Soil moisture potential and water content in the unsaturated zone within the arid Ejina Oasis in Northwest China

Three soil profiles were selected in the Ejina Oasis, northwest China, to determine water content profiles and evolution of soil moisture potentials in the unsaturated zone within the arid area. The total soil moisture potentials have been monitored for about 3 months in 2001 at different depths in the soil profiles. The occurrence and movement of water in the unsaturated zone was analyzed using the zero flux plane (ZFP) method. It is shown that convergent ZFPs and divergent ZFPs may occur at depths between 0.5 and 3.0 m, and that the depth of the ZFPs was controlled by the root zone of plants growing on the land surface. Profiles of the total soil moisture potentials were observed to be coincident with those of the water contents at the three experimental sites. The total soil moisture potential showed a slight increasing trend and the ZFPs tend to vanish from summer to winter as the water extraction by roots decreased. Evapotranspiration through vegetation has an important bearing on the water content and the total potential in the unsaturated zone.     

Processes controlling acid attenuation in the unsaturated zone of a Triassic sandstone aquifer (U.K.), in the absence of carbonate minerals

Continuous core samples were taken through the unsaturated zone at three sites on the outcrop of Permo-Triassic sandstone in the British West Midlands. Sample sites were chosen for lack of recent, direct anthropogenic disturbance, and for differing vegetation: heathland, birch woodland and conifer forest. Interstitial water was extracted and analyzed for 32 major and trace elements. Solid phases were analyzed for exchangeable cations and mineralogy. The rate of recharge calculated using a Cl mass balance method was three times greater below heathland than below afforested sites owing to higher evapotranspiration rates in the woodlands.Carbonate minerals were absent from the unsaturated zone at each site. Soil solutions were acidic and soils at the woodland sites were more acidic (pH 4.0) than those at the heathland site (pH 4.5). Acidic interstitial water solutions were found to up to 5.0 m depth in the unsaturated zone and are partially neutralized by two aluminosilicate mineral reactions in the unsaturated zone: cation exchange and K-feldspar dissolution. The rate at which these acid neutralizing reactions act to neutralize acidity is revealed by the rate of depletion of base cations from the unsaturated zone in recharge solutions; K⁺ (dissolution), Ca⁺² + Mg⁺² (cation exchange). The total base cation depletion rate was greatest below heathland; this can be attributed mainly to the greater rate of SO₄ assimilation by the woodland biome.     

Groundwater recharge estimation using chloride,stable isotopes and tritium profiles in the sands of northwestern Senegal

A study of environmental chloride, deuterium, oxygen-18, and tritium in deep sand profiles (35 m) has been carried out in order to estimate their relative value for measuring average groundwater recharge. The investigation was located at a 0.1-km² site in Quaternary sands near the northwestern coast of Senegal in a zone of rainfed agriculture. By using a steady-state model for duplicate unsaturated zone chloride profiles, the long-term average recharge at the site was estimated to be 30 mm yr^–1 or around 10% of the average precipitation (290 mm). The chloride concentration of adjacent shallow groundwater was relatively uniform and comparable to the unsaturated zone average, while the spatial variability in the depth distribution of Cl^– in the unsaturated zone was considerable. Stable isotope (deuterium and oxygen-18) data show that there is some isotopic enrichment due to direct evaporation through the soil surface. The degree of heavy isotope enrichment is proportional to the extent of evaporative loss and there is good correspondance with the chloride enrichment. Nevertheless, stable isotopes cannot be used quantitatively to estimate the recharge. The excellent preservation of the peak in thermonuclear tritium in precipitation in the unsaturated zone at depths between 12 and 20 m enables an estimated annual recharge of 24 mm yr^–1 in this area to be calculated, using the piston flow model. Agreement therefore between Cl and³H as tools for recharge measurement is reasonable over the site.     

