting and dewetting of solids are ubiquitous phenomena that occur in everyday life. Understanding the nature of these phenomena is beneficial for research and technological applications. However, despite their importance, the phenomena are still not well understood because of the nature of the substrate's surface energy non-ideality and dynamics. This paper illustrates the mechanisms and applications of liquid wetting and dewetting on hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates. We discuss the classical understanding and application of wetting and film stability criteria based on the Frumkin-Derjaguin disjoining pressure model. The roles of the film critical thickness and capillary pressure on the film instability based on the disjoining pressure isotherm are elucidated, as are the criteria for stable and unstable wet films. We consider the film area in the model for the film stability and the applicable experiments. This paper also addresses the two classic film instability mechanisms for suspended liquid films based on the conditions of the free energy criteria originally proposed by de Vries (nucleation hole formation) and Vrij-Scheludko (capillary waves vs. van der Waals forces) that were later adapted to explain dewetting. We include a discussion of the mechanisms of nanofilm wetting and dewetting on a solid substrate based on nanoparticles' tendency to form a 2D layer and 2D inlayer in the film under the wetting film's surface confinement. We also present our view on the future of wetting-dewetting modeling and its applications in developing emerging technologies. We believe the review and analysis presented here will benefit the current and future understanding of the wetting-dewetting phenomena, as well as aid in the development of novel products and technologies. © 2013.

  13. Analysis of Seasonal Soil Organic Carbon Content at Bukit Jeriau Forest, Fraser Hill, Pahang

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad Adnan Mohamed; Ahmad Adnan Mohamed; Sahibin Abd Rahim; David Allan Aitman; Mohd Khairul Amri Kamarudin; Mohd Khairul Amri Kamarudin

    2016-01-01

    Soil carbon is the carbon held within the soil, primarily in association with its organic content. The total soil organic carbon study was determined in a plot at Bukit Jeriau forest in Bukit Fraser, Pahang, Malaysia. The aim of this study is to determine the changing of soil organic carbon between wet season and dry season. Soil organic carbon was fined out using titrimetric determination. The soil organic carbon content in wet season is 223.24 t/ ha while dry season is 217.90 t/ ha. The soil pH range in wet season is between 4.32 to 4.45 and in dry season in 3.95 to 4.08 which is considered acidic. Correlation analysis showed that soil organic carbon value is influenced by pH value and climate. Correlation analysis between clay and soil organic carbon with depth showed positively significant differences and clay are very much influenced soil organic carbon content. Correlation analysis between electrical conductivity and soil organic carbon content showed negative significantly difference on wet season and positively significant different in dry season. (author)

  14. Organic matter composition of soil macropore surfaces under different agricultural management practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glæsner, Nadia; Leue, Marin; Magid, Jacob; Gerke, Horst H.

    2016-04-01

    Understanding the heterogeneous nature of soil, i.e. properties and processes occurring specifically at local scales is essential for best managing our soil resources for agricultural production. Examination of intact soil structures in order to obtain an increased understanding of how soil systems operate from small to large scale represents a large gap within soil science research. Dissolved chemicals, nutrients and particles are transported through the disturbed plow layer of agricultural soil, where after flow through the lower soil layers occur by preferential flow via macropores. Rapid movement of water through macropores limit the contact between the preferentially moving water and the surrounding soil matrix, therefore contact and exchange of solutes in the water is largely restricted to the surface area of the macropores. Organomineral complex coated surfaces control sorption and exchange properties of solutes, as well as availability of essential nutrients to plant roots and to the preferentially flowing water. DRIFT (Diffuse Reflectance infrared Fourier Transform) Mapping has been developed to examine composition of organic matter coated macropores. In this study macropore surfaces structures will be determined for organic matter composition using DRIFT from a long-term field experiment on waste application to agricultural soil (CRUCIAL, close to Copenhagen, Denmark). Parcels with 5 treatments; accelerated household waste, accelerated sewage sludge, accelerated cattle manure, NPK and unfertilized, will be examined in order to study whether agricultural management have an impact on the organic matter composition of intact structures.

