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DIVISION S-1-SOIL PHYSICS

A Simple Approach to Determine Reactive Solute Transport Using Time Domain Reflectometry

^a Environment and Risk Management Group, Hort Research Inst., Private Bag 11-030, Palmerston North, New Zealand
^b ORSTOM, Laboratoire d'Agropédologie, B.P. A5, 98848 Nouméa, Nouvelle Calédonie, and Laboratoire d'étude des Tranferts en Hydrologie et Environment, B.P.53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

ivogeler{at}hort.cri.nz

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) possesses potential for determining solute-transport parameters, such as dispersion coefficients and retardation factors for reactive solutes. We developed a simple method based on peak-to-peak measurements of water and solute velocities through the soil using TDR. The method was tested by carrying out unsaturated leaching experiments in the laboratory on two soil columns packed with a South Pacific soil from Maré, which is a ferrasol with variable surface charge. One column was left bare and the other was planted with mustard. Pulses of CaBr₂ and Ca(NO₃)₂ were applied to the surface of either wet or dry soil and then leached by water from a rainfall simulator applied at a steady rate of between 30 and 45 mm h^-1. Water and solute transport were monitored by collecting the effluent. Contemporaneous in situ measurements of the water content and electrical conductivity were made using TDR. Transport parameters for the convection–dispersion equation, with a linear adsorption isotherm, were obtained from the flux concentration and the solute resident concentrations measured by TDR. Anion retardations between 1.2 and 1.7, and dispersivities between 1 and 9 mm, were found. Retardations also were calculated using our simple approach based on TDR-measured water and solute front velocities. These used TDR measurements of soil water content and bulk soil electrical conductivity with time, and were similar to those obtained from the effluent. The agreement suggests TDR could be a valuable in situ technique for obtaining the parameters relating to reactive solute transport through soil.

Abbreviations: CDE, convection–dispersion equation • PV, pore volumes • TDR, time domain reflectometry

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