Assessing soil water content spatio-temporal variability at the hillslope scale in a headwater catchment using a multi variable interpolation model based on EMI surveys (Draix,South Alps,France)

To improve flood prediction in headwater catchments, hydrologists need to know initial soil moisture conditions that precede rain events. In torrential hydrology, soil moisture mapping provides a valuable tool for investigating surface runoff generation processes. In these mountainous environments, soil moisture prediction is challenging because of highly heterogeneous land cover and soil properties. This survey propose a methodology to study spatial soil moisture variations in the mountainous and torrential environment of the Draix Bléone experimental site—Laval 0.86 km². This approach associates water content measurements at the plot scale with spatialized soil bulk electrical conductivity (EC_a) measurements combined in a multivariate statistical analysis based on topographical parameters. Between the summer of 2015 and winter of 2016, four geophysical surveys were conducted under various moisture conditions and along the same pathway, using the Slingram electromagnetic induction (EMI) technique (EM31 device) in horizontal dipole to identify changes in soil properties to a depth of 3 m. These results were analyzed to determine water dynamics in this mountainous catchment. Temporal variations of EC_a vary among land cover types (forest, grassland, and black marl). A significant relationship was observed between EC_a and soil water content (SWC) measured with capacitive sensors in forest and grassland. A multiple linear regression produced using the spatial interpolation code LISDQS shows a significant correlation between EC_a and landform units depicted on a high-resolution DEM. EC_a variations decrease with distance to talwegs. Riparian zones appear as potential hydrological contributing areas with patterns varying according to moisture status. This study shows that multiple linear regression analysis and EMI make it possible to fill gaps between SWC plot measurements, over wide areas that are steep and that present numerous obstacles due to vegetation cover.     

Oxygen and nutrient dynamics within mats of the filamentous macroalga Chaetomorpha linum

Concentration profiles of O₂, NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ⁻, and PO₄ ³⁻ were measured at high spatial resolution in a 12-cm thick benthic mat of the filamentous macroalga Chaetomorpha linum. Oxygen and nutrient concentration profiles varied depending on algal activity and water turbulence. High surface irradiance stimulated O₂ production in the surface layers and introduced O₂ to deeper parts of the mat while the bottom layers of the mat and the underlying sediment were anoxic. Nutrient concentrations were highest in the bottom layers of the mat directly above the sediment nutrient source and decreased towards the surface layers due to algal assimilation and enhanced mixing with the overlying water column. Increased turbulence during windy periods resulted in more homogeneous oxygen and nutrient concentration profiles and shifted the oxic-anoxic interface downward. Denitrification within the mat, as measured by the isotope pairing technique on addition of ¹⁵NO₃ ⁻, was found to take place directly below the oxic-anoxic interface. Denitrification activity was always due to coupled nitrification-denitrification, whereby nitrifiers in the mat utilize NH₄ ⁺ diffusing from below and O₂ diffusing from above. The denitrification rate in the mat ranged from 22 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹ to 28 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹, approximately equivalent to that measured in the surrounding nonvegetated sediment. Although sediment denitrification is suppressed when the sediment surface is covered by a dense macroalgal mat, the denitrification zone may migrate up into the mat. In eutrophic estuaries with a large area of macroalgal cover, the physical structure and growth stage of algal mats may thus play an important role in the regulation of nitrogen removal by denitrification.     

浅层包气带地温与含水量昼夜动态的实验研究

西北荒漠化地区,包气带中的水分除来自大气降水外,还来自凝结水。凝结水对维持荒漠地区的植被生态环境起到至关重要的作用,而凝结水的形成机制又反映在包气带地温与含水量的昼夜动态过程中。文中报告了室外沙坑浅层包气带地温与含水量观测的实验结果。土壤含水量变化采用原位测试的方法观测,避免了传统称重法产生的干扰和不确定性。实验中对深度0~30cm范围的土壤温度进行了高密度观测。结果表明,温度梯度对水汽的运移起到主控作用,温度梯度方向向下,土壤含水量增加,反之,含水量减少。通过热传导方程对土壤中的传热过程进行分析,得到傅立叶级数表示的温度波方程,用于预测不同深度土壤响应地表条件而产生的温度变化。实验中还对近地表微气象以及土壤负压等因素进行了观测。     

