Dynamics of Soil Water Evaporation during Soil Drying: Laboratory Experiment and Numerical Analysis

Laboratory and numerical experiments were conducted to investigate the evolution of soil water evaporation during a continuous drying event. Simulated soil water contents and temperatures by the calibrated model well reproduced measured values at different depths. Results show that the evaporative d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:TheScientificWorld 2013-01, Vol.2013 (2013), p.1-10
Main Authors: Han, Jiangbo, Zhou, Zhifang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computer simulation
Condensation
Drying
Evaporation
Evaporation rate
Experiments
Heat
Indexing in process
Laboratories
Models, Theoretical
Moisture content
Numerical analysis
Polymethyl methacrylate
Science
Sensors
Soil - chemistry
Soil dynamics
Soil investigations
Soil water
Soils
Studies
Surface layers
Water
Water shortages
Water supply
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Summary:Laboratory and numerical experiments were conducted to investigate the evolution of soil water evaporation during a continuous drying event. Simulated soil water contents and temperatures by the calibrated model well reproduced measured values at different depths. Results show that the evaporative drying process could be divided into three stages, beginning with a relatively high evaporation rate during stage 1, followed by a lower rate during transient stage and stage 2, and finally maintaining a very low and constant rate during stage 3. The condensation zone was located immediately below the evaporation zone in the profile. Both peaks of evaporation and condensation rate increased rapidly during stage 1 and transition stage, decreased during stage 2, and maintained constant during stage 3. The width of evaporation zone kept a continuous increase during stages 1 and 2 and maintained a nearly constant value of 0.68 cm during stage 3. When the evaporation zone totally moved into the subsurface, a dry surface layer (DSL) formed above the evaporation zone at the end of stage 2. The width of DSL also presented a continuous increase during stage 2 and kept a constant value of 0.71 cm during stage 3.
ISSN:2356-6140
1537-744X
DOI:10.1155/2013/240280