Continuous-time monitoring of liquid water content in snowpacks using capacitance probes: A preliminary feasibility study

Liquid water in snowpacks rules wet snow avalanche formation, surface albedo and snowmelt runoff timing. By now, volumetric liquid water content (LWC) measurements are collected mainly with destructive methods, while continuous-time and non-invasive measurements would be preferable to track its time dynamics. Here, we assess the feasibility of continuous-time monitoring of LWC using EnviroSMART® capacitance sensors. These were conceived to track liquid water dynamics in soils, and their use in snow is evaluated here for the first time, as far as we know. A field case study was settled up in April 2013 within an Italian Alpine valley. An instrumental set up with eight capacitance sensors was installed. Two time-domain reflectrometers were added to the aim of comparison. To assist in interpreting the signal of the capacitance sensors, two laboratory tests were run, and a FEM model was implemented. This preliminary study demonstrates that capacitance sensors are sensitive to increasing LWC, although their long-term installation in snow entails the development of an air gap around them, due to localized melting, air turbulence and solar radiation absorption, which hinders following LWC variations. As a result, capacitance sensors readings are challenging to be interpreted quantitatively. Perspectives on future investigation are discussed to bring the proposed procedure towards long-term applications in snowpacks.     

Synoptic Situations and Pollutant Concentrations in Fog Water Samples from the Milešovka Mt.

This contribution presents the results of chemical analyses of the fog and/or cloud water samples, which were collected at the Mileovka Mt. during the years 2000 and 2001. The study aims mainly at proving the dependence of pollutant concentration on the direction of the atmospheric steering flow. It is evident that the highest mean pollutant concentration in fog water appeared at the steering flow from south or at the flow with an east component. The lowest pollutant concentrations were reported during the synoptic situations with considerable west component of the steering flow. Furthermore, we compare the characteristic values of pollutant concentrations from the Mileovka Mt. with similar results from other sites abroad.     

Long-term analysis of measured and simulated evapotranspiration and soil water content

In our study, we analysed a period from 2003 to 2012 with micrometeorological data measured at a boundary-layer field site operated by the Lindenberg Meteorological Observatory – Richard-Aßmann-Observatory of the German Meteorological Service (DWD). Amongst others, these data consist of real evapotranspiration (ETr) rates measured by eddy covariance and soil water contents determined by time domain reflectometry. Measured ETr and soil water contents were compared with those simulated by a simple soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer (SVAT) scheme consisting of the FAO56 Penman-Monteith equation and the soil water flux model Hydrus-1D. We applied this SVAT scheme using uncompensatory and compensatory root water uptake (RWU). Soil water contents and ETr rates calculated using uncompensatory RWU showed an acceptable fit to the measured ones. In comparison, the use of compensatory RWU resulted in lower model performance due to higher deviations between measured and simulated soil moisture values and ETr rates during dry summer periods.     

人工湿地对城市污染河水的净化效果及机理

针对采用人工湿地系统净化镇江市内污染较为严重的古运河河水中遇到的问题,采用复合垂直流人工湿地小试装置,研究人工湿地系统对污染河水的净化效果及净化机理.镇江古运河水质调查结果表明,河水中悬浮态污染物质含量较高,为劣V类水体;当水力负荷为750mm/d时,人工湿地系统对CODMn去除率约为50%-60%,TN去除率约为40%-50%,TP去除率约为30%-40%,能够将劣V类水处理为Ⅳ类水甚至Ⅲ类水,表明其对污染河水处理的有效性.研究人工湿地内部污染物浓度的沿程变化规律,可以发现河水中污染物质的去除主要发生在湿地下行池,尤其是表层30 cm处,而上行池未能发挥应有的作用,分析表明与可能与污染河水中的碳氮比有一定的关系.通过本次实验发现湿地表层对污染物的去除表现为滤料及植物根系的过滤、吸附、截留以及微生物的降解、植物吸收等综合作用.     