The Flat Dilatometer Test in an Unsaturated Tropical Soil Site

The site characterization of unsaturated soils is well stablished based on laboratory tests, which are expensive and time-consuming. In-situ testing methods, such as the flat dilatometer test (DMT), are an alternative to the traditional approach of drilling, sampling, and laboratory testing. The literature on DMT interpretation is well established on saturated and well-behaved soils. Only few studies deal with DMT interpretation in unusual soils, and little is known about the influence of soil suction on this test. This paper presents and discusses the influence of soil suction on four DMT campaigns carried out in an unsaturated tropical soil site, also incorporating the soil suction influence on the DMT interpretation. Soil suction was estimated by the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) and water content profiles. The water content profiles range from 11.3 to 19.7% which corresponds to a suction range estimated by SWCCs mostly between 6 and 200 kPa. Soil suction significantly influenced DMT data up to 5 m depth at the studied site (the unsaturated active zone) increasing the intermediate DMT parameters. The average horizontal stress index (K_D) was equal to about 1.7 and the average dilatometer modulus (E_D) was about 4.7 MPa in the active zone and practically doubled their values due to in situ soil suction. The estimated peak friction angle (?) was 20–30% higher due to soil suction influence on DMT assuming the soil behaves as a sand like material. Soil suction must be considered to assess the behavior of the investigated soil by the DMT. The suction influence should be incorporated in the effective stress and this approach considerably improved the site characterization of the studied site.

     

Occurrence of soluble salts and moisture in the unsaturated zone and groundwater hydrochemistry along the middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River in northwest China

Deforestation, over-development of water resources and population growth have contributed to degeneration of vegetation in the Heihe River Basin in northwest China. Salts and water contents are the most important factors affecting the growth of vegetation in this arid area. This study was conducted to determine soluble salt levels of soils in the unsaturated zone and the hydrochemistry of groundwater at 14 sites in this region. Concentrations of soluble ions in the soils deceased with depth. Soil ion contents increased at depths below the root system of native plants. Sulfate was the dominant anion in both the unsaturated zone and the groundwater. Total dissolved solids (TDS) in groundwater ranged from less than 1 g/L in the middle reaches of the watershed to about 10 g/L in the arid lower reaches. In the middle and upper reaches of the watershed, salinity in soil and groundwater decreased. Groundwater was highly variable in hydrochemistry. The lower reaches was predominated by SO₄–Na•Mg and SO₄–Mg•Na type water, whereas in the middle reaches groundwater is characterized by lower TDS and HCO₃-dominated type water. Evapotranspiration is responsible for occurrence of the soluble salts in the soil profiles. Dissolution is the dominant chemical process in the middle reaches, whereas evapotranspiration prevails in the lower reaches of the Heihe River.     

Geostatistical characterization of soil moisture and chloride distribution in deep vadose profiles of the Badain Jaran Desert,Northwestern China

Geostatistical analysis of soil moisture and ion accumulation can provide a deep understanding of aspects of a region’s hydrology such as recharge rates and flow paths. By combining this approach with detrended canonical correspondence analysis, the present study investigated the vertical and spatial variation of soil moisture and chloride (Cl^?) in vadose profiles of megadunes near lakes in the southeastern Badain Jaran Desert, northwestern China. Soil moisture varied vertically within the dune profiles following exponential, logarithmic, or log-normal distributions at different sites as a result of regulation by different local controls. The main local controls for Cl^? concentration were slope and orientation of the dune. Cl^? was not affected by local controls at depths >5 m. Sills of spatial variation in soil moisture and Cl^? in the variogram analysis were highly sensitive to local controls in the top 4 m of the profiles, and the values were three times those at depths >4 m. The lag for soil moisture was insensitive to local controls, and was 50–60 m in the top 4 m of the profiles and 20 m in deeper layers, whereas the lag for Cl^? was about 20 m at all depths. The results demonstrate that understanding recharge rates using factors such as Cl^? accumulation requires a careful survey to ensure that the local controls that regulate these factors are adequately accounted for.     

