ALBERT

Description: The soil shrinkage behavior of mineral substrates needs to be considered for engineering long-term durable mineral liners of landfill capping systems. For this purpose, a novel three-dimensional laser scanning device was coupled with (a) a mathematical-empirical model and (b) in-situ tensiometer measurements as a combined approach to simultaneously determine the shrinkage behavior of a boulder marl, installed as top and bottom liner material at the Rastorf landfill (Northern Germany). The shrinkage behavior, intensity, and geometry were determined during a drying experiment with undisturbed soil cores (100 cm3) from two soil pits; the actual in-situ shrinkage was also determined in 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 m depth by pressure transducer tensiometer measurements during a four-year period. The volume shrinkage index was used to describe the pore size dependent shrinkage tendency and it was classified as low (4.9%) for the bottom liner. The in-situ matric potentials in the bottom liner ranged between −100 and −150 hPa, even during drier periods, thus, the previously highest observed drying range (pre-shrinkage stress) with values below −500 hPa and −1000 hPa was not exceeded. Therefore, the hydraulic stability of the bottom liner was given.

Description: Mineral landfill liners require legally-fixed standards including a sufficiently-high available water capacity (AWC) and relatively low saturated hydraulic conductivity values (Ks). For testing locally available and potentially suitable materials with respect to these requirements, the soil hydraulic properties of boulder marl (bm) and marsh clay (mc) were investigated considering a defined compaction according to Proctor densities. Both materials were pre-compacted in 20 soil cores (100 cm3) each on the basis of the Proctor test results at five degrees of compaction (bm1–bm5; mc1–mc5) ranging between 1.67–2.07 g/cm3 for bm and 1.09–1.34 g/cm3 for mc. Additionally, unimodal and bimodal models were used to fit the soil water retention curve near saturation and changes in the pore size distribution (PSD). The structural peak of the PSD in the fraction of pore volume between −30 and −60 hPa was more pronounced on the dry side (bm1–2, mc1–2) than on the wet side of the Proctor curve (bm4–5, mc4–5). Therefore, the loss in structural pores can be attributed to an increasing dry bulk density for bm and an increasing gravimetric moisture content during Proctor test for mc. While the mc fulfils the legal standards with AWC values between 0.244–0.271 cm3/cm3, the Ks values for bm between 1.6 × 10−6 m/s and 3.8 × 10−7 m/s and for mc between 7.4 × 10−7 m/s and 1.2 × 10−7 m/s were up to two orders of magnitude higher than required. These results suggest that the suitability of both materials as landfill liner is restricted.

Description: In structured soils, water and reactive solutes can preferentially move through larger inter-aggregate pores, cracks, and biopores. The surface roughness of such macropores is crucial for describing microbial habitats and the exchange of water and solutes between macropores and the soil matrix together with other properties. The objective of this study was to compare the roughness of intact structural surfaces from the Bt-horizons of five Luvisols developed on loess and glacial till and to test the applicability of confocal laser scanning microscopy. Samples of 5 to 10 cm edge length with intact structural surfaces including cracks with and without clay-organic coatings, earthworm burrow walls, and root channels were prepared manually. The surface roughness of these structures was determined with a confocal laser scanning microscope of the type Keyence VK-X100K. The root-mean-squared roughness ( R q ) the curvature ( R cu ) and the ratio between surface area and base area ( R A ) were calculated from selected surface regions of interest of 0.342 mm 2 with an elevation resolution of 0.02 µm. The roughness was smaller for coated as compared to uncoated cracks and earthworm burrows of the Bt-horizons. This reduction of roughness by the illuviation of clayey material was similar for the structural surfaces of the coarser textured till-Bt and the finer-textured loess-Bt. This similarity suggested a dominant effect of pedogenesis and a minor effect of the parent material on the roughness levels of structural surfaces in the Bt-horizons. An expected “smoothing” effect of burrow wall surfaces by earthworm activity was not reflected in the roughness values compared to those of uncoated cracks at the chosen spatial scale. However, for root channel walls from one loess-Bt, the roughness was reduced as compared to that of other structures. These results suggest that the surface roughness of the structural surface types should separately be considered when describing preferential flow and macropore-matrix exchange or analysing root growth, microbial habitats, and colloidal transport in structured soils. The confocal laser scanning microscopy technique was found useful for characterizing the roughness of intact structural surfaces.