  15. Stabilizing lead bullets in shooting range soil by phosphate-based surface coating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Hua

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Soil lead (Pb is well known as a threat to human health and ecosystem. Although relatively insoluble, lead bullets in shooting range soil can be readily released into soluble forms through natural weathering processes and thus pose significant human and environmental risks. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate if the Pb bullets in shooting range soil can be stabilized through surface coating of phosphate-based materials. Results indicated that FePO4 or AlPO4 coatings, insoluble metal phosphates, have been successfully formed on the surface of the Pb bullets. The EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP test showed that FePO4 or AlPO4 surface coating would effectively reduce the Pb solubility or leachability of the bullets. The surface coating under pH of <5.5 for 7 days could achieve 92–100% reduction, with 85–98% by FePO4 coating and 77–98% by AlPO4 coating as compared with the non-coating. Leachable Pb concentration in the contaminated shooting range soil was reduced by 85–98% or 77–98% as a result of the FePO4 or AlPO4 solution treatment. This study demonstrated that the FePO4 or AlPO4–based surface coating on lead bullets can effectively inhibit the Pb weathering and significantly reduce the Pb release from soil through in situ chemical stabilization, which could be potentially applicable as a cost-effective and environmental-sound technology for the remediation of Pb-contaminated shooting range soil.

  16. Sorption of a nonionic surfactant Tween 80 by minerals and soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Soyoung, E-mail: soyoung@pusan.ac.kr; Jeong, Hoon Young, E-mail: hjeong@pusan.ac.kr

    2015-03-02

    Highlights: • Tween 80 sorption varies significantly among soil minerals. • Sorption mechanisms and atomic compositions explain to mineral-specific sorption. • Clay minerals and SOM in soils are the key contributors to Tween 80 sorption. • Hysteresis suggests the potential difficulty in removing residual surfactants. - Abstract: Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate Tween 80 sorption by oxides, aluminosilicates, and soils. For oxides, the sorption by silica and alumina follow linear isotherms, and that by hematite follows a Langmuir isotherm. Considering isotherm type and surface coverage, Tween 80 may partition into the silica/alumina–water interface, whereas it may bind to hematite surface sites. Among aluminosilicates, montmorillonite shows the greatest sorption due to the absorption of Tween 80 into interlayers. For other aluminosilicates, it sorbs to surfaces, with the sorption increasing as plagioclase < vermiculite < kaolinite. This results from the relative reactivity among surface sites: ≡NaOH, ≡CaOH << ≡SiOH < ≡AlOH. Experiments using dry- and wet-sieved soils reveal that fine-grained clay minerals, difficult to separate by dry-sieving, contribute significantly to Tween 80 sorption. The greater sorption by untreated soils than H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-treated soils indicates that soil organic matter is a vital sorbent. The sorption hysteresis, contributed to by clay minerals and soil organic matter, is characterized by the greater sorption during the desorption than the sorption stages. This suggests the potential difficulty in removing surfactants from soils. Also, sorption of surfactants can adversely affect surfactant-enhanced remediation by decreasing the aquifer permeability and the availability of surfactants for micellar solubilization.

  17. Transfer of 226Ra to plants from two types of soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosiak, L.; Pietrzak-Flis, Z.

    1998-01-01

    The transfer of 226 Ra to plants used as food (carrot, parsley, wheat) and as fodder (grass, maize) was studied. The plants were grown on two types of soil: sandy soil (l) and sandy loam soil (II) in an open field (exposure to dry and wet deposition, resuspension and soil adhesion) and in polyethylene tent with an underground irrigation system (isolation from wet deposition and from water splash on soil). The plants were grown simultaneously on the open and sheltered fields. The average concentrations of total 226 Ra and of exchangeable 226 Ra were 8.48 ± 0.50 Bq/kg dw was 0.62 ± 0.07 Bq/kg dw , respectively, in Soil I and 12.2 ± 0.56 Bq/kg dw and 0.66 ± 0.05 Bq/kg dw , respectively, in Soil II. 226 Ra was determined in the above-ground parts of the plants after washing in distilled water, in the rinse obtained from washing, in the insoluble residue separated from the rinse, and in the roots. The data obtained allowed us to determine the incorporated radionuclide in the plants and on their surface. Statistical analysis of the data indicates that there is no difference in the incorporated 226 Ra for plants grown on the open field and in the tent. This indicates that Ra enter the plants mainly through the root system, while the pathway via leaves and stems is negligible

  18. Effects of surface soil loss in South Eastern Nigeria: I. crop ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The widespread incidence of soil erosion in the tropics has been identified, though few studies have dealt with specific problems of decline in crop productivity associated with soil loss. An understanding of the influence of surface soil loss on crop yield is necessary in order to find out their effects on performance of crops.