Analysis of impact factors on scrubland soil respiration in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert,central Asia

Monitoring soil CO₂ respiration with chamber measurements and identifying controlling factors such as the diversity of vegetation species, moisture and temperature can help guide desert scrubland management. Soil CO₂ respiration and potential controlling factors at four sites in desert scrubland were examined along the Sangong River Basin (SRB) in northwestern China in 2004. Soil CO₂ respiration descended along the SRB as did the diversity of vegetation species, air temperature and air humidity. The two sites of the field station (FS) and the north desert (ND) and the low reaches of the SRB among these locations were monitored to analyze the effects of pH value, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) on soil CO₂ respiration during the growing season in 2005. The ND site was located at the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert; the FS site was in the border area of the SRB Alluvial Fan. One-way ANOVA was performed. The result showed that air humidity and CaCO₃ content had a strong influence on soil CO₂ respiration; SOC content was a limitation to soil CO₂ respiration in the arid-desert zone. Effective management activities can attenuate soil CO₂ respiration and keep carbon balance trends at a desirabe level in desert scrublands.     

黄土高原关键带全剖面土壤水分空间变异性

土壤水分是黄土高原关键带水循环、地下水补给和植被恢复的关键因素。为揭示黄土高原关键带黄土整个剖面的土壤水分空间变化特征,通过土芯钻探的方式获取了黄土高原关键带5个典型样点（杨凌、长武、富县、安塞和神木）从地表到基岩的土壤水分样品,采用经典统计学和地统计学相结合的方法分析了剖面土壤水分的分布规律、变异特征及空间结构。结果表明:黄土高原关键带剖面土壤水分从南往北,土壤平均含水量由高变低;5个样点的土壤水分均为中等变异,随着深度由40 m增加到200 m,土壤水分变异性变弱,且样点之间的土壤含水量差异降低;地统计学分析表明样点的半方差函数能被理论模型较好地拟合（杨凌除外）,指数模型能够描述大部分样点深剖面的空间变异结构。相关结果有助于了解黄土高原深层土壤水分状况及分布规律,对于黄土高原土壤水资源估算和区域植被恢复具有重要价值。     

Open to closed system transition traced through the TDIC isotopic signature at the aquifer recharge stage, implications for groundwater C dating

¹⁴C dating models are limited when considering recent groundwater for which the carbon isotopic signature of the total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) is mainly acquired in the unsaturated zone. Reducing the uncertainties of dating thus implies a better identification of the processes controlling the carbon isotopic composition of the TDIC during groundwater recharge. Geochemical interactions between gas, water and carbonates in the unsaturated zone were investigated for two aquifers (the carbonate-free Fontainebleau sands and carbonate-bearing Astian sands, France) in order to identify the respective roles of CO₂ and carbonates on the carbon isotopic signatures of the TDIC; this analysis is usually approached using open or closed system terms. Under fully open system conditions, the seasonality of the ¹³C values in the soil CO₂ can lead to important uncertainties regarding the so-called “initial ¹⁴C activity” used in ¹⁴C correction models. In a carbonate-bearing unsaturated zone such as in the Astian aquifer, we show that an approach based on fully open or closed system conditions is not appropriate. Although the chemical saturation between water and calcite occurs rapidly within the first metre of the unsaturated zone, the carbon isotopic contents (δ¹³C) of the CO₂ and the TDIC evolve downward, impacted by the dissolution-precipitation of the carbonates. In this study, we propose a numerical approach to describe this evolution. The δ¹³C and the A¹⁴C (radiocarbon activity) of the TDIC at the base of the carbonate-bearing unsaturated zone depends on (i) the δ¹³C and the A¹⁴C of the TDIC in the soil determined by the soil CO_2, (ii) the water’s residence time in the unsaturated zone and (iii) the carbonate precipitation-dissolution fluxes. In this type of situation, the carbonate δ¹³C-A¹⁴C evolutions indicate the presence of secondary calcite and permit the calculation of its accretion flux, equal to . More generally, for other sites under temperate climate and with similar properties to the Astian sands site, this approach allows for a reliable determination of the carbon isotopic composition at the base of the unsaturated zone as the indispensable “input function” data of the carbon cycle into the aquifer.     