Description: ABSTRACT To quantify landscape change resulting from processes of erosion and deposition and to establish spatially distributed sediment budgets, ‘models of change’ can be established from a time series of digital elevation models (DEMs). However, resolution effects and measurement errors in DEMs may propagate to these models. This study aimed to evaluate and to modify remotely-sensed DEMs for an improved quantification of initial sediment mass changes in an artificially-created catchment. DEMs were constructed from photogrammetry-based, airborne (ALS) and ground-based laser scanning (TLS) data. Regions of differing morphological characteristics and vegetation cover were delineated. Three-dimensional (3D) models of volume change were established and mass change was derived from these models. DEMs were modified region-by-region for rill, interrill and alluvial areas, based on logical and hydro-geomorphological principles. Additional DEMs were constructed by combining multi-source, modified data. Models were evaluated by comparison with d-GPS reference data and by considering sediment budget plausibility. Comprehensive evaluation showed that DEM usability depends on a relation between the technique used to obtain elevation data, surface morphology and vegetation cover characteristics. Photogrammetry-based DEMs were suited to quantification of change in interrill areas but strongly underestimated surface lowering in erosion rills. TLS DEMs were best suited to rill areas, while ALS DEMs performed best in vegetation-covered alluvial areas. Agreement with reference data and budget plausibility were improved by modifications to photogrammetry- and TLS-based DEMs. Results suggest that artefacts in DEMs can be reduced and hydro-geomorphic surface structures can be better represented by applying region-specific modifications. Photogrammetry-based DEMs can be improved by combining higher and lower resolution data in defined structural units and applying modifications based on principles given by characteristic hydro-geomorphic evolution. Results of the critical comparative evaluation of remotely-sensed elevation data can help to better interpret DEM-based quantifications of earth-surface processes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: The surfaces of macropores or aggregates can act as hot spots for biogeochemical processes and solute transport during preferential flow. For the characterization of organic matter (OM) at macropore surfaces non-destructive methods have been applied such as diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). However, effects of organic components on DRIFT signal intensities are often difficult to distinguish from those of mineral components. Here, DRIFT spectra from intact earthworm burrow walls and coated cracks were re-evaluated to improve the interpretation of C–H and C=O bands. We compared DRIFT and transmission Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of entire samples that were from the same pedogenetic soil horizon (Bt) but different in mineral composition and texture ( i.e. , glacial till vs. loess). Spectra of incinerated samples were subtracted from the original spectra. Transmission FTIR and DRIFT spectra were almost identical for entire soil samples. However, the DRIFT spectra were affected by the bulk mode bands ( i.e. , wavenumbers 2000 to 1700 cm −1 ). These bands affected spectral resolution and reproducibility. The ratios between C–H and C=O band intensities as indicator for OM quality obtained with DRIFT were smaller than those obtained from transmission FTIR. The results demonstrated that DRIFT and transmission FTIR data required separate interpretations. DRIFT spectroscopy as a non-destructive method for analyzing OM composition at intact surfaces in structured soils could be calibrated with information obtained with the more detailed transmission FTIR and complementary methods. Spectral subtraction procedure was found useful to reduce effects of mineral absorption bands. The improved DRIFT data may be related to other soil properties ( e.g. , cation exchange capacity) of hot spots in structured soils.

Description: In this study, a dual-permeability approach is discussed for modeling preferential flow in shrinking soils by accounting for shrinking effects on macropore and matrix domain hydraulic properties. Conceptually, the soil is treated as a dual-permeability bulk porous medium consisting of two dynamic interacting pore domains: (1) the fracture (from shrinkage) pore domain and (2) the aggregate (interparticles plus structural) or matrix pore domain. The model assumes that the swell-shrink dynamics is represented by the inversely proportional volume changes of the fracture and matrix domains, while the overall porosity of the total soil, and hence the layer thickness, remains constant. This assumption can be justified for soils with dominant horizontal soil deformation in the swelling-shrinkage process (shrinkage geometry factor, rs 〉 3). The swell-shrink dynamics was included in a one-dimensional dual-permeability model in which water flow in both domains was described with the Richards' equation. Swell-shrink dynamics was incorporated in the model partly by changing the coupled domain-specific hydraulic properties according to the shrinkage characteristics of the matrix and partly by allowing the fractional contribution of the two domains to change with the pressure head. As a first step, the hysteresis in the swell-shrink dynamics was not included. We also assumed that the aggregate behavior and its hydraulic properties depend only on the average aggregate water content and not on its internal real distribution. The model proved, describing successfully effects of shrinkage on the spatial and temporal evolution of water contents measured in a silty loam soil in the field.