  19. Upscaling of Surface Soil Moisture Using a Deep Learning Model with VIIRS RDR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongying Zhang

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In current upscaling of in situ surface soil moisture practices, commonly used novel statistical or machine learning-based regression models combined with remote sensing data show some advantages in accurately capturing the satellite footprint scale of specific local or regional surface soil moisture. However, the performance of most models is largely determined by the size of the training data and the limited generalization ability to accomplish correlation extraction in regression models, which are unsuitable for larger scale practices. In this paper, a deep learning model was proposed to estimate soil moisture on a national scale. The deep learning model has the advantage of representing nonlinearities and modeling complex relationships from large-scale data. To illustrate the deep learning model for soil moisture estimation, the croplands of China were selected as the study area, and four years of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS raw data records (RDR were used as input parameters, then the models were trained and soil moisture estimates were obtained. Results demonstrate that the estimated models captured the complex relationship between the remote sensing variables and in situ surface soil moisture with an adjusted coefficient of determination of R ¯ 2 = 0.9875 and a root mean square error (RMSE of 0.0084 in China. These results were more accurate than the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP active radar soil moisture products and the Global Land data assimilation system (GLDAS 0–10 cm depth soil moisture data. Our study suggests that deep learning model have potential for operational applications of upscaling in situ surface soil moisture data at the national scale.

  20. Dissipation of triclosan, triclocarban, carbamazepine and naproxen in agricultural soil following surface or sub-surface application of dewatered municipal biosolids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Rajab, Abdul Jabbar; Sabourin, Lyne [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON N5V 4T3 (Canada); Lapen, David R. [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 (Canada); Topp, Edward, E-mail: ed.topp@agr.gc.ca [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON N5V 4T3 (Canada); Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7 (Canada)

    2015-04-15

    In many jurisdictions land application of municipal biosolids is a valued source of nutrients for crop production. The practice must be managed to ensure that crops and adjacent water are not subject to contamination by pharmaceuticals or other organic contaminants. The broad spectrum antimicrobial agents triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC), the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ), and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen (NAP) are widely used and are carried in biosolids. In the present study, the effect of biosolids and depth of placement in the soil profile on the rates of TCS, TCC, CBZ, and NAP dissipation were evaluated under semi-field conditions. Aggregates of dewatered municipal biosolids (DMBs) supplemented with {sup 14}C-labeled residues were applied either on the soil surface or in the subsurface of the soil profile, and incubated over several months under ambient outdoor conditions. The dissipation of TCS, TCC and NAP was significantly faster in sub-surface than surface applied biosolid aggregates. In contrast the dissipation rate for CBZ was the same in surface applied and incorporated aggregates. Overall, the present study has determined a significant effect of depth of placement on the dissipation rate of biodegradable molecules. - Highlights: • We characterized the soil fate of four organic contaminants carried in biosolids. • Biosolids were placed on the soil surface or incorporated within the soil profile. • Naproxen, triclosan and triclocarban were dissipated more rapidly when incorporated. • Depth of placement did not influence the rate of carbamazepine dissipation. • Soil incorporation of biosolids will result in more rapid dissipation of contaminants.

  1. Dissipation of triclosan, triclocarban, carbamazepine and naproxen in agricultural soil following surface or sub-surface application of dewatered municipal biosolids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Rajab, Abdul Jabbar; Sabourin, Lyne; Lapen, David R.; Topp, Edward

    2015-01-01

    In many jurisdictions land application of municipal biosolids is a valued source of nutrients for crop production. The practice must be managed to ensure that crops and adjacent water are not subject to contamination by pharmaceuticals or other organic contaminants. The broad spectrum antimicrobial agents triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC), the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ), and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen (NAP) are widely used and are carried in biosolids. In the present study, the effect of biosolids and depth of placement in the soil profile on the rates of TCS, TCC, CBZ, and NAP dissipation were evaluated under semi-field conditions. Aggregates of dewatered municipal biosolids (DMBs) supplemented with 14 C-labeled residues were applied either on the soil surface or in the subsurface of the soil profile, and incubated over several months under ambient outdoor conditions. The dissipation of TCS, TCC and NAP was significantly faster in sub-surface than surface applied biosolid aggregates. In contrast the dissipation rate for CBZ was the same in surface applied and incorporated aggregates. Overall, the present study has determined a significant effect of depth of placement on the dissipation rate of biodegradable molecules. - Highlights: • We characterized the soil fate of four organic contaminants carried in biosolids. • Biosolids were placed on the soil surface or incorporated within the soil profile. • Naproxen, triclosan and triclocarban were dissipated more rapidly when incorporated. • Depth of placement did not influence the rate of carbamazepine dissipation. • Soil incorporation of biosolids will result in more rapid dissipation of contaminants

  2. A Wet Chemistry Laboratory Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-01-01

    This picture of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) cell is labeled with components responsible for mixing Martian soil with water from Earth, adding chemicals and measuring the solution chemistry. WCL is part of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument suite on board the Phoenix lander. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

  3. Alaskan soil carbon stocks: spatial variability and dependence on environmental factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U. Mishra

