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UNSATURATED ZONE PROCESSES

  • Conference paper
Applied Hydrogeophysics

Part of the book series: NATO Science Series ((NAIV,volume 71))

Abstract

The vadose zone, i.e., the part of subsurface above thewater table, is home to a number of key processes that control the mass and energy exchanges between the subsurface and the atmosphere. Vadose zone hydrology provides boundary conditions for both atmospheric processes, including micro-meteorology and climatic changes, and subsurface water migration, with strong implications in water resources management. The rates, timing, and patterns of aquifer recharge are controlled by percolation through the vadose zone. Contaminants released near the ground surface can be altered, retarded or wholly removed by biological, chemical and physical processes in the vadose zone before reaching underlying aquifers. Unsaturated processes control also the availability of water for agriculture, and are the driving mechanisms in slope stability, floods and other major engineering geology problems. Fewhydrological problems of practical interest can neglect the importance of the complex, non linear dynamics of vadose zone processes. However, in practice, the impact of the vadose zone on hydrologic problems is often ignored or treated using highly simplified approximations, mainly because of limited available data in this region. A proper characterization of the vadose zone should also account for the natural variability of the soil properties at different scales.

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Authors
  1. Giorgio Cassiani
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  2. Andrew Binley
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  3. Ty P.A. Ferré
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH, Germany

    Harry Vereecken

  2. Lancaster University, UK

    Andrew Binley

  3. Università di Milano Bicocca, Italy

    Giorgio Cassiani

  4. Université Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Andre Revil

  5. State University of St. Petersburg, Russia

    Konstantin Titov

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Cassiani, G., Binley, A., Ferré, T.P. (2006). UNSATURATED ZONE PROCESSES. In: Vereecken, H., Binley, A., Cassiani, G., Revil, A., Titov, K. (eds) Applied Hydrogeophysics. NATO Science Series, vol 71. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4912-5_4

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