Quantification of cloud water interception in the canopy vegetation from fog gauge measurements

With changes in climate looming, quantifying often‐overlooked components of the canopy water budget, such as cloud water interception (CWI), is increasingly important. Commonly, CWI quantification requires detailed continuous measurements, which is extremely challenging, especially when throughfall is included. In this study, we propose a simplified approach to estimate CWI using the Rutter‐type interception model, where CWI inputs in the canopy vegetation are proportional to fog interception measured by an artificial fog gauge. The model requires the continuous acquisition of meteorological variables as input and calibration datasets. Throughfall measurements below the forest are used only for calibration and validation of the model; thus, CWI estimates can be provided even after the cessation of throughfall monitoring. This approach provides an indirect and undemanding way to quantify CWI by vegetation and allows the identification of its controlling factors, which could be useful to the comparison of CWI in contrasting land covers. The method is applied on a 2‐year dataset collected in an endemic highland forest of San Cristobal Island (Galapagos). Our results show that CWI reaches 21% ± 6% of the total water input during the first year, and 9% ± 2% during the second one. These values represent 32% ± 10% and 17% ± 5% of water inputs during the cool foggy season of the first and second year, respectively. The difference between seasons is attributed to a lower fog liquid water during the second season.     

康定温泉逸出气百分含量突跳与地震对应关系

统计康定龙头沟、二道桥温泉逸出气百分含量1988～1997年的突跳和1988～1997年间的地震。对突跳与地震对应关系及特征进行了分析。与地震的对应率分别为54．5％和53．6％，突跳后3周左右发生地震的可能性较大。     

Analysis of long-term variations of fog and haze in China in recent 50 years and their relations with atmospheric humidity

Our analysis of fog and haze observations from the surface weather stations in China in recent 50 years(from 1961 to 2011)shows that the number of fog days has experienced two-stage variations,with an increasing trend before 1980 and a decreasing trend after 1990.Especially,an obvious decreasing trend after 1990 can be clearly seen,which is consistent with the decreasing trend of the surface relative humidity.However,the number of haze days has demonstrated an increasing trend.As such,the role of reduction of atmospheric relative humidity in the transition process from fog into haze has been further investigated.It is estimated that the mean relative humidity of haze days is about 69%,lower than previously estimated,which implies that it is more difficult for the haze particles to transform into fog drops.This is possibly one of the major environmental factors leading to the reduction of number of fog days.The threshold of the relative humidity for transition from fog into haze is about82%,also lower than previously estimated.Thus,the reduction of the surface relative humidity in China mainly due to the increase of the surface temperature and the saturation specific humidity may exert an obvious impact on the environmental conditions for the formations of fog and haze.In addition,our investigation of the relationship between haze and visibility reveals that with the increase of haze days,the visibility has declined markedly.Since 1961,the mean visibility has dropped from 4–10to 2–4 km,about a half of the previous horizontal distance of visibility.     

Experimental measurements of water content in crude oil emulsions by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We measured the water content （0.01% 0.25% w/w） in crude oil emulsions using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy （THz-TDS）. To improve the precision and range of the measurements, we used 1 and 10 mm thick quartz cells. The experiments were performed at 20 ℃ and the THz wave was transmitted vertically to the samples and detected on the other side. The experimental results suggest linear relation for the THz absorption coefficient and the water content of the crude oil emulsions in the observed range. The linear dependence facilitates high-precision measurements of the water content of crude oil. This suggests the potential of THz-TDS in determining the water concentration in crude oil and borehole fluid identification.     

The dynamical and liquid water structure of the small cumulus as determined from its environment

This paper examines the evidence for the model of a small cumulus cloud represented as a quasi static but turbulent entity, growing on the upshear side and decaying on the downshear side. While the air just outside the cloudy outline is, on average, stationary relative to the embedding airmass, there is a slight flow, upwards and forward as though the updraft has induced upward motion in the clear air outside the cloud, on the growing side. On the decaying side the motion is downwards and away from the cloud.This is a flow pattern which is not consistent with the air flowing around the cloud as it moves forward but it agrees well with the picture given. Decayed remnants of cloud are found throughout the air previously occupied by the cloud. The cloud outline moves through the embedding air at a velocity which is almost as large as the relative motion of the subcloud feeding airflow (which is almost free from internal wind shear in strong convection).The mixing of dry air from above the inversion yields the observed diluted liquid water content in small cumuli, if such mixing is allowed to proceed until the cloud density equals that of the surrounding air. Quantitative conditions relating the liquid water to inversion temperature and moisture changes, and to the stability of the environment are presented. The strong vertical mixing from the top of the cloud downwards is important to microphysical processes.     