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The direction and magnitude of soil organic carbon (SOC changes in response to climate change depend on the spatial and vertical distributions of SOC. We estimated spatially resolved SOC stocks from surface to C horizon, distinguishing active-layer and permafrost-layer stocks, based on geospatial analysis of 472 soil profiles and spatially referenced environmental variables for Alaska. Total Alaska state-wide SOC stock was estimated to be 77 Pg, with 61% in the active-layer, 27% in permafrost, and 12% in non-permafrost soils. Prediction accuracy was highest for the active-layer as demonstrated by highest ratio of performance to deviation (1.5. Large spatial variability was predicted, with whole-profile, active-layer, and permafrost-layer stocks ranging from 1–296 kg C m−2, 2–166 kg m−2, and 0–232 kg m−2, respectively. Temperature and soil wetness were found to be primary controllers of whole-profile, active-layer, and permafrost-layer SOC stocks. Secondary controllers, in order of importance, were found to be land cover type, topographic attributes, and bedrock geology. The observed importance of soil wetness rather than precipitation on SOC stocks implies that the poor representation of high-latitude soil wetness in Earth system models may lead to large uncertainty in predicted SOC stocks under future climate change scenarios. Under strict caveats described in the text and assuming temperature changes from the A1B Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions scenario, our geospatial model indicates that the equilibrium average 2100 Alaska active-layer depth could deepen by 11 cm, resulting in a thawing of 13 Pg C currently in permafrost. The equilibrium SOC loss associated with this warming would be highest under continuous permafrost (31%, followed by discontinuous (28%, isolated (24.3%, and sporadic (23.6% permafrost areas. Our high-resolution mapping of soil carbon stock reveals the

  4. Soil frost-induced soil moisture precipitation feedback and effects on atmospheric states

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagemann, Stefan; Blome, Tanja; Ekici, Altug; Beer, Christian

    2016-04-01

    land atmosphere feedback to precipitation over the high latitudes, which reduces the model's wet biases in precipitation and evapotranspiration during the summer. This is noteworthy as soil moisture - atmosphere feedbacks have previously not been in the research focus over the high latitudes. These results point out the importance of high latitude physical processes at the land surface for the regional climate.

  5. Soil surface temperatures reveal moderation of the urban heat island effect by trees and shrubs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmondson, J L; Stott, I; Davies, Z G; Gaston, K J; Leake, J R

    2016-09-19

    Urban areas are major contributors to air pollution and climate change, causing impacts on human health that are amplified by the microclimatological effects of buildings and grey infrastructure through the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Urban greenspaces may be important in reducing surface temperature extremes, but their effects have not been investigated at a city-wide scale. Across a mid-sized UK city we buried temperature loggers at the surface of greenspace soils at 100 sites, stratified by proximity to city centre, vegetation cover and land-use. Mean daily soil surface temperature over 11 months increased by 0.6 °C over the 5 km from the city outskirts to the centre. Trees and shrubs in non-domestic greenspace reduced mean maximum daily soil surface temperatures in the summer by 5.7 °C compared to herbaceous vegetation, but tended to maintain slightly higher temperatures in winter. Trees in domestic gardens, which tend to be smaller, were less effective at reducing summer soil surface temperatures. Our findings reveal that the UHI effects soil temperatures at a city-wide scale, and that in their moderating urban soil surface temperature extremes, trees and shrubs may help to reduce the adverse impacts of urbanization on microclimate, soil processes and human health.

  6. Hot moments of N2O transformation and emission in tropical soils from the Pantanal and the Amazon (Brazil)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liengaard, Lars; Figueiredo, Viviane; Markfoged, Rikke

    2014-01-01

    Tropical wetland soils emit large amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O), especially following wetting of drained soil. We investigated seasonally drained wetland soils from the Pantanal and the Amazon, both with a natural high nitrate content and low pH. Here we report the effect of wetting on the produ......Tropical wetland soils emit large amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O), especially following wetting of drained soil. We investigated seasonally drained wetland soils from the Pantanal and the Amazon, both with a natural high nitrate content and low pH. Here we report the effect of wetting...

  7. Modelling the observed vertical transport of {sup 7}Be in specific soils with advection dispersion model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torres Astorga, Romina; Velasco, Hugo; Valladares, Diego L.; Lohaiza, Flavia; Ayub, Jimena Juri; Rizzotto, Marcos [Grupo de Estudios Ambientales. Instituto de Matematica Aplicada San Luis - Universidad Nacional de San Luis - CONICET, San Luis (Argentina)

