A Vadose Zone Field Study: Subsurface Tile Drainage, Hydrology, and Variablity

Results include an analysis of the water balance components over periods bounded with similar satiated moisture storage conditions. The field site was found to have an excess storage during most periods which is partially explained by the atmospheric ET models underpredicting evaporation during energy limiting periods. A winter flow period was marked with a large loss of water to tile flow possibly the result of off site regional groundwater contributions. The piezometer analysis showed the difference in water table behavior between undrained and drained conditions. Cluster analysis showed more variability for the drained than the undrained condition, and the water table fell more rapidly after a rainfall event for the drained condition. Piezometer measurements and tile flow were found to be highly correlated despite the tile flow variability between the replicate plots. The results of the tracer experiments showed that tracer was not recovered at detectible levels. This indicated that for this soil and variable natural rainfall, higher concentrations of tracer need to be applied to find the tracers in a diffuse tile flow effluent.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Harbourt, Christopher Mark

Contributors dc:contributor

• Michael C. Hirschi

• Engineering, Agricultural

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3070317

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/86049