This title appears in the Scientific Report :
2014
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Preferential Flow at the Catchment Scale
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Preferential Flow at the Catchment Scale
There is abundant evidence that preferential flow is a common phenomenon, which stresses the importance of incorporating preferential flow processes at different hydrological scales. However, predicting the occurrence of preferential flow becomes troublesome when moving from the plot towards the cat...
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Personal Name(s): | Wiekenkamp, Inge |
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Huisman, Johan Alexander (Corresponding Author) / Bogena, Heye / Vereecken, Harry | |
Contributing Institute: |
Agrosphäre; IBG-3 |
Published in: | 2014 |
Imprint: |
2014
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Conference: | TERENO international Conference 2014, Bonn (Germany), 2014-09-28 - 2014-10-03 |
Document Type: |
Conference Presentation |
Research Program: |
Terrestrial Systems: From Observation to Prediction Modelling and Monitoring Terrestrial Systems: Methods and Technologies |
Publikationsportal JuSER |
There is abundant evidence that preferential flow is a common phenomenon, which stresses the importance of incorporating preferential flow processes at different hydrological scales. However, predicting the occurrence of preferential flow becomes troublesome when moving from the plot towards the catchment scale, as data coverage diminishes. A promising approach to identify the occurrence of temporal and spatial variability in preferential flow at the catchment scale is the use of soil moisture sensor response time. After determining the sequence of soil moisture response for different depths, the spatial occurrence of preferential flow and other flow regimes can be identified for single rainfall events. The aim of this study is to investigate the dominant controls on preferential flow at the catchment scale using data from the wireless soil moisture sensor network SoilNet installed at the TERENO test site Wüstebach. This data set consists of three-year long soil water content time series measured at three depths and more than a hundred locations. Separation and selection of rainfall event was based on a minimum period without rain and a minimum sum of precipitation. For all delineated precipitation events, the response time for all sensors was determined for each location. Subsequently, the order of the response times was used to assign one of the following classes for the particular location and event: (1) preferential non-sequential flow, (2) preferential flow based on flow velocity, (3) sequential flow, (4) no response, (5) no data. To understand the factors and processes that cause spatial variability in preferential flow, the results of this classification were related to site and event characteristics (e.g. precipitation characteristics, initial soil moisture content, soil type, bulk density, organic matter content). |