Geophysical characterization of patterns in functional and structural soil properties and processes

Research Area:
Hydrogeophysics

Project B6 aims to characterize field-scale patterns of soil properties by capturing the structural organization of soil (layer depths, soil texture) and the associated functional properties (soil hydraulic properties, root distributions). For this, we will jointly use electrical impedance tomography (EIT), electromagnetic induction (EMI), and ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements to address the indirect and non-unique relationships between geophysical data, soil properties, and soil state variables. Multiple geophysical data will be jointly interpreted and used to conceptualize and parameterize hydrological models. In particular, EIT and GPR data will be used to investigate root growth and activity in relation to spatial soil water content dynamics using the available rhizotron facility. This will provide information for the parameterization of upscaled root water uptake models. Furthermore, large-scale EMI and GPR measurements will be used to characterise the temporal, lateral, and vertical soil properties of the paleo-river system in the area surrounding the Selhausen test site, which will be used to conceptualize and parameterize an ensemble of 1D soil-vegetation-atmosphere models to investigate how subsurface patterns in soil properties affect atmospheric processes. Time-lapse GPR and EMI data will also be used to derive structural soil property patterns in the Rollesbroich catchment, and these data will be fused with TerrSysMP to investigate the added value of geophysical data for catchment models.

Cooperation partner:
n/a