<p>Water plays a crucial role in food security. Currently, agriculture irrigation w... more <p>Water plays a crucial role in food security. Currently, agriculture irrigation withdraws about 70% of the world’s fresh water. By 2050, the world population is estimated to increase to over 9 billion (UNDP, 2022). Together with climate change that is increasingly affecting the terrestrial ecosystem such as increasing the temperature, drought and extreme flood, all of which can lead to crop failure (IPCC et al., 2007) and water scarcity, the demand for food and irrigation water is expected to rise, dramatically. Accordingly, novel technologies for innovative, real-time water management for sustainable irrigation are necessary. In this regard, the main objective of this study is to simulate and predict the soil water content at the root zone, as a main factor of defining the irrigation time and quantity. Here, we have chosen a study area of 150km<sup>2</sup> which is located in west Europe, covering parts of Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and west of Germany. Therewith, we have relied on the coupled land surface-subsurface CLM-Parflow model for hydrological simulations and the soil moisture data from on-site Cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS) stations, as well as the SMAP (L3_SM_E_P), and high resolution C- and L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) are used for data assessment. It is expected that the reliability of the soil moisture magnitude and dynamic will be examined.</p>
Goethite (FeOOH) nanoparticles are being considered as a tool to enhance remediation of contamina... more Goethite (FeOOH) nanoparticles are being considered as a tool to enhance remediation of contaminated soils and aquifers. The idea is that iron-reducing bacterias present in aquifer sediment will metabolize BTEX substances (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene volatile aromatic compounds). BTEX would act as the electron donor, which gets oxidized. Electrons are transferred to the cell and later are transported to iron oxide which gets reduced. Since the main problem in aquifers is the limitation in electron acceptors, this can hopefully be alleviated by the provision of goethite nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles travel just a little distance until they precipitate. By this precipitation, they create a so called 'Biobarrier' directly where we want to have them. The monitoring of nanoparticles delivery and biobarrier properties over time are current challenges and there is interest in using non-invasive geoelectrical measurements for these purposes. Here, we aim to ...
<p>Climate change affects the Earth system at all levels (IPCC et a... more <p>Climate change affects the Earth system at all levels (IPCC et al., 2007). The Monitoring and prediction of droughts and flood events, agricultural production, and analysis of energy and water will continue to gain importance, accordingly. Especially agricultural systems are of the main affected by rising temperatures, extreme precipitation events, and droughts, all of which can lead to crop failures (Lobell et al., 2011). Approximately 40% of the world's crop production comes from irrigated agriculture (Vereecken et al., 2009), the future expansion of which will continue to provide adequate food for the population. However, efficient irrigation must be ensured to prevent unnecessary groundwater depletion (Richey et al., 2015). To increase efficiency and safeguard yields, novel technologies need to be developed for innovative, real-time water management strategies that will allow farmers to make management decisions at the right time (OECD, 2010). Predicting the overall water supply and its components (e.g., soil water content and groundwater) for plants growth and at each growing stage would assure a sustainable irrigation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to predict the root zone soil water content which is one of the main components of the total water supply for plant growth. For this purpose, spaceborne remote sensing data from C- and L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar will be used. These data provide valuable information about the surface soil moisture only. But by integration into a hydrologic model in a data assimilation framework the soil moisture of the root zone as well as the groundwater recharge can be estimated to identify the actual irrigation requirements and resources. </p>
Rainfall-induced landslides are a disastrous natural hazard causing loss of life and significant ... more Rainfall-induced landslides are a disastrous natural hazard causing loss of life and significant damage to infrastructure, farmland and housing. Hydromechanical models are one way to assess the slope stability and to predict critical combinations of groundwater levels, soil water content and precipitation. However, hydromechanical models for slope stability evaluation require knowledge about mechanical and hydraulic parameters of the soils, lithostratigraphy and morphology. In this work, we present a multi-method approach of site characterization and investigation in combination with a hydromechanical model for a landslide-prone hillslope near Bonn, Germany. The field investigation was used to construct a three-dimensional slope model with major geological units derived from drilling and refraction seismic surveys. Mechanical and hydraulic soil parameters were obtained from previously published values for the study site based on laboratory analysis. Water dynamics were monitored thr...
Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of ... more Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of pore water pressure, which is a key factor for determining slope stability. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bedrock topography on the timing and location of landslide initiation using 2D and 3D simulations with a hydromechanical model and the Local Factor of Safety (LFS) method. A set of synthetic modeling experiments was performed where water flow and slope stability were simulated for 2D and 3D slopes with layers of variable thickness and hydraulic parameters. In particular, the spatial and temporal development of water content, pore water pressure, and the resulting LFS were analyzed. The results showed that the consideration of variable bedrock topography can have a significant effect on slope stability and that this effect is highly dependent on the intensity of the event rainfall. In addition, it was found that the consideration of 3D water flow may...
Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of ... more Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of pore water pressure, which is a key factor for determining slope stability. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bedrock topography on the timing and location of landslide initiation using 2D and 3D simulations with a hydromechanical model and the Local Factor of Safety (LFS) method. A set of synthetic modeling experiments was performed where water flow and slope stability were simulated for 2D and 3D slopes with layers of variable thickness and hydraulic parameters. In particular, the spatial and temporal development of water content, pore water pressure, and the resulting LFS were analyzed. The results showed that the consideration of variable bedrock topography can have a significant effect on slope stability and that this effect is highly dependent on the intensity of the event rainfall. In addition, it was found that the consideration of 3D water flow may...