    2014-07-01

    {sup 7}Be is a short-lived environmental radionuclide, produced in the upper atmosphere by spallation of nitrogen and oxygen by cosmic rays. After of the production by the nuclear reaction, {sup 7}Be diffuses through the atmosphere until it attaches to atmospheric aerosols. Subsequently, it is deposited on the earth surface mainly as wet fallout. The main physical processes which transport {sup 7}Be in soil are diffusion and advection by water. Migration parameters and measurements confirm that sorption is the main physical process, which confines {sup 7}Be concentration to soil surface. The literature data show that in soils, {sup 7}Be is concentrated near the surface (0-2 cm) as it is adsorbed onto clay minerals after its deposition on the soil surface and does not penetrate deeper into soils due to its short half-life. The maximum mass activity density of {sup 7}Be is found at the point of input of the radionuclide, i.e. at the surface of the soil column, showing a exponential distribution profile typical of a purely diffusive transport. Many studies applying the advection dispersion models have been reported in the literature in order to modelling the transport of {sup 137}Cs in soils. On them, the models are used to achieve information of the mechanisms that govern the transport, i. e. the model is used to explain the soil profile of radionuclide. The effective dispersion coefficient and the apparent advection velocity of radionuclide in soil are also obtained by fitting the analytical solution of the model equation to measured depth distributions of the radionuclide. In this work, the advective dispersive transport model with linear sorption is used to analyze the vertical migration process of {sup 7}Be in soils of undisturbed or reference sites. The deposition history is approximated by pulse-like input functions and time dependent analytical solution of equation model is obtained. The values of dispersion coefficient and apparent advection velocity obtained

  8. Separation of dry and wet periods from regular weather station data for the analysis of wind erosion risk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naeini, Mohammadali Saremi; Fister, Wolfgang; Heckrath, Goswin Johann

    importance, soil moisture content is often ignored in the analysis of wind data for wind erosion studies. The main reason most probably being the lack of soil moisture sensors in conventional climate stations. Soil moisture at a given point in time is determined by rain (e.g. rainfall amount, duration......), climate (e.g. air temperature, solar radiation, evaporation) and soil (e.g. infiltration rate, adhesion). The purpose of this study is to overcome the lack of soil moisture data for wind erosion risk assessment by developing a method to estimate the soil wetness based on easy available weather data......, such as daily precipitation, hourly/sub hourly ambient air temperature and hourly/sub hourly relative humidity. This new method was used to identify periods of wet and dry soil moisture conditions of a time series from 20 weather stations in Denmark. The length of the time series varied between 8 to 37 years...

  9. Relaxometry in soil science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaumann, G. E.; Jaeger, F.; Bayer, J. V.

    2009-04-01

    NMR relaxometry is a sensitive, informative and promising method to study pore size distribution in soils as well as many kinds of soil physicochemical processes, among which are wetting, swelling or changes in the macromolecular status. Further, it is a very helpful method to study interactions between molecules in soil organic matter and it can serve to study the state of binding of water or organic chemicals to soil organic matter. The method of Relaxometry excite the nuclei of interest and their relaxation kinetics are observed. The relaxation time is the time constant of this first order relaxation process. Most applications of relaxometry concentrate on protons, addressing water molecules or H-containing organic molecules. In this context, 1H-NMR relaxometry may be used as an analysis method to determine water uptake characteristics of soils, thus gaining information about water distribution and mobility as well as pore size distribution in wet and moist samples. Additionally, it can also serve as a tool to study mobility of molecular segments in biopolymers. Principally, relaxometry is not restricted to protons. In soil science, relaxometry is also applied using deuterium, xenon and other nuclei to study pore size distribution and interactions. The relaxation time depends on numerous parameters like surface relaxivity, diffusion and interactions between nuclei as well as between nuclei and the environment. One- and two-dimensional methods address the relation between relaxation time and diffusion coefficients and can give information about the interconnectivity of pores. More specific information can be gained using field cycling techniques. Although proton NMR relaxometry is a very promising method in soil science, it has been applied scarcely up to now. It was used to assess changes in molecular rigidity of humic substances. A very recent study shows the potential of NMR relaxometry to assess the pore size distribution of soils in a fast and non

  10. Sea level and turbidity controls on mangrove soil surface elevation change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovelock, Catherine E.; Fernanda Adame, Maria; Bennion, Vicki; Hayes, Matthew; Reef, Ruth; Santini, Nadia; Cahoon, Donald R.