Description: To quantify landscape change resulting from processes of erosion and deposition and to establish spatially distributed sediment budgets, ‘models of change’ can be established from a time series of digital elevation models (DEMs). However, resolution effects and measurement errors in DEMs may propagate to these models. This study aimed to evaluate and to modify remotely-sensed DEMs for an improved quantification of initial sediment mass changes in an artificially-created catchment. DEMs were constructed from photogrammetry-based, airborne (ALS) and ground-based laser scanning (TLS) data. Regions of differing morphological characteristics and vegetation cover were delineated. Three-dimensional (3D) models of volume change were established and mass change was derived from these models. DEMs were modified region-by-region for rill, interrill and alluvial areas, based on logical and hydro-geomorphological principles. Additional DEMs were constructed by combining multi-source, modified data. Models were evaluated by comparison with d-GPS reference data and by considering sediment budget plausibility. Comprehensive evaluation showed that DEM usability depends on a relation between the technique used to obtain elevation data, surface morphology and vegetation cover characteristics. Photogrammetry-based DEMs were suited for quantification of change in interrill areas but strongly underestimated surface lowering in erosion rills. TLS DEMs were best suited in rill areas, while ALS DEMs performed best in vegetation-covered alluvial areas. Agreement with reference data and budget plausibility were improved by modifications to photogrammetry- and TLS-based DEMs. Results suggest that artefacts in DEMs can be reduced and hydro-geomorphic surface structures can be better represented by applying region-specific modifications. Photogrammetry-based DEMs can be improved by combining higher and lower resolution data in defined structural units and applying modifications based on principles given by characteristic hydro-geomorphic evolution. Results of the critical comparative evaluation of remotely-sensed elevation data can help to better interpret DEM-based quantifications of earth-surface processes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Ecosystems are characterized as complex systems with abiotic and biotic processes interacting between the various components that have evolved over long-term periods. Most ecosystem studies so far have been carried out in mature systems. Only limited knowledge exists on the very initial phase of ecosystem development. Concepts on the development of ecosystems are often based on assumptions and extrapolations with respect to structure–process interactions in the initial stage. To characterize the effect of this initial phase on structure and functioning of ecosystems in later stages, it is necessary to disentangle the close interaction of spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem structural assemblages with processes of ecosystem development. The study of initial, less complex systems could help to better identify and characterize coupled patterns and processes. This paper gives an overview of concepts for the initial development of different ecosystem compartments and identifies open questions and research gaps. The artificial catchment site “Chicken Creek” is introduced as a new research approach to investigate these patterns and processes of initial ecosystem development under defined boundary conditions. This approach allows to integrate the relevant processes with related pattern and structure development over temporal and spatial scales and to derive thresholds and stages in state and functioning of ecosystems at the catchment level.

Description: Mineral temporary capping systems of landfills are required to accomplish the long-term coverage prerequisites or to use them as a basis layer prior to later permanent sealing. Such a capping system for a municipal waste landfill in Rastorf (Northern Germany) was developed and tested for its sealing capability on the basis of observed and simulated water balance components for the period between 2008 and 2015, considering observed local weather data and complemented by the Hydraulic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP 3.95 D) model. The modeling results of this case study could be improved by the correction of previously used global solar radiation data due to the consideration of exposure and inclination angle of landfill surface areas. The model could positively be validated by comparing observed and simulated outflow (surface runoff and lateral drainage) data with R2 values ranging between 0.95 and 0.99, as well as for the leachate rates with R2 values of 0.78–0.87. The statistical-empirical HELP model was found useful in predicting the leachate generation of a temporary landfill capping system for specific soil and site conditions, even if only a restricted set of observed data was available.