探地雷达测定土壤含水量的研究进展

结合国内外关于探地雷达测定土壤含水量的最新研究成果,阐述了探地雷达测定土壤含水量的基本原理和计算方法,总结和评价了土壤含水量与土壤介电常数的不同计算模型,针对在实际应用中存在的不足,提出了相关改进措施,并展望发展方向.     

TDR measurement of stem and soil water content in two Mediterranean oak species

Abstract

Since 1990s, time domain reflectometry (TDR) has been applied to estimate the stem water content of living trees. Here, new calibration equations relating the apparent dielectric constant (K_a ) to the volumetric water content (θ) were developed for two Mediterranean oak species. Our calibration equations differ from those previously calculated for other species, suggesting that stem water contents could be monitored more accurately using species-specific curves. The stem water content in the trees of these species and the surrounding soil were monitored with TDR to examine the feasibility of this technology for recording changes in trunk water storage. The average stem water contents of the oaks reflect the soil water contents, and the temporal differences observed (17%) point to the importance of trunk water for coping with soil water deficit. Although it would be very useful to obtain a single function to estimate the stem water content of trees, it remains necessary to obtain the results in more species.     

Critical analysis of thermal inertia approaches for surface soil water content retrieval

Abstract

The “thermal inertia” method to retrieve surface soil water content maps on bare or sparsely-vegetated soils is analysed. The study area is a small experimental watershed, where optical and thermal images (in day and night time) and in situ data were simultaneously acquired. The sensitivity of thermal inertia to the phase difference between incoming radiation and soil temperature is demonstrated. Thus, to obtain an accurate value of the phase difference, the temporal distance between thermographs using a three-temperature approach is evaluated. We highlight when a cosine correction of the temperature needs to be applied, depending on whether the thermal inertia formulation includes two generic acquisition times, or not. Finally, the deviation in soil water content retrieval is quantifies for given values of each parameter by performing a sensitivity analysis on the basic parameters of the thermal inertia method that are usually affected by calibration errors.

Citation Maltese, A., Bates, P.D., Capodici, F., Cannarozzo, M., Ciraolo, G., and La Loggia, G., 2013. Critical analysis of thermal inertia approaches for surface soil water content retrieval. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (5), 1144–1161.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor D. Hughes     

乌龟井地震台氡值变化分析

2013年9月龟井台水氡观测值出现大幅度下降,为了分析其原因,将SD-3B测氡仪与FD-125型两套仪器测得的氡值变化趋势进行对比分析,结合SD-3B测氡仪历年观测资料,对于这一异常现象进行分析,排除各种外界干扰因素以后,认为近期水氡超幅度异常变化是由于降雨骤增地下水动力系统条件改变引起的平衡态转换所致。井水位在-8 m处是临界点。当干旱少雨致使外来渗入补给水不足时,出现井水位低于-8 m,此时很少地表水渗入,观测井水也少有外渗流出,溶解在井水中的氡富集度较高,水氡背景值就在一个较高值的范围内变化。当降水增加致使地下水渗入增加,井水位上升,同时观测井水向外流出,造成地下水动力系统条件改变,氡值就会出现突发性的下降,在井水位高于-8 m后,由于大量渗入的地表水稀释和观测井水向外流出带走大量溶解氡,这一状态下氡浓度会较低,水氡观测背景值在一个较低值范围内变化。     

Measurement and modeling of moisture content above an oscillating water table: implications for beach surface moisture dynamics