    2015-01-01

    Increases in sea level are a threat to seaward fringing mangrove forests if levels of inundation exceed the physiological tolerance of the trees; however, tidal wetlands can keep pace with sea level rise if soil surface elevations can increase at the same pace as sea level rise. Sediment accretion on the soil surface and belowground production of roots are proposed to increase with increasing sea level, enabling intertidal habitats to maintain their position relative to mean sea level, but there are few tests of these predictions in mangrove forests. Here we used variation in sea level and the availability of sediments caused by seasonal and inter-annual variation in the intensity of La Nina-El Nino to assess the effects of increasing sea level on surface elevation gains and contributing processes (accretion on the surface, subsidence and root growth) in mangrove forests. We found that soil surface elevation increased with mean sea level (which varied over 250 mm during the study) and with turbidity at sites where fine sediment in the water column is abundant. In contrast, where sediments were sandy, rates of surface elevation gain were high, but not significantly related to variation in turbidity, and were likely to be influenced by other factors that deliver sand to the mangrove forest. Root growth was not linked to soil surface elevation gains, although it was associated with reduced shallow subsidence, and therefore may contribute to the capacity of mangroves to keep pace with sea level rise. Our results indicate both surface (sedimentation) and subsurface (root growth) processes can influence mangrove capacity to keep pace with sea level rise within the same geographic location, and that current models of tidal marsh responses to sea level rise capture the major feature of the response of mangroves where fine, but not coarse, sediments are abundant.

  11. The Investigation of Intermediate Stage of Template Etching with Metal Droplets by Wetting Angle Analysis on (001 GaAs Surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyamkina AA

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this work, we study metal droplets on a semiconductor surface that are the initial stage for both droplet epitaxy and local droplet etching. The distributions of droplet geometrical parameters such as height, radius and volume help to understand the droplet formation that strongly influences subsequent nanohole etching. To investigate the etching and intermixing processes, we offer a new method of wetting angle analysis. The aspect ratio that is defined as the ratio of the height to radius was used as an estimation of wetting angle which depends on the droplet material. The investigation of the wetting angle and the estimation of indium content revealed significant materials intermixing during the deposition time. AFM measurements reveal the presence of two droplet groups that is in agreement with nanohole investigations. To explain this observation, we consider arsenic evaporation and consequent change in the initial substrate. On the basis of our analysis, we suggest the model of droplet evolution and the formation of two droplet groups.

  12. Formation and Stability of Microbially Derived Soil Organic Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldrop, M. P.; Creamer, C.; Foster, A. L.; Lawrence, C. R.; Mcfarland, J. W.; Schulz, M. S.

    2017-12-01

    Soil carbon is vital to soil health, food security, and climate change mitigation, but the underlying mechanisms controlling the stabilization and destabilization of soil carbon are still poorly understood. There has been a conceptual paradigm shift in how soil organic matter is formed which now emphasizes the importance of microbial activity to build stable (i.e. long-lived) and mineral-associated soil organic matter. In this conceptual model, the consumption of plant carbon by microorganisms, followed by subsequent turnover of microbial bodies closely associated with mineral particles, produces a layering of amino acid and lipid residues on the surfaces of soil minerals that remains protected from destabilization by mineral-association and aggregation processes. We tested this new model by examining how isotopically labeled plant and microbial C differ in their fundamental stabilization and destabilization processes on soil minerals through a soil profile. We used a combination of laboratory and field-based approaches to bridge multiple spatial scales, and used soil depth as well as synthetic minerals to create gradients of soil mineralogy. We used Raman microscopy as a tool to probe organic matter association with mineral surfaces, as it allows for the simultaneous quantification and identification of living microbes, carbon, minerals, and isotopes through time. As expected, we found that the type of minerals present had a strong influence on the amount of C retained, but the stabilization of new C critically depends on growth, death, and turnover of microbial cells. Additionally, the destabilization of microbial residue C on mineral surfaces was little affected by flushes of DOC relative to wet-dry cycles alone. We believe this new insight into microbial mechanisms of C stabilization in soils will eventually lead to new avenues for measuring and modeling SOM dynamics in soils, and aid in the management of soil C to mediate global challenges.

  13. Wet-cleaning of MgO(001): Modification of surface chemistry and effects on thin film growth investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy

    OpenAIRE

    Le Febvrier, Arnaud; Jensen, Jens; Eklund, Per

    2017-01-01

    The effect of the wet-cleaning process using solvents and detergent on the surface chemistry of MgO(001) substrate for film deposition was investigated. Six different wet-cleaning processes using solvent and detergent were compared. The effect on film growth was studied by the example system ScN. The surface chemistry of the cleaned surface was studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the film/substrate interface after film growth was investigated by time-of-flight secondary ion mass s...

