Inference of Soil Hydrologic Parameters from Electronic Soil Moisture Records

Chandler, D. G.; Seyfried, M. S.; McNamara, J. P.; Hwang, Kyotaek

doi:10.3389/feart.2017.00025

Cited by 23 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Significant differences are observed between and within fields. Reliable and timely maps, at field scale, of surface soil moisture or metrics related to the field capacity, saturation and permanent wilting point of the soil (Chandler et al, 2017) would be especially useful to farmers and growers. It is already well established that SM has to be interpreted in the context of depth, soil texture and structure for most of these applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The significance of soil properties to the estimation of soil moisture from C-band synthetic aperture radar

Beale

Snapir

Waine

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Abstract. Soil Moisture is a key variable in hydrology, weather and climate modelling. Research has been directed to the estimation of soil moisture over wide areas through a combination of modelling, in-situ measurement and remote sensing to improve the accuracy of hydrological and meteorological forecasting. For monitoring and controlling irrigation and other agricultural purposes, there is also a need to capture local variability. Significant soil moisture differences are observed between and within fields due to land use, soil properties, drainage, tillage, vegetation, solar radiation, air temperature, wind, rain and other factors. Taking the United Kingdom as an example, the average area of agricultural fields is about 12 hectares, requiring a mapping resolution of less than 100 m. Satellite-based remote sensing, including the use of C-band SAR (such as on Sentinel-1), has the potential to satisfy this requirement, but many current data products are aggregated to a spatial resolution of at least 1km and/or provide soil moisture in relative units or indices. Both strategies mitigate the uncertainties introduced by field-scale variability in soil hydrological and vegetation properties. Geospatial datasets of soil properties and land use, crop modelling and other remote sensing techniques may provide an alternative approach to mitigating this variability and allow finer scale products to be produced with acceptable errors. This paper looks at the role of soil properties in the estimation of soil moisture from C-band SAR. We show that information on the soil texture, organic matter content, surface temperature, land use and crop modelling should be important inputs to the success of retrieving soil moisture at the field scale. Previously published data provides guidance in setting soil roughness parameters, based on soil properties, following farming operations such as primary tillage. Beyond soil moisture retrieval, there is exciting potential in SAR remote sensing data to improve the spatial resolution and mapping accuracy of some soil properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The significance of soil properties to the estimation of soil moisture from C-band synthetic aperture radar

Beale

Snapir

Waine

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Moreover, temperature changes may affect the soil bulk dielectric conductivity in connection with temperature‐induced changes in the gradients of free and bound soil water ( Or and Wraith , ). Additionally, in some studies temperature effects have been attributed to temperature sensitivity of the sensor electronics ( e.g ., Verhoef et al, ; Seyfried and Grant , ; Rosenbaum et al, ; Kočárek and Kodešová , ; Chandler et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Techniques for recording soil moisture have improved dramatically in the last decades (Chandler et al, 2017). An overview of contemporary methods for measuring soil water content is given by Robinson et al (2008) and Vereecken et al (2014), whereas Bittelli (2010) and Bianchi et al (2017) review techniques used for recording soil water potential.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equations to compensate for the temperature effect on readings from dielectric Decagon MPS‐2 and MPS‐6 water potential sensors in soils