This study examined the influence of tidally‐induced oscillations of the beach water table in regulating beach surface moisture dynamics. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the influence of hysteresis and transient flow effects on surface moisture variability. The experimental apparatus utilized a column of well‐sorted fine sand partially immersed in a reservoir of water. The water level in the reservoir was raised and lowered via a diaphragm‐metering pump to simulate tidally induced fluctuations of the water table, and the moisture content profile within the column was monitored using an array of Delta‐T probes. Moisture contents at specific elevations within the column were utilized as proxies to represent various ‘surface’ elevations (relative to the high water table). Results indicate that surface moisture content behaves in a distinctly hysteretic manner. Examination of water flow scanning curves illustrated that for all surface elevations considered, higher moisture contents for a given pressure head occurred during the drying cycle than during the wetting cycle. This observation is particularly evident with shallow surface elevations (i.e. water table close to the surface) where the Haines Jump phenomenon was found to have a significant influence on moisture content dynamics. Additionally, an assessment of the accuracy of hysteretic and non‐hysteretic models to predict the measured moisture contents demonstrated that hysteretic simulations consistently provide a better representation of the observed moisture contents than non‐hysteretic simulations. A time lag was found between the respective maxima and minima in water table elevation surface moisture content. At the near surface water table positions the time lag ranged between 30 and 100 minutes, and it increased to 240 minutes (four hours) with the high water table at 60 cm below the surface. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study on the relation between the water content of surface soil and theacoustic wave

Introduction Earthquake is not an isolated event. The focal region is not a closed system either. It is able to exchange energy or material with the medium outside this region. These kinds of exchange may cause various physical and chemical effects, so it is possible to get precursory signals by using space remote sensing technology. Many scholars (QIANG, et al, 1990; GENG, et al, 1992; XU, et al, 1995) have carried out some preliminary researches and experiments on the mechanism of therm…     

Coupling two radar backscattering models to assess soil roughness and surface water content at farm scale

Abstract

Remote sensing techniques are useful for agro-hydrological monitoring at the farm scale because the availability of spatially and temporally distributed data improves agricultural models for irrigation and crop yield optimization under water scarcity conditions. This research focuses on the surface water content retrieval using active microwave data. Two semi-empirical models were chosen as these showed the best performances in simulating cross and co-polarized backscatter. Thus, these models were coupled to obtain reliable assessments of both soil water content and soil roughness. The use of the coupled model enables one to avoid using roughness measured in situ. Remote sensing images and in situ data were collected between April and July 2006 within the European Space Agency-funded project AgriSAR 2006. The images data set includes L-band in HH, VV and VH polarizations acquired from the airborne E-SAR sensor, operated by the German Aerospace Centre. Results were validated using in situ soil water content and roughness measurements. The results show that reliable assessment of both soil roughness (r ² up to ?0.8) and soil water content (r ² ? 0.9) can be retrieved in fields characterized by low fractional coverage.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor C. Onof

Citation Capodici, F., Maltese, A., Ciraolo, G., La Loggia, G., and D’Urso, G., 2013. Coupling two radar backscattering models to assess soil roughness and surface water content at the farm scale. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1677–1689.     

Estimating fog deposition at a Puerto Rican elfin cloud forest site: comparison of the water budget and eddy covariance methods