Recharge in northern clime calcareous sandy soils: soil water chemical and carbon-14 evolution

Chemical analyses were performed on soil water extracted from two cores taken from a sandy calcareous soil near Delhi, Ontario. Calcite saturation is attained within the unsaturated zone over short distances and short periods of time, whereas dolomite undersaturation persists to the groundwater table. The progressive dissolution of dolomite by soil water, within the unsaturated zone, after calcite saturation is reached results in calcite supersaturation.Deposition of iron and manganese oxyhydroxide phases occurs at the carbonate leached/unleached zone boundary. This is a result of soil water neutralization due to carbonate dissolution during infiltration but may also reflect the increased rate of oxidation of dissolved ferrous and manganous ions at higher pH's. The role of bacteria in this process has not been investigated.The depth of the carbonate leached/unleached zone boundary in a calcareous soil has important implications for ¹⁴C groundwater dating. The depth of this interface at the study site (?2 m) does not appear to limit ¹⁴C diffusion from the root zone to the depth at which carbonate dissolution occurs. Thus, soil water achieves open system isotopic equilibrium with the soil CO₂ gas phase. It is calculated that in soils with similar physical properties to the study soil but with depths of leaching of 5 m or more, complete ¹⁴C isotopic equilibration of soil water with soil gas would not occur. Soil water, under these conditions would recharge to the groundwater exhibiting some degree of closed system ¹⁴C isotopic evolution.     

Multiphase Transport of Tritium in Unsaturated Porous Media—Bare and Vegetated Soils

Tritium is a short-lived radioactive isotope (T _1/2=12.33 yr) produced naturally in the atmosphere by cosmic radiation but also released into the atmosphere and hydrosphere by nuclear activities (nuclear power stations, radioactive waste disposal). Tritium of natural or anthropogenic origin may end up in soils through tritiated rain, and may eventually appear in groundwater. Tritium in groundwater can be re-emitted to the atmosphere through the vadose zone. The tritium concentration in soil varies sharply close to the ground surface and is very sensitive to many interrelated factors like rainfall amount, evapotranspiration rate, rooting depth and water table position, rendering the modeling a rather complex task. Among many existing codes, SOLVEG is a one-dimensional numerical model to simulate multiphase transport through the unsaturated zone. Processes include tritium diffusion in both, gas and liquid phase, advection and dispersion for tritium in liquid phase, radioactive decay and equilibrium partitioning between liquid and gas phase. For its application with bare or vegetated (perennial vegetation or crops) soil surfaces and shallow or deep groundwater levels (contaminated or non-contaminated aquifer) the model has been adapted in order to include ground cover, root growth and root water uptake. The current work describes the approach and results of the modeling of a tracer test with tritiated water (7.3×10⁸ Bq m⁻³) in a cultivated soil with an underlying 14 m deep unsaturated zone (non-contaminated). According to the simulation results, the soil’s natural attenuation process is governed by evapotranspiration and tritium re-emission. The latter process is due to a tritium concentration gradient between soil air and an atmospheric boundary layer at the soil surface. Re-emission generally occurs during night time, since at day time it is coupled with the evaporation process. Evapotranspiration and re-emission removed considerable quantities of tritium and limited penetration of surface-applied tritiated water in the vadose zone to no more than ∼1–2 m. After a period of 15 months tritium background concentration in soil was attained.     