<p>Water plays a crucial role in food security. Currently, agriculture irrigation w... more <p>Water plays a crucial role in food security. Currently, agriculture irrigation withdraws about 70% of the world’s fresh water. By 2050, the world population is estimated to increase to over 9 billion (UNDP, 2022). Together with climate change that is increasingly affecting the terrestrial ecosystem such as increasing the temperature, drought and extreme flood, all of which can lead to crop failure (IPCC et al., 2007) and water scarcity, the demand for food and irrigation water is expected to rise, dramatically. Accordingly, novel technologies for innovative, real-time water management for sustainable irrigation are necessary. In this regard, the main objective of this study is to simulate and predict the soil water content at the root zone, as a main factor of defining the irrigation time and quantity. Here, we have chosen a study area of 150km<sup>2</sup> which is located in west Europe, covering parts of Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and west of Germany. Therewith, we have relied on the coupled land surface-subsurface CLM-Parflow model for hydrological simulations and the soil moisture data from on-site Cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS) stations, as well as the SMAP (L3_SM_E_P), and high resolution C- and L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) are used for data assessment. It is expected that the reliability of the soil moisture magnitude and dynamic will be examined.</p>
Goethite (FeOOH) nanoparticles are being considered as a tool to enhance remediation of contamina... more Goethite (FeOOH) nanoparticles are being considered as a tool to enhance remediation of contaminated soils and aquifers. The idea is that iron-reducing bacterias present in aquifer sediment will metabolize BTEX substances (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene volatile aromatic compounds). BTEX would act as the electron donor, which gets oxidized. Electrons are transferred to the cell and later are transported to iron oxide which gets reduced. Since the main problem in aquifers is the limitation in electron acceptors, this can hopefully be alleviated by the provision of goethite nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles travel just a little distance until they precipitate. By this precipitation, they create a so called 'Biobarrier' directly where we want to have them. The monitoring of nanoparticles delivery and biobarrier properties over time are current challenges and there is interest in using non-invasive geoelectrical measurements for these purposes. Here, we aim to ...
<p>Climate change affects the Earth system at all levels (IPCC et a... more <p>Climate change affects the Earth system at all levels (IPCC et al., 2007). The Monitoring and prediction of droughts and flood events, agricultural production, and analysis of energy and water will continue to gain importance, accordingly. Especially agricultural systems are of the main affected by rising temperatures, extreme precipitation events, and droughts, all of which can lead to crop failures (Lobell et al., 2011). Approximately 40% of the world's crop production comes from irrigated agriculture (Vereecken et al., 2009), the future expansion of which will continue to provide adequate food for the population. However, efficient irrigation must be ensured to prevent unnecessary groundwater depletion (Richey et al., 2015). To increase efficiency and safeguard yields, novel technologies need to be developed for innovative, real-time water management strategies that will allow farmers to make management decisions at the right time (OECD, 2010). Predicting the overall water supply and its components (e.g., soil water content and groundwater) for plants growth and at each growing stage would assure a sustainable irrigation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to predict the root zone soil water content which is one of the main components of the total water supply for plant growth. For this purpose, spaceborne remote sensing data from C- and L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar will be used. These data provide valuable information about the surface soil moisture only. But by integration into a hydrologic model in a data assimilation framework the soil moisture of the root zone as well as the groundwater recharge can be estimated to identify the actual irrigation requirements and resources. </p>
Rainfall-induced landslides are a disastrous natural hazard causing loss of life and significant ... more Rainfall-induced landslides are a disastrous natural hazard causing loss of life and significant damage to infrastructure, farmland and housing. Hydromechanical models are one way to assess the slope stability and to predict critical combinations of groundwater levels, soil water content and precipitation. However, hydromechanical models for slope stability evaluation require knowledge about mechanical and hydraulic parameters of the soils, lithostratigraphy and morphology. In this work, we present a multi-method approach of site characterization and investigation in combination with a hydromechanical model for a landslide-prone hillslope near Bonn, Germany. The field investigation was used to construct a three-dimensional slope model with major geological units derived from drilling and refraction seismic surveys. Mechanical and hydraulic soil parameters were obtained from previously published values for the study site based on laboratory analysis. Water dynamics were monitored thr...
Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of ... more Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of pore water pressure, which is a key factor for determining slope stability. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bedrock topography on the timing and location of landslide initiation using 2D and 3D simulations with a hydromechanical model and the Local Factor of Safety (LFS) method. A set of synthetic modeling experiments was performed where water flow and slope stability were simulated for 2D and 3D slopes with layers of variable thickness and hydraulic parameters. In particular, the spatial and temporal development of water content, pore water pressure, and the resulting LFS were analyzed. The results showed that the consideration of variable bedrock topography can have a significant effect on slope stability and that this effect is highly dependent on the intensity of the event rainfall. In addition, it was found that the consideration of 3D water flow may...
Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of ... more Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of pore water pressure, which is a key factor for determining slope stability. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bedrock topography on the timing and location of landslide initiation using 2D and 3D simulations with a hydromechanical model and the Local Factor of Safety (LFS) method. A set of synthetic modeling experiments was performed where water flow and slope stability were simulated for 2D and 3D slopes with layers of variable thickness and hydraulic parameters. In particular, the spatial and temporal development of water content, pore water pressure, and the resulting LFS were analyzed. The results showed that the consideration of variable bedrock topography can have a significant effect on slope stability and that this effect is highly dependent on the intensity of the event rainfall. In addition, it was found that the consideration of 3D water flow may...
Uploads