  14. A Conceptual Approach to Assimilating Remote Sensing Data to Improve Soil Moisture Profile Estimates in a Surface Flux/Hydrology Model. Part 1; Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosson, William L.; Laymon, Charles A.; Inguva, Ramarao; Schamschula, Marius; Caulfield, John

    1998-01-01

    Knowledge of the amount of water in the soil is of great importance to many earth science disciplines. Soil moisture is a key variable in controlling the exchange of water and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere. Thus, soil moisture information is valuable in a wide range of applications including weather and climate, runoff potential and flood control, early warning of droughts, irrigation, crop yield forecasting, soil erosion, reservoir management, geotechnical engineering, and water quality. Despite the importance of soil moisture information, widespread and continuous measurements of soil moisture are not possible today. Although many earth surface conditions can be measured from satellites, we still cannot adequately measure soil moisture from space. Research in soil moisture remote sensing began in the mid 1970s shortly after the surge in satellite development. Recent advances in remote sensing have shown that soil moisture can be measured, at least qualitatively, by several methods. Quantitative measurements of moisture in the soil surface layer have been most successful using both passive and active microwave remote sensing, although complications arise from surface roughness and vegetation type and density. Early attempts to measure soil moisture from space-borne microwave instruments were hindered by what is now considered sub-optimal wavelengths (shorter than 5 cm) and the coarse spatial resolution of the measurements. L-band frequencies between 1 and 3 GHz (10-30 cm) have been deemed optimal for detection of soil moisture in the upper few centimeters of soil. The Electronically Steered Thinned Array Radiometer (ESTAR), an aircraft-based instrument operating a 1,4 GHz, has shown great promise for soil moisture determination. Initiatives are underway to develop a similar instrument for space. Existing space-borne synthetic aperture radars (SARS) operating at C- and L-band have also shown some potential to detect surface wetness. The

  15. Soil Moisture Estimation in South-Eastern New Mexico Using High Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.K.M. Azad Hossain

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Soil moisture monitoring and characterization of the spatial and temporal variability of this hydrologic parameter at scales from small catchments to large river basins continues to receive much attention, reflecting its critical role in subsurface-land surface-atmospheric interactions and its importance to drought analysis, irrigation planning, crop yield forecasting, flood protection, and forest fire prevention. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR data acquired at different spatial resolutions have been successfully used to estimate soil moisture in different semi-arid areas of the world for many years. This research investigated the potential of linear multiple regressions and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN based models that incorporate different geophysical variables with Radarsat 1 SAR fine imagery and concurrently measured soil moisture measurements to estimate surface soil moisture in Nash Draw, NM. An artificial neural network based model with vegetation density, soil type, and elevation data as input in addition to radar backscatter values was found suitable to estimate surface soil moisture in this area with reasonable accuracy. This model was applied to a time series of SAR data acquired in 2006 to produce soil moisture data covering a normal wet season in the study site.

  16. Wetting properties of fungi mycelium alter soil infiltration and soil water repellency in a γ-sterilized wettable and repellent soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chau, Henry Wai; Goh, Yit Kheng; Vujanovic, Vladimir; Si, Bing Cheng

    2012-12-01

    Soil water repellency (SWR) has a drastic impact on soil quality resulting in reduced infiltration, increased runoff, increased leaching, reduced plant growth, and increased soil erosion. One of the causes of SWR is hydrophobic fungal structures and exudates that change the soil-water relationship. The objective of this study was to determine whether SWR and infiltration could be manipulated through inoculation with fungi. The effect of fungi on SWR was investigated through inoculation of three fungal strains (hydrophilic -Fusarium proliferatum, chrono-amphiphilic -Trichoderma harzianum, and hydrophobic -Alternaria sp.) on a water repellent soil (WR-soil) and a wettable soil (W-soil). The change in SWR and infiltration was assessed by the water repellency index and cumulative infiltration respectively. F. proliferatum decreased the SWR on WR-soil and slightly increased SWR in W-soil, while Alternaria sp. increased SWR in both the W-soil and the WR-soil. Conversely T. harzianum increased the SWR in the W-soil and decreased the SWR in the WR-soil. All strains showed a decrease in infiltration in W-soil, while only the F. proliferatum and T. harzianum strain showed improvement in infiltration in the WR-soil. The ability of fungi to alter the SWR and enmesh soil particles results in changes to the infiltration dynamics in soil. Copyright © 2012 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling: A Case Study of Dry/Wet Extremes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa; Kennedy, Aaron D.

    2012-01-01

    Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address deficiencies in numerical weather prediction and climate models due to improper treatment of L-A interactions, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land-PBL coupling at the process-level. In this study, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts oflocalland-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of2006-7 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to NASA's Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are examined for the dry/wet regimes of this region, along with the behavior and accuracy of different land-PBL scheme couplings under these conditions. In addition, we examine the impact of improved specification ofland surface states, anomalies, and fluxes that are obtained through the use of a hew optimization and uncertainty module in LIS, on the L-A coupling in WRF forecasts. Results demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to coupled model components in the context of their integrated impacts on the process-chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and support of hydrological anomalies.

