Observation scale effects on fluid transport behavior of soil

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dc.contributor.authorAlbrecht, Karen A.en
dc.contributor.committeechairParker, Jack C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberHutcheson, Thomas B. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBaker, James C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberReneau, Raymond B. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberSimpson, Thomas W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPowell, Norris L.en
dc.contributor.departmentAgronomyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:37:38Zen
dc.date.adate2012-06-10en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:37:38Zen
dc.date.issued1985-01-15en
dc.date.rdate2012-06-10en
dc.date.sdate2012-06-10en
dc.description.abstractVariabilities of hydraulic and solute transport properties of soil are examined at three scales: pore-scale, sample volume-scale, and field-scale. Undisturbed soil cores were taken at 19 subsites spaced logarithmically along a 150 m line transect in a Groseclose mapping unit near Blacksburg; Virginia. Three core sizes were taken at each subsite at the soil surface and 0.5 m depth. 'Small' cores were-40x54 mm; 'medium' cores were 60X100 mm; and 'large' cores were 100x150 mm. Macropore effects on solute transport were evaluated using monocontinuum and bicontinuum models. Bicontinuum-predicted solute breakthrough curves (BTC) closely agreed with observed BTC data with mean errors of reduced concentrations </- 0.05 for 97% of the samples, Monocontinuum predicted BTC's had comparable fits with 80% of the samples having mean errors </- 0.07. The simpler monocontinuum model was chosen for estimating dispersion coefficients for all samples on the basis that seven percent error in concentration is acceptable for the purpose of making field predictions in light of high spatial variability. Sample volume did not significantly affect the low variation (coefficients of variation, (CV) of 7-20%) soil properties bulk density or moisture retention characteristics in Ap or Bt horizons. Large cores are recommended for assessing high variation (CV of 60-280%) fluid transport parameters, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), pore water velocity and dispersion coefficients (D) since they yielded less variance than the smaller cores. Ranges of about 25 m were determined for log-transformed Ks and D from semivariograms. Monte Carlo simulations were used to predict field-average BTC's.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentix, 133 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-06102012-040148en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06102012-040148/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/43037en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1985.A427.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 12655053en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1985.A427en
dc.subject.lcshFluids -- Migration -- Experimentsen
dc.subject.lcshGroundwater flow -- Experimentsen
dc.subject.lcshSoil percolation -- Experimentsen
dc.subject.lcshSoil permeability -- Experimentsen
dc.titleObservation scale effects on fluid transport behavior of soilen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineAgronomyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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