University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Master / Diploma Thesis:
Arman Kardoush
(2016):
IMPACTS OF TOPSOIL STRUCTURE ON BARE SOIL EVAPORATION UNDER PREDEFINED BOUNDARY CONDITIONS.
Master / Diploma Thesis - Institut für Hydraulik und landeskulturelle Wasserwirtschaft (IHLW),
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur,
pp 77.
UB BOKU
obvsg
- Abstract:
- The soil structure plays an important role for water storage and transport. Water transport in topsoil and fluxes across upper boundary are mainly driven by climatic processes. The objective of this study was to monitor how soil structure affects the rate and amount of evaporation of core samples with both disturbed and undisturbed structures under predefined boundary conditions. The soil samples were placed in a climate chamber in order to keep the experimental condition constant at an air temperature of 30°C and a relative air humidity of 60 %. The lower boundary was controlled in two ways: firstly, soil samples were put on flat metal dishes to represent drying conditions, secondly, a constant water table was established in the dishes to enable steady evaporation conditions. The results show that the average evaporation amount was larger in disturbed samples under drying as well as steady evaporation conditions. Furthermore, this study tried to determine the possibility of controlling the rate and amount of soil evaporation by application of two physical techniques.The first technique involved covering 97 % of the samples soil surface with perforated plastic tabs. Although the amount of evaporation was reduced, there was still a significant evaporation rate. The second technique consisted of adding “Axis” as an amendment to the disturbed samples, and observing the subsequent changes in the soil evaporation rate. The Axis manufacturer claims that this product has the ability to improve soil moisture behavior in sport courts. The amount of Axis used in this study was 2 % of the mass of each sample. The observed results indicated that application of this amendment had no significant effect on the samples which were under drying conditions. However, the application of the Axis amendment had greater effect on the samples with water table.
- Beurteilende(r): Loiskandl Willibald
- 1.Mitwirkender: Nolz Reinhard