The deposition of fog to a wind‐exposed 3 m tall Puerto Rican cloud forest at 1010 m elevation was studied using the water budget and eddy covariance methods. Fog deposition was calculated from the water budget as throughfall plus stemflow plus interception loss minus rainfall corrected for wind‐induced loss and effect of slope. The eddy covariance method was used to calculate the turbulent liquid cloud water flux from instantaneous turbulent deviations of the surface‐normal wind component and cloud liquid water content as measured at 4 m above the forest canopy. Fog deposition rates according to the water budget under rain‐free conditions (0·11 ± 0·05 mm h^?1) and rainy conditions (0·24 ± 0·13 mm h^?1) were about three to six times the eddy‐covariance‐based estimate (0·04 ± 0·002 mm h^?1). Under rain‐free conditions, water‐budget‐based fog deposition rates were positively correlated with horizontal fluxes of liquid cloud water (as calculated from wind speed and liquid water content data). Under rainy conditions, the correlation became very poor, presumably because of errors in the corrected rainfall amounts and very high spatial variability in throughfall. It was demonstrated that the turbulent liquid cloud water fluxes as measured at 4 m above the forest could be only ～40% of the fluxes at the canopy level itself due to condensation of moisture in air moving upslope. Other factors, which may have contributed to the discrepancy in results obtained with the two methods, were related to effects of footprint mismatch and methodological problems with rainfall measurements under the prevailing windy conditions. Best estimates of annual fog deposition amounted to ～770 mm year^?1 for the summit cloud forest just below the ridge top (according to the water budget method) and ～785 mm year^?1 for the cloud forest on the lower windward slope (using the eddy‐covariance‐based deposition rate corrected for estimated vertical flux divergence). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quench rates in air, water, and liquid nitrogen, and inference of temperature in volcanic eruption columns

We apply a geospeedometer previously developed in this lab to investigate cooling rate profiles of rhyolitic samples initially held at 720–750°C and quenched in water, liquid nitrogen, and air. For quench of mm-size samples in liquid nitrogen and in air, the cooling rate is uniform and is controlled by heat transfer in the quench medium instead of heat conduction in the sample. The heat transfer coefficient in ‘static’ air decreases with increasing sample size. For quench of mm-size samples in water, heat transfer in water is rapid and the cooling rate is largely controlled by heat conduction in the sample. Our experimental results are roughly consistent with previous calculations for cooling in air and in water (although constant heat transfer coefficients were used in these calculations), but cooling rate in liquid nitrogen is only 1.8–2.3 times that in ‘static’ air, and slower by a factor of 2 than calculated by previous authors. Cooling rate in compressed airflow is about the same as that in liquid nitrogen. The experimental results are applied to interpret cooling rates of pyroclasts in ash beds of the most recent eruptions of the Mono Craters. Cooling rates of pyroclasts are inversely correlated with sample size and slower than those in air. The results indicate that the hydrous species concentrations of the pyroclasts were frozen in the eruption column, rather than inside ash beds or in flight in ambient air. From the cooling rates, we infer eruption column temperature in a region where and at a time when hydrous species concentrations in a pyroclast were locked in. The temperature ranges from 260 to 570°C for the most recent eruptions of Mono Craters. These are the first estimates of temperatures in volcanic eruption columns. The ability to estimate cooling rates and eruption column temperatures from eruptive products will provide constraints to dynamic models for the eruption columns.     

Temporal stability of soil water content as affected by climate and soil hydraulic properties: a simulation study

Temporal stability of soil water content (TS SWC) is an often‐observed phenomenon, which characterization finds multiple applications. Climate and variability in soil properties are usually mentioned as factors of TS SWC, but their effects are far from clear. The objective of this work was to use SWC modeling to evaluate the effects of climate and soil hydraulic properties on the TS of soil water at different measurement schedules. We selected four representative climates found in USA and simulated the multiyear SWC dynamics for sandy loam, loam, and silty clay loam soils, all having the lognormal spatial distribution of the saturated hydraulic conductivity. The CLIMGEN and the HYDRUS6 codes were used to generate weather patterns and to simulate SWC, respectively. Four different methods were applied to select the representative location (RL). The low probability of having the same variability of mean relative differences of soil water under different climates was found in most of the cases. The probability that the variance of mean relative differences depended on sampling frequency was generally higher than 91% for the three soils. The interannual difference in mean relative differences variation from short and intensive summer campaigns was highly probable for all climates and soils. The RLs changed as climate and measurement scheduling changed, and they were less pronounced for coarse‐textured soils. The RL selection methods based solely on bias provided more consistency as compared with other methods. The TS appears to be the result of the interplay between climate, soil properties, and survey protocols. One implication of this factor interaction effect on TS SWC is that a simulation study can be useful to decide on the feasibility of including a search for TS‐based RLs for a specific site. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.