ABSTRACTEstimation of rates of contaminant movement at land treatment sites requires accurate measurements of water movement through the soil zone. A moisture balance method that employs the zero flux plane concept and several simplifying assumptions about saturated and unsaturated flow conditions gives reasonable estimates of evapotranspiration and percolation fluxes when applied to a land treatment site in central coastal California. The technique requires measurements of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of field soils as well as soil matric suction and moisture content at regular time intervals. Replicate monitoring clusters for matrix suction and moisture content are necessary in spatially variable soils but a detailed knowledge of the spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity is not warranted.
展开▼
