HR: 1340h
AN: H33B-0464    [Abstracts]
TI: Correlated Moisture Content, Pressure and Temperature Data for Development of Hysteretic Moisture Retention Curves.
AU: * Little, J J
EM: justinl@arczip.com
AF: Department of Environmental Science, University of Colorado, The University of Colorado at Denver Campus Box 136 P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217 United States
AU: Tindall, J A
EM: jtindall@usgs.gov
AF: United States Geological Survey, National Research Program, Box 25046 Denver Federal Center Mail stop 413, Danver, CO 80225 United States
AU: Friedel, M
EM: mfriedel@usgs.gov
AF: United States Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, Box 25046 Denver Federal Center Mail stop 415, Denver, CO 80225 United States
AB: This study was performed as the first part of an effort to collect high quality, repeatable, hydrologic data in a laboratory environment to provide a sound basis for future macropore model development, validation, and calibration. The objective of the experiment was to study the hysteretic function (drainage/wetting/scanning) of soils and the role of hysteresis in fluid transport. Our hysteretic dataset provides detailed information of coupled fluid transport behavior that includes temperature, moisture, and concentration. Hysteretic data collected has been further correlated with soil matric potential and temperature to define moisture-retention curves in replicates of a coarse-sandy, mixed, mesic Fluventic Hapludoll, loam soil (Eudora loam of the Kansas River Valley). Large (28 L-soil core) volume minimized statistical uncertainty that customarily accompany small cores and provided robust results in determining scanning curves (wetting and drying). Integration of a bromide tracer applied to the large cores at saturation indicated that macropore transport occurred within the range of 0-20 kPa thereafter, transport was via soil matrix flow. The tracer also provided further information about the physical and chemical properties of the soil, which can be utilized in the future development and calibration of robust, versatile computer models. Continuing research of these same cores will focus on macropore transport as it correlates to our existing research.
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
DE: 1866 Soil moisture
DE: 1875 Unsaturated zone
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting