Fondecyt 1130522
Abstract
The main objective of this project is to explore the impact of salinity and groundwater fluctuations on both moisture distribution and non-isothermal water fluxes in soils from the north of Chile, which are volcanic-origin and high-salinity soils. This investigation will determine the main mechanisms of water transport in arid zones where shallow ground waters exist. To simultaneously measure water contents and temperature distribution within the soil profile, a state-of-the-art methodology, based on distributed temperature sensing (DTS), will be investigated and combined with electrical conductivity measurements to understand the coupled heat, mass and solute transport in this complex environment. This is the first investigation that will explore the use of DTS methods to determine both the liquid and gaseous water transport within soils, at spatial scales of millimeters, to understand the main mechanisms of non-isothermal water transport, and the water and energy balance in soils.
Research Team
Publications (peer reviewed)
Conference presentations/abstracts