Effects of agricultural practices on nitrogen distribution in unsaturated soils

Nitrogen fertilizer consumption is very common in the agricultural practices. Nitrogen application could be an important source of groundwater N pollution. Normally, nitrogen can pass through the unsaturated zone to pollute the groundwater. Different agricultural practices have different cultivation methods, accordingly different fertilization and irrigation techniques. Hence, the agricultural practice determines the environment of the unsaturated zone, which subsequently determines the extent of groundwater N pollution. To verify the pollution modes and transformation mechanisms of nitrogen, both in situ and laboratory tests were conducted at four different sites to study the effects of agricultural practices on nitrogen distribution in unsaturated zones. The inorganic nitrogen in soil is extracted by potassium chloride solution, and the soil utilization form and pollution type are identified by δ¹⁵N by comparing with the known standard values. The experimental results indicate that continual fertilization and sewage irrigation in these agricultural regions were the primary sources of nitrogen in the unsaturated zone. In the soils planted with rice, δ¹⁵N–NH₄ ⁺ was relatively elevated due to ammonium volatilization. In the unsaturated zone of rice–wheat rotation fields, NO₃ ^?–N and δ¹⁵N were both elevated because of manure fertilizer. Meanwhile, denitrification also occurred in the hypoxic environment due to the high soil water content.     

Groundwater recharge mechanism in an integrated tableland of the Loess Plateau,northern China: insights from environmental tracers

Assessing groundwater recharge characteristics (recharge rate, history, mechanisms (piston and preferential flow)) and groundwater age in arid and semi-arid environments remains a difficult but important research frontier. Such assessments are particularly important when the unsaturated zone (UZ) is thick and the recharge rate is limited. This study combined evaluations of the thick UZ with those of the saturated zone and used multiple tracers, such as Cl, NO₃, Br, ²H, ¹⁸O, ¹³C, ³H and ¹⁴C, to study groundwater recharge characteristics in an integrated loess tableland in the Loess Plateau, China, where precipitation infiltration is the only recharge source for shallow groundwater. The results indicate that diffuse recharge beneath crops, as the main land use of the study area, is 55–71 mm yr^?1 based on the chloride mass balance of soil profiles. The length of time required for annual precipitation to reach the water table is 160–400 yrs. The groundwater is all pre-modern water and paleowater, with corrected ¹⁴C age ranging from 136 to 23,412 yrs. Most of the water that eventually becomes recharge originally infiltrated in July–September. The Cl and NO₃ contents in the upper UZ are considerably higher than those in the deep UZ and shallow groundwater because of recent human activities. The shallow groundwater has not been in hydraulic equilibrium with present near-surface boundary conditions. The homogeneous material of the UZ and relatively old groundwater age imply that piston flow is the dominant recharge mechanism for the shallow groundwater in the tableland.     

Contribution of {\text{P}}_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} {\text{eq}}}} and 13CTDIC Evaluation to the Identification of CO2 Sources in Volcanic Groundwater Systems: Influence of Hydrometeorological Conditions and Lava Flow Morphologies—Application to the Argnat Basin (Chaîne des Puys, Massif Central, France)

