Water balance lysimetry at a nuclear waste site

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5509845

Campbell, M D; Gee, G W; Kirkham, R R ^[1]; Phillips, S J; Wing, N R ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
2. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (USA)

Lysimeters measured effects of soil, vegetation, and climate on water balance and groundwater recharge at a nuclear-waste site in arid-southcentral Washington State, USA. Data from 4 lysimeter sites illustrate water balance measurements taken over a period of 20 years. Soil sample, weight change, and neutron probe measurements monitored influences of vegetation and precipitation on water balance. Lysimeter drainage was measured directly where possible and was otherwise inferred from deep storage changes and soil moisture tensions. Apparently, deep-rooted plants prevented drainage from the 18-m-deep, sand-filled lysimeter, as water storage fluctuated near the surface but not below the 5-m depth. In contrast, up to 120 mm of water drained from coarse sands in a 7.6-m-deep, bare-surface lysimeter and 100 mm drained from a 1.5-m-deep, vegetated (grass-covered) lysimeter when annual precipitation reached 281 mm. Lysimeters containing silt loam soil did not drain (i.e., zero recharge potential), even when total precipitation was 320 mm/y and the surface was bare. Soil water storage capacity, precipitation timing and amount, and vegetative cover and rooting depth affect water balance and groundwater recharge. 7 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5509845
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-18510; CONF-910794--6; ON: DE91015532
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
540310 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
AQUIFERS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CLIMATES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DRAINAGE
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUID FLOW
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
LOAM
LYSIMETERS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MOISTURE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON PROBES
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PROBES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RECHARGE
SAND
SOILS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASHINGTON
WASTES
WATER
WATER TABLES