TY - JOUR

T1 - Simulation of evapotranspiration and drainage from potash tailings covers using hydrus-1d

AU - Bilibio, Carolina

AU - Hensel, Oliver

AU - Uteau, Daniel

AU - Peth, Stephan

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by K+S KALI GmbH, project number 6525103. We are grateful for our colleagues from the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, for help collecting samples in the field. We also thank the Department of Soil Science for scientific and technical assistance in the soil laboratories.

PY - 2021/6

Y1 - 2021/6

N2 - Evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation of water from soils and transpiration from plants. It is a crucial part of the water cycle and can be measured using lysimeters. However, lysimeters require high maintenance and operation costs; as such, evapotranspiration models are used for making predictions. Thus, the aim of the present study was to calibrate the Hydrus-1D to predict the water balance components of a thin evapotranspiration covering layer for potash tailings piles. Further simulations were performed using different fine fraction proportions, soil textures and crop parameters. A high association between the calibrated and observed drainage of substrates was found, with a variation of 2.9% (approximately 13.6 mm). Drainage estimates were lower with increasing root depth, crop height and proportion of fine particles (< 2 mm diameter) in the substrates. Fine fractions in the substrates increased the water storage and the evapotranspiration capacity of the substrates and therefore contribute to improving the efficiency of evapotranspiration covers and can facilitate reducing brine drainage from potash tailings piles.

AB - Evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation of water from soils and transpiration from plants. It is a crucial part of the water cycle and can be measured using lysimeters. However, lysimeters require high maintenance and operation costs; as such, evapotranspiration models are used for making predictions. Thus, the aim of the present study was to calibrate the Hydrus-1D to predict the water balance components of a thin evapotranspiration covering layer for potash tailings piles. Further simulations were performed using different fine fraction proportions, soil textures and crop parameters. A high association between the calibrated and observed drainage of substrates was found, with a variation of 2.9% (approximately 13.6 mm). Drainage estimates were lower with increasing root depth, crop height and proportion of fine particles (< 2 mm diameter) in the substrates. Fine fractions in the substrates increased the water storage and the evapotranspiration capacity of the substrates and therefore contribute to improving the efficiency of evapotranspiration covers and can facilitate reducing brine drainage from potash tailings piles.

KW - Coal combustion residues

KW - Greening

KW - Mining

KW - Municipal wastes

KW - Perennial grasses

KW - Water fluxes

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111144203&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85111144203

VL - 23

SP - 85

EP - 98

JO - Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal

JF - Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal

IS - 2

ER -