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Water cycling on cultivated land: an investigation of hydrological separation in the vadose zone

Smith, Devin Foster
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555524914120314

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Earth Sciences.
There is a need to improve our understanding of water cycling in the soil-plant-atmosphere-continuum and the degree of hydrological separation in the vadose zone. Stable water isotopes, oxygen-18 and hydrogen-2, are natural tracers that effectively delineate water flow paths. Isotopic fingerprinting methods can be used to track hydrologic flow through a system after the water is extracted from the sample. However, the ecohydrologic community lacks a universally accepted method of water extraction from soils and plants. This study incorporated methods development, field work, and modeling to delineate water flow and determine the degree of hydrological separation in a Crosby silt loam field planted with Zea mays L. (maize) at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory on The Ohio State University campus from May to September 2018. Stable water isotopes were used as natural tracers to delineate flow throughout the soil profile. Soil water samples were extracted via cryogenic vacuum distillation and analyzed for δ18O and δD using cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Field results showed vertically dominated flow regimes and low variation in soil water isotopic composition, which indicated limited mixing between precipitation event water and pre-existing soil water. The expected relationship between maize xylem tissue and soil water content was modeled using IsoSource.
Anne Carey (Advisor)
Darrah Thomas (Committee Member)
Durrand Michael (Committee Member)
Lal Rattan (Committee Member)
96 p.
Earth; Hydrology; Soil Sciences
Hydrological Separation, Stable Water Isotopes, Vadose Zone

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Smith, D. F. (2019). Water cycling on cultivated land: an investigation of hydrological separation in the vadose zone [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555524914120314

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Smith, Devin. Water cycling on cultivated land: an investigation of hydrological separation in the vadose zone . 2019. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555524914120314.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Smith, Devin. "Water cycling on cultivated land: an investigation of hydrological separation in the vadose zone ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555524914120314

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1555524914120314
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© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.