  18. Soil surface protection by Biocrusts: effects of functional groups on textural properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Concostrina-Zubiri, Laura; Huber-Sannwald, Elisabeth; Martínez, Isabel; Flores Flores, José Luis; Escudero, Adrián

    2015-04-01

    In drylands, where vegetation cover is commonly scarce, soil surface is prone to wind and water soil erosion, with the subsequent loss of topsoil structure and chemical properties. These processes are even more pronounced in ecosystems subjected to extra erosive forces, such as grasslands and rangelands that support livestock production. However, some of the physiological and functional traits of biocrusts (i.e., complex association of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, fungi and soil particles) make them ideal to resist in disturbed environments and at the same time to protect soil surface from mechanical perturbations. In particular, the filaments and exudates of soil cyanobacteria and the rhizines of lichen can bind together soil particles, forming soil aggregates at the soil surface and thus enhancing soil stability. Also, they act as "biological covers" that preserve the most vulnerable soil layer from wind and runoff erosion and raindrop impact, maintaining soil structure and composition. In this work, we evaluated soil textural properties and organic matter content under different functional groups of biocrusts (i.e., cyanobacteria crust, 3 lichen species, 1 moss species) and in bare soil. In order to assess the impact of livestock trampling on soil properties and on Biocrust function, we sampled three sites conforming a disturbance gradient (low, medium and high impact sites) and a long-term livestock exclusion as control site. We found that the presence of biocrusts had little effects on soil textural properties and organic matter content in the control site, while noticeable differences were found between bare soil and soil under biocrusts (e.g., up to 16-37% higher clay content, compared to bare soil and up to 10% higher organic matter content). In addition, we found that depending on morphological traits and grazing regime, the effects of biocrusts changed along the gradient. For example, soil under the lichen Diploschistes diacapsis, with thick thallus

  19. Dynamics and mitigation of six pesticides in a "Wet" forest buffer zone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passeport, Elodie; Richard, Benjamin; Chaumont, Cédric; Margoum, Christelle; Liger, Lucie; Gril, Jean-Joël; Tournebize, Julien

    2014-04-01

    Pesticide pollution is one of the main current threats on water quality. This paper presents the potential and functioning principles of a "Wet" forest buffer zone for reducing concentrations and loads of glyphosate, isoproturon, metazachlor, azoxystrobin, epoxiconazole, and cyproconazole. A tracer injection experiment was conducted in the field in a forest buffer zone at Bray (France). A fine time-scale sampling enabled to illustrate that interactions between pesticides and forest buffer substrates (soil and organic-rich litter layer), had a retarding effect on molecule transfer. Low concentrations were observed for all pesticides at the forest buffer outlet thus demonstrating the efficiency of "Wet" forest buffer zone for pesticide dissipation. Pesticide masses injected in the forest buffer inlet directly determined concentration peaks observed at the outlet. Rapid and partially reversible adsorption was likely the major process affecting pesticide transfer for short retention times (a few hours to a few days). Remobilization of metazachlor, isoproturon, desmethylisoproturon, and AMPA was observed when non-contaminated water flows passed through the forest buffer. Our data suggest that pesticide sorption properties alone could not explain the complex reaction mechanisms that affected pesticide transfer in the forest buffer. Nevertheless, the thick layer of organic matter litter on the top of the forest soil was a key parameter, which enhanced partially reversible sorption of pesticide, thus retarded their transfer, decreased concentration peaks, and likely increased degradation of the pesticides. Consequently, to limit pesticide pollution transported by surface water, the use of already existing forest areas as buffer zones should be equally considered as the most commonly implemented grass buffer strips.

  20. Long term repeated fire disturbance alters soil bacterial diversity but not the abundance in an Australian wet sclerophyll forest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Ju-pei; Chen, C R; Lewis, Tom

    2016-01-20

    Effects of fire on biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystem are widely acknowledged, while few studies have focused on the bacterial community under the disturbance of long-term frequent prescribed fire. In this study, three treatments (burning every two years (B2), burning every four years (B4) and no burning (B0)) were applied for 38 years in an Australian wet sclerophyll forest. Results showed that bacterial alpha diversity (i.e. bacterial OTU) in the top soil (0-10 cm) was significantly higher in the B2 treatment compared with the B0 and B4 treatments. Non-metric multidimensional analysis (NMDS) of bacterial community showed clear separation of the soil bacterial community structure among different fire frequency regimes and between the depths. Different frequency fire did not have a substantial effect on bacterial composition at phylum level or bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundance. Soil pH and C:N ratio were the major drivers for bacterial community structure in the most frequent fire treatment (B2), while other factors (EC, DOC, DON, MBC, NH4(+), TC and TN) were significant in the less frequent burning and no burning treatments (B4 and B0). This study suggested that burning had a dramatic impact on bacterial diversity but not abundance with more frequent fire.