Thomas J. Nicholson

Event-based estimation of water budget components using a network of multi-sensor capacitance probes

Abstract A new approach was developed for estimating vertical soil water fluxes using soil water content time series data. Instead of a traditional fixed time interval, this approach utilizes the time interval between two sequential minima of the soil water storage time series to identify groundwater recharge events and calculate components of the soil water budget. We calculated water budget components: surface-water excess (Sw), infiltration less evapotranspiration (I – ET) and groundwater recharge (R) from May 2001 to January 2003 at eight locations at the USDA Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, USA. High uncertainty was observed for all budget components. This uncertainty was attributed to spatial and temporal variation in Sw, I – ET and R, and was caused by nonuniform rainfall distributions during recharge events, variability in the profile water content, and spatial variability in soil hydraulic properties. The proposed event-based approach allows estimating water budget components when profile water content monitoring data are available. Citation Guber, A., Gish, T., Pachepsky, Y., McKee, L., Nicholson, T. & Cady, R. (2011) Event-based estimation of water budget components using a network of multi-sensor capacitance probes. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(7), 1227–1241.

Simpler models in environmental studies and predictions

ABSTRACT This review outlines major directions of simpler model development in environmental modeling, metamodeling, statistical-regression- and machine-learning-based empirical models, and mechanistic models with reduced structures. Simpler models may be favored due to limited observational data, uncertainty in the complex model predictions, and intent of using a model as a component of a multimedia or multicompartmental model. Decision-making often relies on simple models. Model simplification can be useful in understanding the behavior of complex models. Understanding the role of models of different complexity as affected by intended uses and problem statements is an important part of the modern ontology of environmental science and technology.

Unraveling complex hydrogeologic systems using field tracer tests

Tracking the movement of underground contaminants is vital to protecting public health and the environment worldwide. Scientific efforts using field tracer techniques to solve contaminant migration problems are rapidly evolving to fill critical information gaps and provide confirmation of laboratory data and numerical models. Various chemical tracers are being used to formulate and evaluate alternative conceptual hydrogeologic modelssemi; namely, to constrain hydraulic properties of geologic systems, identify sources of groundwater, flow paths, and rates, and determine mechanisms that affect contaminant transport. Naturally occurring elements and environmental isotopes from atmospheric and underground nuclear testing can make excellent tracers. In addition, characterizing sites of future waste disposal, such as the potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, requires new and innovative techniques like injecting surrogate tracers that simulate potential contaminants and shed light on mechanisms that could control future contaminant migration.