Walthert

Schleppi

2018

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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Dielectric sensors use electrical permittivity as a proxy for water content. They determine permittivity by using sensor‐type‐specific techniques and calibration functions, and relate it to a volumetric water content. Water potential sensors then translate the water content into a potential based on the sensor‐specific moisture characteristic curve. Dielectric readings are affected by temperature, which may distort hydraulically‐induced changes in soil water content. Methods for the removal of spurious temperature effects are lacking for dielectric water potential sensors. With this study, we aimed to fill this knowledge gap for the dielectric Decagon MPS‐2 and MPS‐6 water potential sensors. We first determined the temperature effect on MPS readings with laboratory experiments in which temperature was cycled between 4 and 26°C in different soil types. We then fitted single empirical equations that compensated for the temperature effect on MPS readings. Finally, we validated temperature‐compensated MPS soil water potentials, and therefore the equations, in a multi‐year field study in two forest soils where hourly data from three sensor models were available, i.e., from MPS‐2, MPS‐6, and a heat capacity sensor (ecoTech pF‐Meter) that is not sensitive to temperature effects. The temperature fluctuation experiments showed that the strongest temperature effects on MPS readings occur under dry conditions and that the MPS sensors themselves are largely responsible for these effects. Likewise, the field‐based validation showed that the MPS readings were highly affected by temperature under dry conditions. Applying a temperature compensation to these readings, using the equations from the temperature fluctuation experiments, resulted in strong correlations near the 1:1 line between data from the MPS and pF‐Meter sensors. Therefore, we recommend using the equations to remove spurious temperature effects from MPS‐2 and MPS‐6 readings in non‐saline soils with water potentials between –100 and –2000 kPa (at 22°C) and temperatures between 4 and 26°C.

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“…Soil moisture is a noted metric of hydrologic models (Chandler, Seyfried, McNamara, & Hwang, ). Process‐based modelling attempts to capture important aspects of soil infiltration with different levels of granularity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a precipitation manipulation experiment, Grossiord et al (2017) found that long-term soil-moisture reduction decreased trees response to daily soil-moisture variation whereas increased long-term soil moisture exaggerated the sensitivity of trees to soil water availability, especially at drier conditions. Soil moisture is a noted metric of hydrologic models (Chandler, Seyfried, McNamara, & Hwang, 2017). Process-based modelling attempts to capture important aspects of soil infiltration with different levels of granularity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in soil moisture in two Middle Eastern oak forests: Comparing the effects of trees and soil composition

Kopler

Burg

Wittenberg

et al. 2018

Hydrological Processes

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The incidence of large rain events in Mediterranean ecosystems vary among years. Summer aridity is interpreted as a resetting event, eliminating previous soil‐moisture dynamics. The dynamics of soil moisture and retention are critical to tree survival, particularly in dry regions. This study examines the long‐term soil water content (θV) dynamics in two distinct locations within the forest, under the canopy and forest clearing, within two diverse oak forests: subhumid mixed oak forests (MG) and semiarid monospecific oak woodlands (YE). Plots were established at small‐scale catchments and soil water contents were measured during 2010–2013, at three depths in the two different locations. Cumulative rainfall was used as an independent proxy for θV analysis. A novel bell‐bilogistic mathematical model of wetting, saturation, and drying arms was developed. We aimed to study the θV distribution differences between soil profiles giving the large climatic gradient between the two forested sub basins, the differences in vegetation traits along with soil attributes. We further aimed at determining the role of an individual tree in regulating soil‐moisture dynamics. We hypothesized the occurrence of distinct responses between sites in all soil‐moisture indices with higher θV at the wetter site. We tested the hypothesis that seasonal cumulative rainfall dictates the variations in soil‐moisture regimes throughout contiguous years. Annual rainfall was higher than long‐term average throughout the study. Soil profiles under the canopies at both sites were consistently wetter. Infiltration and depletion constants were higher at MG whereas maximum soil moisture was higher at YE. Homogenous recharge patterns were seen at MG although YE evinced more variation. Oaks had no effect on recharge at MG compared with the forest clearing. Soil properties primarily affected the wetting arm whereas vegetation composition regulated the drying arm. Mixed‐stands characterized by ever‐green and deciduous species may maintain favourable soil‐moisture conditions, in comparison with other mixed stand morphologies. The increasing role of slacking forces in infiltration process may alter the interaction between trees and herbaceous vegetation.

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Inference of Soil Hydrologic Parameters from Electronic Soil Moisture Records

Cited by 23 publications

References 70 publications

The significance of soil properties to the estimation of soil moisture from C-band synthetic aperture radar

The significance of soil properties to the estimation of soil moisture from C-band synthetic aperture radar

Equations to compensate for the temperature effect on readings from dielectric Decagon MPS‐2 and MPS‐6 water potential sensors in soils

Differences in soil moisture in two Middle Eastern oak forests: Comparing the effects of trees and soil composition

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