HR: 0800h
AN: H21E-1390    [Abstracts]
TI: An improved technique for soil solution sampling in the vadose zone utilizing real-time data
AU: * Singer, J H
EM: Singer@srel.edu
AF: University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Lab, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29803
AU: Seaman, J C
EM: Seaman@srel.edu
AF: University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Lab, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29803
AU: Aburime, S A
EM: Aburime@srel.edu
AF: Clark Atlanta University, Department of Engineering 223 James P. Brawley Dr., Atlanta, GA 30314
AU: Harris, J
EM: Harris@srel.edu
AF: University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Lab, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29803
AU: Karapatakis, D
EM: Karapatakis@srel.edu
AF: University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Lab, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29803
AB: The vadose zone is an area of ongoing concern because of its role in the fate and transport of chemicals resulting from waste disposal and agricultural practices. The degree of contamination and movement of solutes in soil solution are often difficult to assess due to temporal variability in precipitation or irrigation events and spatial variability in soil physical properties. For this reason, modeling groundwater and contaminant flow in unsaturated soil is crucial in determining the extent of the contamination. Unfortunately, manual methods used to sample soil solutions and validate model results are often difficult due to the variable nature of unsaturated soil systems. Manual techniques are traditionally performed without specific knowledge of the conditions in the soil at the time of sampling. This hit or miss approach can lead to missed samples, unsuccessful sampling, and samples that are not representative of the event of interest. In an effort to target specific soil conditions at the point of sampling that are conducive to successful sample acquisition, an automated lysimeter sampling and fraction collector system was developed. We demonstrate an innovative technique coupling real-time data with soil solution sampling methods which will improve the efficiency and accuracy of contaminant sampling in the field. The infrastructure of this system can also be implemented in a laboratory setting which adds to its practicality in model development.
DE: 1818 Evapotranspiration
DE: 1838 Infiltration
DE: 1866 Soil moisture
DE: 1875 Vadose zone
DE: 1895 Instruments and techniques: monitoring
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005