TY  - JOUR
AU  - Merz, Steffen
AU  - Pohlmeier, Andreas
AU  - Vanderborght, Jan
AU  - van Dusschoten, Dagmar
AU  - Vereecken, Harry
TI  - Moisture profiles of the upper soil layer during evaporation monitored by NMR
JO  - Water resources research
VL  - 50
IS  - 6
SN  - 0043-1397
CY  - Washington, DC
PB  - AGU
M1  - FZJ-2014-03947
SP  - 5184 - 5195
PY  - 2014
AB  - Near-surface soil moisture profiles contain important information about the evaporation process from a bare soil. In this study, we demonstrated that such profiles could be monitored noninvasively and with high spatial resolution using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Soil moisture profiles were measured in a column exposed to evaporation for a period of 67 days using a stationary Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) high field scanner and a unilateral NMR sensor. The column was packed with medium sand and initially saturated. Two distinct shapes of soil moisture profiles that are characteristic for stage I (evaporation rate is controlled by atmospheric demand) and stage II (evaporation rate is controlled by the porous medium) of the evaporation process were followed by both MRI and unilateral NMR. During stage I, an approximately uniform decrease of soil moisture over time was monitored, whereas during stage II, S-shaped moisture profiles developed which receded progressively into the soil column. These promising results and the specific design of the unilateral NMR system make it very well suited for determining soil moisture profiles in the field.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000340430400036
DO  - DOI:10.1002/2013WR014809
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/154663
ER  -