Mineralization of groundwater in volcanic aquifers is partly acquired through silicates weathering. This alteration depends on the dissolution of atmospheric, biogenic, or mantellic gaseous CO₂ whose contributions may depend on substratum geology, surface features, and lava flow hydrological functionings. Investigations of $ {\text{P}}_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} {\text{eq}}}} $ and δ¹³C_TDIC (total dissolved inorganic carbon) on various spatiotemporal scales in the unsaturated and saturated zones of volcanic flows of the Argnat basin (French Massif Central) have been carried out to identify the carbon sources in the system. Mantellic sources are related to faults promoting CO₂ uplift from the mantle to the saturated zone. The contribution of this source is counterbalanced by infiltration of water through the unsaturated zone, accompanied by dissolution of soil CO₂ or even atmospheric CO₂ during cold periods. Monitoring and modeling of δ¹³C_TDIC in the unsaturated zone shows that both $ {\text{P}}_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} {\text{eq}}}} $ and δ¹³C_TDIC are controlled by air temperature which influences soil respiration and soil-atmosphere CO₂ exchanges. The internal geometry of volcanic lava flows controls water patterns from the unsaturated zone to saturated zone and thus may explain δ¹³C heterogeneity in the saturated zone at the basin scale.     

Characterization of chloride transport in the unsaturated zone near salted road

The application of road salts as deicing agents contributes to the anthropogenic loading of chloride (Cl⁻) on the environment. Using a 2D solute model, the potential of the unsaturated zone to serve as a reservoir and the mechanisms controlling the movement of Cl⁻ were examined. Physical properties and initial pore-water Cl⁻ concentrations were derived from an array of soil borings. Initial pore-water concentrations show the presence of a Cl⁻ “slug” approximately 0.75 m below the surface. Simulations show that within the unsaturated zone, Cl⁻ transport is predominantly vertical, driven by molecular diffusion. After a 1-year simulation, a Cl⁻ slug similar to the background observation was noted. While Cl⁻ is retained in the unsaturated zone, a net loss of Cl⁻ from the unsaturated zone was simulated for the first 10 years. In year 11, an equilibrium between the Cl⁻ input and output is achieved. The presence of Cl⁻ in the unsaturated zone becomes a long-term source of chloride to the groundwater, which eventually discharges into the surface water. Historically, surface water chemistry data support the continual discharge of chloride to the surface water in the area, further supporting the hypothesis that the unsaturated zone serves as a Cl⁻ reservoir.     

西北地区额济纳绿洲非饱和带水分和盐分分布

在西北地区黑河流域下游的额济纳绿洲选择3个土壤剖面采集不同深度土壤样品和潜水样品进行测试,并在野外观测非饱和带不同深度的水土势变化。结果表明,SO4^2-是非饱和带土壤和地下水中的主要离子成分,土壤和地下水呈偏碱性。土壤易溶离子含量随深度大体上呈减少趋势。绿洲非饱和带发育有收敛型和发散型零通量面,自夏季至冬季,零通量面变得不清晰直至消失。在非饱和带中,土壤易溶盐含量、含水量和总水土势随深度的变化趋势基本相同,植物根系的吸收对水分和盐分的垂直分布有着重要的影响。     

Consolidation in spatially random unsaturated soils based on coupled flow‐deformation simulation

This paper integrates random field simulation of soil spatial variability with numerical modeling of coupled flow and deformation to investigate consolidation in spatially random unsaturated soil. The spatial variability of soil properties is simulated using the covariance matrix decomposition method. The random soil properties are imported into an interactive multiphysics software COMSOL to solve the governing partial differential equations. The effects of the spatial variability of Young's modulus and saturated permeability together with unsaturated hydraulic parameters on the dissipation of excess pore water pressure and settlement are investigated using an example of consolidation in a saturated‐unsaturated soil column because of loading. It is found that the surface settlement and the pore water pressure profile during the process of consolidation are significantly affected by the spatially varying Young's modulus. The mean value of the settlement of the spatially random soil is more than 100% greater than that of the deterministic case, and the surface settlement is subject to large uncertainty, which implies that consolidation settlement is difficult to predict accurately based on the conventional deterministic approach. The uncertainty of the settlement increases with the scale of fluctuation because of the averaging effect of spatial variability. The effects of spatial variability of saturated permeability k_sat and air entry parameters are much less significant than that of elastic modulus. The spatial variability of air entry value parameters affects the uncertainties of settlement and excess pore pressure mostly in the unsaturated zone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.